52 CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 



ears, the tail, the phaUinges. the limbs, which become detached little by little aud 

 piece by piece from tlie trunk without iuflammatiou or pain, &c. 



Lesions. — The digestive tube is more or loss iutensoly irritated, the viscei'a are flabby 

 and softened, the muscles semi-gelatinous, the blood fluid, violet colored, the interior 

 of the vessels red as iu putrid diseases &c. 



M. Verheyen, in his article ou ergotism in the Nouveau DicUonnaire 

 pratique de Medicine, de Chirurgie et d'Hyf/iene Veterinaires, gives the 

 following account of the effects of this poison: 



Symptomatolo!/!/. — In spite of the numerous experimental studies of which the 

 ergot of rye has been the object, its effects ou the organism are far from being suffi- 

 ciently understood to enable us to write iu a complete and connected manner the 

 part of the medical history of ergotism relating to the symptomatology and patholog- 

 ical anatomy. The mode of action of ergot on the economy is only presented so far 

 in a fragmentary state; the acquired knowledge does not permit the tracing of a 

 physiological chart of all the phenomena produced by this agent. A large nuinber of 

 experimenters, particularly among the modern ones, have only produced an acute 

 intoxication, of rapid pr3gress, which leaves in obscurity the evolution, the gradua- 

 tion, and the succession of the morbid phenomena; in a word the progress of natural 

 ergotism resulting from the introduction into the economy of small but long continued 

 doses of the toxic substance. History mentions destructive epidemics, and others 

 which have been relatively mild; this difference can only be due to predisposition 

 and to the abundance of ergot. Rye is rich in it in the calami tons years ; the high price 

 of cereals, aud of all kinds of provisions, iirevents the poorer classes from procuring 

 sufficiently nutritious food. There, consequently, follows a constitutional debility 

 and anemia, which singularly favors gangrenous and convulsive disorders. The obser- 

 vation, so precise, of M. Decoste, as regards the hygienic diet to which the cow, Avhich 

 was the subject of it, had been submitted, the conditions under which the epizootic 

 of the State of New York appeared, proves that misery constitutes a predisposing 

 cause not less energetic for animals than for man. The experimenters have not taken 

 into account these constitutional modifications which increase the susceptibility to 

 the poisonous agent, aud give to ergotism a new symptomatic expressiou. Here, it 

 appears to us, is found the key to the numerous contradictious that are noticed when 

 the experiments are compared with each other. To cite only a single example con- 

 cerning the bovine species, we see that Riemanu did not succeed at the end of eight 

 days iu provoking the least abnormal phenomenon, and that Wahlin produced no 

 other noticeable symptom than constipatiou The authors who have observed cases 

 of ergotism with auimals during the course of an epidemic may be correct when they 

 mention the fact very summarily, and limit themselves to a statement that the 

 phenomena were absolutely similar to those presented by man. This identity justi- 

 fies, to a certain extent, their laconisra, aud the epidemic conditions explain the 

 differences ol)tained by experimenting during the epidemic periods and out of these 

 periods. During the epidemics the rule relative to the gangrenous form iu the south 

 and the convulsive in the north is applicable to artificial ergotism. A final remark, 

 perfectly justified, and which has been little if at all considered by the experimenters: 

 Tessier, who brought a high order of intelligence to the elucidation of the history of 

 ergotism, asserts that all animals show a very great repugnance to take ergot volun- 

 tarily ; this is so insurmountable for some individuals that they will die of hunger 

 rather thau touch it. Conse<|ueutly all were far from beiug assured that the ergot 

 offered was really consuuu'd. 



Having made these obscu'vations, let us take up (he symptomatology of ergotism — 

 they will excuse the incomplete sketch that we trace. 



These morbid i)heiu)mena are very inconstant during the period of invasiou. Some- 

 times they indicate a lesion of the cerebro-spinal apparatus, at other times the diges- 

 tive tube is invaded, at still other times the symptoms proceed from the circulatory 



