MISCELLANEA. 
539 
its miraculous powers. It alleviated the pains of child-birth, and 
diseases of the heart, procured a new supply of teeth in old age, 
and even enabled the possessor to discover stolen goods. It is ten 
thousand pities it is gone astray.” 
“ A friend of mine, who possesses an extensive deer park, and 
is a thorough-bred gnostic, gave me the following account of the 
mode adopted by his keeper to preserve the finest fawns for his 
table. As soon as the fawn is dropped the cruel keeper cuts its 
little feet in such a way that the poor creature cannot stand upon 
them without inconvenience. The doe, finding it unable to move, 
redoubles her attention, nurses it with great solicitude, and pam- 
pers it with milk until it grows into an unmixed lump of fat, with- 
out either lean or bone to it, and is, as my friend expresses it, 
‘ exquisitely delicious.’ I ventured to condemn the practice as 
‘ cruel,’ at which he laughed immoderately, assuring me that 
Mrs. M. often expressed the same opinion, but was then so fond 
of fawn that she never even hinted at the cruelty, and rather en- 
couraged the keeper in his heartless proceeding.” 
Account of Stock sold in Smithfield. 
“ The amount of live stock sold at Smithfield in the last nine 
years, as given in the subjoined table, will afford some idea of the 
great value of a portion only of the domestic animals of our coun- 
try ( Johnson and Shaw’s Farmers' Almanac, vol. ii, p, 216): — 
Beasts. 
Sheep and 
Lambs. 
Calves. 
Pigs. 
1835 
172,919 
1,647,316 
24,853 
43,134 
1836 
158,438 
897,068 
22,981 
34,224 
1837 ..... 
179,761 
1,540,666 
20,259 
36,325 
1838 
183,617 
1,467,574 
15,705 
45,283 
1839 
1,464,383 
18,576 
51,740 
1840 
180,041 
1,521,093 
14,194 
50,314 
1841 
175,318 
1,444,597 
16,287 
50,461 
1842 ... . 
1,636,826 
19,296 
39,213 
1843 
188,268 
1,854,320 
18,876 
36,320 
“ And if the public are, generally speaking, but little acquainted 
with the value of these noble races of domestic animals, to a still 
greater extent are they unacquainted with the amount of the an- 
nual mortality which, through neglect or ill-treatment of their dis- 
eases, or the incurable nature of them, so materially thins the ranks 
of these invaluable tenants of the farmers’ lands. As information on 
this head can hardly be too much diffused, in order to excite still 
greater exertions towards the prevention of so great a national loss, 
I will here collect together a few facts from my note-book bearing 
on the question. 
