PUTRID POISONS. 347 



trary, its principal character consists in its readily 

 suffering transformations ; and no other matter can 

 be compared in this respect with it. 



Now it is a well-known fact, that when blood, 

 cerebral substance, gall, pus, and other substances 

 in a state of putrefaction, are laid upon fresh 

 wounds ; vomiting, debility, and at length death, are 

 occasioned. It is also well known that bodies in 

 anatomical rooms frequently pass into a state of 

 decomposition which is capable of imparting itself 

 to the living body, the smallest cut with a knife 

 which has been used in their dissection producing 

 in these cases dangerous consequences. 



The poison of bad sausages belongs to this class 

 of noxious substances. 



Several hundred cases are known in which death 

 has occurred from the use of this kind of food. 



In Wiirtemberg especially these cases are very 

 frequent, for there the sausages are prepared from 

 very various materials. 



Blood, liver, bacon, brains, milk, meal and bread, 

 are mixed together with salt and spices ; the mix- 

 ture is then put into bladders or intestines, and 

 after being boiled is smoked. 



When these sausages are well prepared they may 

 be preserved for months, and furnish a nourishing 

 savoury food ; but when the spices and salt are 

 deficient, and particularly when they are smoked 

 too late or not sufficiently, they undergo a peculiar 

 kind of putrefaction which begins at the centre of 



