80 
BROKEN WIND. 
found extravasations of blood on several portions of the brain, and 
a large quantity in the lateral ventricles. This may be an acci- 
dental or an unusual occurrence ; but I fear that the difficulty of 
examining this important organ renders us too apt to neglect it. 
It would not be at all wonderful, though it were found that puer- 
peral fever and enteritis, and some other diseases, are the result 
of certain organic or functional derangements of the brain. There 
is evidently some connexion between them; and it would be 
well to know which is the cause of the other. I am persuaded 
that much remains hidden simply because it is not sought. 
BROKEN WIND— FRENCH OPINIONS AND JURIS- 
PRUDENCE RESPECTING IT. 
The certificates of examination for soundness given by vete- 
rinary surgeons are ofttimes very difficult to indite, and they 
give occasion for much good-natured raillery and ill-tempered 
criticism. I should think that there are few things which a 
young man dreads so much as the inditing of these recorded pro- 
fessional opinions — and there are none on which his reputation 
and success are more dependent. I have been fortunate enough 
to obtain possession of some of these precious documents, under 
the signature of almost every veterinary surgeon about London ; 
and it affords me a great deal of amusement now and then to read 
and to compare them. In one case I have obtained six certificates 
that had reference to the same horse, and a horse that I hap- 
pened to know something about. At a future time I may, 
perhaps, send them for insertion in The Veterinarian, but 
that must not be just at present. 
I wish one of the Editors of The Veterinarian would 
take up this subject, and give us the beau ideal of a certificate 
relating to some of the most frequent “ causes of unsoundness.” 
A very entertaining paper might be made of it, and a very 
useful one too. In the mean time I send you, from the “Jour- 
nal de Rouen,” a collection of certificates with regard to a sup- 
posed case of broken wind. A gentleman bought a mare, 
which he soon fancied was broken-winded. He had her ex- 
amined by his veterinary surgeon, who certified that she was 
broken-winded, and he therefore wished to return her. The 
seller had her examined by two gentlemen, one of whom was 
the Professor of the School of Alfort. The private practitioner 
said that she was not broken-winded, but that her breathing 
was not natural — “elle a uue affection connue sous le nom 
d ’alteration du flanc.” 1 am no veterinary surgeon, but happen- 
