76 
AN I MAI, PAT HO LOG Y . 
ported himself for a little while on his fetlocks, and when he was 
forced to move he went on his fetlocks. He presently fell down, 
and made some ineffectual attempts to rise again. The same 
treatment was pursued. 
“ Nov. 2 d . — He was in nearly the same state. I then pre- 
pared a decoction of seven drachms of the mix vomica, boiled in 
a quart of water, and administered it to the animal. 
** 3d. — IN'ine drachms were giveu in the same way. He got 
up twice in the course of the day, and staggered a pace dr two. 
“ 4 th . — He lifted himself on his hind limbs, his fore ones ap- 
pearing to be weaker than ever. 
“6th . — The countenance and appetite were good ; the pulse 
was weak and slow ; the general temperature moderate, and the 
sensibility of the skin natural: he made few efforts to get up, 
but lay quietly on his litter. 
“ 8///. — He got up without assistance several times, but he 
found that he could not walk, and quietly lay down again. 
“ 10 tli . — He could walk a few steps, and was evidently im- 
proving. 
“1 5th . — He was apparently well. I advised that he should 
be fattened and sold as soon as possible. He did fatten quickly 
and satisfactorily, and was driven to Paris.” 
Unsuccessful ones . — This case was imposing, and yet mar- 
vellous. Two doses only of the medicine were given, but they 
were enormous ones, and what w r e should have thought would 
have destroyed the patient at once. 
I had a case of palsy in a cow some little time afterwards. I 
bled her and purged her, and then gave a decoction of six 
drachms of the nux vomica. I gave it with some degree of fear 
and trembling, although I had read, in Orfila, that the same 
quantity had been given to a goat without inconvenience. It 
had no effect on the cow. On the next day but one I repeated 
the dose; that had no effect; it neither alleviated nor increased 
a single symptom; and the animal died two days afterwards. 
I had another opportunity afterwards of putting the power of 
the nux vomica to the test. I gave three successive doses, on al- 
ternate days, of an ounce of the nut, but likewise without effect. 
We have not many of these cases in the vicinity of the metropolis, 
and therefore I have had no chance since of putting the power of 
the strychnine to the trial ; and I do not know that I should 
attempt it had I the opportunity, unless, after a fair confession 
of the truth, I had the full permission of my employer, or he 
would sell me the animal at such a price as I could afford to 
give. We want some experimental farm, with a veterinary 
school attached to it, where these experiments, and many others 
