104 Dr. Buchanan on the wound of the Fnret. 



24tA January, 1846. — The President in the Chair. 



It was announced that a few members of the Chemical Section intended 

 giving a Conversational Meeting next Wednesday evening, and for that 

 purpose Mr. Griffin had kindly granted the use of his suite of rooms. 

 Professor Gordon read a paper on the theoretical mechanical effect of 

 steam. 



4th February, 1846. — The President in tJw Chair. 



On the motion of Dr. Buchanan, the thanks of the Society were 

 unanimously voted to Messrs. Griffin, for the use of their rooms at the 

 late Conversational Meeting, arranged by some members of the Chemical 

 section. The following paper was read : — 



XVIII. — On tlie Wound of the Ferret, with Observations on the Instincts 

 of Animals. By Andrew Buchanan, M.D., Professor of the Institutes 

 of Medicine, University of Glasgow. 



Having often heard of the remarkable way in which the Ferret destroys 

 its victims, I willingly availed myself of an opportunity presented to me 

 on the 26th of August last (1845), of seeing two rats killed by this 

 animal. I found the common account quite correct, that the Ferret kills 

 by means of a small wound in the neck ; but the explanation usually 

 annexed I found quite erroneous, that the Ferret aims at the jugular vein, 

 and destroys life by sucking the blood of its victim. The rapidity of the 

 death was quite inconsistent with so tedious a process as blood-sucking, 

 and the dissection showed the true cause to be totally different, and so 

 very curious, that I have thought it not unworthy of the notice of the 

 physiological section of the Society. 



The two rats being put into a large barrel, concealed themselves under 

 some hay in the bottom of it. On the Ferret being introduced, it seemed 

 dazzled with the sunshine, for it took no notice of one of the rats placed 

 right before it ; but soon finding the scent, it burrowed under the hay, 

 taking the very track which the rat had just taken, and thus came round 

 directly upon him. The rat, which was of large size, resisted stoutly, but 

 the Ferret instead of returning the bites it received, seemed entirely 

 occupied with putting itself into a proper position, applying itself to the 

 body of its antagonist, breast to breast, and using the fore paws and head, 

 as if going to embrace it. No sooner had it assumed this position, than 

 it inflicted a wound, which was so instantaneously fatal, that a physiologist 

 might have guessed from that circumstance alone, what the nature of the 

 wound must have been. The rat died without a struggle : and the Ferret 

 immediately dissengaged itself from the body, instead of remaining to 

 suck the blood, and soon falling on the track of the other rat, destroyed 

 it exactly in the same manner. 



