810 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
stock, while he does not hesitate to ask his advice for the 
most simple diseases of horses. First, there is a general 
impression that it does not pay to doctor cattle, sheep, or 
pigs. If the animals are nearly fit for the butcher, motives 
of economy at once determine their slaughter ; there are also 
the cost of attendance and the loss of condition, which form 
important items in the question, and all of which tend to 
strengthen, the conviction that the first loss is the best, 
and the sick beast is accordingly sent to the shambles. 
If the aid of the butcher is not admissible in dealing 
with outbreaks of disease, there are the herdman, the shep- 
herd, the cow doctor, all of whom are men of practice and 
who know all about stock, to suggest remedies, and apply 
them either gratuitously as amateurs or for a very trifling 
remuneration. These men do not trouble themselves to 
inquire into the circumstances under which the disease 
arose, it is sufficient for them that it exists, and they are 
never at a loss for a drench of wonderful potency which will 
put everything right in a day or two. If, as often happens, 
the nostrum fails, it is because the case was not taken in 
time, and so the malady goes on until, as a last resource, 
the veterinary surgeon in the district is sent for, too late to 
be of use, and enjoys the satisfaction of knowing that he will 
obtain the discredit of failure which is inevitable, and, still 
worse, he is aware that his non-success will only convince 
his employer that it is useless to ask his advice in future 
when his cattle or sheep are sick. 
There is no denying the fact that some of the diseases 
to which farm stock are liable are not amenable to treat- 
ment ; that is to say, are not to be cured by drenches. 
Such maladies as splenic apoplexy and black quarter are 
hopelessly beyond the power of medicine to cope with ; 
parasitic affections, as liver rot, husk in calves, and worm 
in the throat of lambs (we use the common names of the 
diseases), are certain to prove fatal to a large percentage of 
animals attacked, although by judicious management some 
may be recovered. 
In all these instances the least important question is, 
what is the best remedy ? The most important, what are 
the means of prevention? Once established, the diseases 
