120 EASTERN COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
The Hon. Member for South Norfolk would have been present, 
but was prevented by a long-standing engagement. 
J\Lr. Seaman, of Saffron Walden, then read a very able and 
interesting essay on “Indigestion in Ruminants.” He divided the 
subject into mechanical and chemical indigestion. The causes of 
each, comprising mechanical irritants, unwholesome food, impure 
water, and zymotic influences. The pathology, symptoms, treatment, 
and morbid appearances, were likewise explained. 
The paper was illustrated by specimens of the stomachs of a 
sheep, and several morbid preparations, together with quantities of 
nails, pieces of metal, and pottery, taken from patients suffering 
from the disease. In the discussion wdiich followed, most of the 
gentlemen present took part. The President, who concurred in 
many of Mr. Seaman’s remarks, gave an account of the results of 
post-mortem examinations which he had made in cattle that 
had died from eating acorns, in Blickling Park, in October last. He 
attributed death in these cases to the severe derangement of the 
digestive organs, resulting in a poisoning of the whole system. He 
also stated that many of the symptoms, as well as the post-mortem 
appearances, resembled cattle plague, with this marked difference, 
that in the acorn poisoning the rumen and the other stomachs were 
much inflamed, especially the former, while in cattle plague the 
morbid lesions were chiefly confined to the third and fourth 
stomachs. Several semi-ulcerated spots, in size varying from a pea 
to a sixpence, were seen in the rumen of the Blickling oxen, pre¬ 
cisely of the same character as those which had been observed in 
the cattle poisoned by eating the Solanum dulcamara, at Weston, a 
year or two ago, and which were erroneously said to have been cases 
of cattle plague. Mr. Smith also made some valuable observations 
on the system of feeding cattle with artificial food, and stated that 
he had found impure cake, especially that containing much cotton 
fibre, very destructive to young animals, and to lambs in 
particular. 
A unanimous vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Seaman for 
his able and instructive paper, which it was resolved to send to the 
Editors of the Veterinarian for publication. 
The next meeting will be held at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, on 
Tuesday, April 6th, when Mr. Low will read a paper on “ Con¬ 
tagious Diseases in Cattle.” 
(Signed) John D. Overed, 
lion. Secretary. 
