196 BOVINE PATHOLOGY. 



be noted inflaimnation of the small intestines. Purgatives 

 sufficed to save some of the calves attacked (Dobson). 



Ieritant Poisons. — Stimulating agents, when taken 

 internally, exert a local irritant action, and thus give rise 

 to enteritis or gastro-enteritis, which do not in any essen- 

 tial respect differ from these diseases when they arise from 

 other causes — sometimes the systemic action of the agent 

 is apparent after its absorption. We have seen that some 

 neurotics exert a local irritant action, but all of them cause 

 death by their effects while acting from the blood. 



Oxalic acid, lime, and ammonia, act as irritant poisons. 

 Among vegetable substances which thus act are Anemone 

 Pulsatilla, Mercurialis annua (which causes haBmaturia), 

 Mercurialis perenniSj certain Ranunculi, Bryony, Rhododen- 

 dron, and Veratrum album. Helleborus niger and H. foetidus 

 also act similarly ; the root of the former is sometimes used 

 for increasing the irritant action of setons. It is inserted 

 as a peg into the subcutaneous areolar tissue, and when the 

 fresh root is used may give rise to most acute inflamma- 

 tion. The most active general and local antiphlogistic 

 measures are necessary to save the animal. Charlock 

 (wild mustard) sometimes acts as a simple irritant when 

 taken in with the food. Sometimes the various kinds of 

 cake contain mustard-seeds, and act as irritants. The 

 taste and odour is sufficient to enable us to determine 

 whether or no this is the case with any particular specimen 

 of cake. 



Cicuta virosa (the water hemlock), Mthusa cynapium 

 (the fool^s parsley), and CEiianthe crocata (the water drop- 

 wort), are poisonous umbellifers, which exert a narcotico- 

 irritant action. 



Astringent Poisons are generally irritant in their effects. 

 They cause symptoms such as we shall enumerate under 

 the heading " Grastro - enteritis,^' Pantas or Moor -ill. 

 Acorns, fern, and oak shoots are the principal of these 

 agents. 



Corrosive Poisons, by their chemical action, cause dis- 

 organisation of the parts with which they come in contact, 

 and thus, in treating of them, we have to deal with their 



