578 SELLING POISONOUS SHEEP WASH. 



been washed before. The sheep were brought from a considerable 

 distance to the sheds, and they were turned back into the sheds, and 

 sent back to their pasture at intervals during the day, and all appeared 

 to go on well. On the Sunday, however, one of these sheep died. On 

 the Monday several more died, and many were seen to be ill— foaming 

 at the mouth and shaking their heads, and lying down. 



On the Tuesday a great number died ; more still on the Wednesday ; 

 until, in the course of a few days, 850 of the sheep had died, 19 only 

 surviving, and these 19 were part of the 60 which had been dipped 

 in the very diluted mixture. It was also found that the hands and 

 arms of the shepherds which had been dipped in the liquor became sore, 

 and mortified and sloughed, and they were ill for some time from it. 



It was suggested that the sheep had been allowed to eat the her- 

 bage on which they stood after they were washed, and that a shower 

 of rain had washed oflP them much of the mixture, and saturated the 

 herbage of the field where they were placed, and thus poisoned them. 



On the sheep all dying in this manner, Mr. Black had one of the 

 powders analyzed, and it was admitted that it contained li lb. of 

 arsenic, Ijlb. of soda ash, and 2oz. of sulphur, each powder weighing 

 21b. lOoz. The sheep were dissected and found to have been poisoned. 

 Tliey were all much swollen and black. The plaintiff then saw the 

 defendant, who went over to his farm. The defendant said then it was a 

 bad job, that his powders had never poisoned any sheep before, and 

 he knew he was responsible. The defendant then sold the skins of the 

 sheep to a skinner who joined them on the road for 2s. each, and the 

 carcases were buried. The plaintiff claimed £1,737 as the value of his 

 sheep. The defendant, however, afterwards resisted this demand, and 

 set up as a defence the improper mixing and diluting of his powders, 

 contending that the solution made was stronger than it ought to have 

 been according to his directions. 



Those that had the disease had a frothy mucous about the brow, 

 nose, and mouth, the eye was very dull, and evident pain in the bowels, 

 the breathing was most laborious, the head was swollen, and thrown 

 back. The urinary discharge was black and bloody. The skin w^as 

 of a black and blue appearance, and the wool falling off' in large 

 patches, particularly on the back and across the loins. Professor Dick, 

 of Edinburgh, Dr. Thomi)Son, and other scientific witnesses, were 

 called to prove that the sheep, on dissection, exhibited traces of arsenic 

 in their intestines, and as much as six grains was found in a sheep, 

 which was quite sufficient to account for the death. The quantity of 

 arsenic in each powder sold by the defendant for the washing of each 

 sheep amounted to 195 grains. Willea J. ^ummod up at considerable 



