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'>(' 1 -'.p^VV '*■ V'<’V- ' 'C‘ 'La;"'7 ^,,- , ,7r ' i* -'<■<'> < ' y., .' 0 ^t' '7’^ t-i ■ PPP7 ' C r 7,77' 77 a,-' ■" '"'ft ,i ,j), < ’.^7 p'P ’f , 7 ... : ■^p;vH4K,.7pp v7 V-*’'’ ‘W7>' <v;..7yp7'^r'A&,y y r. .•y'>'VV. y ^ K ’ ‘ t '.'• 7. . .' , A'- , sJa •, J, ,1 D Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2020 with funding from Wellcome Library • % https://archive.org/details/s2023id1378193 - r t * '% - « V "I* ( i • i • $■■ / I Iti % \ !( ; U o Pb- V r> ► r. .. I j* .. ^ WELLCOME INSTITUTE I library Coll wefiVfOmec Call No. 1 l J THE VETERINARIAN, FOR 1831. VOL. IV. EDITED BY MESSRS. PERCIVALL AND YOUATT. Ars Veterinaria post medicinam seemida est.— ^ egetius. LONDON: PRINTED DY COMPTON AND RITCHIE, MIDDLE STREET, CLOTH PAIR ; FLBLISHED BY LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, Sc GREEN, PATERNOSTER ROW. THE VETERINARIAN. - . - - , - .. y-- - , . - - VOL. \v. JANUARY, 1831. No. 37. ON BREEDING. By Mr. Karkeek, of Truro. [Continued from vol. iii, p. C19.] Depjcnerare tanien, ni vis huniana quotannis lYfaxima qu^eque nianii legeret. Virgil’s Gforgics. Yet liave I seen the cliose'n seeds deceive, And o’er dej^cnerate crops the peasant gric^’e : Save where slow' patience, o’er and o’er again, Cull’d yearly one by one the largest grain. Nunquam aliud Natura, aliud sapientia dicit. Juv. For w isdom ever echoes Nature’s voice. THERE is a restless endeavour in the human mind for dis¬ covery, which is wrought into the orig'inal frame of our nature, and exerts itself in all parts of the creation that are endued with thought or sense, 'riiis inclination, however, is oftentimes impelled beyond the limits of reason, w hich, instead ol advancing' the cause of the science it professes to teach, tends only to in¬ troduce confusion and error. A tendency of this sort has existed for a long time among many writers on hreedinir: we do not allude to those little faults which may he imputed to inadvertency, or to the imper¬ fections of human nature, hut chiefly to those visionaries who “ race and wrestle with great Nature's plan.^' In meliorating our principal domestic animals, hovv many different systems have been pursued ? One author strongly re¬ commends the rn and, in system; that is, by breeding from the nearest affinities: another higlily censures this methofl, as being' both morally and johysically wrong, and prefers crossing the blood, even il’ it be ol an inferior quality, rather than breed VOL. IV. n ". ^2 ON BREEDING. incestuously ; whilst the third, without considering that the same beauties or the same defects may appear under quite a different aspect in one place to what they do in another, like the charlatan, before whose solitary nostrum all diseases must give way Remedium efficax et universum”) indiscriminately, and dogmatically condemns every other system but that of breeding from different races, so as to supply the faults or de¬ fects of the one by the merits or perfections of the other. The difficulty of removing deep-rooted prejudices, and the inefficacy of reason and argument, when opposed to habitual opinions, es¬ tablished on general approbation, are fully apprehended; but as the truth is our only object in the present investigation, which like “ a native rustic beauty, is most lovely when un¬ adorned, and seen in the open light of day,” we shall proceed to state the subject fairly, without heeding the fine spun hy¬ pothesis and specious theories on either side. Error alone needs artificial support ; truth can stand by itself, like the Cornish wrestler, who only requires a ring and fair play.” The argument adduced in favour of the in and in system of breeding is, that there can only be one best breed and as perfection admits of no addition, if there be a cross, it must necessarily be with an inferior kind. “ When you can no longer find better males than your own,” says Mr. Cully, then by all means breed from them ; and on no account attempt to breed or cross from worse than your own, for that w ould be acting in contradiction to common sense, experience, and that well established rule, or which is a particular case of a more general rule ; viz. ‘‘ that like begets like whilst the argument on the opposite side is, that though the beauty of animals so bred may not be diminished, yet that it tends to w^eaken the breed by producing a tender, unhealthy, and diminutive pro¬ geny. It was the celebrated breeder, Bakewell, who first brought the in and in system into notice ; he justly considering the poet’s fancied doctrine that Nature had placed both physical and moral laws as a barrier to prevent consanguineous inter¬ course as nonsense ; since, had this been the case, she would have placed an instinctive aversion in animals to such an union. This intelligent and expert breeder obtained one of the finest UN BREEDING. 