77 0 
POISONING OF PIGS WITH COMMON SALT. 
I did this because I was of opinion that the symptoms arose 
from the food the pigs had been eating. If a stone and a 
half of salt were given every three days to twenty-six pigs, it 
follows that every pig would take daily, on the average, about 
^iv, 5iv, 3ij. I therefore advised that their troughs should 
be washed out, and their food changed to mangel-wurzel and 
gruel, and not to be allowed a particle of salt. 
October 23rd.—Upon visiting my patients this morning I 
found there had not been any more fatal cases since the pre¬ 
vious day, and that everything was progressing in a favor¬ 
able direction. I again advised that they should not be 
allowed any salt, as I was decidedly of opinion that was the 
cause of all the mischief, but they were to be kept upon the 
diet ordered by me the previous day. 
The little pig died this morning, and, as it was at my place, 
it afforded me an opportunity of entering more minutely into 
a post-mortem examination, and the following were the lesions 
presented: 
General signs of gastro-intestinal inflammation, with more 
or less irritation of the urinary organs. The mucous mem¬ 
brane of the stomach dry, and stained here and there in 
black spots by infiltrated blood. There was also a certain 
amount of infiltration of blood into the cerebral substance; 
the chief parts affected were the cerebellum and medulla ob¬ 
longata; the membranes covering them were likewise injected 
with blood, and there was also a certain amount of blood ex- 
travasated. A small quantity of serum was thrown out 
between the pia mater and cerebral substance, which was 
very dark in colour. 
24th.—No more fresh cases have occurred, and all are pro¬ 
gressing favorably. Ordered the food to be continued as on 
the former day. 
25th.—I again saw r my patients, and found them all to 
be progressing favorably; indeed, we have not had a case 
since I visited them on the 22nd. I ordered their food to be 
changed to raw mangel-wurzel, and I think I may now say 
that they are all convalescent. 
I feel perfectly satisfied that all the mischief has arisen 
from the quantity of salt the pigs were eating, for we have 
not had another case since I changed their food to raw man¬ 
gel-wurzel and gruel, which gruel was made from the flour 
they were eating at the time they were first attacked, thus 
proving that it was not the cause of the affection. 
I have not the least doubt but that some of the larger pigs 
were getting five ounces of salt daily. 
I forward a jar containing the stomach, &c., to Professor 
Tuson, for analysis. 
