ON THE CHOKING OF CATTLE. 
453 
cause. That they do occur, however, the details of the foregoing 
cases bear evidence, and I have no doubt the recollection of every 
intelligent veterinarian will furnish him with sufficiently painful 
proofs to the same effect. It is well, therefore, that the members 
of the profession be prepared for such cases when they happen; not 
only that the mis-management of others may not be laid to their 
own charge, but also that they may be able to afford a ready solu- 
tion of cases apparently so mysterious, and point out the proper 
means of treatment. I trust, therefore, that what I have stated 
will be candidly weighed by my veterinary brethren, into whose 
hands this may fall ; and if in any point my views be wrong, they 
will, I trust, be speedily put right; while, if found correct, they 
will as speedily be authenticated by the experience of others. The 
treatment of domestic animals during disease has in most quarters 
been too long an affair of pretension and mystification in the hands 
of ignorant quacks and empirics, and it is time that a better order 
of things were coming round. This, however, can only be 
effected by those who are making the study of disease the labour 
of their lives coming frankly forward at every fitting emergency, 
and endeavouring to sift out the grains of truth from the chaff of 
error which interest or ignorance may attempt to throw over them ; 
and shewing, in a practical manner, that the good of the agricul- 
turist and the veterinary surgeon are one and the same ; namely, 
the successful treatment of all the ills of domestic animals. 
I shall now, in conclusion, offer a few remarks on the statistical 
import of the above cases, and have done. 
If we were warranted to take the nine animals whose cases I 
have given above as data sufficient whereon to base a calculation, 
it would appear that the quality of the drench has less to do with the 
production of the accident than has the manner of administration, 
but that it has a great deal to do with the after-consequences. Of 
three of these cases one got only linseed oil, and two simple water- 
gruel, with nothing more irritating in it than a little common salt ; 
and although these were apparently at the first as ill as most of 
the others (two of them, in fact, worse), yet they all came round. 
The other six had purgative medicine, which, of course, is irritant, 
and of which powdered ginger formed a part, and these were all 
fatal. But in all the cases, as far as I could get at the truth of the 
matter, the animals were held by the nostrils during the adminis- 
tration, the operator being unaware of the danger, and, of course, 
neglecting, unless in one of the cases, the precaution of letting go 
the head when coughing commenced. It may also be noticed that, 
in the three cases which recovered, prompt and remedial treatment 
was had recourse to, which was not in any of those that died. 
VOL. xx. 3 o 
