ON THE APPLICATION OF DISEASED POTATOES. 135 



analogy that the diseased potatoe may in some cases have 

 a similar injurious action. 



(524.) I can refer those interested in this subject to 

 Thompson's Lectures on Inflammation, pp. 538 to 551, 

 where the accounts given by different writers of the effect 

 of the cockspur rye, or damaged wheat, over a period ex- 

 tending from 1676 to 1762, are abundantly collected. 



(525.) The general effects observed were mortification 

 of the extremities, particularly of the feet. In most in- 

 stances the malady killed the patient, although, in some 

 cases, he survived with the loss of the part affected. 



(526.) It is important to observe, that, in experiments 

 made on animals with damaged grain, the effect did not 

 take place for a long period, and not then if the diseased 

 grain did not bear a certain relation to the sound food. 

 From these facts it is apparent that experiments, with the 

 view to ascertain the effect of diseased potatoes on animals, 

 must be carried on for a long period, and all the potatoes 

 should be damaged. Experiments of this nature are sur- 

 rounded by many practical difficulties. It would be highly 

 desirable if farmers would make returns of any injuries 

 supposed to arise to animals from using the damaged tubers. 



(527.) Burnett quotes several curious cases of death 

 having arisen from persons eating mouldy bread, mouldy 

 pork, mouldy cheese, mouldy ham pie, where no recogniz- 

 able poison, whether mineral or vegetable, could be traced, 

 and, indeed, where the absence of all known poisons was 

 ascertained. These cases are amply sufficient to warn us 

 from eating damaged food. 



(528.) Independent of these extreme effects, we may 

 infer that less severe calamities may arise, such as the 

 London surgeon daily observes occurring from imperfect 



