16 
FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
fluid being present in the cavity. The animal gave evi¬ 
dence of disease only for about two months, up to which 
time he appeared to be healthy, and in good condition. Wast¬ 
ing and emaciation then set in, and were accompanied by a 
gradually increasing size of the abdomen. There being no 
hope of cure the owner had the animal destroyed. 
PREVENTION OF IMPORTATION OF CATTLE 
INTO THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 
From the information which has reached this country, it 
appears that in consequence of the existence of the cattle 
plague, and other infectious diseases among the cattle of 
Europe, the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Her 
Majesty’s colony of the Cape of Good Hope has issued a 
proclamation, bearing date September 2nd, 1868, preventing 
the landing of any horned cattle at any port or place in the 
colony from any ship, vessel, or boat, coming from any place 
or places beyond the colony, or otherwise to introduce any 
horned cattle into the colony.” 
Facts and Observations. 
A Blow to the Fungus Theory of Disease.— In a 
short communication to the Centralhlatt, Drs. Bergmann and 
Schmiedeberg describe a crystalline substance, to which they 
have applied the name sulphate of sepsin,” obtained from 
putrefying materials, and which they believe represents the 
proper poison of organic substances undergoing putrefac¬ 
tion. It is obtained by diffusion through parchment, 
precipitation with corrosive sublimate from an alkaline 
solution, removal of the mercury by silver, of silver by sul¬ 
phuretted hydrogen, evaporation, and purification of the 
residue. Large, well-defined, acicular needles are thus 
obtained, which are deliquescent in the air, and, exposed 
to heat, melt and carbonize. They possess a powerfully 
poisonous action. A solution containing scarcely more than 
one-hundredth of a gramme was injected into the veins of 
two dogs. Vomiting was immediately induced, and after a 
short time diarrhoea, which in the course of an hour became 