3 stocks that over was produced, not only without dlnfiinishing- in size, but with a continual improvement. The prejudice that exists ag-ainst breedin <2: from the nearest affinities has been too O much confounded with the laws and regulations that were ne- cessary, from political necessity, for the proper regulation of hu¬ man society. The only way m which aegeneration could pos¬ sibly follow' by breeding from the nearest affinities w ould be by the inerease of hereditary diseases. We have before alluded to the hereditary transmission of physical and moral qualities in animals by breeding : w e then shewed, that there were un¬ doubted links between father and son in the peculiarities of form and proportion ; we shall find also, on investigation, that there is an hereditary transmission of corporal sufferings. It was formerly tnought that hereditary diseases depended bn certain morbific poisons ; but of late years it has been proved that those diseases w ere not owing to any morbific matter, but to a particular conformation of structure, transmitted from the parents to the offspring*: therefore a superior breed of any kind can only he produced by excluding those that are affected with hereditary taint, otherwise all those natural deformities, both physical and moral, which spring up so quickly in the artificial life to which they are subjected, are transmitted to posterity, and tend by their multiplication to degrade the race : i)ut no danger can possibly exist when the parents are perfect ; but, on the contrary, by breeding in and in their good quali¬ ties will be strengthened. Much has been said in the different publications on this sub¬ ject of the celebrity which Mr. Bakew ell acquired by breeding from the nearest affinities ; but the merits of the theory on which he acted are points on which parties held different opinions. This is owing to the secrecy with which he carried on his business, and to the frequent degeneracy of the offspring * The opinion tliat certain diseases were licrcdilary has heen held ever since the days of Hi{)j)Ocratcs; and although this opinion is confirmed by the experience of mankind in all ages and countries, yet there arc not wanting opponents to the doctrine. The eccentric Dr. .lohn Drown in particular opposed it. “ A taint,’’ he says, “ transmitted from parents to their otfsjuing under the appellation of hereditary, is a mere talc, or there is nothing in the fundamental part of this (the Drunonian) doctrine, 'I'he sons of the rich, who succeed to their father’s estate, succeed also to the gout. Those who arc excluded from the estate, escajie the disease also, unless they bring it on by their own conduct. Though Peter’s' father may have been afl’ectcd with the gout, it docs not follow that Peter must be atleeted; because by a proper way of life, that is, by adopting Ins e\('itc- inent to his stamina, he may have learned to evade his father’s disea.se. — Intern. Med, 2d edit. vol. ii. ON BREEDING. 4 when taken from under his manag'ement ; but this was occa¬ sioned by the ig-norance of the parties, who, instead of excluding- the imperfect, and breeding- only from those that were perfect, left every thing to chance ; by which act of inconsistency unions were formed that very likely caused a degeneracy in¬ stead of an improvement. Another cause of failure which has happened to those who were ambitious of breeding animals similar to the late Mr. Bakewell, was owing to the different system adopted in their manner of rearing. Mr. Bakewell had only one object in view, and that was, to obtain an exuberance in the flesh and size of his animals. This he accomplished by an abundant supply of food, such as milk, grain, &c. &c. from the time the animal quitted the mother, accompanied with warm and comfortable lodgings, regardless of the expense: indeed, they may be said to have lived an artificial life. No w onder, then, that animals so fed could not be brought to the same per¬ fection under a different management, w hen, instead of a bucket or two of milk and a gallon or two of corn daily, they were fed entirely on grass and hay. Although we cannot commend this practice for general pur¬ poses, yet it does not prove his system to be erroneous. One thing we are certain of ; that although there was some mysterj^ attached to his system, yet the improvements which he effected in live stock in particular is well known to be great. Causa latet; res est notissima. The cause is secret, but the etFect is known. Addison. Mr. BakewelFs contemporaries give him the credit of being an ingenious and practical breeder. His valuable stock was reared wholly from consanguinity, and, we repeat it, wdth a continual improvement. He w^as too good a judge to breed from animals possessing hereditary taint ; for a judicious breeder would, upon examination, point out in what they must ultimately fail, as a mechanic would discover the weakest part of a ma¬ chine before it gives way. There are cases in which the breeder may certainly be de¬ ceived ; for some horses, for instance, although perfectly sound in their eyes, have been the means of producing in their off¬ spring that curse on all good horse-flesh — specific