LATIIYRIASIS. 489 



peas generally. Whether the seeds used are of tlie smaller 

 dark kind or of the larger white kind, they have been equally 

 injurious. 



Professor Macdougall says that he found the seeds in poultry 

 food in several of the Edinburgh grain-dealers' shops, added as 

 as an adulteration. Some of the dealers did not trouble about 

 the presence of the lathyrus seeds, whilst others objected to 

 them, not on the ground that, so far as they knew, the seeds 

 were injurious, but that they were an inferior quality of pea. 



Dr. Voelcker states that he has discovered several cases 

 where feeding cakes have been adulterated with lathyrus, and 

 that injurious effects followed their use. 



The effect on man using the seeds as daily articles of food is a 

 sudden and incurable paralysis of the lower limbs, and there 

 are records of epidemics of paralysis following their use, both in 

 Asia and Europe. 



Symptoms m the Horse. — The animals, seemingly in a perfect 

 state of health whilst at rest, on being put to work or even 

 exercised, particularly if the weather be cold, are seized with 

 roaring and great difficulty of breathing, some immediately 

 dying from asphyxia unless tracheotomy be performed, others 

 gradually overcoming the dyspnoea and remaining apparently 

 well whilst kept in repose. 



The following is the description of the symptoms given 

 by the manager of the Bristol Tramway Company, — case at 

 law reported. 



123 horses out of a stud of 800 fell ill owing to feeding on 

 mutters. " The horses suffered from what was styled, for want 

 of a better name, 'an epidemic of falling.' They would fall 

 suddenly, without any accountable reason. Cab and carriage 

 shafts were broken daily, as also were the car poles." And 

 again, "A horse being exercised was taken suddenly ill; it 

 roared, its flanks heaved, its mouth was kept wide open, the 

 nostrils were distended (dilated), and the tongue hung out and 

 became livid ; it stared and staggered, and threatened every 

 moment to fall down strangulated and suffocated, and during 

 this paroxysm, which lasted several minutes, the perspiration 

 ran freely off every part of the horse." 



Principal M'Call, who was consulted in the Bristol case, 

 having seen much of the disease in Glasgow, and who advised 



