170 VETBEINAEY HYGIENE 



the fungus, and figures O'idium aiireum (Fig. 32) as having 

 -killed a horse. Varnell* killed horses in thirty-six hours 

 with mouldy oats, paralysis both of the tongue and hind- 

 quarters being the most prominent feature. Enteritis was 

 also found to be present on post-mortem examination. 



Ordinary mouldiness of forage has produced the same 

 symptoms, and Gamgee describes an epizootic disease in 

 Scotland due to mouldy grass, which produced acute 

 stomach and intestinal trouble, cerebral derangement, and 

 paralysis. Acute stomach tympany has been observed in the 

 horse as the result of mouldy grass, t In all these cases 

 the amount of poison swallowed was probably considerable. 

 In small doses, as in partly damaged corn, the chief 

 symptoms appear to be referred to the excretion of urine, 

 which is greatly increased in amount. 



Loss of condition will naturally always accompany long 

 continued feeding on damaged food, owing to its defective 

 state. 



Bunt and Eust do not appear to produce any special 

 form of disease, though it is said the spores of rust have 

 occasioned serious disease in lambs. t 



Ergot is popularly believed to produce a special group of 

 symptoms, accompanied in pregnant animals by abortion, 

 and in others by sloughing of parts of the body. It is 

 stated§ that ergotized food produced a curious disease in 

 Germany in 1841, affecting the white portions of horses' 

 skins which became gangrenous, while the dark portions 

 remained unaffected. Varnell and others have recorded 

 the same fact, so it must be accepted as correct. 



On the other hand, all experiments made with ergot 

 appear very disappointing ; sheep and cows have been fed 

 daily for months on large quantities of the fungus without 

 producing any effect. Perhaps horses are more susceptible 



* Veterinary Becord, vol. vi., No. 24. 



-f- Quarterly Journal of Veterinary Science in India, vol. ii., 

 No. 5. 



% N. B. Agriculturist, 2nd September, 1880. 

 § Veterinary Becord, vol. xi., No. 24. 



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