ophthalmia: yet a person must be blind indeed that would run the risk of breeding from a blind stallion. The latter case may, therefore, be very easily avoided by merely making use of their eyes ; and the former one also, if' the breeder attends to the rules laid down on the subject of “ descent.” And where there is the ON BREEDING. O least doubt respecting the pedigree, let , him endeavour to see some of the stock, making sufficient allow ances for the kind of mares they are got from, and thus form his opinion. Chronic Founder is another instance of constitutional liability. This disease is {)robably owing to the introduction of the eastern blood, since the thorough-bred is more predisposed to this disease than any other. In the Arabian deserts a narrow foot was preferable to a flat one ; but in our moist pastures we re- (juire the latter form, and all our indigenous horses have broad circular feet. Weakness in the fore legs is another constitu¬ tional disease, and broken-winded horses also are dang'erous to breed from. A strict examination ought likewise to be made to discover if there is any tendency to grease, canker, sand-cracks, splints, spavins, ringbones, curbs, &c. &c., as they also may be considered, in some respects, to be hereditary ; and this should more or less influence his choice, as much as pedigree, symmetry, and action. Having, then, considered the different circumstances connected with the subject, we conceive that we are fully w arranted in recommending the practice of breeding from the best animals of their kind, whatever may be their consanguinity ; the male and female should approximate as much as possible in their respective size and qualities, no matter wdietner for the turf, the carriage, the road, or for heavy draught. By pursuing this method, the breeder will run the least risk of deterioration, and may almost to a certainty obtain that form and those qualities which he is anxious to produce. The practice of crossing the various breeds prevailed for a long time, under a supposition that animals so bred were im¬ proved in symmetry, and also were prevented from becoming small, tender, &c. &c. Time and experience, however, soon proved this notion to be incorrect, and to have no foundation in truth. Opinionnm connaenta delct dies, Naturae judieia confirmat. Cic. 'I’imc obliterates the fictions of opinion, and confirms the decisions of Nalure. By referring to the pedigrees of our best racers we shall dis¬ cover that many of them were bred from the nearest affinities : Klying Childers, High-flyer, Old Fox, Omar, Babraham, Blank, Trap, I’ally, Silverly, Damper, Johnny, Skakespear, Goldfinder, Jethro, Hudibras, Mop, Grey, and Chesnut SKim, &c. &c., are striking instances of the good effect produced by keeping in “ good blood,” having once possessed it, even though it be in¬ cestuous. The horses of the Bedouins are always in their primi- ON BREEDING. 6 tive state of purity: they have never crossed mth other races, but keep continually (if it be a g’ood one) in the same family, and prefer using- a stallion, although old and blemished, to em¬ ploying- one of different blood, however perfect he may appear ; yet they have not degenerated. The same practice succeeds best in the vegetable world ; the finest and most perfect productions of the sort being pro¬ pagated by sowing- seed selected from the best and most per¬ fect plants of the same kind, and taking the buds or offsets from the best and most perfect trees of the same species*.” A late authort on breeding says that when in possession of good blood, it is right to continue it with one cross ; but at this time almost every body objects to it, if directly incestuous, as not only being unnatural, but that colts so bred degenerate. I cannot” he says take upon me to say how often an incestu¬ ous breed may be carried on before a degeneracy takes place, as I am not aware of that being the case in any instance, and experiment is in favour of breeding from son and mother, and father and daughter.'''’ The author then relates examples to prove the good effect of this method ; and appears to be decidedly in favour of the in and in system of breeding. But the author’s favourite mode of breeding, and one that he strongly recom¬ mends, is by crossing for once into fresh blood, and then back again.” We beg leave to put a question, and one which appears to have struck the author himself — Why not continue incestuous if it be rights But this method of breeding is evidently introduced for the purpose of recommending a cross with the Arab blood ; under a supposition that the latter blood has not received fair play of late years, since none but worthless mares are put to foreign horses at the present day. “ The fair trial would be,” he says, ‘^(supposing an Arabian of good symmetry and appearance, and high blood, to be found), to give him a mare that had bred runners.” By this method the author anticipates producing such horses as “ Flying Childers, Almanzor, Regulus, Blank, Chaunter, Crab,” with a dozen or two others, all in high form, and all the immediate get of different Arabians, and foreign stallions. When horse-racing was first established in England, we pos¬ sessed nothing- in character with our present breed : the intro¬ duction of the Arab, Barb, and Turkish blood was then a decided improvement ; and by breeding' out and in with the indi¬ genous stock of the country, the advantages to be derived were * Dickson. t Mr. Hanckey Smith. ON BREEDING. 