26 
ACORN-POISONING. 
rumen was tolerably full of soft ingesta and contained a few 
acorns. I saw the contents removed from the rumen of an 
animal that died yesterday. There was in the ingesta a large 
quantity of acorns. 
Since my last letter a number of cases of acorn-poisoning 
have come under my notice. I say acorn-poisoning, because - 
I do not agree with those who are of opinion that acorns only 
cause death by producing impaction of the third stomach ; and 
I am led to this belief because in a number of cases that have 
proved fatal, occurring among animals joisted at Patshull 
park, and elsewhere, a post-mortem examination has clearly 
demonstrated that no impaction existed. The three first sto- 
machs were in a perfectly healthy state, as also the whole of 
the viscera, with the exception of the kidneys; the abomasum, 
and also the whole of the intestines, were of a deep purple 
colour. In these cases, as I observed in my last letter, the 
leading symptoms were as follow : — A peculiar staggering 
gait, as though the animal was partially paralysed ; extreme 
dulness, and a very dejected state; appetite gone; breath- 
ing natural ; pulse quickened and weak ; slight weeping ; 
a peculiar tucked-up appearance of the abdomen, staring 
coat, &c. If the beast be driven for a short distance the 
brain becomes affected, the animal reels about like a giddy 
sheep, the eyes become wild and staring, and at last the poor 
thing falls and dies in convulsions. 
This is, I think, a tolerably correct description of a case of 
acorn-poisoning, where the animal has not been able to get 
sufficient acorns at one time to cause impaction, but amply 
sufficient, when taken day after day, to act as a slow but sure 
poison, with which the blood becomes thoroughly impreg- 
nated. When acorns are obtained in large quantities at one 
time, we get impaction of the omasum, the symptoms of 
which are, besides those mentioned, difficulty of breathing, 
accompanied by a grunt, pulse very quick and hardly per- 
ceptible, cold horns, ears, and legs, frequent evacuations of a 
semifluid character, small in quantity, black, and mixed with 
blood ; the animal obstinately stands. 
Post-mortem appearances . — The omasum sometimes full of 
impacted acorns, which look between the leaves like oilcake ; 
patches of an intense red colour exist, and occasionally exten- 
sive ulceration of its leaves. Abrasion of the mucous lining 
of the rumen to a great extent, also of the reticulum, is 
sometimes present ; the abomasum is also highly inflamed, as 
are the intestines. 
I have heard of a number of cases of pigs dying from 
eating acorns. There are a great quantity of oak trees 
