126 
POISONING OF PIGS WITH COMMON SALT. 
(Copy of Dr. Taylor’s Report.) 
Report of Analysis in the Case of Two Pigs. 
The articles removed from the box delivered to me by 
Mr. Wood, on the 6th November, 1858, consisted of— 
1. The stomach of a pig cut open. 
2. An entire stomach, with the food in it. 
3. A sample of food from the pig-cistern. 
4. A sample of food from the trough. 
1. The Stomachs. —The stomach (No. 1) was congested 
on the outside, and generally inflamed on the inner or mucous 
membrane. Towards the greater end of the stomach there 
was an extensive patch of inflammation of the size of the 
palm of the hand. The reddened or inflamed portion was 
covered with patches of effused blood, and with a quantity 
of mucus, the product of acute imflammation. This inflam¬ 
mation had in one part almost reached a gangrenous con¬ 
dition. It affected all the coats. 
The stomach (No. 2) presented on the outside a similar 
congestion. 
Analysis .—The mucus and blood were scraped from the 
surface of the stomach, and examined by the usual processes 
for such irritant poisons as would produce the appearances, 
including arsenic, corrosive sublimate, tartar emetic, oxalic 
acid, and sulphuric acid. There was no trace of these, or of 
any noxious matter. The only mineral ingredient found 
was common salt in rather large quantity. 
The inflamed portion of the stomach was removed, cut to 
pieces, and after being tested in an aqueous and acid decoc¬ 
tion, was dissolved in hydrochloric acid and water, and ex¬ 
amined by Reinsch’s process for arsenic and other mineral 
poisons. There was no trace of any poison in the coats or 
substance of the stomach. 
The Food. —The cistern food (No. 3) had a sour smell 
and an acid reaction. It had obviously undergone fermenta¬ 
tion. It was first tested for oxalic and sulphuric acid, and 
subsequently for arsenic and other mineral substances by 
Reinsch’s process. No poison was found, but the liquid con¬ 
tained a large quantity of common salt. 
The trough food (No. 4), examined by similar processes, 
gave like results, with the exception that the amount of 
common salt dissolved and diffused through the food was 
less. 
