638 
INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. 
chemist, the botanist, and the veterinary physiologist must 
co-operate, each aiding the other. But I would ask. 
Why may not all these be united in the person of the 
veterinary surgeon ? and if he be instructed in general 
chemistry, why should he not be in agricultural chemistry ? 
if in animal physiology, why not in vegetable physiology? 
Take notice of these remarks, and turn your attention to 
these things by self-culture, until the day arrives when they 
shall form part of the curriculum of the instruction of this 
Institution. Of the existence of the fact of cattle and sheep 
in particular, being injured by the too free use of artificial 
manures to bulbous plants, there can be no doubt. Whether 
some of the compounds which are now vended under this 
name may be injurious, even if not used to excess, experience 
has yet to determine, as also whether they act by accumula- 
tion in an unassimilated condition in the plant; and the 
same means must decide whether those manures rich in 
ammonia act prejudicially when too freely employed, by 
forcing the plants into a plethoric, immature, ripe, and 
unhealthy state. These several causes may all more or less 
be in operation in individual instances. I incline, how- 
ever, to the opinion that a difference exists in different 
manures with reference to their deleterious effects, but whether 
those manufactured on the mineral theory of Liebig, or those 
on the nitrogenized one of Laws, ought to be used with the 
greatest caution, has yet to be ascertained. Animals, when 
living on food thus raised, are not un frequently attacked with 
sudden illness which is quickly followed by death ; at other 
times the digestive organs are chiefly affected, when diarrhoea 
sets in, and relief is thus occasionally obtained. But if the cause 
is continued, this diarrhoea becomes chronic, the patients waste, 
and at length die in a state of inanition. Young sheep appear 
to be most liable to be thus affected ; but they, like older 
ones, will often sink quickly, as if from apoplexy, shortly after 
being folded on artificially manured turnips and other similar 
roots. The post-mortem appearances in cases of sudden 
death indicate that some change — a chemical one perhaps — 
has taken place in the blood. This fluid is unusually dark in 
colour, partially coagulated, and accumulated in some of the 
organs of the body ; the flesh is soft and flaccid, and the whole 
carcass goes quickly into decomposition. The details of numer- 
ous cases could be furnished were this the fitting opportunity. 
These, however, must now be left, it being the broad fact 
alone that I w 7 ish on this occasion to bring before you. Here, 
again, allow me to add that we see the absolute necessity of 
our studying the science of hygiene in all its varied branches. 
