POISONING. 263 



peated. The spasms at last ceased, leaving her weak 

 and prostate, but she was all right again the next morn- 

 ing. Post mortem in these cases the body is found very 

 stiff, remains so for some time, decomposes slowly, and 

 there is a diffused yellowness of the tissues ; the muscles 

 are of a specially bright colour. 



Lead-poisoning is mentioned by Blaine as resulting 

 from the animal lapping water from the leads of buildings,, 

 or eating paint. It is denoted by vomition, colic, and. 

 vertigo, followed by paralysis, and must be treated by ad- 

 ministration of sulphate. 



Edthanasia, or a speedy, sure, and painless death, one 

 not likely to hurt the feelings or brutalise the thoughts of 

 the operator and lookers-on, is a great desideratum as re- 

 gards dogs, because it is necessary as a measure of sanitary 

 police to limit the number of stray and useless dogs, dan- 

 gerous to the public as liable to convey rabies, and prevented 

 by the excellent sanitary conditions of modern West of 

 Europe towns from obtaining a well-earned living by scav- 

 engering, as do the dogs of Constantinople and most 

 Oriental cities. Dr. Richardson has especially studied the 

 best method of slaughter, and considers that carbonic acid 

 poisoning is to be preferred to all others, the gas being liber- 

 ated by chemical means in a chamber in which the dogs are 

 confined. A powerful electric shock is equally effectual, but 

 requires more elaborate appliances. Drowning is a speedy 

 death, and not painful, but it is offensive to the feelings, 

 and the same may be said of pithing, destruction by a 

 blow on the head, and hydrocyanic poisoning. A dose of 

 prussic acid causes death in a couple of minutes, but the 

 fatal result is preceded by struggling and convulsions, 

 which, however, are not indicative of pain. Of ordinary 

 prussic acid from a freshly opened bottle half an ounce to 

 an ounce should be given to prevent accidents, although 

 much smaller doses would prove lethal ; it is as well to 

 leave a margin for individual peculiarity of constitution 

 and for accident, also care should be taken to ensure that 

 the victim is thoroughly dead, for cases have been known 

 in which an animal, supposed to have been killed, has 



