OUR JOURNAL. 
681 
freely given opinions as to the manner in which a journal 
should be conducted, and we have to listen to criticism on 
the want of accurate details in pathology, surgery, &c., 
but we always find those who are ready to express their 
opinion the slowest in assisting to make their representative 
journal what it should be by the exercise of the powers which 
they possess. 
Valuable as many of the roughest and briefest notes would 
be, it is nevertheless to be desired that all essential points 
should be touched upon, many records are exceedingly faulty 
in this respect. It is easy to dress up a description and 
draw speculative conclusions, but it would be far easier to 
give simple facts in half the space, and leave the reader to 
draw his own conclusions for future warning or guidance. 
Take, for instance, the various statements made in reference 
to the circulation. The pulse is described as numbering 
80 or 90, and there the description ends. Another account 
says it was “ quick,” doubtless confounding that term with 
“rapid,” or “frequent.” Again, another says it was “slow,” 
but as to the character of the pulse we are left to conjecture. 
A w r orthy practitioner, but of an old school, on seeing a 
case of extreme abdominal irritation, in which the pulse was 
frequent, very small and weak, in fact “ running down,” 
described the disease as “ violent enteritis.” After death the 
abdominal organs were found to be large, tympanitic and 
black, by reason of congestion and extravasation resulting 
from pressure on the portal and other veins which should 
convey the blood to the heart. There was no thickening, no 
effusion of lymph, but our friend nevertheless reiterated, 
“it is a case of inflammation.” When another almost 
exactly similar comes beneath his notice, and the animal 
recovers, we shall hear of his having “ cured enteritis.” 
There are many analagous instances of defective observation. 
The so-called “ dropping after calving,” loin-fallen, milk 
fever, the drop, &c., &c., as it is known generally, is another 
forcible example. In cattle-breeding districts, practitioners 
frequently attend these cases ; in one locality we have heard 
of a most unprecedented series of cures being made, and 
forthwith lost no time in making close inquiries. The 
practitioner in a certain instance, no way chary of his infor- 
mation, allowed us to visit some cases and afforded all 
particulars required, but we discovered his nosology included 
parturient apoplexy, metro-peritonitis, and the ordinary 
nervous debility, or loin-fallen as one affection. Some died 
he admitted, but many recovered. “ When the brain keeps 
all right,” he said, “the cow soon gets well.” 
