DISEASES OF THE OX AND SHEEP, 373 



boy, he was busily engaged in contemplating the many and 

 varied illustrations in an encyclopsedia of many volumes, and 

 he well remembers being told that when he grew up, he would be 

 able to obtain information on every subject imaginable in those 

 closely-printed picture books. Much has been done since that 

 day ; but look into whatsoever encyclopsedia or book one chooses, 

 one will not find a very great deal to enlighten him regarding 

 some of the most important features of the diseases and dis- 

 orders of the ox. He will find the plagues of cattle lengthily 

 described, and massive monographs of some of them will be at 

 his disposal ; but regarding many other diseases of the ox the 

 information obtainable will be of the scantiest imaginable. 



It is indeed a pleasure to us to have now finished our review 

 of the germ diseases of the ox ; may we hope we have not 

 proved wearisome. Some of the points on which we have laid 

 stress have been the result of many years' practical labour on 

 our part and painstaking, many have been known for a length 

 of time, and many have been culled from the accounts of recent 

 researches made during the past few years by enthusiastic 

 workers engaged in investigating the diseases of the ox and of 

 other creatures. One is often told that he need not aim at 

 always investigating new facts, and listening to or reading of 

 new discoveries of the causation and cure of disease, for the 

 simple reason that such knowledge has frequently to be too soon 

 remodelled under the chastening scrutiny of still further and 

 deeper investigations. So it has ; but yet, though the begin- 

 nings are not perfect, and though the Jinishing touches may 

 make them assume new and possibly altogether different aspects, 

 have they not been the foundation-stones of the building, and, 

 even if not in every case permanent, did they not serve a 

 temporary function until replaced by firmer structures ? 



The writer recollects how, when quite young, he first heard 

 the wonderful doctrine of Darwin expounded in simple language 

 by a learned graduate. After listening patiently for some time, 

 he inquired, " Yes ; but tell me, does Mr. Darwin himself 

 believe his own theory ? " The question evoked a laugh of 

 mingled scorn and pity, and the answer sharply, '* He neither 

 believes nor disbelieves; he merely propounds it." But the 

 question was not so absurd as one might suppose ; for, as in 

 the case of the points we have brought forward with relation to the 



