506 KOVAL AND CENTRAL SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURE. 
four years, his flock has been in excellent health and condition, 
all disease has disappeared from among them, and their wool has 
become finer and better in quality and more abundant. Similar 
and equal beneficial advantages have been derived from the use 
of soda in a flock belonging to one of his friends. 
M. Blavette, veterinary surgeon at Bayeuse (Calvados), and 
member of the Veterinary Society of Calvados and la Manche, is 
the author of a work, entitled “ An Essay on Articular Wounds 
followed by the escape of the Synovia , in Horses .” 
M. Blavette divides articular wounds into two classes : 1st, 
wounds of the knee, the thigh, and of those articulations situated 
above these parts ; 2d, wounds of the fetlock, and the articula- 
tions lower down. Those appertaining to the first class are much 
more dangerous than the others, because it is almost impossible 
to arrange and maintain any bandage around the wounded parts, 
and consequently to make use of the proper dressings. M. Bla- 
vette condemns the use of emollients in the treatment of this kind 
of wounds, and we perfectly agree with him, because that class 
of drugs has too great a tendency to relax the white tissues, 
and he recommends tonics and restrictives, to which he subjoins 
antispasmodics when the pain is very great. In order to justify 
a preference of a mode of treatment which may appear to repel 
the inflammation of the parts, M. Blavette states, that he has 
seen an application made use of in Spain for the reduction of 
inflammatory tumours produced by external violence, composed 
of mercurial ointment, cantharides, scarabsei, and hellebore. If 
this gentleman had nothing but the authority of similar facts 
wherewith to support the doctrine which he wishes to introduce, 
there is reason to believe that he would make but few proselytes ; 
but he has recourse to much more conclusive arguments, which 
are ten cases of articular wounds. 
The remedy which Mr. Blavette prefers, and which has always 
been used by him with great success, is as follows : — 
Sulphate of zinc 32 ) Reduced to a 
Sulphate of alurnine 64 $ fine powder, 
Camphor 16 
dissolved in a sufficient quantity of olive oil, and the whole mixed 
and beaten up in half a pint of common water. It is applied to 
the wound with a feather, and the bandage is moistened with it 
frequently in the course of the day. The diet, bleedings, and 
other course of treatment must depend upon the symptoms ma- 
nifested by the patient. When the wound is situated in a place 
on which it is impossible to keep a bandage it should be bathed 
frequently with this preparation, and the part never allowed to 
get dry. A solution of equal portions of sulphate of iron and 
