Adulteration of Oilcakes. 
593 
■or two of so-called poisoning cases arising from the use of cotton- 
seedcake referred to me ; but in no instance could I detect any poison. 
In one particular case, I found a large mass formed, as hard as a 
cricket-ball, in the lower intestines, evidently causing a mechanical 
stoppage that resulted in inflammation of the stomach. 
Earthnut-cake is a useful and very nutritious cake when made of 
the kernel ; but if the husk is ground up with it, it partakes of the 
same disagreeable properties which characterise the whole seed cotton- 
cake. The earthnut is an almond-like food ; it is to some extent 
indigestible. The cake must not be confounded with nut-cake, which, 
as now sold in the market, is nothing more or less than the refuse 
kernel of the palm-nut. The American or earthnut-cake seldom passes 
as such into the hands of the consumer, because it is groxmd up with 
other materials and made into linseed-cake. There is another kind of 
nut-cake which is only fit for manure. It is made of a bean grown in 
the Cape de Verd Islands. Three or four beans are sufficient to 
produce a very powerful affection of the bowels, and in doses of an 
ounce this seed becomes a rank poison. Several cases of poisoning 
from the use of cakes which contained this bean have been brought 
under my notice at various times. 
Poppy-cake is a good cake when it can be had in a fresh condition. 
It is remarkably sw^et to the taste, and is nutritious ; but in England, 
there is not a sufficient demand for it, and it is frequently a drug in 
the market. If stored it becomes mouldy and acrid to the taste, and 
is then more or less injurious to cattle. 
This leads me to notice the injiu-y which cakes of every description 
sustain from bad keeping. All cakes, as well as other feeding mate- 
rials, get spoiled by being kept in damp places. When cake becomes 
mouldy, and the mould penetrates into the mass of the cake, it often 
produces serious injury to the animals Now the mixture of bran is 
very apt to produce mouldiness in cake, because it keeps the cake light, 
and admits the damp air more readily, and this is one great objection 
io its use. I would recommend those who have not an extremely dry 
storehouse not to buy any bran-cake, because it will spoil in a very short 
time. Only yesterday, when selecting samples of cake to be exhibited 
here to-day, I was particularly struck with three which 1 took from the 
same parcel, sent me for analysis. One of them is a pure cake, and 
has kept perfectly well ; the others are of the worst description ; they 
contain a great deal of bran and other impurities, and have become 
very mouldy. And I have no hesitation in saying that both the latter, 
whatever they have been originally, are now injurious, if not down- 
right poisonous. During the last year I have had many cases brought 
rmder my consideration, and could find no other explanation of the 
undoubted injmy which the cakes have done to the cattle, than their 
being of this mouldy kind. Some cakes, which were evidently at one 
time most excellent and wholesome, have nevertheless done great mis- 
chief. I could not make it out for a long time, but now 1 think that 
it is the production of a certain fungus that has done the mischief. 
Invariably when the cake has done mischief, and no injm-ious seed 
could be detected with the microscope, I have found that fimgi or 
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