ON THE WEED IN HORSES. 445 
A . — Yes ; I attended Dr. Thatcher on midwifery ; he gave a 
detailed account so far as regards females. 
F. — You say that the name is not generally known; how 
comes that ? 
A . — The Greek eki, vj/xgpa, Ephemera, in Scotland is called 
a Weed. 
F. — Is this said weed very common ? 
A . — Very common indeed, and sometimes proves fatal : a case 
terminated in death last month with a neighbouring practitioner. 
I was requested to see a case on the 1st instant. 
F. — Do you mean to say that you never heard of or consulted 
any work on the Weed in the Horse before you published your 
account ? 
A. — None whatever except what I have already stated. Mr. 
Farrier, as you have done, please to allow me to ask a few 
questions. F. — Go on. 
A. — Pray, sir, why are you afraid to appear in your propria 
persona ; for I strongly suspect that you are a very different cha- 
racter from what your signature indicates ? 
F. — I have particular reasons in this affair to keep behind the 
bellows. 
A . — How does it come that you have such an extensive library, 
both of old and modern authors, on farriery? 
F. — I am a lover of books, and have been collecting upwards 
of twenty years. 
A. — Is it not rather presumptuous to set yourself up as a critic 
on the works of certified surgeons ? What would old Dr. 
Bracken, if alive, now say? You know what he called you — 
4t A pack of illiterate farriers — plagues on earth — who give such 
stuff as would poison even the Devil himself.” 
F, — True ; but we have improved much of late. 
A. — Yes, yes ; you may thank the works of veterinary sur- 
geons for what little improvement you have made. You say that 
you are a contributor to The Veterinarian. I believe you 
are ; but not under your present signature. 
I leave the whole with the public, with certification that, after 
this, I shall not deign to reply to any anonymous writer. 
The hitherto good-humoured controversy on this subject must 
here cease. Both our friends are too valuable to our cause to 
permit their energies to be wasted in personal warfare ; beside 
“ Should auld acquaintance be forgot. 
Or days o’ lang syne ?” 
3 N 
VOL. IX. 
Edit. 
