220 
REVIEW. 
in the fire for vanity,” with little hope even of arousing the 
sympathy of his professional brothers. 
The ‘ Occasional Papers/ collected into one volume, form 
an interesting, if incomplete, record of the peculiar opinions 
of the writer on many disputed points anent the various 
contagious diseases attacking cattle and sheep. 
Mr. Dick was a non-contagionist in every sense of the 
word*; and his arguments, in some cases, read oddly enough 
now that the maladies, against the infectious nature of which 
he strongly contended, are known to be highly infectious. 
Among the subjects which are most interesting in the list 
of papers by the late professor, are the anatomy and diseases of 
the foot of the horse, the use of purgatives in tetanus, a sup- 
posed disease in cattle called the tailslip, the non-contagious 
nature of epizootic diseases, fatal affection of the bowels of 
horses, resembling cholera, and the influence of the mind 
on the modification and cure of the diseases of the body, all 
these are treated in the most original manner. 
The following extract, in reference to the non-contagious 
nature of pleuro-pneumonia, shows the kind of impression 
which observation of the facts attending an outbreak of the 
disease made upon Mr. Dick’s mind, as well as upon the 
owners of the animals : 
“ In the end of October, 1856, from 30 to 40 young cattle, 
belonging to different farmers, had been grazing during the 
summer on Irvine Common ; one of them was seized with 
pleuro-pneumonia, and died. The owners were afraid of 
infection, and knew not what to do, as the time had come 
for taking the cattle home. After consultation, Mr. M f Call, 
Y.S., was requested to examine them ; he found them free 
from disease, and after they had been home not one of them 
became affected. 
“ In the same month, a person of the name of Campbell, 
at Irvine, kept three cows. One took the disease, and died ; 
another was seized, but recovered ; while the one standing 
between these two was never affected. 
“ I shall conclude my remarks on the contagion or non- 
contagion of pleuro-pneumonia by the following communica- 
tion from Mr. Hunter, who gives his experience on the 
subject : 
“ c The Haugh ; 18^ November , 1857. 
“ ‘ Dear Sir, — I beg, in accordance with your request, to 
send you a few notes of my experience of pleuro-pneumonia. 
The first case I ever saw occurred about twelve years ago in 
