POISONING OP A DOG BY STRYCHNIA. 
209 
We have gathered ergot from almost every species of grass, 
but it occurs to a very inconsiderable extent in other grasses 
of the pasture. The Poa fluitans , a water grass, and Bromus 
asper, perhaps, are next to the rye grass in our common mea- 
dow species, but these, from their quality and position, can 
have but little effect of a baneful kind ; and, indeed, it is 
just possible that the effects noted may, to some extent, be 
due to those diseased conditions by which ergot is produced. 
Professor Tuson, speaking of the actions and uses (of 
ergot), says : — “ In large doses, irritant poison ; in* medicinal 
doses, styptic in haemorrhages of the lungs, kidneys, and other 
organs, but principally used as a parturient, i. e. to excite 
the uterus to contract and expel its contents during parturi- 
tion. Its efficacy in this respect is, however, doubtful on the 
lower animals” (p. 93). 
Now, although its action on the uterus of the lower 
animals is mentioned with a degree of doubt, yet it is possi- 
ble that an animal taking the quantity that might sometimes 
be consumed in depasturing, or in ergotised corn, would be 
likely to suffer all the evil effects attributed to ergot on the 
human species, amongst which, probably, abortion in gravid 
cows would be but a first symptom. 
Viewed in any light then these fungoid forms, whether of 
the higher groups or those so low, and, we may say, apocry- 
phal, as scarcely to have been rigidly determined whether 
they be plants or no, are of the highest interest, and require 
a more extended examination from both the medical schools 
than they have yet met with; and it is gratifying to find 
that many eminent microscopists are working at some of 
these obscure forms of Life which, not a few already intimate, 
are implicated in the production of some of the still more 
obscure forms of Death. 
POISONING OF A DOG BY STRYCHNIA. 
By James Macer, M.R.C.V.S., Westow, Huntington. 
On Tuesday, February 1st, my attention was directed to a 
dog which, upon examination, presented the following symp- 
toms : — Hurried breathing ; eye somewhat amaurotic; twitch- 
ing of the muscles, especially those of the fore extremities; 
the muscles of the back and hind extremities very rigid and 
contracted. Upon the animal attempting to rise he was unable 
to do so, and could only drag the hind extremities along the 
