PROFESSOR SIMONDS’ LECTURE. 
515 
pose many advocated salt. Salt was an excellent stimulative to 
the digestive organs, and might also be of service in restoring the 
biliary secretion, from the soda which it contained. So well is its 
stimulative action known, that some individuals always keep salt 
in the troughs containing the animals’ food. That this was a pre- 
ventive, they had good proof, seeing that it mattered not how moist 
the soil might be in salt mashes ; no sheep were ever attacked by 
rot in them, whilst those sent there infected, very often came back 
free. Salt, therefore, must not be neglected ; but then came the 
question, could they not do something more? he believed they could. 
They must throw tonics into the system, especially those which 
were obtained from the mineral kingdom. He should prefer the 
sulphate of iron — iron was found in animals, — it was one of the 
constituents of the blood, and, used in the form of sulphate, it gave 
a greater tone and energy to the frame than in any other form : its 
use, therefore, ought never to be neglected in the earlier stages of 
the disease. He had already alluded to the fact, that, when the 
liver did not perform its functions, a greater effort was made by 
the kidneys to depurate the blood. The kidneys should there- 
fore be stimulated; but he must not be supposed to advise the 
exhibition of diuretics, which would produce debility, but of medi- 
cines which would give strength to the frame and act on the kid- 
neys as well, for which purpose nitric ether was an agent which 
ought to be employed. The principles he wished to lay down 
were, to husband the animals’ powers by placing them in a situa- 
tion where they should not be exposed to the debilitating effects 
of cold storms — to supply them with nutritious food, and such 
as contained but a small quantity of water, and, as a stimulant to 
the digestive and assimilative processes, to mix with it salt — and 
likewise to administer sulphate of iron, and occasionally doses 
of nitric ether. He made no doubt, if these recommendations were 
carried out, that instead of being obliged to send their sheep to the 
knacker’s yard, they would not unfrequently be able, at least in 
its early stages, to cure the disease, and dispose of them to the 
butcher. On concluding, the lecturer was warmly cheered. 
Mr. Brandreth moved the thanks of the meeting to the lecturer, 
which was carried by acclamation, and conveyed to him in eulogistic 
terms by the noble Chairman. 
Corrected from “ The Western Times'" 
