POISONING OF PIGS WITH BRINE. 
521 
bacon, this being generally 6 lb. or more : yet we never knew 
of a pig suffering any ill effects from it. 
I would not have it for a moment imagined that I am 
attempting to disparage the talents of Mr. Herapath, when I 
assert my impression that it is his lack of knowledge of 
veterinary science which is the cause of his making the 
assertion he has. 
But that these matters should be thoroughly investigated 
and properly understood by all, no one, I think, will attempt 
to deny. To whom, then, are we to look for this ? How are 
we to know whether we are to consider common salt is a 
most deadly poison to pigs, even in small doses? Why, 
sir, the question furnishes its own answer, — To the heads 
of the veterinary profession ; and the public finger, in 
this instance, points to you . Acting under this conviction, 
I have had another of the pigs exhumed, which I have 
forwarded to you this day. 
I am, yours, &c. 
To Professor Morton. 
[We cannot refrain from commending Mr. Lewis for the 
interest he has taken in this matter, and thanking him for 
his communications. Nevertheless, we think Mr. Herapath 
has stated that which is perfectly correct, that common salt 
has been the poisoning agent; although there may be some- 
thing in the conjecture of the German veterinary surgeons, 
that there is also present in the brine a fatty acid, engendered 
by heat. So many instances of unexpected death from this 
substance have come under our notice, that we are compelled to 
believe it to be poisonous under certain circumstances, strange 
and inexplicable as it may seem to be. In corroboration of this 
we need only refer to some of our late numbers, and especially 
to the communication by Mr. Lepper. The pig forwarded 
by Mr. Lewis arrived in such a state of decomposition from 
the heat of the weather, that it was impossible to observe 
any changes that may have taken place in the viscera. 
We have also to thank Mr. Lewis for some calculi taken 
from a dog. They are evidently phosphatic in their nature — 
the neutral or ammonio-magnesian phosphate. We concur 
with him that the best mode of treatment to be adopted will 
consist in the exhibition of acids. He will, however, remem- 
ber that this peculiar diathesis is often coexistent with, and 
sometimes dependent on, a peculiar state of the digestive 
organs ; therefore these will have to be attended to. Or it may 
be that these concretions simply arise from disease of the 
mucous membrane of the bladder, or some of the urinary 
xxix. 67 
