SEPTICAEMIA IN ANIMALS. 
561 
M. Brugnon, who has given a particular account of its quali¬ 
ties, relates that three ounces of its juice killed a dog in four 
minutes. Near Turin several sheep were killed by eating 
it, which first led to an investigation of its effects. Colic, 
with inflammation of the stomach, were the symptoms which 
were best removed by pouring vinegar down the animals' 
throats. This poison seems to act in paralysing the nerves 
of the stomach, and also in an acrid ulcerating effect, as 
dark spots were found in the stomach of the sheep. 
There is reason to think that, as regards our domestic 
animals, what is termed inflammation may often be due 
to acrid plants, and we can quite believe that a small 
quantity of this plant would produce serious inconvenience. 
SEPTICAEMIA IN ANIMALS. 
Remarks by Professor Walley, Principal at the 
Veterinary College, Edinburgh. 
I observe in the last issue of the Veterinarian (p. 526) 
the following statement from the pen of Mr. Tedbar Hopkin. 
“ That it (septicaemia) is not caused by carelessness in 
operating, as the public generally suppose, will be proved 
by the fact that Professor Williams told me that every colt 
operated on (castration) and kept in proximity to a dissecting 
room died. 5 ' 
Such a statement (made in good faith by Mr. Hopkin) 
is calculated to mislead, and, seeing that extracts from our 
professional journals frequently find their way into lay pub¬ 
lications, may sometimes be turned to advantage by a 
malicious and cantankerous client in urging a claim for 
damages against an unfortunate operator. 
Whatever may have been the experience of others as to 
the danger of operating in the neighbourhood of dissecting 
rooms, I can only say that every animal castrated by my 
colleague, Mr. Baird, and myself, in the college premises, 
has made a splendid and rapid recovery; indeed, only one 
case of septicaemia, following an operation (out of great 
numbers of animals operated upon) has occurred; and that 
after a severe operation on that most dangerous of all struc¬ 
ture, diploe of bone, in the lower jaw. 
Comparatively few cases of septicaemia follow integumental 
or muscular wounds in our patients ; the great majority 
urise from feet injuries and suppurative lung affections. 
I believe that the dissecting room and loose boxes of this 
lii, 40 
