570 LIVERPOOL VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
five in number. On arriving at the farm I was informed that 
they were apparently well the previous day. When I entered the 
shippon I was struck with their peculiar appearance: the ear3 were 
drooping, the head extended, tail elevated, breathing not accelerated, 
but evidently very painful, and accompanied with a moan or grunt 
so characteristic in rinderpest, and spasmodic action of the aim nasi. 
The pulse was hard and frequent, the secretions generally scant, 
appetite lost, rumination suspended, coldness of the extremities, 
and the temperature of the body lowered. Injected membranes, 
great exaltation of the nervous system, excitation of the genital 
organs, and great thirst. The fmces were also voided frequently in 
small quantities and liquid. 
I administered to each animal a dose of sulphate of magnesia, 
had them all warmly clothed, gave diluents in the shape of linseed 
tea and oatmeal gruel, followed by stimulants, such as carbonate 
of ammonia, spirits of nitrous ether, and strong ale. 
Three of the animals recovered, and two died, of which I made 
a post-mortem examination. I found the rumen full; the con¬ 
tents had the usual appearance of such food as the cattle had 
taken. The epithelium of mucous membrane of the rumen in 
many places was detached, and peeled off on the application of tha 
slightest force; but otherwise the membrane showed no remark¬ 
able appearance. 
The abomasum contained about three quarts of semi-fluid food, 
the mucous coat of the stomach was congested in patches and 
softened, but there was no corrosion in either. In one case 
invagination of the small intestines was present. 
The circulatory system was very much gorged. The contents 
of the rumen and abomasum had a strong acid reaction, and 
phosphoric and sulphuric acid were present in large quantities. 
The mucous membrane of the rumen and the tissue of the 
abomasum yielded phosphoric acid and lime, and Mr. Whitthread, 
analytical chemist, of Liverpool, to whom I entrusted the 
analysis, concluded that death resulted from the animals having 
taken monocalcic phosphate, which is a body that we, as veteri¬ 
nary surgeons, do not often meet with; perhaps at least the name 
is strange to many of us. I may, therefore, be excused if I say 
a few words about it. 
It is composed of one equivalent of phosphoric acid, two of 
water, and one of lime, and is a constituent of the super¬ 
phosphates and similar artificial manures. 
Tor the purpose of preparing superphosphate of lime, bones, 
bone ash, and certain minerals, consisting principally of the tricalcic 
phosphate, are selected, all of which are insoluble in water, and, 
therefore, cannot be assimilated by the plant. By long exposure 
