436 
POISONING BY COLCHICUM. 
• 
intestines, large and small. The inner lining membrane of 
this organ was also inflamed in patches, and this appearance 
extended itself further to the duodenum, and, indeed, through¬ 
out a considerable portion of the small intestines. Some of 
the contents of the chest exhibited likewise traces of disease. 
Streaks of inflammation were visible both on the pleura and 
pericardium, and there was also some appearance of conges¬ 
tion of the lungs. 
“On the morning following, having been informed of the 
death of the bullock of which I have already spoken, I again 
went over to Wheatley, for the purpose of making a post¬ 
mortem examination on the fresh subject, as Mr. Merry, the 
owner of the animals, seemed to think that some of the ap¬ 
pearances observed in the heifer were not so much the result 
of disease as of putrefaction. But the morbid appearances 
here were as nearly as possible the same in character, though 
not, perhaps, in extent. There were the same peritoneal 
discolourations, and the same patches of inflammation on the 
stomach and intestines; but the viscera of the chest had in 
this case a more healthy appearance, as there were no marks 
of pleural disease, and but very slight congestion of the 
lungs. 
u Such were the appearances after death : of the symptoms 
whilst living I could gain no minute information. The 
animals, six in number, five of which are now dead, are said 
to have been first observed on the evening of Sunday, the 
28th ult., at the same time, standing apart from their fellows, 
and looking dejected. They were put into a pasture by 
themselves, and with the exception of one, which still sur¬ 
vives, were never observed to graze or ruminate afterwards. 
I found, on inquiry, that their evacuations had been, for the 
most part, natural, and that they had never exhibited any 
deficiency of muscular energy. They were attended on the 
following day by a cow-leech, who drenched them once with 
some purgative, which is said to have operated very well ; 
but nothing more was done, and one died three or four days 
afterwards, the others having dropped off at intervals since. 
They were left out of doors night and day, being thus ex¬ 
posed to every change of atmospheric temperature, and 
having only the cold ground to rest on, although the fact of 
their continually crouching under trees and hedges, and 
creeping into the warmest nooks they could find to die, ought 
to have dictated a wiser and more humane course. 
“ With these few facts before us, we have now to inquire 
into the causes of the death of these cattle. The morbid 
appearances which I have described—though by no means 
