Pure and Mixed Linsced-Cakes. 
43 
case the linsectl-cake is really contaminated with castor-oil-beans, 
for the characteristic seed-shells of the beans can be detached 
without much trouble from the cake, and exhibited in Court. 
In connection with oil-cake trials, in which the question has 
to be decided whether a cake is poisonous or unwholesome 
(trials in which I have been repeatedly engaged professionally), 
1 may mention that not long ago four samples of linseed- 
cake were sent to me for examination by a dealer, who in- 
formed me he had good reason for supposing that some of the 
parcels represented by the samples were made up of sound, and 
others from the same cargo, of poisonous, linseed-cake. The 
supposition of the cake-merchant turned out to be correct, for 
in two of the samples I found the shells of castor-oil-beans, and 
in the two remaining cakes I could not detect a trace of castor- 
cake, or of any other deleterious substance. 
As already stated, linseed and other feeding cakes have fre- 
quently been sent to me on account of the mischief which they were' 
alleged to have done to cattle and sheep. I nevertheless could 
not detect any decidedly poisonous ingredient in the cakes. A 
review of the different cases which have from time to time 
been brought under my notice has forced upon my mind the 
conviction that certain cakes are injurious to the health of 
animals, although they do not contain any positively poisonous 
material which is amenable to chemical tests. As this is a sub- 
ject of considerable interest to the breeder and fattener of stock, 
I may be allowed to give expression to my views on the matter 
at some length. 
I observe, therefore, in the first place, that mouldy and heated 
feeding-cakes have frequently proved in practice to be more or 
less injurious to animals fed upon them in any considerable 
quantity. The instances in which very mouldy feeding-cakes 
have injured or killed cattle are too numerous to leave any 
room for doubt about the injurious properties of damaged mouldy 
linseed or other feeding-cakes. Indeed, all articles of food in a 
mouldy condition are more or less unwholesome. Damaged, fusty, 
or mouldy oats or wheat, mouldy flour and bread, in many cases, 
have done serious injury to men and animals fed upon them. A 
striking instance of poisoning with mouldy oats is recorded in 
the 'Veterinarian' for 1862. Professor Varnell's account of the 
particulars relating to the death of several horses from partaking 
of some deleterious oats brought under his notice by Mr. Mitchell, 
M.R.C.V.S., Leeds, and the experiments which the Professor 
subsequently made with some of the deleterious oats, are full of 
interest and worthy of careful perusal. But as the ' Veterinarian ' 
may not be accessible to many, I take the liberty of quoting 
from that journal some of the particulars with which, as it 
appears to me, all stock-farmers should be acquainted. 
