Analysis of Continental Journals. 
By W. Ernes, M.R.C.V.S., London. 
POISONING BY THE COMBINED ACTION OE ARSENIC 
AND LEAD. 
ObservatioBS by M.H. BurrET, Veterinary Surgeon of the Government 
^(Luxembourg). 
A SERIOUS malady declared itself amongst the fowls at 
a farm. M. Buffet found the following symptoms :—Most 
of the birds were in a recumbent position, drooping their 
wings; they all retreated in cool and dark places, their gait 
was staggering, and was rendered more unsteady by the 
clonic muscular contractions which supervened at every 
moment. The body was of icy coldness, the eyes shut, only 
opening when the bird was touched, and this was sometimes 
followed by a sharp and plaintive cry, frequent convulsive 
tremors affecting the anterior part of the body, appetite and 
thirst almost null, faecal evacuations normal, the crest and 
buccal mucous membrane of a purple colour, respiration 
slo'W. In those which were attacked by the malady in a 
more advanced stage, the pupils were dilated, the respiration 
decreased in proportion to the gravity of the attack, never¬ 
theless deep. At this stage they did not take any notice of 
surrounding objects, and the crest and mucous membrane 
had become black. The birds remained on their sides or 
backs without changing their position, paralysis set in, and 
they died without convulsions. , 
In the presence of this train of symptoms and rapid mor¬ 
tality, I confess, the author says, that my wits were for an 
instant at their end. I suspected that I had to deal wuth a 
case of poisoning, and I communicated my suspicion to my 
client. But my opinion w’as not fixed on the nature of the 
poison, and I hesitated between the poisoning by ergot of 
rye and the saturnine preparations. The matter w’as the more 
delicate, as the proprietor was not on good terms with, one of 
his neighbours, and he suspected foul play. Not having 
seen the fowls from the commencement, I had the best 
reason to persuade the owner that I could not decide until 
after I had made w2:)ost-7nortem examination. 
Not to remain inactive, I prescribed the administration of 
milk to those birds which were not so severely affected and 
still left some hope of recovery; and also recollecting the 
