VARIOUS ARTICLES IN “THE VETERINARIAN/’ 351 
' This reminds me of another instance of the value of the vete- 
rinary profession in what are called “ the Provincials.” At the 
period I am speaking of, there was no veterinary surgeon nearer 
to my residence in Shropshire than in the town of Worcester, 
where the late Mr. Samuel Palfrey resided, and practised over a 
vast extent of country — I should say of thirty miles diameter. 
An unfortunate occurrence took place close to my house. A per- 
son brought a stallion (Master Betty, or Young Roscius, as he 
was also called) to shew me. Being out with the hounds at the 
time, he put him into a stable at a neighbouring public-house, 
to await my return, and gave him a whole egg, which got cross- 
ways in his throat, and killed him. Of course, the only means 
tried were the old ones, — the butt-end of the carter’s whip, which 
was either to break the egg or push it down ; neither of which 
would it do, and, in consequence, the animal died ; but Mr. Pal- 
frey told me (and I entreated the owner to send for him) that he 
would have extracted the egg by an incision, with very little dan- 
ger. I read of a similar case to this, a few weeks back, with a 
cart stallion, at Barnsley, in Yorkshire, which likewise ended 
in death. And, after all, of what avail can an egg be to a 
covering stallion ? As a means of invigorating him, I should ima- 
gine, of very little. Rubens was, we know, a very slack coverer ; 
but Mr. Dundas, afterwards Lord Amesbury, told me, that dur- 
ing the seasons he had him in Berkshire, which was when he 
(Rubens) was far advanced in life, he found him very much more 
eager for a mare from being fed with bruised oats and bran, made 
into mashes with new cow’s milk. When I had Mervinia with 
Rubens, when the Marquis of Westminster had him at Eaton 
Hall, Cheshire, I went myself to see him serve her. He would not 
look at her until a grey pony was brought in his sight ; but that 
had the desired effect. So much for fancy, as John kissed Nancy. 
March Number, p. 140. — I read the paper by Mr. Mayer, 
jun., on “The Past and Present Sate of Veterinary Science,” 
with equal pleasure and interest. That the profession will arrive 
at that high state of physiological knowledge which he deems 
indispensable in the due course of time, may, 1 think, be justly 
inferred from the progress made by it in the last twenty years 
in anatomical and pathological knowledge, operative surgery, 
&c.; but the “ fixed standard of veterinary jurisprudence” may 
not be so near at hand. As Mr. Mayer himself admits, it re- 
quires a base of no ordinary solidity ; and firm indeed must it 
be to resist the force of opinion, which will ever be battering 
against it. Even in human practice, we can scarcely say it is 
established, which would be shewn by an appeal to insurance 
offices. There are, indeed, instances on record, of persons hav- 
