THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. XXX, 
No. 358. 
OCTOBER, 1857. 
Fourth Series, 
No. 34. 
Communications and Cases. 
ON THE SOUNDNESS AND WARRANTY OF 
HORSES. A REPLY TO MR. DICKENS. 
By Mr. J. Hawthorn, M.R.C.V.S., Kettering. 
In the Veterinarian for the past month a letter appears 
from Mr. C. Dickens, of Kimbolton, which contains so 
much relating to myself, that I feel bound to reply to his 
observations. I would first remark that I much wish all 
your correspondents would write in the same spirit as Mr. 
Dickens has done — for I cannot but think myself rather 
complimented than otherwise by him — and were this the case, 
we should look forward with pleasure to more frequent dis- 
cussions in the pages of your journal than we are wont to 
do. I should not, however, like to see the Veterinarian a 
66 milk-and-water ” periodical ; but I must confess myself 
an admirer of the suaviter in modo , as well as the fortiter 
in re. 
I regret, with Mr. Dickens, that Mr. Gregory and other 
practical members of the profession have not written more 
on the subject of unsoundness, as I believe that much good 
might be done by such discussion, and the matter be 
brought into a narrower compass than it now occupies. A 
better feeling might be made to exist also between buyer 
and seller, and especially between the horse-dealer and the 
veterinary surgeon. 
I have lately had some conversation with a large and 
respectable horse-dealer, in whose family, so to speak, that 
calling has long been hereditary, and it is his opinion that 
something might be done which would give satisfaction to all 
parties. The nature of that something must remain for the 
xxx. 73 
