A good formiilca for ordinary inflammation drenches, which is at once 

 safe and efficient for those purposes for which these draughts are commonly 

 employed, is the following :— Of liquor ammonii acetatis four ounces, of 

 Fleming's tincture of aconite five drops, of spirit of nitrous ether one ounce,, 

 and water added to make half a pint. 



POISONING BY ERGOT. 



The next poison— ergot— of which we shall treat is one of some importance 

 and interest, not only as affecting the equine tribe, but also as a source of 

 disease among cattle. Ergot, or ergot of rye, is caused by the growth of a 

 fungoid parasite which infests a number of grasses and cereals, more 

 especially rye. The cultivated grasses which most generally become 

 diseased by the growth of the vegetable fungus called Claviceps purpurea, 

 are timothy grass, tall fescue, floating sweet grass, fox tail, and rye grass. 

 The weed grasses most generally infested with the parasite are soft brome 

 grass, meadow brome, couch grass, and wall barley grass. The ergot itself 

 is a purplish or bluish black, hard, elongated body, easily recognised again^ 

 when once carefully observed. In those parts wdiere rye-bread is much 

 eaten, ergot is often present in large ciuantities in the flour, and very 

 alarming symptoms, and sometimes even death, results in those who have 

 partaken of it. In Russia, gangrene, or mortification of the limbs and other 

 parts, has, especially in certain seasons, resulted from this cause. Ergot is 

 not uncommonly a cause of abortion in mares and cows ; and it is 

 recorded that a Shropshire breeder of cattle lost ^1,200 in three years, from 

 the grasses in his pastures becoming ergotised. 



The disease termed grass-staggers, produced in horses by feeding on 

 rye grass at a particular period of its growth, appears as a local affection^ 

 when horses are grazed on land where this abounds. This affection appears 

 to have some resemblance to ergotism. The symptoms are gradually- 

 developed, and the animal manifests deficient controlling power over his 

 muscles, especially those of the hind extremities. The weakness gradually 

 increases, and the horse reels or staggers. Muscular spasms are 

 occasionally manifested, and when the animal falls, they are sometimes very 

 severe. Consciousness becomes impaired, and death sometimes terminates 

 the malady. This disease must not be confounded with stomach-staggers 

 or acute indigestion, of which we have already spoken. Grass-staggers 

 is rarely fatal when the cases are attended to in the early stages. 

 The animal should be removed to a fresh pasture, as soon as the disease 

 shows itself, when recovery will in most cases follow without further 

 treatment. 



LEAD POISON iX(;. 



L]:ai) poisoning is generally confined to certain districts where lead smeltir.g 

 is carried on, but it may also occur in horses from ingestion of lead paint, or 



