POISONOUS MEAT. 51 



gave annoyance. Pigs, cats, and dogs which ate of the 

 offal of this animal were also made sick. Thorough 

 cooking did not destroy the poison, and those who took 

 soup and boullion made from the meat were affected like 

 those who ate of the muscular fibre. In most of the cases 

 the symptoms came on within twelve hours after eating 

 the meat. 



On a fete-day at Zurich, in 1839, 600 persons who were 

 fed upon cold veal and ham were taken ill, with shivering, 

 giddiness, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Some were delirious 

 and others were salivated, the saliva being extremely fetid. 

 In the worst cases there were involuntary stools, collapse, 

 and death. The cause was traced to putrefactive changes 

 • in the meat. 



SiEDLER reports an instance of four persons having been 

 made sick by eating decomposed goose-grease. There were 

 giddiness, prostration, and violent vomiting. No metallic 

 poison could be found. The grease was rancid, of repul- 

 sive odor, and three ounces of it given to a dog produced 

 the same symptoms which had been observed in the 

 persons. 



Christison reports a number of cases in which persons 

 were seriously, a few fatally, affected by eating various 

 kinds of meat which had undergone partial putrefaction. 



Ollivibe found six persons poisoned, four of them 

 fatally, by eating of decomposed mutton. He also men- 

 tions the poisoning of a family of three with ham pie. 

 Chemical analysis failed to reveal the presence of any 

 poison. 



BoUTiGNY, having failed to find any poison in the meat 

 furnished at a festival, and to which the serious illness of 

 many was attributed, made a meal of stuffed turkey fur- 

 nished by the same dealer, but after a short time his coun- 

 tenance became livid, his pulse small and feeble, a cold 

 sweat bathed his body, and violent vomiting and purging 

 followed. His recovery was slow. 



Geiseler observed nausea, vomiting, purging, and 

 delirium after eating of bacon which was imperfectly cured. 