7 soon discovered ; a new race was immediately established, which, by the cultivation and care of our ancestors, was soon rendered permanent. By gradual use, and long experience taught, Art a new race to fair perfection brought.’' A race, indeed, at the present day, that is the pride, the pleasure, rand^ the boast of the land that g'ives them birth. 1 he (piestion is then, whether it would be advisable to cross ag-ain into foreign blood ? Ihe argument held in favour of a cross is, that our present breed of blood horses are degenerating, and are not equal to those worthies of old, as Flying Childers, Eclipse, High-flyer, Matchem, Herod, &c. &c. ; and as the Arabians, not only as to appearance, but in point of fact, possess the first claim to native purity of blood, it would be proper to resort to them ag’ain, in order to correct that luxurious tendency to increase of flesh, humours, &c. &c. the natural consequence of high food, and a clime less arid. Another arg-ument adduced ' to prove the necessity of going back to the fountain head of life, whence they originated, is, that the horses of the present day are not able to carry so hio-h weights over the course as those of former days ; and therefme are certainly not so good. Now with respect to the first part of the subject adduced in favour of a cross, on account of their getting full of humours, owing to the richness of our soil, this, in the language of the Reviewers, savours a little of the figure of speech ’yHept non¬ sense since it is ow ing to our soil that we are indebted to our present stock: it is the quality of our grass that gives thepi the superiority over all other horses of the world. “ In thee, fair land of liberty, Is bred the perfect horse ; in strength and speed As yet unrivalled, while in other elitnes Their virtue fails — a weak degenerate race.” As it regards the present breed not being equal to those of former times, we believe the assertion to be incorrect; for where there was one good horse formerly produced, we possess a dozen at the present time. It is true, and “ pity ’tis so true,” that our present breed are not capable of carrying such heavy w^eights as those of former times ; but this does not proceed from any deficiency in our present breed, but from the destructive system at present practised of bringing young horses to the starting post. Yet, bad as they are represented to be by those w ho are advocates lor a cross (supposing that a cross would be desirable). ON BREEDING. 8 for what quality should we cross with the Arabi Certainly not for speed, as “ the most miserable specimens of our race-horses, with all the disadvantages of being confined in the suffocating hold of a ship, and landed in a foreign climate, no matter whether on the frozen shores of Russia*, or the arid plains of Indiat, with little time allowed for training, walk the course for the best stakes, in the face of the best native breed.” It is admitted on all sides, that the immediate produce of an Arab horse and an Eng¬ lish mare is worthless ; hence it is recommended to wait for the third or fourth. This would possibly be the surest method of ascertaining the truth ; but we believe, that even its strongest advocates are unwilling to incur the risk and expense attendant on waiting for the progeny of a fourth cross. By referring to the Racing Calendar it will be found that in the earlier part of the last century it w as an uncommon occur¬ rence to run horses under four or five years old ; and that five year old horses were then more common than four. This accounts for the durability and superior speed of Childers, Old Crab, Eclipse, King Herod, &c. &c. who neither of them ap¬ peared before they w ere five years old. We cannot, then, but deeply lament, that so many horses are crippled and clone up, at an early age, which, had they been allowed the necessary time to arrive at maturity, woula have equalled Eclipse and those w orthies of old. How often do w'e hear of an extraordinary instance of speed exhibited at two years old, in consequence of which the colt becomes the rage, and attains an elevation in the sporting circles which he is unable to sustain ; for at a time when the greatest speed and strength is expected from him, he deceives his backers, and is immediately put out of favour, and precipitated down the Tarpeian rock of disgrace. The rapid grow th of the favourite’s popularity is sudden as his dow nfal ; his rise and decline are indeed ‘‘ pari passu — ’ “ To-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hope ; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honours thick upon him ; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost; And when he thinks, good easy man, full surely His greatness is a rip’ning, nips his root, And then he falls, - ” * Sporting Magazine, October 1825, “ Racing in Russia,” See. f A singular fact is related in the “Sporting Magazine,” by an “Absentee he says, “ that a match was run in Barrackpore between the English horse “ Recruit,” and an Arab “ Pyramus,” who had previously beaten all the best Arabs in Calcutta, carrying weight for inches, and receiving seven pounds besides : the Arab horse was beaten in a canter. 