76 BACTERIAL POISONS. 



and bladder were normal ; the latter contained a small 

 amount of urine. The peritoneum, pancreas, and kidneys 

 were perfectly normal. 



"The thoracic cavity was next opened. The lungs were 

 normal ; there was about one-half ounce of free serum in 

 the left pleural cavity ; none in the right. Pericardium 

 normal ; right auricle in diastole ; left auricle and both 

 ventricles in systole. 



" The dura mater showed venous congestion ; the arach- 

 noid, normal ; the pia mater, congested. On the surface 

 of the centrum ovale, small drops of blood oozed from the 

 divided vessels. The large veins of the velum interposi- 

 tum were distended. Third and fourth ventricles were 

 slightly distended with serous fluid, but the walls were 

 normal. There seemed to be slight softening of the optic 

 thalami. The sub-arachnoid fluid was about twice the nor- 

 mal quantity. 



" On examination of the mucous membrane of the 

 stomach and intestine in the presence of the chemist, Prof. 

 A. B. Prescott," nothing abnormal could be found. The 

 membrane was stained with bile, but there was not the 

 slightest redness. The solitary glands were distinct, but 

 not at all inflamed. Peyer's patches were normal. 



"It will be seen that there existed no lesion which would 

 account for the death. The venous congestion observed in 

 the brain would follow from failure of the heart. 



" Some of the post-mortem appearances bore a striking 

 resemblance to those which I had observed in cats poi- 

 soned with tyrotoxicon. This was especially noticeable in 

 the condition of the mucous membrane of the stomach and 

 intestine. Tyrotoxicon produces the symptoms of a gas- 

 tro-iutestinal irritant, but not the lesions. The contraction 

 of the circular fibres of the intestine, which undoubtedly 

 caused the constipation, I had also observed in cats that 

 died from tyrotoxicon poisoning without either vomiting 

 or stool. 1 The action of this poison upon the stomach and 



1 Marsh reports a case in which the symptoms resembled very closely 

 those of rapidly perforating typhlitis, but the post-mortem examination 

 showed absolutely no evidence of this disease or of peritonitis. In fact the 



