Injurious Cakes. 
37 
Before leaving the question of the “ dry ” and “ prepared ” 
food, it will be useful to add a few remarks on the danger of 
using inferior feeding cakes. Feeding cakes of any kind when 
stored in damp places readily absorb the moisture and become 
mouldy. The effect of mouldy cakes on animals is similar, 
though more severe than of mouldy hay. Severe inflammation 
of the intestines and the stomach have resulted in many cases ; 
generally, however, the symptoms of lesion from that source 
are a severe cough, especially in young animals, and a decrease 
of the yield of milk. The feeding of deteriorated cakes has 
resulted also in acute poisoning of the nature of a strong 
narcotic. Dr. Augustus Voelcker, in his Annual Report for 
1884, referred to linseed cakes as having been spoiled by mould 
fungi, thus producing splenic apoplexy, violent purging and 
Anally death of the animals that ate them. 
Several cases of poisoning by rape cake containing wild 
mustard {Sinapis arvensis L.), have been from time to time 
recorded. Professor Tuson draws the following conclusions 
from cases under his observation : It is a matter of fact that 
wild mustard seed is an irritant poison, giving rise to in- 
flammation of the stomach and intestines.' Professor 
Simonds, the late principal of the Royal Veterinary College, 
points out that several rape cakes submitted to him for analysis 
contained large quantities of charlock. The eating of these 
cakes was followed by many deaths.* * 
Some cotton seed cakes have also caused disturbances of the 
digestive organs on account of the large quantity of indigestible 
seed coats present. 
Many more instances of deaths resulting from inferior 
feeding cakes of all kinds may be quoted, but the cases referred 
to above should suffice to make stockbreeders more cautious. 
It is of great importance to examine the interior of the cakes 
also, for many may appear quite sound externally and be per- 
meated by mould internally. 
Cases of poisoning of cows resulting from eating bean 
meal made from Java beans may here be referred to. The 
Journal of the Board of Agriculture aiid Fisheries^ contains 
a full report and warns the farmers to exercise the greatest 
caution before using meal made from any other but the white 
form of Java beans, the others having produced fatal injury 
to the animals. 
In concluding this section it may be mentioned that injury 
to the mouth and palate of animals has been caused by the 
presence in the dry food of hard woody stems of plants like 
i Journal R.A.S.E., 1875, pp. 516, 517. 
'' Ibid., 1876, page 293. 
* Vol. 12, page 742 (1906.) 
