24 
ACORN-POISONING. 
acorns had been eaten greedily. They were swallowed whole, 
had fermented from the heat of the stomach, and could not 
be thrown up for chewing the cud. The farmers need not be 
afraid of using acorns if they were bruised. 
Mr. Mason said, with regard to the acorn disease, his 
opinion was that the cups were hurtful. Two years ago he 
lost five beasts. When they had plenty of acorns they did 
well ; but when they came to the cups they became unwell. 
When cattle were sick he recommended castor oil or sweet oil 
in preference to linseed oil. 
Mr. John Symes, M.R.C.V.S., of Wincanton, writes us 
as follows : 
I have forwarded to you a few notes which I took on some 
cases of acorn-poisoning, to which my attention was called 
a little time ago. 
The land on which the animals had been feeding is poor, 
the keep very scanty and of a very rough character ; it is sur- 
rounded by a wood, and the fields are almost full of oak trees. 
The beasts had been feeding on the same pasture a fortnight 
previously to any attack of disease ; they looked thin and poor 
in condition. At the end of that time we had very rough wea- 
ther, and a large quantity of acorns fell ; in a day or two 
after there were a great number of cases of acorn-poisoning 
in this district. Previously to this all the surrounding farmers 
had been feeding their cattle on acorns, not limiting them to 
any specified quantity, but allowing them to pick up any 
quantity that might have fallen from the trees, which seems to 
show the reason for so many cases to be due to partaking of 
excessive quantities. The animals I have had under my treat- 
ment vary from a twelvemonth to two years of age. I have 
had from twenty to thirty cases, but not one adult, although 
they formed the greater part of the number pasturing together. 
The symptoms I record more especially existed in two animals 
I last treated, and the post-mortem appearances are those of 
three animals which were dead when I was called in. 
Symptoms . — Animal dull and dispirited ; when lying down 
rests its nose on the ground; ears lopped, sunken eyes, 
dejected appearance; horns and ears varying in temperature, 
sometimes hot, at others cold; dry muzzle, and slight dis- 
charge from the eyes ; the animal grunts ; pulse hardly per- 
ceptible. The faeces passing in small quantities and of a slimy 
character, sometimes tinged with blood ; the urine frequently 
voided in small quantities, and almost as colourless as water. 
This irritability of the kidneys is especially shown on the 
approach of a stranger, or when you commence examining 
