THE RECENT CATTLE DISEASE IN KANSAS. 
295 
look and blindness, then involuntary or unconscious movements, 
bellowing, a tendency to rush forward irrespective of obstacles or 
dangers, and an early death by accident or in convulsions or 
paralysis. This will be recognized as strongly resembling what 
was known to the old farriers as stomach staggers , which occurs 
so often from the consumption of moldy or musty hay or oats, of 
the Lolum temulentum of Lathyrus cicera , of partially ripened 
rye-grass, millet, or vetches, or finally of lead in some form. In 
all these cases alike there is this in common, that a poison which 
acts primarily on the digestive organs afterwards operates directly 
on the brain, which it reaches through the course of the circulation. 
To a horse Hertwig gave 3,552 grams of ergot of rye in 
twenty-four days, causing colics and inappetence , which passed off 
in a few hours, drowsiness, which also quickly passed, dilatation 
of the pupils, slight contractions of the cutaneous muscle, lower¬ 
ing of the temperature of the skin, and reduction of the heart’s 
beats from 40 to 28 pulsations per minute. The day succeeding 
that on which the last dose was given witnessed the disappearance 
of all morbid symptoms. Even in experimental cases, then, and 
in solipeds, there are developed gastric disorders allied to those 
occurring in dry murrain. 
ABORTION FORM OF ERGOTISM. 
In the historical sketch given above are recorded a number of 
instances of widespread abortion which had been traced to ergot 
or smut. It would be disingenuous to overlook the fact that this 
action of ergot on the lower animals has been held to be disproved. 
Dr. Wright experimented with large doses of ergot on pregnant 
bitches, cats *and rabbits. If the doses were moderate, the 
animals remained apparently healthy, carried their young to full 
term, and brought them forth alive. If larger doses were given, 
the symptoms were dilated pupils, rapid pulse, convulsions, 
flaccidity of the limbs, followed by tetanic rigidity which con¬ 
tinued till death, but no abortion. (Ed. Med. and Surg. Jour.) 
In other cases similar results were obtained. But this no more 
disproves the action of ergot on the uterus than the absence of all 
nervous symptoms in certain cases proves that this agent can 
