630 
DR. T. L. BRUNTON AND MR. W; PYE ON THE ACTION 
urinate, and, as before, it neither ate nor drank any thing. It vomited once, very 
slightly. 
From this time forwards, for a fortnight after the administration of the poison, the 
cat remained in this condition, neither eating nor drinking, although tempted to do so 
with milk and meat ; and even when a live mouse was placed before it, it merely pricked 
up its ears, and looked eagerly at it, but did not touch it, nor did it pass urine or feeces 
once for the last eleven days. 
It sat always in one position unless disturbed, and though it got steadily weaker, did 
not lose flesh in the way an animal starved would have done. The temperature on 
May 2nd was 38° C. 
Five days after the poison was given a subcutaneous abscess formed over the right 
scapula and ribs. No other lesions were ascertained during life. The abscess did not 
form at the seat of puncture. 
It died, apparently from exhaustion, fourteen days after the poison was administered. 
Post mortem Examination. 
Rigor mortis well marked. 
Subcutaneous tissue contained a fair amount of fat. 
There was a large, sloughy, subcutaneous abscess in the situation mentioned above, 
and another localized collection of pus a little higher up in the skin of the neck. No 
other superficial abscesses were found. 
The muscles were pale and rather dry. There was general congestion throughout 
the body of the larger venous trunks, but apparently not of the smaller ones. 
Abdomen . — The omentum contained rather a large quantity of fat. 
The stomach was quite empty, pale and contracted. 
The small intestine contained a small quantity of bile-stained mucus ; it was other- 
wise empty. 
The large intestine contained bile-stained mucus, and in its lower half a considerable 
quantity of fseces, also bile-stained. The mucous membrane appeared perfectly healthy. 
The bladder contained only a few drops of high-coloured urine, but had not con- 
tracted at all firmly. It had the appearance of a bladder which has been dried when 
inflated, and the air then let out. 
The kidneys were pale, although the renal vein was much distended. 
The vagina and uterus contained a large quantity of a greenish smeary fluid, which, 
under the microscope, was seen to be muco-pus. The mucous membrane had, here and 
there, patches of injection on it ( vide infra ) ; near the orifice of the vagina the secretion 
had quite the character of ordinary pus, but no abscess existed there. 
The diaphragm was pale, flabby, and very transparent (vide infra). 
Thorax . — The lungs were congested, but otherwise natural. 
The heart was very pale and flabby ; all the cavities contained moderate quantities of 
blood. 
