THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. XXXIII. 
No. 388. 
APRIL, 1860 . 
Fourth Series. 
No. 64. 
Communications and Cases. 
DO ANIMALS EAT THE RANUNCULACEJE IN 
SUFFICIENT QUANTITIES SO AS TO PROVE 
POISONOUS TO THEM? 
We are induced to put this in the form of a question, and 
to give it a prominent place, from having been lately con¬ 
sulted by Mr. C. Wallis, M.R.C.V.S., respecting the cause 
and nature of a disease which had carried off several oxen, 
sheep, and horses, in a particular district in his locality. A 
strong suspicion existed that, the cause, whatever it might 
have been, was confined to one meadow, in which Ranun - 
culacece abound, and it was conjectured that these plants 
might have been taken by the different animals. 
The first death that occurred was in July, 1858, and since 
then several other animals have died, all of which have pre¬ 
sented the same post-mortem appearances. 
Mr. Wallis informed us that an enormous enlargement of 
the spleen was in every case the most marked feature to be 
observed in the examinations made after death. Not only, 
however, was this organ enlarged, but in some instances it 
had become so much softened that it would not bear its own 
weight when an attempt was made to lift it up. 
The mucous membrane of the rumen, reticulum, and 
omasum, in both the sheep and cattle, was simply reddened; 
but that of the abomasum and the large and small intestines 
was of a very dark-red colour, and studded in places with 
ecchymosed spots. The mucous membrane of the stomach 
and intestines of the horses likewise exhibited the same con¬ 
ditions, but there were not any lesions indicating that death 
had been caused by a mineral poison. The general cha¬ 
racter of the mucous membranes rather suggests the idea 
xxxiii. 25 