9 ON BREEDING. It is not, we repeat it, any fault in the horses, but in the system employed in training* and bringing young horses to the start- ing-posts. They may be compared to hot-house plants ; their growth and strength are increased in such an artificial man¬ ner, at such an early age, that, wdien they reach six or seven years old, they are no longer fit for the turf — making good the old adage, “ soon ripe, soon rotten they either die, or are sold to post-masters, hackney-coach drivers, or butchers ; where they are doomed to a life of torture for a short time, a kind of train- ing for the knack-house. Such is oftentimes the fatal termination of many a good horse ; they give the fairest prospect of perfection in the training stable, but from being rode at too early an age, and over-w*orked when their constitutions are incapable of supporting it, they may be compared to those stars which oftentimes shoot their brilliancies athwart the horizon, as exquisite as their duration is brief. Natural historians assert, that whatever is formed for long duration arrives slowly to maturity. The extraordinary means that are resorted to, in order to bring up a two-year old colt, surely never were intended by nature ; for by preternaturally hastening the deposit of bone, before the memoranous part becomes fully developed, the bones become sooner consolidated, and never attain their natural size and strength. We are well aware that we are now* treading on forbidden ground, by interfering with the knowing ones;” as the opinions that we have ventured to broach are entirely at variance w ith the present practices and regulations of the turf — regulations found¬ ed on the accidental prescriptions of authority, for wdiich custom has procured veneration, but which are opposed to the law s of nature and common sense. We do not flatter ourselves, by those remarks, w ith the hope of exciting any permanent impression on the sporting world, as similar opinions have been oftentimes so eloquently expressed in that esteemed and respectable publication The Sporting Magazine,” without any success; for “ they will nothearthe voiceof thecharmer, charm he ever so wisely.” But we speak to the vsympathizing few' whose habits are not as yet fixed liy the influence of false and corrupt examples, who are not deaf to the recitals of scenes of violence and pitiful suflering of one of the nolilest animals in the creation, when forced by goads and whips, by the merciless drivers of butchers' vehicles, hackney-coaches, and fish-carts. But to return to our subject. Circumstances will occur in which it is impossible for the farmer to breed in the manner recom¬ mended ; in which case hi* has recourse to a cros.?. This mea- VOL. IV. c 10 ON BREEDING. sure can only be recommended when no other method will an¬ swer his purpose. In this case, it is necessary that the greatest discrimination and circumspection should be employed to adapt the animals in the most perfect manner to the nature of the im¬ provement which is requireci 5 for, as we before stated, so much uncertainty attends even the 'best possible method of breeding, that wherever attention has been paid by breeding from the best and most perfect animals of their kind, the breeder has been of¬ tentimes disappointed, *and has been doomed to see his bright prospects flit like the passing cloud.” If disappointment then ensues, where the greatest care has been paid, w^e need not wonder to see confusion and mis¬ management the effect of breeding from animals that differ in breed, figure, action, and manner of living. In every instance of a cross, the female should be as large, if not larger, than the male. Experience teaches this plan as the best, it having been long' practised by our ancestors. Passnm miilta tibi veteriim praecepta refetre, Ni refugis, teimesque piget cognoscere curas. Virgil. Nor thou the rules our fathers taught despise. Sires, by long practiee and tradition wise. Sotheby. we being indebted for our present breed of racers entirely to crossing the indig’enous mare with the diminutive eastern stallion. To attempt to improve a breed by putting small mares to large stallions is madness. It is a fruitless effort to counteract the law s of nature ; for, in proportion as the male is larger than the fe¬ male, the ofl'spring becomes deteriorated in form, and is generally narrow chested, long legged, less hardy, and