SELF-SUBMISSION TO MEDICAL AND SURGICAL TREATMENT. 383 



day occurrence, notorious to every intelligent observant 

 child. 



Berkeley refers the morbid appetite of swallowing wood, 

 straw and garbage by the dog to its desire for a vomit. But, 

 though this explanation may possibly satisfactorily apply to 

 certain cases of morbid appetite in the dog, it does not apply 

 to morbid appetite in general in other animals, or even in the 

 dog. And Berkeley himself points out as inexplicable that 

 the dog does not avail itself of its power of vomiting, almost 

 at will, in order to get rid of poison administered to it by 

 man : a circumstance the more remarkable that certain other 

 animals as will immediately appear, have a knowledge of 

 the use not only of certain poisons, but of their antidotes. 



Cats are represented as extremely fond of eating or 

 chewing the roots of valeriana officinalis or other species 

 of valerian roots whose properties are in cats stimulant 

 and intoxicant. They are also said to be very partial to what 

 is in consequence called ' cat-mint ' nepeta cataria though 

 it does not quite appear that, either in this case or that of 

 valerian, the plant or any of its parts is used as a medicine. 

 In some cases, the animal would appear to revel in its mere 

 scent or perfume. This, for instance, seems to be the reason 

 why cats are as passionately fond of nemophila and marjoram 

 as of valerian. ' They no sooner scent it than they throw 

 themselves upon it and roll over and over with the greatest 

 sense of enjoyment/ 



Gillmore points out as regards the dog, and Stables in 

 reference to the cat when domesticated, and especially in 

 proportion as their liberty is restricted their life luxurious 

 and artificial, and the bowels constipated the importance of 

 allowing them access to their own natural remedies aperients 

 or emetics grasses of various kinds or other plants. Were 

 this done, there would be small need for the veterinary 

 surgeon in the treatment of the luxury-bred ailments of the 

 dog or cat, small need for the drenching and drugging to 

 which at present these animals are so injudiciously sub- 

 jected. 



Various animals again use salt or certain saline substances, 

 partly as aperients, partly as tonics, partly as indispensable 



