628 
Veterinary Jurisprudence. 
INJURY TO CATTLE FROM EATING OAK FOLIAGE. 
A CASE vras heard before Judge Herbert, at the County Court, 
held at Monmouth, July 12. His Honour observed, it would have 
been well for the public at large had such a case been heard many 
years before. 
The plaintiff, Mr. James Dyer, a farmer, occupying, under Colonel 
Clifford, the “ Grange Farm,” about eight miles from Monmouth, 
sued Mr. Richard Shaw, timber merchant, of Hereford, for 5^45, 
damages sustained by the death of four of his cows from browsing on 
the buds or foliage of some oak trees, bought by the defendant of 
Colonel Clifford, and standing on the plaintiff’s farm. 
Mr. W. C. A. Williams, of Monmouth, was for the plaintiff, and 
Mr. Gwillim, of Hereford, conducted the defendant’s case. 
The plaintiff said that there was no agreement between himself 
and his landlord, and consequently no reservation. In the early 
part of April last—on the 9th, or within a day or so of it—the 
defendant’s men entered his farm and cut down about forty oak 
trees ; they were engaged in cutting during eight or ten days. He 
had twelve young cattle which had the run of a “ brake” and seven 
or eight fields besides. A man in his employ, named Richard Adams, 
had received instructions to keep certain gates closed while the bark 
was down in the meadow. Adams was at work in these fields during 
three weeks, all but a day and a half, and he (plaintiff) on going his 
rounds, as he usually did, night and morning, had seen the cattle in 
latter part of April or beginning of May, browsing on the foliage of 
the oak. He turned them out and shut the gate. This was on the 
Friday before Whitsunday, and on the latter day he went down to 
the field, and observed three of the cattle looking “mopy” and bad. 
He had a farrier to them, and got some medicine, but a “ big steer ” 
died the next day. Three others died in the course of the week, 
the last living about nine days from the time he first observed the 
cattle. Mr. G. Lewis, veterinary surgeon, made a post-mortem 
examination of the last animal that died, and proved that the cattle 
died from having eaten of the oak, or, in other words, from the 
presence of “tannin.” On analysing the contents of the stomach of 
one of the beasts which he had taken home for the purpose, he 
found unmistakeable evidence of its having been poisoned by the 
effects of tannin. It was present in large quantities, quite sufficient 
to account for death. The fact was, that at particular periods of the 
year the oak contained a larger percentage of tannin than it did at 
other periods, and if taken in sufficiently large quantities, as these 
animals would have taken it, it was indeed the strongest astringent 
of its class known, and its effects would be to produce obstinate 
