DISEASES PRODUCED BY DISTILLERY AND SUGAR FACTORY PULP. 



Lesions. On post-mortem examination one finds lesions of irritant 

 gastro-enteritis, and of chronic nephritis. 



Treatment consists in withdrawing the molasses refuse, and giving 

 milk, mucilaginous fluids, barley water, and cereals, which soothe the 

 kidney. 



DISEASES PRODUCED BY DISTILLERY AND SUGAR FACTORY PULP. 



This disease, which is very common in France and Germany, results 

 from feeding on distillery and sugar factory residues, consisting for the 

 most part of beet pulp. 



In 1860 Guionnet described it under the name of disease of the 

 abomasum, and more recent work by Butel, Rossignol, and Arloing has 

 thrown a great deal of light on its exact nature. 



Causation. Guionnet attributed the injurious action of beet pulp, 

 etc., to excess of acidity, due to the addition of sulphuric iicid during 

 manipulation in the factory ; but it has since been shown that this acidity, 

 if existing, is specially due to various fermentation products, the results 

 of lactic, butyric, ai)d acetic fermentation, etc. 



Rossignol regarded the symptoms as wholly due .to the excessive 

 proportion of water, viz., 90 per cent. ; but this does not explain the 

 general symptoms of poisoning. 



The real cause is to be sought in the manner of preserving the pulp 

 in simple earth silos or in cemented silos, where it undergoes fermenta- 

 tion and putrefaction. The contained liquid is then extremely toxic. 

 Filtered through porcelain and injected under the skin, it produces 

 vaso-motor and vaso-paralytic disorder, identical with that seen in acute 

 forms of the disease ; in other cases it excites abnormal secretion, and 

 leads to permanent diarrhoea and chronic gastro-enteritis. 



This liquid, if injected intravenously, may prove toxic in doses 

 of 2 to 3 cubic centimetres per kilogram of bodily weight. Its in- 

 jurious effect is due to toxins secreted by special bacilli, which were 

 isolated and studied by Arloing. The toxicity diminishes as the pulp 

 becomes older, and can be avoided by adding antiseptics like common 

 salt, which prevent fermentation. These experiments of the Lyons 

 professor are certainly very interesting, and, although perhaps not 

 identical with what occurs in practice, sufficiently indicate the way in 

 which poisoning occurs. 



Pathological disturbance only follows the use of decomposed pulp. 



Animals reared on farms where distillery and sugar factory pulp is 

 regularly given become accustomed to it, and are rarely affected. The 

 chief sufferers are those recently imported, or recently placed on such 

 food ; in them the disease may assume either the acute, nervous, sub- 

 acute, or chronic form. 



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