336 
POISONING OF A HORSE BY EATING LAURO- 
CERASUS FOLIA. 
By Frederick Adsetts, Veterinary Assistant, Newport, 
Salop. 
On the 23rd of January I visited, in company with Mr. 
Walters, a horse supposed to be suffering from gripes. 
Symptoms. — Pulse indistinct at jaw, and very feeble at 
heart. Mucous membranes injected, and of a yellow hue ; 
respiration oppressed. Occasionally pawing and scraping the 
litter ; lying down prostrate, and looking eagerly at his abdo- 
men ; the extremities cold ; total loss of appetite ; constipa- 
tion of the bowels ; the urine voided in very small quantities ; 
continuous pain, but not very acute. We diagnosed the case 
to be congestion of the liver with constipation producing 
griping, accompanied with a sympathetic fever. 
Treatment. — We gave a small dose of physic with a drachm 
of calomel and an antispasmodic draught, ordered him to be 
put in a loose box, diet to consist of bran mashes, gruel, and 
chilled water. 
24th. — Rather worse ; pulse imperceptible ; mucous mem- 
branes injected. The pain continued; no action of the 
bowels. We gave him four drachms of Aloes et Barb., and 
a draught containing Ether Nit. one ounce, Ether Sulph. one 
ounce in twelve hours, the mixture to be repeated. We made 
every inquiry whether the animal had taken or had had given 
him, either in the shape of food or medicine, anything likely 
to disagree w ith him ; all we could ascertain was that he had 
had a little wheat with his other corn. We at once thought 
we had a case of gastritis and congested liver through eating 
wheat. 
25th. — The horse appeared much the same. No excrement 
passed; pulse still imperceptible. We gave him a stimulant 
in draught linseed oil. 
26th. — He had expired during the night. We were very 
suspicious that the animal had either taken or had had given 
him some narcotic poison. 
Autopsy. — On opening the abdomen its contents appeared 
quite healthy, but on opening the stomach we found the vil- 
lous coat highly inflamed; the mucous membranes of the 
small intestines presented a similar appearance to the sto- 
mach, the mucous membranes of the caecum and colon were 
the seat of considerable inflammation. In the caecum, about 
