270 VETEEINAEY TOXICOI^OGY 



affect sheep, deer, or swine, but only cattle. It may 

 possibly be that the former animals reject the husks, but 

 this does not seem an entirely adequate explanation. 



The subject was first investigated in a satisfactory 

 manner by Simmonds and Brown,* and the features of the 

 disease are clearly defined in their articles of 1884, re- 

 printed from the Veterinarian of 1871. 



Symptoms. — Acorn disease sometimes does not declare 

 itself until after all the ingested acorns have been digested 

 and expelled. It is distinguished by constipation in the 

 earlier stages, followed by persistent diarrhoea, with fre- 

 quent small, dark, and bloody evacuations. There is loss 

 of appetite, suspension of rumination, wasting, colic, and 

 excessive urination, large quantities of pale urine being 

 voided. There is no fever, and the temperature may be 

 subnormal. Soreness of the mouth, pallor of membranes, 

 and a discharge from the nose and eyes, which are sunken, 

 are noticed. 



The Lesions are generally those of an irritant poison, 

 but the rumen and reticulum are usually healthy ; no 

 acorns may be found in the alimentary tract ; the kidneys 

 are pale, and bladder distended with colourless urine. 



The Tpeatment of mild cases may be effected by 

 oleaginous purgatives (ol. lini, O.i.) and opiates (opii 

 aqua, 3i.), and a pint each of linseed tea and oatmeal gruel, 

 with 3iv. opii aqua, and 5iv. soda bicarbonate three times 

 daily.f 



Cornevin signalises poisoning by young Oak-Leaves as 

 occurring on the Continent, but no records of such poison- 

 ing in this country are prominent. 



The general features of Oak-Leaf Poisoning are not 

 unlike those of acorn: Gradual wasting, loss of appetite, 

 cessation of rumination, and lactation, and constipation, 

 which may eventuate in fatal dysentery. But Cornevin 

 observes fever and nervous symptoms of collapse, and, in 

 particular, very dark urine, varying from red to deep wine- 



* Veterimariwn, 1884, pp. 25, 156, 385. 

 t Harrison, Vet. Record, 1893, p. 266. 



