32 



THE FAUMEKS' KEGISTEK. 



1839. Butli treat of 7)ulk sickness, and although 

 entirely inikaowii to each other, their staiemeiiis, 

 prolessedly drawn Irom [jersona! experience and 

 actual observation, very closely agree. Boili as- 

 sign the deleierious agent in milk lo some vegeta- 

 ble consumed by the cows, in new lands; and 

 ihey testily that the eHeci laild when the lands 

 have long been under cultivation. This eiate- 

 ment accords with the great mass ol evidence 

 throughout ihe world, where the ph^iiomena have 

 been noticed. Dr. Simpson and oihers object to 

 ihe miasmatic ductrine, contend, d (or by some, in 

 accounting for milk sickness, because, as ihey 

 alletre, if cattle be placed on two disumi lie ds on 

 thelame farm, llie one suijeci lo cullivaiiun lor 

 several years, the other in a wild siaie, and liill o( 

 native vegetation, those m the latter will be sick- 

 ened, white those in ilie former will retain their 

 accustomed health, alihough both be precisely 

 alike as to the inHuence ol" the usual sources of 

 miasmatic exhalations. 



In 1833, two citizens of Kentucky came to Cin- 

 cinnati, anxiously seeking the cause of a terrible 

 devastation among cattle, and human beings, in 

 their neighborhood, which ihey eupi)osed could be 

 detectedln the water, of which the animals and 

 oihers drank. They handed me a jug lull of the 

 water, which was perlectly limpid, insipid, inodor- 

 ous, and without sediment. The disease com- 

 plained of was the rnilk sickness, and the water 

 was imagined to be poisoned with arsenic, in some 

 way or other. Yet, it was not possible to delect 

 any sort of poisonous matter ; in lact, the water 

 was of the purest kind. I gave it as my opinion 

 then, and still believe, that the milk had been de- 

 teriorated by some unknown and not discovera- 

 ble agent, belonging to the vegetable kingdom. 

 When! say "not discoverable," I reler lo the 

 action of tests, for I fondly hope that the source 

 of this poison is yet to be ascertained. 



Cheese.— For many years it has been known 

 that cheese, owing to some unusual quality, ex- 

 erted occasionally a poisonous influence. In the 

 German journals, may be found several very in- 

 teresting papers on this subject, and they go to 

 confirm the statements so olien made in this coun- 

 try, on the same point. 



It has happened, that, of a whole cask oC cheese 

 received from a given cheesemonger, only one 

 has evinced any poisonous properties, and that 

 had no obvious peculiarity about it, in color, con- 

 eistence or taste. 



The symptoms develope themselves according 

 to the quantity eaien, commencing in from 10 to 

 15 hours, but deferred, now and then, to a more 

 remote period after the noxious meal. The first 

 notes of distress are, pain in the stomach, vo- 

 miting, purging, and dryness of the mouth and 

 nose.° The eyes, eyelids and pupils become fixed 

 and motionless ; the voice grows hoarse, or lails 

 entirely ; the power of swallowing is impaired, the 

 pulse gradually flags, swoonings occur, and the 

 skin is cold and insensible. The secretions and 

 excretions, excepting the urine, are suspended, but 

 sometimes there/is a profuse diarrhoea. The 

 appetite is not aflecied, there is little or no fever, 

 and the mind is unclouded. Fatal cases end with 

 convulsions and laborious breathing, as early as 

 the third, and as late as the eighth day. If the 

 patient recover, he feels badly lor weeks, and 

 Bometimee never regains his wonted vigor. 



The symptoms mark this substance, as belong" 

 ing to the irritant poisons, although, secondarily, 

 it would seem lo merit a place among the narco- 

 ticoacrids. 



The morbid appearances are, inflammation of 

 the mucous memttrane of the stomach and bowels, 

 whiteness and dr^iness ol the throat, flaccidity of 

 the tiearl, and a strcJng tendency lo resist putre- 

 faciion. 



That cheese is sometimes poisoned with red 

 lead, that is presein in the annato employed to 

 color it, cannot be doubted. Mr. Wright has fur- 

 nished a <)(iod paper on ihis subject in the Repo- 

 fciiory of Arts, vol. 8ih, page 262. It presents 

 undoubted proof of the po sunous action of some 

 fine looking Gloucester cheese, in which the red 

 oxide of lead was easily detected, by a neighbor- 

 ing chemist. Samples of the annato employed 

 as a coloring for the cheese, were found lo be 

 strongly impregnated with the lead. This very 

 dangerous sophistication can be readily detected, 

 by nidsceraiing a poriion of the suspected cheese 

 in water inpregnaied wiih sulphureted hydrogen 

 gas, acidulated vvuh muriatic acid. A brown or 

 blackish color is iiistanily struck, if the luinuteat 

 poriion of lead be ()resenl. 



But the most embarrassing cases of cheese 

 poisoning are those in which Ihe ordinary tests' 

 tail to discover any evidence of poisonous adul- 

 teration. These are of frequent occurrence. 

 About 12 years ago, a large number of persons 

 sickened, alter eating of a fine looking and well 

 tasted cheese, which was one of a cask, more 

 than half of which had been sold in the same 

 village. There was no (aial case, but some per- 

 sons were made extremely sick and suffered great 

 gastric and intestinal distress. I was requested to 

 make an examination ol the cheese, and portions 

 were sent to others, for the same object. After a 

 careful research, no poison could be detected by the 

 ordinary means, and we came to the conclusion, 

 that the source ol ihe evil must have been derived 

 from some vegetable matter, eaten by the cows. 



The inquiries of Serlurner and oihers go to 

 make it probable, that the poisonous property of 

 cheese often depends on two animal acids, analo- 

 gous to, if not identical with the caseic and se- 

 bacic acids, which we know to be, chiefly, the 

 source of evil in poisonous sausages. It is cer- 

 tain that caseic acid, obtained from cheese, will 

 destroy the smaller animals very promptly, and 

 that the sebacic is even more rapidly fatal. 



1 feel confident that not a little of the cheese 

 I that induces poisonous effects, owes its pernicious 

 quality lo the same, or to a similar vegetable mat- 

 ter, that is generally regarded as the cause of 

 ?m7A;sic/cness, in new countries. If the milk and 

 Ihe cow that yields it, may be poisoned, as they 

 certainly are, what can prevent butter and cheese 

 made from such milk, from sharing in the evil? 



Fatty matters. — By some process, not by any 

 means understood, certain animal matters are so 

 changed, although their exterior may appear as 

 usual, that the eating of them gives rise to very 

 distressing symptoms, and sometimes causes death. 

 Some have supposed, that there is carried on, si- 

 lently and imperceptibly, a modified putrefaction, 

 which changes the quality, without afliecling the 

 form or apparent condition. The articles, most 

 usually altered in this or in some other way, are 

 sausages, lard, pork or bacon, and butter. 



