G01 
A CASE OF POISONING BY HEMLOCK. 
truded and extended position before stated . At one time of the day 
I was doubtful of the recovery of fifteen of them, the greater part 
of which, I have every reason to believe, were saved by the use 
of the carbonate of ammonia, and other stimulants, preceded by 
the most active purgatives. 
Being compelled to go from home, I ordered my assistant to 
attend to them, and administer the medicine every four hours, 
which he did, adding the spirit of nitrous ether to the other medi- 
cines. 
On my return, at six p.m., I found that one of the three most 
affected had just expired, and that the other two appeared to be 
hastening to the same fate. The owner had bled the one that 
died before my seeing them, and by which act I consider that her 
death was accelerated. 
It is impossible to describe the despair of the owner, and it 
was with great difficulty that I could induce him to make any 
effort for their recovery. 
I ordered my assistant to remain with them during the night, 
and administer the stimulants every hour — to clothe them well, 
and not permit them to sleep if possible. 
This treatment was continued for eight or ten hours, the ani- 
mals evidently rallying after each dose ; but if it was discontinued 
for any length of time, they sunk again into a state of lethargy. 
At one period of the night the owner thought that three of them 
were dead ; and, had it not been that the assistant was on the spot, 
they would have been left to take their chance. The medicine 
was now administered four times every hour, for two hours; and 
this system of treatment being persevered in, perspiration at 
length broke out on the skin, the extremities became more 
than naturally warm, the countenance lively, and every symp- 
tom of approaching convalescence was evident. Shortly after- 
wards the bowels responded to the purgative medicine, which, in 
a few hours, set all to rights, except the great debility that was left. 
In a week or two the animals regained their original strength. 
It was observed that the cows which had lately suffered from 
the prevailing epidemic were in the most dangerous state. 
You probably expect my opinion respecting the circulation of 
our monthly journal. The Veterinari an. Can there be a 
doubt that the free and universal circulation of science must be 
of more permanent advantage to the student, and more conducive 
to the honour of the profession, than the confinement of it to a 
mere corner, as if ashamed to be seen and known ? 
It may occasionally happen that a case is treated without the 
aid of the veterinary surgeon, and the hint of the treatment has 
vol. xrv. 4 k 
