4 
107 
( A. good formula 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 us ether 0 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 where rye-bread is much 
eaten, ergot is often present in large quantities 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 mates 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 anirnal 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 POISONING. ieee Fee tes 
LEAD poisoning is generally confined to certain districts wheye'lead smelting » \ (vt | 
is carried on, but it.may also occur in horses from ingestion of lead paint, of | : 
