36G POISONS, CONTAGIONS, MIASMS. 



substances. Several hundred eases are known in which death 

 has occurred from the use of this kind of food. In Wiirtemburg 

 especially these cases are very frequent, for there the sausages 

 are prepared from very various materials. Blood, liver, bacon, 

 brains, milk, flour, and bread, are mixed together with salt and 

 spices ; the mixture is then put into bladders or intestines, and 

 after being boiled is smoked. 



When these sausages are well prepared, they may be preserved 

 for months, and furnish a nourishing savory food ; but when 

 the spices and salt are deficient, and particularly when they are 

 smoked too late or not sufficiently, they undergo a peculiar kind 

 of putrefaction which begins at the centre of the sausage. 

 Without any appreciable escape of gas taking place they become 

 paler in color, and more soft and greasy in those parts which 

 have undergone putrefaction, and they are found to contain free 

 lactic acid, or lactate of ammonia ; products seldom absent from 

 putrefying bodies, especially vegetable matter. 



The cause of the poisonous nature of these sausages was as- 

 cribed at first to hydrocyanic acid, and afterwards to sebacic acid, 

 although neither of these substances had been detected in them. 

 But sebacic acid is no more poisonous than benzoic acid, with 

 which it has so many properties in common ; and the symptoms 

 produced are sufficient to show that hydrocyanic acid is not the 

 poison. 



The death which is the consequence of poisoning by putrefied 

 sausages succeeds very lingering and remarkable symptoms. 

 There is a gradual wasting of muscular fibre, and of all the con- 

 stituents of the body similarly composed ; the patient becomes 

 much emaciated, dries to a complete mummy, and finally dies. 

 The carcase is stiff as if frozen, and is not subject to putrefac- 

 tion. During the progress of the disease the saliva becomes 

 viscous, and acquires an offensive smell. 



Experiments have been made for the purpose of ascertaining 

 the presence of some matter in the sausages, to which their 

 poisonous action could be ascribed ; but no such matter has been 

 detected. Boiling water and alcohol completely destroy the 

 poisonous properties of the sausages, without themselves acquiring 

 similar properties. 



