94 
THE EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
self. A number of men were called to assist her efforts, and, with 
considerable difficulty, were successful in enabling her to gain her 
feet. After being steadied for a long time, she was left to herself, 
and was able, although extremely feeble on her legs, to stagger 
about the box. Her head was frequently wetted with cold water, 
and blisters were afterwards applied along the neck, from behind 
the ears, which had a beneficial effect. In two days she lay down, 
and was able to rise with a little assistance. Alterative medicine 
was given for several days ; the purgatives and blisters were 
repeated as occasion seemed to require, and she is now so far re- 
covered as to be able to take walking exercise. 
Diabetes is, as will be seen by the reports, a disease of frequent 
occurrence here, four cases having come under notice during 
December. The treatment of this disease has been almost 
uniformly successful, and has consisted chiefly in the administra- 
tion of large doses of iodine. This medicine has, for several years, 
been used here in the treatment of diabetes, and is fully entitled to 
confidence, although some practitioners are rather sceptical as to its 
use. It possesses a manifest and almost immediate effect in 
arresting the intense thirst which is so prominent a symptom of 
diabetes, and, at the same time, induces a natural condition of the 
urine and appetite in all those cases in which organic disease does 
not exist. 
Five cases of quittor have come under treatment during Decem- 
ber, and although some of them in an aggravated form, they are 
doing well. There are few diseases commonly considered more 
difficult to manage than this, which difficulty, in great measure, 
arises from the variety and peculiarities of tissue and situation 
affected when the disease exists, and the too often and improper 
and unscientific treatment pursued for its relief. Without reflect- 
ing on the importance and necessity of giving free exit to the im- 
prisoned matter, and of forming depending orifices for its evacua- 
tion, as well as of removing all irritants which, if allowed to 
remain, continually promote its secretion, and induce the sprouting 
of proud flesh, it is very frequently the custom, with even veteri- 
nary surgeons, to introduce active caustics, the effects of which, 
ultimately, are to prolong the existence of the disease, and to ex- 
tend its destructive progress, while they are seldom if ever needed, 
if the principles indicated by nature are carried out in those sur- 
gical aids which we can afford, and which are, in reality, the same 
as those successfully adopted for the relief and cure of inflamma- 
tion generally. In proportion, of course, to the severity of these 
cases, is the length of time required for their restoration ; but, if 
this be afforded, very few indeed are there which will not recover, 
attention being carefully paid to the timely removal, without caustic, 
