POISONING BY MEANS OF SEA SALT. 
529 
intend the general state of the cattle in the Canton, and went to 
visit two oxen that had been bought on the preceding evening at 
the fair of Mompazier. I found one of them already dead, and 
the other in the following state : heaving at the flanks — the 
muzzle dry — the mouth hot and spumy — the urine great in quan- 
tity, and frequent; and the animal standing fixed in one posture. 
The proprietor told me that in the evening, after having bought 
and paid for the beasts, he began to drive them to their new ha- 
bitation ; that during the whole of the journey they appeared to 
be in an excited state, which, without giving him much alarm, 
yet did not appear to be natural. At every pond of water which 
they passed they eagerly plunged into it, and gorged them- 
selves to a strange extent. Having reached their new home, 
some dry food was offered to them, but they refused to take any : 
some water being placed before them, they eagerly drank of it 
three or four times. They seemed to be strangely altered in 
their appearance, but this was placed to the account of the 
fatigue of the journey. 
His astonishment was great when, on entering the cow-house 
on the following morning, he found one of the beasts dead, and 
the other exceedingly ill. He immediately suspected that salt 
had been administered to them, for he knew that it was a dan- 
gerous and often fatal custom to make the cattle swallow a greater 
or less quantity of salt before they were sent away to the fair. 
For my part, recollecting what I had formerly seen, I was very 
much disposed to be of his opinion. I ordered milk and olea- 
ginous drinks to be given to the remaining animal, and which 
restored it to health in the space of fifteen days. 
In opening the abdomen of the other, I found nearly eight 
quarts of citron-coloured fluid in this cavity. The paunch was 
distended with extremely foetid gas, and contained an extra- 
ordinary quantity of food, composed of various dry substances, 
crushed potatoes, turnips in the same state, and green and dry 
acorns. Neither of the divisions of the stomach exhibited any 
appearance of inflammation. 
The intestines presented, here and there, some streaks of blood, 
and principally in a portion of the jejunum. The liver and gall- 
bladder were almost of a healthy character, except that the first 
was somewhat discoloured. 
The kidneys were equally discoloured. 
The bladder contained a small quantity of urine, and was starred 
interiorly with streaks of blood. 
The thorax contained nearly ten pounds of a serous fluid ; but 
the lungs were in a normal state. 
The heart was surrounded by a serous fluid, which filled the 
VOL. xvi. 4 B 
