534 POISONING BY THE SEBACIC ACID OF GOOSE-GREASE. 
neighbourhood, not of the chicken-pox character, to which poul¬ 
try are subject, but poultry in a state of apparently the most per¬ 
fect health were suddenly seized, drooped, and died in an hour 
or two. 
One of the dead ducks the day before was brought for my 
examination, when I found the whole of the inner coat of the in¬ 
testines, from the gizzard downwards, in a high state of inflam¬ 
mation, and filled with mucus. I observed to the servants at the 
time, that it had died of cholera, and warned them to take care 
of themselves. Connecting this with the fact not unfrequently 
noticed, that during the epidemic visitations of cholera, a like 
mortality has prevailed among cattle, atmospheric deterioration, 
as a cause, may be fairly inferred. Mr. Chalmers remarks, at 
fol. 142 of the Madras Report, “ It is a curious fact, that in the 
towns near the hills, where the epidemic was so fatal, a disease 
occurred among the cattle which kept pace with, and often ex¬ 
ceeded in mortality, that of the human species.” Dr. Ranken, 
too, observes, in the 74th number of the Med. and Phys. Jour¬ 
nal, u At Rajputana, during the epidemic prevalence of the dis¬ 
ease, the brute creation did not altogether escape the sickliness 
of the period ; many camels, and goats in particular, having died 
of violent diarrhoeas and other ailments.” The collector also of 
this district (Madura) authorizes me to assert, that in numerous 
instances, and from various parts of the collectorate, the like was 
not only reported to him, but urged by many of the riots or 
farmers as a plea for the remission of their kists or revenue dues. 
And the same I also heard was the case in the Coimbatore dis¬ 
trict 
Searle on Cholera. 
Poisoning by the Sebacic Acid of Goose-Grease. 
On the 2d of April 1829, Dr. Siedler was called to attend 
MM. H— and their children. On his arrival, he found the two 
brothers H—, one aged thirty-one, the second twenty-eight years, 
and the two children of the first, one a girl, set. four, the other 
a boy, set. two and a half, all presenting the following symp¬ 
toms : Cold sweat, anxiety, vertigo, general paleness and pros¬ 
tration of strength, eyes sunken and pupils dilated ; burning pain 
was felt in the lower part of the belly, increased by pressure; 
violent vomiting, succeeded by ardent thirst, for which the pa¬ 
tients had drunk large quantities of milk, which was thrown up 
without producing any effect; tongue dry; involuntary discharge 
of urine and faeces. 
The eldest brother was insensible for six minutes, his respira- 
