LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 101 
only of immediate importance to his individual welfare, but that all 
meet here with the earnest desire of endeavouring to assist, each in 
proportion as he feels able to, in the diffusion of veterinary know- 
ledge as calculated to benefit every one of us. It is with these 
feelings that I cast in my mite to the general contribution, and, 
Gentlemen, I can tell you it is with no small amount of pleasure 
that I lay before you my humble ideas on the disease known as in- 
flammatory oedema. Indeed I feel honoured to see around me so many 
illustrious members of the profession, men whose presence ought to 
invigorate us, the juveniles, with an ardent desire and determined 
perseverance to mark out for ourselves paths by which we may travel 
to perform our allotted work with such diligence and industry as 
will never fail, in the long run, to merit its reward and be appreciated 
by all. 
Without any further, but, I hope, not unnecessary, occupation of 
your time, I will call your attention to the subject of this essay, 
viz., inflammatory oedema, as affecting the horse ; and in doing so 
embrace the opportunity for stating that in the consideration of this 
subject it has been my intention not to attempt an exhaustion of 
it — even had I been capable of doing so — but simply to link 
together some ideas and facts, so as to form a chain which by dis- 
cussion we may sever link by link, duly considering each in its 
turn, and by, if I may use the term, a remoulding process, finally 
readjust them so that at the termination of the evening’s discussion 
the whole may be representative and emblematical of our united 
and individual exertions to promote a more unanimous opinion 
as regards the nature, treatment, causes, &c., of this often-occurring 
disease. 
An investigation of the animal kingdom exhibits to us in the 
greatest perfection the inimitable power of the Almighty, who 
in His infinite wisdom <f made man in His own image,” and 
afterwards gave him dominion over all living things He had pre- 
viously created — the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and every 
living thing that movetli upon the earth. To reflect thoughtfully 
upon this is only to develop in one’s mind a desire for further 
knowledge and closer acquaintance with the reasons why and for 
what purposes such a multitude of creatures were made ; but the 
greater the extension of our research in the endeavour to unravel 
Divine reasons the more apparent will be the intricate laws which 
govern the diffusion of animal life. 
Animals were undoubtedly created for the purpose of occupying 
a portion of man’s allotted time on the earth, and both directly and 
indirectly for the support of mankind, as offering means whereby 
to obtain food ; some also were made to prey upon others, for every 
living thing must have some source from whence to gather nutri- 
tion for its development, growth, and maintenance, if vitality is to 
continue within its organism. And even where reasons are not 
forthcoming as to the utility of some animate beings we are disposed 
to exclaim — 
