478 SPORADIC DISEASES. 



Surgeon, Beauly, he kindly wrote me the following particulars, 

 which are well worthy of attention : — 



"On 8th April last I was asked to attend a lot of fourteen cattle, 

 one and two-year-olds, and on examination the following symp- 

 toms were noticeable : — staggering, swaying from side to side, 

 partial paralysis of hind extremities ; some of the animals would 

 press their heads to the wall and strike out with their fore limbs, 

 as if endeavouring to get forward, then vomit a green ropy 

 spume. One, a yearling stirk, was unable to get up, the hind 

 extremities being completely paralyzed ; eyes staring and fixed 

 in their sockets, pupils not dilated, mucous membranes very pale, 

 great straining, passing small quantities of hard, dark fcetid faeces 

 covered with mucous. The symj^toms varied very much, as some 

 of the animals, especially the two-year-olds, would lie down 

 during the spasms of pain, and kick the belly with tlie hind legs. 

 Vomition was a marked symptom, and came on at intervals, 

 when the animal would groan with pain, vomit, then a spas- 

 modic cough came on, which lasted for a few minutes. When 

 administerinnf medicine, if the animal's head was much raised 

 above the level of the body, the creature would instantly fall as 

 if struck with an axe. On examining the substance vomited, it 

 was full of the flower buds, leaves, and young shoots of the 

 rhododendron in a semi-masticated state. An inspection of the 

 park grazed by the cattle was made, when about three cart-loads 

 of the prunings of rhododendron were found thrown over the 

 fence by the gardener ; the prunings having been recently, as 

 was seen, eaten of by the cattle. 



" Treatment. — Linseed oil, with potass carbonate, and small 

 doses of tincture opii in the cases suffering from colic was in 

 every instance successful. The yearling stirk aflected with para- 

 lysis was treated as above, with the addition of the iod. potass., 

 which in a few days had the desired effect. 



" P.S. — The first symptoms of illness were noticed fifteen hours 

 after the cattle had eaten part of the prunings." 



YEW POISONING. 



Considerable difference of opinion seems to exist as to the 

 poisonous or non-poisonous properties of the leaves of the yew 

 tree; some maintaining they are not poisonous except in a 



