536 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
inflicted, and consequent destruction of life. It does not appear 
that the male sustains any consequent injury, or even suffers 
from the unnatural connexion ; but the female, as appears, is 
too often, in consequence of it, deprived for ever after of vigour, 
and even life itself ; and such loss is expected to be made 
good, as indeed appears right in most, if not in all cases, by 
the proprietor of the male agent in the affair. Nor does 
this seem to be a point affording reasonable ground for 
contention, unless under circumstances which may appear 
to carry with them extraordinary unexceptionable evidence, 
enough to render the case one anywise dubious or ques- 
tionable. The amount of damage such cases of loss or 
injury seems to have been assessed at, appears to have been 
about one half or three fourths of the value of the mare — nor 
is this rating the loss too highly, w r e think. The act being one 
occasioned, not by any fault or mismanagement, or by any 
thing short of the blind fury of the animals engaged in it, 
w T e do not well see how' such could have been by any fore- 
sight or precaution prevented or guarded against, especially 
when it is found to be so rare in its occurrence, as to put all 
precautionary measures, which might or might not answer 
their intended purpose, so far out of the question, as to prove 
abortive, as measures of practice or convenience. So that, 
taking all things into consideration, perhaps the matter can 
hardly be considered on fairer grounds than that on which 
it rests at the present moment, according to which the cases 
in point have been decided, and than which we can hardly 
perhaps come to a juster decision. 
