CONSULTATIONS. 
15 
No. XVIII. 
SUPERFCETATION AND CLYERS. 
Aware of your ardent desire to accumulate useful or peculiar 
facts connected with veterinary science, I am induced to relate the 
following occurrence which came under my observation, and with 
regard to which I was professionally engaged. 
On the 15th ult. I was called to a cow, which I found in prema- 
ture labour. The presentations were preternatural, and, from the 
contracted state of the passages, I experienced much difficulty in 
giving the necessary assistance; but at length I overcame every ob- 
stacle, and she brought forth quadruplets , two of which were living 
at the time of birth, but soon afterwards expired. There was no- 
thing peculiar in their formation ; their parts were developed in 
their proper proportions, and they appeared to have been in a state 
of health at the time of their birth. They were carefully weighed ; 
one was 25^, another 24, another 17J, the last 17J lbs. 
From the structure of the placenta, I was led to conclude that 
each foetus was enveloped in a separate membrane, and immersed 
in a separate fluid. Their births were premature by two months 
and nine days. The mother is three years and eight months old, 
of the Angus polled breed, and had a calf in the January of this 
year. The male parent is of the same breed, and a prize was 
awarded to him at the last Aberdeen Highland Society show. 
Perhaps you have seen similar cases, but I never before knew of 
a cow producing four young ones at a birth. 
I beg to relate another case. 
A gentleman in this place has had three oxen labouring under 
similar diseases, and all have died. The first two had no medical 
treatment, but I had an opportunity of examining them after death. 
In the lungs and liver was deposited a great quantity of calcareous 
matter, resembling white freestone. Some of these collections 
weighed two pounds, others not more than a drachm. 
The one that died to-day had been under medical treatment, and 
among other things, calomel had been given to it. On examination 
after death, his liver contained but one small deposit of this sub- 
stance, but his lungs inclosed hundreds of them, some of which 
were four pounds in weight. The deposits were round or oval 
in shape, and the lungs very much resembled bags containing sand- 
stones of various sizes. 
I have preserved a specimen of them. If they are worthy of your 
notice, or of any use in your class-room, T will forward them, with 
a history of the animals, and the symptoms previous to death. 