very liable to dis¬ ease. ‘‘ When it became the fashion in London to drive very large horses, the farmers in Yorkshire put their mares to much larger stallions than usual, and thus did infinite mischief to their breed, by producing a race of small chested, long legged, large boned, worthless animals. A similar project was adopted in Normandy, to enlarge the breed of horses there, by the use of stallions from Holstein ; and, in consequence, the best breed of horses in France would have been spoiled, had not farmers discovered their mistake in time, by observing the offspring much inferior in form to that of the native stallions. When the male is much larger than the fe¬ male, the offspring is generally of an imperfect form. If the female be proportion ably larger than the male, the offspring is of an improved form ; for instance, if a well formed large ram be put to ewes proportionably smaller, the lambs will not be so well ,0N BREEDING. 11 ssJiaped as their parents ; but if a small ram be put to larger ewes, the lamhs will be of an improved form*.” Many breeders who have been aware of the improprieU' of putting large stallions to small mares, from seeing its bad effects in various ways, have fallen into the contrary error, by crossing what they call a large roomy’’^ mare, which is generally of tlie heavy cart breed, with a thorough-bred horse. Dum vilant stiilti vilia, in contraria curriint. IJoio liilst fools one vice coriflemn, "I'liey run into the opposite extreme. J heir object is to obtain a carriage-horse. Thus, by attempt¬ ing to avoid Scylla, they fall into Charybdis, “ Inciditin Scyllain ciipien.s vitaie Clsarybdem.'' in phiin English, he leaps out of the frying-pan into the fire.” This heterogeneous connexion always produces a being as bad as possibly could be generated, possessing a heavy fore¬ hand, supported by a pair of slender fore-legs, and having all the natural sluggishness and inactivity of the draught horse, without any of fiis strength ; an*d all the bad properties of the blood horse without any of his speed. In short, an animal suited to no useful purpose ; a fit subject for the kennel, or to become “ Luxurious food, Idle venison of the prescient brood.” Ihe very distinction of breeds implies a considerable difFerence among animals in several respects. On looking through ‘‘ Na¬ ture s vast and varied range,” wo observe the hole earth teem¬ ing with rational harmonies ; but man — ephemeral, laborious man — in attempting to establish a pormanGiitiy distinct l)ieed, by bringing together a male and female of qualities and habits es¬ sentially o[)pose(l to each otlier, would, if (dlowed, very soon produce a race of monsters: but fortunately the resistance of na¬ ture overcomes our feeble efforts, “ Like a gciicious hf)rsc, Slicws most true metal ^vllell you cheek his course.” By studying attentively the exterior conformation of the dif¬ ferent breeds of horses, the peculiar character bestow( d upon each, with their wants and liabits, together w ith the admirable fitness for the climate and soil they inhabit, we shall have con- * Lliuc’s OhsriN aliyiis on Domestic Animal.s. 12 ON HEPATIRRHCEA, HiEMOURHAGE from THE LIVER. vinciiio* proofs of the wisdom of the Infinite Intellig-ence that has ada])ted them so beautifully to their destinations, and ol the ig¬ norance of the doctrines of crossing dissimilar hveeds, which na¬ ture in its infinite wisdom hath set asunder. We need not say more; for, on this great theme, kind Nature keeps a school to teach her sons herselt.” Unerring Nature, still divinely bright, One clear, utadiang d, and universal light, Lite, fire, 'and beauty, must to all impart, At once the source, and end, and test ot art. [To be continued.] ON HEPATIRRHCEA, HAEMORRHAGE FROM THE FIVER. 'Bu Mr. J. Kerr, V. S., of Southampton, late of the Hon. East India Vompamjs Service. • To the Editors of “ The Veterinarian:'’ Gentlemen, Having had, since the publication of Mr. John Field s excel¬ lent paper on hepatirrhoea, a remarkable case of that disease, I feel great pleasure in tendering the particulars to your notice, and, if you think proper, request its insertion in your most useful journal: it fully corroborates the above gentleman’s remarks. I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, Your much obliged and humble servant, James Kerr. Southampton, Nov. 29, 1830. On the 9th of November, about 3 p.m., I was requested to attend at Lady Mary Sheppard’s (who was sojourning for a short time in this town), to see a bay carriage-horse, which was jobbed by her ladyship of Mr. Kimber, Brompton Road. Before leaving my dispensary, I inquired of the coachman the paiticu- lars : he informed me that the horse had been m constant work, and in apparent good health, since he had known him, which was upwards of a twelvemonth ; and had never shewn, during that time, any thing like the symptoms wdth which he had two hours previous been siezed ; viz. a staggering gait, as if he ON HEPATIRRHCEA, H/EMORRHAGE FROM THE LIVER. 