66 VETERINARY TOXICOLOGY 



had found its way on to the herbage as the result of a fire 

 in an explosive works, but three months elapsed before the 

 cattle began to die; so that here, no doubt, there was 

 chronic poisoning, but, unfortunately, no record was given 

 of the symptoms. 



Examples of the toxic effect of calomel are given by 

 Einlay Dun, who observed irritant and general effects in 

 horses by 3 to 4 drachms ; in cattle by 2 to 3 drachms ; 

 in sheep by 15 to 30 grains ; and in dogs by 6 to 30 grains. 

 Such doses cause colic and copious defsecation of green, or 

 in dogs darker, faeces, and if repeated for three or four days 

 foetid diarrhoea, bad breath, soreness of mouth, loss of 

 appetite and condition, low fever, dysentery, and death. A 

 donkey was killed in sixteen days by fourteen daily doses of 

 1 drachm, having exhibited salivation, foetid breath, sore- 

 ness of the gums, and loss of appetite and general condition. 

 After death the teeth were found to be loose, mucous 

 membranes of mouth and air passages blanched, those of 

 the stomach and intestines softened and covered in parts 

 by mucus. 



Post - Mortem Appearances. — Those observed by 

 Prohner were the inflammation of the mucous membranes, 

 haemorrhagic enteritis, necrosis, and perforation of the 

 caecum, peritonitis, catarrhal nephritis, and inflammation 

 of the spleen, and are noteworthy in illustration of the fact 

 that the gastric disturbances due to mercury are also pro- 

 duced when the poison has been absorbed otherwise than 

 by the alimentary tract. 



In acute poisoning there is formation of diphtheritic 

 false membranes, particularly in the large intestine. 



C. Hirst* has given a somewhat imperfect account of 

 what was probably corrosive sublimate poisoning in the 

 pig, in which rupture and perforation of the stomach 

 and ulceration of the mucous coats were prominent 

 effects. 



In the Veterinary Record, 1902, p. 27, there will be found 

 an abstract showing the post-mortem appearances observed 

 * Veterinarian, 1862, p. 143. 



