IS IT A VEGETABLE TOXICUM ? 
also the heart beat; peristaltic very feeble, slightly tympanitic. 
1 his cow died on the following day. 
Post-mortem examination fourteen hours after death. Car¬ 
cass rigid, not tympanitic. Upon dividing the abdominal cover¬ 
ing, the blood-vessels discharged black semi-liquid blood, the 
gas emitted from the abdomen was of an extremely bad odor ; 
no serum escaped from this cavity, nor from the thorax. Bowels 
looked bluish, contents greatly diminished, soft and of a dis¬ 
agreeable smell. Rumen filled with half masticated hay, not¬ 
withstanding the cow refused all but liquid nourishment, with 
which she was drenched for nine days. Mesenterium spotted 
with ecchymosen between its leaves, perhaps one-half dozen in 
number and ranging in size from a pea to a cherry. Reticulum 
occupied by a handful of grayish mushy food. Omassum, which 
was diminished in circumference, was nearly empty, only a few 
cakes ready to fall apart were found ; the epithelium which still 
adhered to its leaves was of a dark brown color. Abomassum 
greatly contracted, mucosa besmeared with about one-half pint 
of semi-liquid, grayish, offensive compound. Small intestines 
nearly all empty, lining of a bad color and smell. Large intes¬ 
tines also contained much less than usual, the color and consis¬ 
tency resembling yeast. Spleen reduced in size, its surface 
ashen gray, pulp of a somewhat purplish tinge. Liver also 
diminished, flabby, of a putrid odor and soft, approaching decay. 
Gall-bladder two-thirds full of bile, molasses-like in appearance. 
Kidneys a trifle softer. Both substances united in color, appear 
melanasmic. Fatty tissue was nowhere to be found. The exte¬ 
rior and interior of the heart of a dark-reddish aspect; its ventri¬ 
cles and auricles thoroughly filled with dark-purplish coagulated 
blood. There was a scarcity of blood everywhere else. The 
lungs were the best preserved organs of all; the right lobe slightly 
darker colored, front end looked rather fleshy, but would float. 
Being obliged to meet another engagement at a certain time, 
I could not remain any longer, consequently the skull and spi¬ 
nal cord, which might have furnished the most decisive dis¬ 
closure in this problematic question, were not opened. 
