88 
CASE OF POISONING WITH YEW. 
ever in the wall of the abdomen. The field being on a hill, 
he then suggested that the mare might have been galloping 
about and fell into one of the numerous hollows in the field. 
After a few moment’s discussion I proceeded with my 
examination and found that the stomach was intensely in¬ 
flamed, and the duodenum also throughout its whole course. 
I also noticed that the jejunum and ileum were likewise 
inflamed in large patches. 
The coecum did not appear unhealthy, but its contents 
were of a very dark colour, and chiefly fluid, and on follow¬ 
ing the course of the intestines I came to that portion of 
the double colon in close proximity to the rupture above 
described. I cut into the sac and gave exit to ingesta of a 
very dark colour. 
The kidneys appeared healthy, except a little discolora¬ 
tion of the right one, which, I am of opinion, was a post - 
mortem stain, as the animal had lain on the off side, and 
the blood had doubtlessly gravitated. 
The liver was somewhat congested, but no change of 
structure had taken place. 
The thoracic viscera were also healthy. 
The uterus contained a fine female foetus, on which the 
hair was just making its appearance at the two extremi¬ 
ties, viz. around the mouth and on the extreme end of the 
tail. 
Having now had a good look at the viscera of the abdomen 
I determined to examine the contents of the stomach, and 
had it severed from the intestines and removed to a con¬ 
venient spot for the purpose. It contained about half a peck 
of ingesta, which I found on close examination to be com¬ 
posed mostly of half-masticated yew sprigs and leaves, a fair 
sample of which I have enclosed in a small box and shall 
forward it to you herewith. I now began to reflect on what 
would be the evidences of poisoning by yew in the 
horse. I had seen cases of the kind in cattle, but not in 
the horse. I did not think that yew was so likely to poison 
horses as cattle, knowing that sheep and deer often eat it, 
and suffer apparently no inconvenience. I called my 
client’s attention to the fact of the yew being in the stomach, 
and he declared that the animal had not been out of the 
field for weeks. I, nevertheless, began to think that the 
yew Avas at the bottom of all the mischief, so I put a 
portion of the contents of the stomach into an old envelope 
which I happened to have in my pocket, and started to try 
and discover where the animal could have obtained the 
yew. I soon found in a plantation on the far side of the 
t 
