DISEASES OF THE DIOESTIVE GROANS. 209 



xf'j*.'^i can not be mistaken. The region of the bplecn ia between 

 the ct'^raach and the false ribs on the left side. 



In view of rendering this subject more valuable and interesting, 

 I now introduce the following, which was written for the " Edin- 

 burgh Heview:" 



" Spfjtiic Apoplexy. — This disease broke out in the year 1858, 

 on a £i'*3i characterized by its extreme richness of soil, in the 

 lorth of Northumberland. In 1859 the malady reappeared, and 

 did not cease until twenty-three head of cattle had been affected. 

 Splenic apoplexy is a malady that has not hitherto been observed 

 in the north of Britain, and its occurrence recently is evidently 

 to be attribnt-ed to the special method of farming and feeding 

 stock whore 't has, for the last two years, proved so destructive. 



The farm is a peculiarly dry one. About three hundred head 

 of cattle are annually fattened on it. One lot was made ready 

 by Christmas, and sold as fat beef in Newcastle; a second waa 

 kept back until January, when they were allowed an abundance 

 of turnips, meal, and the best oat straw. The cattle affected were 

 three years old ; and it would appear that those fed on Swedish 

 turnips, especially from a certain field, suffered most; but some 

 fed on yellow or white turnips have been affected, and we should 

 regard the meal, and perhaps the oat straw, as more likely to pro- 

 duce this disorder. According to Delafoud's researches, legum- 

 inosse, or forage very rich in nutritive principles and deficient in 

 water, from artificial pastures, are frequent causes of splenic ajx)- 

 plexy. The farmer in Northumberland suspected that the arti- 

 ficial manures had produced the trouble, and the following season 

 he dressed his land with home manure ; but the prop'^rties of the 

 last crop have proved as deleterious as those of the preceding one. 

 The fact is, the crop had nothing to do with the development of 

 the disease. 



The malady stopped suddenly, about the middle of February, 

 and this was probably due to the cattle suffering only when the 

 gystem was taxed by change from rather moderate to very liigh 

 feedmc. It is an interesting fact that in cows the disorder only 

 affects those whicli are approaching the period when the secretion 

 of milk is stopped, and when there is a tendency to lay on flesh, 

 they then being liable to plethora. Cows fed on food capable of 

 producing splenic apoplexy die of it. 



Change of diet proved of no avail at the farm referred to (show- 



