MILK SICKNESS. 4^5 



following have been noticed : — ' The stomach and intestines 

 are inflamed (?); the mucous coat is measurably destroyed; the 

 entire coats are in some cases gangrenous ; they have a dark or 

 black appearance, which is not due to a mere congestion ; the 

 coats are not firm, though they are not easily broken down. In 

 the ventriculus, or paunch, and indeed throughout the whole 

 alimentary canal, is found a substance conglomerated and re- 

 sembling cemented sawdust, in the shape of balls, somewhat 

 elongated, and perfectly adherent to the coats of the digestive 

 tubes.' — (Dr. Schmidt.)" — Veterinary Journal, Sept. 1877. 



CAKE poisoning — CASTOR OIL SEED (EICINUS COMMUNIS) AND 

 CEOTON SEED (CEOTON TIGLIUM) POISONING. 



It is well known that both castor oil seed and croton seed 

 are very poisonous, even a less quantity than one per cent., 

 when present in the food — usually feeding cakes — causing 

 serious illness, and even death. Mr. J. W. Leather, in The Analyst, 

 July 1892, says: " It requires but a very small quantity of these 

 seeds — probably three or four seeds or less per lb. — to cause 

 serious illness or death to stock." Mr. Leather was kind enough 

 to communicate his method of detecting this adulteration of 

 feeding cakes to me in a letter, June 12, 1892, at which time 

 I was engaged in investigating several outbreaks of a disease of 

 a serious and fatal nature occurring amongst cattle fed on a 

 particular linseed cake. His method I found to answer every 

 purpose, and I have since repeatedly tested it. Boil about a 

 pound of the material with one to two per cent, of hydrochloric 

 acid for one hour. Decant the upper liquid from the sediment 

 several times ; boil the residue with dilute alkali for another 

 hour, then wash by decantation until the washing water is colour- 

 less. Treat the residue with half a pound to a pound of bleaching 

 powder (chloride of lime), and add sufficient water (a quart to 

 three pints) to keep the temperature from rising. This is 

 frequently stirred and then left to stand for several hours, 

 although the bleaching action is generally complete in about 

 four hours. It is then repeatedly washed by decantation, and 

 all the lime removed. This process renders the testa of the 

 seeds generally met with in cattle foods sufficiently transparent 

 to be recognised by the microscope, — in fact bleached, some 

 being completely decolorised ; whereas in the case of the croton 



