* ACORN-POISONING. 
127 
An irritable state of the intestines was present in most 
cases, as indicated by the frequent passing of small quanti- 
ties of faeces, often streaked with blood. Some of the ani- 
mals suffered from constipation, the faeces being scanty, 
black, and hard. The urine was nearly colourless, but the 
quantity secreted was considerably in excess of the normal 
amount. This peculiarity of the urinary secretion — its re- 
markable paleness of hue — has been observed in every 
instance, and may be looked upon as one of the most cha- 
racteristic symptoms of the “ acorn disease.” 
From the beginning of the attack the animals refused 
food of all kinds, and the loss of condition was extremely 
rapid. Even before these animals became seriously ill it was 
remarked that they were becoming more and more emaciated 
day by day, and when the desire for food ceased altogether 
it naturally followed that the debility quickly increased. 
One marked symptom of the disease which might serve in 
a doubtful case to distinguish it from cattle plague was the 
universal pallor of the mucous membranes, the conjunctiva, 
the Schneiderian membrane, the buccal membrane ; and the 
membrane of the vagina were alike distinguished by the 
pallid hue, variegated here and there with petechiee, which 
seemed to render the prevailing paleness more obvious. The 
membrane of the roof of the mouth was in several instances 
extensively abraded, and presented the appearance which in 
the early period of the prevalence of cattle plague was thought 
to be specially indicative of that disease. One specimen pre- 
sented this lesion in so marked a form that it could only be 
compared with some of the worst cases of cattle plague 
which had been met with. The greater portion of the palate 
was denuded of its epithelium, and the raw surface of the 
vascular tissue was apparent. The respiration was quick and 
short, and carried on with very little movement of the flanks. 
A peculiar moan accompanied the expiration in some animals 
which were most severely affected ; this sound, occurring, as 
it did, in the midst of the expiratory effort, reminded the ob- 
server of the last stage of rinderpest, and when it was asso- 
ciated with other signs of that disease — for example, the 
dejected appearance, dependent head and sunken eye, and 
twitching and trembling of the muscles — it was not remark- 
able that at the outset a suspicion of the return of cattle 
plague had arisen. Symptoms of cerebral derangement were 
observed in several cases, and, in fact, all the affected cattle in 
the latter stages of the disease became in some degree lethar- 
gic. The occurrence of this drowsy condition, in connection 
with the absence of the normal colour of the urine and its 
