1 86 APPENDIX. 



Quotations from Books. 



It is a not unfrequent custom with counsel to refer to 

 veterinary works during the examination of a witness. He 

 is expected to have a fair knowledge of the writings of pro- 

 fessional men on the subject of inquiry. The authority is 

 mentioned, the passage is quoted, and the witness may be 

 then asked whether he agrees with the views of the author 

 or whether he differs, and if so, his reasons. In cases con- 

 nected with medical treatment, the views of the profession 

 are and have been so various, that a barrister would have 

 no great difficulty in finding some book to oppose to the 

 opinions of a witness. Standard works of recent date are 

 so well known to the profession, that there are few men 

 engaged in practice who are not well acquainted with and 

 able to explain the views of the writers, and how far they 

 agree or conflict with his own. The witness must be on 

 his guard that the quotation is fairly made, and that it is 

 properly taken with the context, or he may unexpectedly 

 find himself involved in a difficulty. On one occasion a 

 learned gentleman stopped in his quotation at a comma, 

 and on another occasion the quotation ended at a colon, 

 the remainder of the sentence in each case materially 

 weakening the inference which it was intended to draw with 

 the apparent sanction of the witness. 



When a quotation from a standard work is thus opposed 

 to the evidence of a veterinary witness, he should take care 

 by reference to the work itself to see that the passage is 

 correctly quoted. A reference at the time to the work which 

 is quoted, is always necessary if any use is to be made of a 

 quotation. Without suggesting that there is intentional 

 misrepresentation to bear out a particular view of the case, 

 a barrister, in dealing with the medical facts, may wholly 

 misunderstand the author's views and statements, and in 



