DEATH OF HORSES FROM OATS AFFECTED WITH FUNGI. 77 
Other authors mention the presence of such symptoms as 
fainting, loss of motor power, small, feeble pulse, cold sweats, 
dilated pupils, loss of sight, and death. 
It will be seen, on referring to the description of the 
symptoms, as given by Mr. Mitchel, that the gray pony, 
when first taken ill, was found to have a staggering gait, and 
that when down he was unable to rise, also, that his breathing 
was laboured, and the visible mucous membrane blanched. 
The next case—a thorough-bred hunter—was found down, 
and quite unable to rise, in consequence of his hind extremi¬ 
ties being partially paralysed. His pulse numbered 58 per 
minute; his tongue hung partially out of his mouth, and the 
mucous membranes were slightly injected. 
In the third case—a brown mare—the pulse was 55, and 
mucous membrane also injected ; but no other symptoms are 
described. 
The fourth case—a gray cart-horse—was found down, and 
unable to rise. 
Then comes an experimental case. A black cart-mare had 
some of the oats given her, and on the day following she was 
found down, and unable to rise. 
The next was also an experimental case. A pony, which 
likewise died on the second day, after having partaken of the 
oats. Some of his symptoms are recorded; and the manger from 
which he had eaten his food was found to contain from three 
to four pints of saliva. 
With regard to the brown mare which was fed with some 
of the oats at the College, it will be seen that, after par¬ 
taking of them for three days, she also was found to have a 
staggering gait, feeble pulse, pale mucous membranes, and 
dilated pupils. Besides these symptoms, her tongue partially 
protruded from her mouth which was accompanied with a 
dribbling of saliva; and when down she also could not get 
up again, in consequence of her hind extremities being 
paralysed. 
It will thus be observed that in all the cases, loss of power, 
especially of the hind extremities, was present, except in one, 
and in this case the symptoms are not recorded. In all, also, 
the symptoms, judging by analogy, are characteristic of 
poisoning by narcotic irritant poisons. 
With regard to the post-mortem appearances, they are not 
so conclusive. In some instances the irritating action of the 
agent which had caused the death had shown its influence by 
an increased redness of the mucous membrane of the stomach 
and intestines; while, in other cases, this condition of the 
membrane was not observed. In the brown mare, for ex- 
