682 REPLY OF MR. ALEXANDER GRAY, JUN. 
degree of recovery he had made previous to his being allowed to 
serve cows again, I think there is no doubt that a little more rest 
would have allowed the parts completely to have recovered from 
the effects of the injury. Even now, the best plan of treatment 
will be to keep him quiet, and to soothe the parts where the in- 
jury has been sustained by bathing them with warm water two 
or three times a-day, and to repeat the aperient medicine. 
After the irritation has been subdued, a little iodine ointment 
may be tried, or anoint with lard, to remove the effect of your 
stimulants, and then bathe with cold water until the animal is 
well. 
REPLY OF MR. ALEXANDER GRAY, JUN., V.S., EDIN- 
BURGH, TO MR. CLELAND, ON THE TREATMENT 
OF A FOAL. 
Dear Sir, — In looking over your periodical of last month, I 
can assure you I was not a little surprised at finding a commu- 
nication from a Mr. Cleland, of Rosewell, concerning the treat- 
ment of a foal, the property of Mrs. Leslie Cumming, of Spring- 
field, and in which my course of treatment pursued on that 
occasion is called in question. 
As it is now nearly a period of six years since the circumstance 
occurred, and as, perhaps, my notes and memory may serve me 
better than Mr. C.’s, I shall endeavour, to the utmost of my 
power, to give a true description of the case, so far as I was 
concerned. 
On the 9th of June, 1838, I was called upon to attend the 
foal in question. The person who came for me at the same time 
left word that the foal was purging severely. I accordingly pro- 
ceeded to Springfield, taking with me the medicine I generally 
use in such cases, and with the most beneficial result ; viz. a 
sol. of creta prep, and gum. catechu, with vin. opii added, if 
the age and strength of my patient will allow of it. Having 
arrived at Springfield, l found the mare (Hambletonia, dam of 
General Chasse, with her foal by Jerry) in a loose box. 
On examination, l found that the foal shewed little or no 
symptoms of inflammatory action being present — that the mu- 
cous membranes were in a normal state — that the mouth and ex- 
tremities were of a natural temperature — that when he purged 
it was a discharge of true faeces in a liquid state, but which being 
ejected (per ano) caused considerable irritation in that quarter, 
evinced by whisking of the tail, general uneasiness, &c., thereby 
shewing, in my opinion, that a redundancy of bile existed in the 
evacuations. 
