240 
VETERINARY JURISPRUDENCE. 
Mr. A. Cherry , veterinary surgeon, of Brixton, had also visited 
both farms, and described the sheep as in a state of starvation. 
They were half-bred Downs. A large number of them could hardly 
walk. He lifted several of them one by one with one hand, and 
could have lifted three. When he took them up it was like holding 
an empty bladder. They ought to have weighed as fair store stock 
from 501b. to 701b. each, but those he lifted did not, in his opinion, 
weigh 30 lb. each. Witness could not discover any disease about 
the sheep, and their state he considered was owing to insufficiency 
of food. At Shabbington witness saw two horses drawing a cart 
which were in a very weak condition, as if they had had no food for 
two meals. 
Defendant was convicted for cruelty to fifty-nine sheep, which 
were described by the witnesses as worse than the others, and was 
fined 2s. for each, or £ 5 18s. in all, and ordered to pay the costs 
in each case, £2 7s. 6d., making the total penalty £10 13s. 
Mr. Andrewes said the moiety of the fine, which was payable to 
the informant, would be given in aid of the Bucks Infirmary. 
READING COUNTY COURT. 
Hicks v . Clarke. — A Jury Case. 
This was a case heard on January 18th, before a jury, in which 
the plaintiff, George Hicks, a cattle-dealer, claimed £24 10s. of Mr. 
James Clarke, of Silver Street, for the value of two cows sold to him. 
Mr. Holland appeared for the plaintiff, and stated the case as 
borne out by the evidence. Mr. Greene appeared for the defendant. 
The ’plaintiff said : On the 19th October the defendant Clarke 
bought two cows and two calves of me ; he paid me for them, and 
took the cows away. A fortnight after that he came to me, saying 
they did not give sufficient milk, and asked me to exchange them. 
He paid me £29 for the two cows and calves. Upon my return 
from London, Clarke and his wife came to me and said he had 
chosen a black cow and a white cow, and I consented to take £3 
and the first two cows in exchange. He paid me the £3, and was 
to return the two cows at eight o’clock the next morning, but they 
were not sent. In the morning his man wanted to take my cows away, 
and said he did not know anything about Clarke’s cows. I said 
something was not quite right, and I shouldn’t spare mine till I 
had seen Clarke’s cows. I went into the town, and upon my return 
I found that my two cows had been taken, and Clarke’s were there. 
I saw that Clarke’s cows had the foot and mouth disease. I know 
what it is well, as I have had forty bullocks with it. The law will 
not allow us to remove them. The disease had been very bad in 
the neighbourhood where the cows were. I consulted a veterinary 
surgeon, who said the cows had the disease very bad indeed. I 
offered Clarke that I would take his cows back when they were well. 
