THE DANGER OF DRENCHES. 231 
greeable. He then declares my defence at an end, because none of 
these horses took bronchitis. 
Before my defence, as he calls it, can be at an end, the condi- 
tions upon which the defence was undertaken must be complied 
with. Mr. Markham might easily perceive that 127 horses are 
not 200, and that some pungent or disagreeable draughts are not 
200 couple. 
I may yet be told that at least 25 of these horses each got a 
couple of pungent draughts, and that one of them ought to have 
taken the bronchitis. It is neither said nor implied that even 25 
of the horses each got two pungent draughts, yet, if it were said, 
and proved, my position would still remain untouched. I have not 
contended for a proportion of 1 to 25, for there is nothing to de- 
termine whether the evil shall occur in the first eight draughts or 
in the last eight, but of eight to two hundred horses, each getting two 
draughts. I stipulated for tivo pungent draughts, because I have found 
the second most dangerous ; and I stipulated for two hundred horses, 
because, from May 1836 to the time of writing my paper, I had that 
number of cases on record. All these had been treated for colic, 
and eight of the number had taken bronchitis. 
If I were engaged to put into each of 200 targets tico leaden 
bullets, I would do it before I would contend that it was done. Mr. 
Markham would put into 127 targets 1600 bullets, of which some 
would be leaden, “as I could desire ;” and he would contend that 
he had performed the engagement. Such is the folly of one who 
“ begins to dispute before he has learned to understand.’ , He un- 
dertakes a task, and disobeys the conditions upon which the task 
is to be executed. 
Mr. M. thinks I use terms which savour too strongly of the 
vulgar tongue. It seems perfectly clear that such things as “ a prac- 
tised liar,” a skulking coward, and a canting hypocrite, exist, and 
that for each we must have a name. I neither made the names 
nor bestowed them on other things. It is not my business to invent 
genteel terms. Let those who object to them produce others more 
polite or less vulgar. In his next lucubration Mr. Markham will 
do well to give us lady-language for these vulgar words, and for 
some others, which I am afraid I will need, if he write more and no 
better than he has yet written. 
He thinks I am" wrong in saying we are liable for the price of 
every horse our draught destroys,” I have never said such a thing. 
I have contended that we are not liable, unless it can be shewn that 
we either gave a draught when it was not urgently demanded, or neg- 
lected measures to ensure its safe delivery. We can do something, 
but not enough to ensure safe delivery ; and therefore we ought 
to forbear draughts when a ball will do, though it should not do 
