POISONING PIGS WITH BRINE. 
647 
membrane had acquired its pristine colour; the animal was 
enabled to walk and to lie down, and is now (September 2d) 
at her daily work. 
I think this case worthy of record, inasmuch as the pulse 
indicated great constitutional disturbance, and the embar- 
rassed respiration internal effusion, which it was the object 
of my active treatment to prevent the consequences of. 
ON POISONING OF PIGS WITH BRINE. 
By the Same. 
I ferceive by the accounts published in the Veterinarian 
lately, that brine is a poison to pigs. In consequence, I am 
induced to state that I was asked by a farmer last spring 
(while attending a mare with retention of the placenta, and 
laminitis, which recovered), to see some pigs that had, as he 
said, a “ bad distemper/ 5 He told me that already he had 
lost two sows and several little pigs. They were lying down 
and trembling, and when made to get up they could not 
preserve their equilibrium ; they cocked up one fore leg, then 
the other ; elevated their noses, which were of a blue colour ; 
and then would stagger about and fall. The symptoms were 
indeed very similar to epileptic fits. Being, however, of 
opinion that the stomach was the original organ affected, 
with which the brain sympathised, I inquired if the animals 5 
diet had been changed lately? The answer was at once in 
the negative. Nevertheless, I told the owner to make further 
inquiries as to the truth of this statement, and the result was 
that it was ascertained that the servant-girl had thrown the 
contents of the leaden salting-trough into the cistern, by 
which the brine had become mixed with the pigs’ food. My 
impression at the time was that the brine had become im- 
pregnated with lead, which caused the symptoms above 
described. By an alteration of the diet, and the exhibition 
of purgatives, with new milk, which the pigs drank freely, 
they soon all got well. 