13 would have fallen^ slight pawing, and sweating profusely. The farrier who was in the habit of shoeing the horses was at hist called in by the coachman, who proposed immediate bleeding, supposing, as he informed me, he had inflammation of the in- tevStines. This, I believe, was objected to by Mr. Sheppard, until I had seen the horse. I found my patient to be a bay gelding, aged, about sixteen hands high, and in good condition: he was uncovered, the surface of the body cold, and wet from perspiration ; and a dehciency of blood to the skin. The conjunc¬ tive, Schneiderian, and buccal membranes blanched — scarcely an injected vessel to be seen. The state of tlie mouth indicated much mischief: it was dry, cold, and the little saliva that was sticking about the tongue was viscid. Respiration slightly hur¬ ried ; extremities colder than natural : very consideraliie irritabi- lity of the intestines was manifested by the frequency of his voiding his faeces, the fetor arising from which was unusually offensive; but the most remarkable symptom was the pulse — in number 46, but singularly weak, the submaxillary artery feel¬ ing nearly empty: the pulsations, however, were regular. From the peculiarity of these symptoms, the whiteness of the mem¬ branes, the state of the pulse, and the coldness of the skin, 1 de¬ termined on not bleeding; and I mentioned to Mr. Sheppard that many symptoms indicated internal haemorrhage. Treatment. — I ordered the stable to be kept comfortably warm, the horse to be well clothed, and sent Barb, aloes siv, zingib. 3ii, pimento siii, resin 3v, aqua ib.iss., to be well digested over the fire, and administered warm. In two hours and a half I saw' the horse again : the means prescribed had produced re-action ; the membranes still whiter than natural, but redder than w hen 1 first saw him ; pulse the same in number, but a little fuller (there was now to be perceived a yellowish tinge in the mouth) : the surface of the body and extremities much warmer. 1 now felt convinced that the principal mischief was in the liver, al¬ though there was evidently some slight irritation on the lungs, the animal coughing’ occasionally, and violently. In order to judge of my patient’s strength, I liad him moved out for twenty yards. The prostration of strength was remarkable, considering that a few hours previous he was in apparently high health. I left him for the night without bleeding. ]\ovember 10///. — Docs not feed: the warmth of the surface of the body continuing comfortable, and the pulse 44, with a little more fulness, induced me to have recourse to careful vene¬ section. After taking away four quarts, the pulse faltereil, and I pinned up. On the whole, he bore the oleeding well. Med icine slierhtlv operated. 14 ON UEPATIRRHCEA, HEMORRHAGE FROM THE LIVER. — Pulse 46. Surface of the body comfortable ; respira¬ tion about 40, V. s. lbs. viss : pulse faltered: pinned up. In other respects shewed no symptoms of fainting*. Administered a little alterative medicine. Pulse 46, and fuller; respiration short and quick, as yesterday ; other symptoms about the same. Inserted a large seton in the chest, blistered both sides, and abstracted six and a half quarts of blood, which he bore well. 13/f/4.— Symptoms about the same. \4th. — Ditto. — Better. During the night considerable swelling of the sheath came on. \Qth. — Better. Small doses of aloes, and resin occasionally. — Doing well: he is now evidently mending last: pulse 44. Lady Mary S, being obliged to leave Southampton, the horse was left under my care, and I accordingly had him removed to my infirmary, a distance of half a mile from his former stable. On his way thither the coachman and myself were pleased with his return of spirits and strength, which was manifested by a few gambols on his way: from this time up to the 23d of November he as rapidly recovered his condition as he had lost it ; his ap¬ petite became voracious, for he ate with avidity every thing that was put before him. On the evening of the 23d, Mr. Wootten, at whose stables I have my infirmary, hurried to my shop, and informed me the horse had fallen in his box, and was extremely bad: this happened on the very evening 1 intended to have wn’itten to Mr. Kimber, informing him the horse was in a fit state to be sent to London. On arriving, the poor animal pre¬ sented a most pitiable appearance : large drops of sweat were rolling from olF his cold skin : the eye was not as though he was suffering from acute pain, but sunken and depressed ; but the upper lip Was curled, the lower hanging pendulous, shewing the more plainly his grating teeth, and the whiteness of his tongue and gums, which, together with a total suppression ol saliva, and a remarkable doubling under of the tongue and keeping it in that position for three or four minutes, and anxiously looking towards his abdomen, shewed him, indeed, a pitiable silent sufferer. The submaxiiiary artery was still, for it had nothing to contract on. Nothing of course was done for him, being* < onvinced he was dying from internal haemorrhage : in about one hour and a half he again fell, and died in a few minutes. Tlie post mortem examination demonstrated my prognosis to be correct: the peritoneal covering of the liver was ruptured completely in half; <he liver broken down in struc'ture through- MINUTKS OF EVIDENCE ON CANINE MADNESS. 