IN CATTLE, SHEEP, DOGS, ETC. 275 



arsenic is not known to have proved fatal in the human 

 subject under seven hours, one of the horses dropped and 

 died ten minutes after drinking, and several were dead 

 within an hour. The symptoms were colic, staggering gait, 

 pallid membranes, cold ears, pulse 40 to 60, quickened 

 breathing, and latterly coma. Brandy and ammonia were 

 the remedies prescribed (Veterinarian, 1874). 



Cattle take with less danger even larger doses than horses, 

 for the comparatively insoluble poison mixes with the food in 

 the rumen, and hence slowly reaches the abomasum and 

 intestine, while the small amounts thus gradually introduced 

 into the circulation are continuously excreted, and toxic 

 effects are delayed or prevented. Blake records the death of 

 fourteen in-calf cows, which had an arsenical dip powder 

 mixed with their hay. Symptoms of poisoning appeared in 

 twenty hours, and consisted of ' acute abdominal pains, 

 profuse diarrhoea, heavy breathing, staggering gait, cold 

 extremities,' etc. Thirteen of the cows died within three 

 days, while one survived a week (Veterinarian, 1892). 

 Kaufmann fixes the toxic dose at four to eight drachms. 



Sheep are poisoned by 75 to 90 grains. A strong sheep 

 received an ounce of arsenic in water containing a handful 

 of common salt, and after exhibiting most of the symptoms 

 mentioned as occurring in horses, died on the fifth day. 

 Hertwig states that 5 to 10 grains given in solution to 

 healthy sheep produced gastro-intestinal irritation ; that a 

 second dose of 10 to 20 grains, given twenty-four hours after, 

 caused death ; and that, on examination, the poison was 

 found in the blood, urine, lungs, liver, and muscles. But 

 dogs have eaten with impunity the carcases of sheep poisoned 

 by arsenic. 



Dogs, cats, pigs, and poultry are more quickly and power- 

 fully affected than horses and cattle, and, relatively to their 

 weight, exhibit about the same susceptibility as human 

 patients, in whom 2*5 grains is the smallest dose known to 

 have proved fatal. Dogs to which Dun administered 3 to 10 

 grains in solution within a few minutes exhibited nausea, 

 vomiting, moaning, difficult breathing, a wiry, rapid pulse of 

 120 or upwards, and shortly passed black faeces with con- 

 siderable pain ; while death with convulsions followed in 



