728 SUPPOSED POISONING OF PIGS BY CONVOLVULUS. 
liquid and gaseous matter, but the stomach, to my surprise, 
was full. On opening this organ I found that it contained 
a large quantity of green-food of a very peculiar character 
and very badly masticated. There were a few petechial spots 
on the villous coat of the stomach ; but all the other viscera, 
both of the abdomen and thorax, were perfectly healthy. I 
also made a post-mortem examination of three other pigs, 
which entirely corresponded with the first, excepting in the 
amount of effusion into the abdominal cavity. 
The question then arose, What was the green-food con¬ 
tained in the stomach ? After many inquiries I found that 
on the 8th instant two men had been digging up potatoes in 
the garden, the tops of which were covered with and made a 
perfect mat by the turning of the “ laplove” around them, 
and that these potato-tops, with the “ laplove, 55 were in the 
evening thrown into the pig-stye containing the pigs in ques¬ 
tion. The animals not being accustomed to green-food had, 
notwithstanding their natural aversion to the convolvulus, 
eaten it, as I found pieces of the stems from six to eight inches 
long in the stomach. 
The only symptoms said to be exhibited, and these did 
not show themselves long before death, were refusal of food, 
hanging down the head, a sleepy or drowsy appearance, and, 
in one or two cases, attempts at vomiting. To the remain¬ 
ing fifteen pigs I administered Pulv. Jalapse $j each, in their 
food, but on the 11th instant, I found on my visit that four 
others had died. A post-mortem examination of one which * 
had just died was made, the result of which was the same, 
excepting that a little of the green-food had passed into the 
duodenum; and on examining the brain, which I had not done 
in the previous cases, I found this organ highly congested. 
On the 12th inst. I again saw the animals, and was pleased 
to find that the medicine had acted, and that the remaining 
eleven were apparently all doing w T ell. 
It would be interesting to know if there are any previous 
records of cases of poisoning by the common convolvulus ; 
and if it is known what effect the plant has on the animal 
economy. The general appearances in this case would lead 
to the supposition that it possesses narcotic principles. 
[There are few subjects of greater practical importance 
connected with the production of disease among animals than 
that of vegetable poisoning, and, as such, every new fact 
possesses more than ordinary value. Until now we cannot 
charge our memories of having had brought to our notice any 
ill effects produced on animals by their eating of the common 
convolvulus. With our present amount of information we 