15 out its whole substance, and the abdomen contained about four buc kets of blood. Remarks. — It is with considerable diffidence that I venture an opinion on the cause of his first symptoms ; but I cannot help thinking" they were occasioned by a disorganization of some of the bloodvessels on the surface of the liver, from which a considerable quantity of blood escaped, perhaps gradually : the peritoneal covering would, of course, admit of very considerable distention; and as the flow of blood was not sufficient to rup¬ ture the membrane, the pressure of the envelope, and the means adopted to determine blood to the skin, for a time checked the liaernorrhage : the effused blood in all probability coagulated, and the subsecpient three bleedings, to the amount of fourteen cjuarts, for a time . stayed the flood. Disorganization rapidly going on throughout the substance of the liver and its surface, and the horse, during" the last week he was at my stables, hav¬ ing made blood rapidly, as was denoted by his improved con¬ dition and the fulness of his pulse, fresh haemorrhage took place, tore away tiie coagulum and peritoneal envelope, giving- free exit to efl’usion ; and death followed in one hour and a half. MINUTES OF EVIDENCE lUiFORE A COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON THE DILL TO niEVENT THE SPREADING OF CANINE MADNESS. [Continued from vol. iii, p. C93,] Mr. JVilliam Youatt called in, and examined. \V HAT is your capacity? — Veterinary surgeon. AVhere do you reside? — No. ‘3, Nassau Street, Middlesex Hospital. Have you been much acquainted with dogs? — Yes. Do you practise much in the curing’ of dogs? — My practice has been rather peculiar on that point; I attend to all domestic animals, dogs particularly. For how many years have you practised it? — Nineteen years. Have you seen many instances of dogs affected with hydro- [ihobia ? — Y es. Do you consider there has been any great increase in the dis¬ order within the last four months ?— Ves. 10 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE ON CANINE MADNESS. State your grounds for if?--! have seen within the last four months ihore than I had seen in any eighteen previous Do you attribute that to the state of the climate ?—l am unable to answer the question, as my account ol tins would be merely conjectural. State what you think is the cause of that increase 1—1 he disease has arisen solely from the bite of other mad dog's; and more doe's than usual of ferocious habits had become labid. Have all those dogs which have been brought to you for cure been bitten Many dogs supposed to be rabid have been broug’ht to me that were not so. rrv i Had those dogs any bite upon them?— To that 1 cannot ^You can tell whether you perceived a bite upon them ? — I have often examined dogs which had been rolled over, and apparently attacked, and could find no maik upon them, yet they became rabid. Dogs are covered with hair 5 it is almost impossible to find a small puncture. Does the wound generally heal before the disease appears f — That depends upon the nature of the wound, and the time of the appearance of the disease. In what state were those dogs, generally, w^hen they were brought to you, as to temper and appetite?— I hardly know to w hat you refer. Were they moping and melancholy mad?— Ihe great ma¬ jority were in a state which the sportsmen call dumb madness; harmless, and with the lower jaw hanging down. State what you consider the symptoms of rabies in the dog in its earlier stages? — There are twm species of that disease, and the early symptoms of each are very different. State the symptoms with regard to the dumb madness? The early symptoms are, disinclination to food, costiveness, a peculiarity of countenance, wdiich sportsmen would recognise : 1 can only describe it as a mixture ol suspicion and uneasiness. The dog will occasionally attempt to eat, but he is unable to chew his food ; he drops it from his mouth; the lov^er jaw then begins to hang dowm, the tongue to be protruded and to become discoloured ; the thirst of the^ animal increases, and, I may say, is almost unquenchable.^ Does he drink? — He attempts to drink; he hangs over the water, lapping it most diligently, till the water becomes covered wuth the saliva, but does not diminish in quantity. You did not mention when the greatest quantity of saliva appears? — There is a great deal of error with regard to that; MINUTES OF EVIDENCE ON CANINE MADNESS. IT In many cases of rabies there is no great increased discharge of sa liva, and when it appears, its continuance is short. Have you not always observed spasmodic affections in the throat when they attempt to eat or drink? — Very rarely indeed. 