POISONING OF PIGS WITH COMMON SALT. 
771 
PROFESSOR TUSON’S REPORT. 
Sir,—I beg to report that 1 have analysed the stomach 
and ingesta of a pig received from your son October 23rd, 
and which had apparently died from the effects of an irritant 
poison. The poisonous agents sought for included arsenic, 
antimony, mercury, lead, copper, zinc, the common mineral 
acids, &c., but neither of these substances was discovered. 
Having heard that common salt in considerable quantity had 
been administered in the food of the pigs, I made special search 
for that substance, and readilv detected it in the stomach 
and ingesta which you sent me for examination. 
That common salt was the agent which killed the pigs 
entrusted to your care is, I think, almost certain. This 
opinion is corroborated by the subjoined statement of 
Dr. A. S. Taylor, in a report which he made on a case of 
“ Poisoning of Pigs with Common Salt,” communicated to 
the Veterinarian for 1859> by Mr. Robinson of Tamworth. 
After stating that common salt was the only substance found 
in the stomach which he examined, capable of acting as an 
irritant poison, Dr. Taylor says, ei I have known several 
instances in which pigs have suffered from the effects of a 
large quantity of common salt, when it had been thrown into 
the trough and loosely mixed with the food. The quantity of 
salt, however, in this case, was not excessive, and the trough 
food contained less than the cistern food. The cause of 
death may be explained without reference to the food, but, at 
the same time, I may state that common salt, in large quan¬ 
tity, is an irritant, and in at least two instances has de¬ 
stroyed human life.” In an additional note Dr. Taylor 
remarks that, “ From the actual quantity of common salt 
found in the stomach, it would have been impossible to 
assign death to this substance acting as an irritant poison. 
All that could be said from the result of the analysis would 
be that, assuming the salt found in the stomach to have been 
the residue of a very large quantity taken by the animal, 
this might account for the inflammation of the stomach and 
death. In two instances, referred to me some years since, 
there was strong reason to believe that pigs had been de¬ 
stroyed by common salt acting as an irritant poison.” 
I am, Sir, 
Your obedient servant, 
Richard Tuson, 
Professor of Chemistry to the Royal 
Veterinary College . 
To Henry Pyatt, Esq. 
