136 
ACORN-POISONING. 
large number of granular corpuscles of the character of pus- 
globules. 
Several specimens of urine were examined, but no abnormal 
products were found, except in one instance, in which there 
was an abundant deposit of prismatic crystals of the triple 
phosphate. 
Conditions under which Acorns become Poisonous 
to Cattle. 
The two periods which have been remarkable for the de- 
velopment of the toxical action of acorns were distinguished 
by the prevalence of nearly identical meteorological con- 
ditions. A long drought occurred in 1868 previously to the 
outbreak of the disease, and the same thing happened in 1870 
before any cases of acorn-poisoning were reported. Both 
years were alike in respect of the general deficiency of her- 
bage and the abundance of the acorn crop, and in each 
instance the disease was observed only in localities where 
acorns abounded. The two outbreaks were, in point of time, 
coincident with the falling of the acorns in large quantities 
in the beginning of the autumn. 
Chemistry has not yet determined whether or not acorns, 
when quite fresh, possess any principles which may undergo 
some modification in time, but it is well known that the first 
fall of the fruit produces the most serious consequences. A 
reasonable explanation of this circumstance is the novelty of 
the food, which tempts the animals to indulge too freely ; 
but it must be remembered that, however true this may be, 
the effects are not developed for several days after the con- 
sumption of the acorns, and then they are not due to simple 
indigestion from accumulation of food in the stomachs ; none 
of the symptoms are indicative of the distress which an 
animal suffers from distension of the stomach or intestines 
with ingesta. 
Again, in ordinary seasons young cattle eat freely of acorns 
without injury ; in fact, it used to be, and perhaps yet is, the 
custom in some parts of the country to charge an extra sum 
for the pasturage of cattle in parks in the acorn season, on 
account of the advantages which the animals were presumed 
to gain from the consumption of the acorns along with the 
grass ; but in very dry seasons, w’hen the crop of herbage is 
so scanty that the animals live almost exclusively on acorns, 
they gradually fall away in condition and ultimately many 
of them die with all the signs of blood-poisoning. Experi- 
ments which were carried out by us recently gave results 
