415 
A NEW USE FOR CASTOR OIL. 
A gentleman and liis lady lived in the neighbourhood, 
who, as it sometimes happens in inland places where there are no 
resident doctors, w r hen any of their tenants were sick, recom¬ 
mended some nostrum, and afforded the medicine at their own 
expense. This gentleman, having been in London, bought several 
gallons of castor oil, to be served out as occasion required. Upon 
his arrival in Scotland, all the nobility and gentry who w r ere ac¬ 
quainted with him came to dine with, and congratulate him on 
the success of his mission, and the accession of several thousands 
a year to his income. When all the genteel families in the neigh¬ 
bourhood had paid their compliments to him in this manner, he 
and his lady found leisure to hear the complaints of some of the 
sick cottagers. They found that some castor oil might be useful 
to some of them; and ringing for John, the servant, desired him 
to bring some. John replied that it was all done. “Done!” 
said the gentleman, “do not you know that a keg of it lately 
came from London?” “Yes ; but if it please your honour, that 
one is done too.” “How can that be?” replied the gentleman. 
“ Why, sir, you have had such a round of company almost every¬ 
day since it came, and ahvays salad at table, that it is all gone.” 
“ Don’t you know it is castor oil I want, and that the name is 
written in large letters on the cask?” “ So it is,” replied the 
servant; “but as your honour knows it was for the casters 
and dressing the salad, it is all gone.” “ O, you scoundrel; now r 
I understand you: so you have been dressing the salad with it all 
this time. But, harkee, John ; for God’s sake do not mention it.” 
The truth is, all the company w ere highly pleased with the salads, 
and had often spoken in their praise; and the gentleman and his 
family had never in their lives a better summer’s health, nor the 
people who visited him.— Travels in Scotland , by the Rev . J . Hall, 
vol. ii, pp. 462-463. 
VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY, 
APRIL 8 , 1830. 
Mr. W. Percivall, in the Chair . 
W e present our readers with a mere abstract of the discussion 
on Mr. Green’s paper on Fever. 
Mr. W. Percivall imagined that the subject would be most 
conveniently and profitably divided into a few distinct heads. 
