PURCHASE OF REMOUNT HORSES FOR INDIA. 127 
Conclusions. —From these results it is my opinion— 
1. That the pigs have died from inflammation of the 
stomach in a severe form (acute gastritis). 
2. That the inflammation has not been caused by any 
mineral poison administered to them. 
3. That the inflammation has probably arisen from natural 
causes, and may have been latent until shortly before 
death, when the symptoms assumed an aggravated form. 
4. That the appearances were similar to those caused by 
irritant poison, and that without an analysis no opinion 
of the cause of death could have been safely given. 
Remarks. —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 quantity, is an irritant, and 
in at least two instances has destroyed human life. 
(Signed) Alfred S. Taylor, M.D., F.R.S., 
Professor of Chemistry and Medical Jurisprudence 
in Guy ; s Hospital. 
13, St. James’s Terrace, 
Regent’s Park; November 13, 1858. 
Additional Note .—From the actual quantity of common 
salt found in the stomach, it would have been im¬ 
possible to assign death to this substance acting as an irri¬ 
tant 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 destroyed by common salt acting as an irritant 
poison.—A. S. T., Jan. 28, 1859* 
ON THE PURCHASE OF REMOUNT HORSES 
FOR INDIA, AND THE ESTIMATION OF THE 
PROFESSION. 
By a “ Practical Pupil.” 
In the last June number of The Veterinarian is a letter 
from Mr. Gibton, M.R.C.V.S., in Australia, respecting the 
