672 
FATAL CASES OF POISONING IN A HOUSE 
AND MARE FROM EATING YEW. 
By the Same. 
On August 6th I was summoned to make a post-mortem 
examination of a horse and mare that had suddenly that day 
died. The horse was seen grazing in front of the house, and 
was apparently in good health, at 1 p.m. ; at 2.30 p.m. he was 
found dead. The mare shortly afterwards was noticed to reel 
and fall, rise again, plunge, and drop dead. 
From this short history I was led at once to believe they 
had been poisened by some plant; a conviction which was 
very soon verified. Upon opening the stomach of the horse, 
I discovered about two handfuls of yew, scarcely masticated, 
as if it had been partaken of greedily, though in so small a quan- 
tity ; the remainder of the ingesta being recently eaten hay. 
The same condition appeared in the mare, with the excep- 
tion that she had eaten a greater quantity of yew, and had been 
more deliberate over the meal, having thoroughly masticated it. 
Slight patches of inflammation were noticed along the intes- 
tines of both animals, but more particularly in the latter. 
Owing to the lateness of the hour I was unable to examine 
the brain, which I have no doubt I should have found con- 
gested, as were the lungs and liver. 
I account for the suddenness of death from the fact of the 
animals having been turned out for the first time that day, and 
there being a scarcity of herbage in the field, they had found 
their way to a large yew tree that stood in one corner, and 
there partaken of the food which had given rise to such fatal 
results. The traces of their footsteps were found around the 
tree, and the marks of their teeth on most of the lowermost 
branches. 
My attention was then directed to a pony that had been 
turned out with them ; and he, I found, like the others, had 
been tempted to indulge, though to a less extent. The 
pulse was small and feeble ; the eyes had a vacant expression, 
with dilatation of the pupil ; and the breathing heavy and 
difficult. Being eleven miles from home, and not expecting 
a third case, I had nothing in the shape of medicine with me, 
I therefore immediately gave half a pint of oil, all I could 
obtain, and applied mustard and hot vinegar over the abdo- 
men. One hour afterwards half a pint of brandy in a little 
warm water was administered ; the pulse then being a little 
stronger, though the same expression still remained in the 
