ANATOMY OF THE FOOT OF THE OX. 101 
mutton of the slaughtered sheep would be improved rather than 
injured by feeding upon rotten land a little prior to slaughter, 
especially in April, May, and June, the most suitable period of 
the year for such experiments. 
THE VETERINARIAN , FEBRUARY 1, 1836. 
Nc quid falsi dicere audcat, ne quid vcri non audeat.— Cickho. 
No English writer, so far as we are aware, except the author 
of “Cattle,” — and the object of his work necessarily rendered 
his descriptions both brief and superficial, — has condescended to 
treat of the Anatomy of the Ox. This is much to be lamented, 
for anatomy is the only sure basis of medical science to whatever 
animal reference is made ; and now that our art, at last, is about 
to assume its proper character and utility, and to extend its cares 
and blessings to every servant of man, an elucidation of the ana- 
tomical structure of our new patients is absolutely indispensable. 
How cordial would be our thanks to him who would fill this 
chasm ! Lessons of physiology, and descriptions of disease, 
may be highly useful, but they must be grounded on anatomy, 
or they lose more than half their value. To whom shall we 
look for the anatomy of the ox, the sheep, the dog, &c. ? Thanks 
to Messrs. Blaine and Percivall, there is little left for us to de- 
sire with regard to the horse ; but as to other animals, there is a 
wide and dreary waste. It should not have been so. 
Looking over some old papers a few days ago, we found an 
Essay on the Anatomy of the Foot of the Ox, by a gentleman 
who was, for a short time, our pupil, and a favourite one. It 
was a prize essay; and it approaches so closely to what we 
want, and is so accurate and excellent, that it is with a feeling 
of duty and pleasure that we present it to our readers ; and, as 
the first who has trodden this path, we assign him the place of 
