56 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
with considerable advantage. Frequently have we known it 
to be the case, that an animal, on being cast for an operation, 
has by struggling, when confined with the hobbles, so much 
injured himself as to be unable to rise, and has been, of 
necessity, slaughtered on the spot. Yet all proper care and 
caution were exercised. Again, certain operations are fre- 
quently followed by fatal results, over which the veterinary 
surgeon can have no possible control. So, in the administra- 
tion of a draught, from restlessness or resistance offered on the 
part of the animal, a small portion of it has found its way into 
the trachea, creating much irritation, and which has been 
followed by inflammation of the bronchi and death. No 
blame whatever could be attached to the giver of the 
draught, but the owner, nevertheless, has held a different 
opinion, and contended it w T as the result of sheer carelessness. 
Likewise purgative agents have been often exhibited, w'hich 
from a peculiar idiosyncracy have produced super-purgation, 
and sometimes death. Censure has been at once cast upon the 
prescriber, although none was really merited by him. In all 
these and many more instances that might be named, for we 
have adverted only to those w 7 hich have come under our own 
notice, we are of opinion that such a society as that referred 
to might be advantageously called upon to decide whether 
or not the practitioner was culpable ; and if it be ascer- 
tained, on a careful and impartial investigation having been 
made, that he w T as not, such opinion should be communi- 
cated to the owner of the animal. And if it should be the 
case that he still persisted in his charge of culpability, and is 
resolved to proceed to law 7 with a view to obtain damages for 
the loss he has sustained ; then it w r ould be equally the duty 
of the society to stand by and support the unjustly accused 
member ; for it must be borne in mind that many can defend 
that which one alone often cannot ; and we have known 
members of the profession pay large sums of money, and 
thus compromise the matter, rather than jeopardise their re- 
putation by an appeal to the uncertainty of law 7 . 
We echo Mr. Varnell’s solicitation that others in the pro- 
fession will give to the subject the consideration it merits, and 
