10 MR. YOUATTS INTRODUCTORY LECTURE 
with its excess. “ It is well known that this disorder takes its 
rise from the liver, which makes the blood (!), and forces it into 
the cavity of the heart (!!), and it is thrown back again to the ai- 
teries, and causes an eruption (!!!). The gall-bladder becomes 
much larger than it ought to be by sucking in the juices of the 
liver, and by the blood forcing itself into the gall-pipes, which 
carry the blood and urine to the bladder (Bravo !), from whence 
it is discharged in the common way. Pray, how could the 
blood and water be mixed together if that was not the case* ?” 
Aye ! answer him that, ye luminaries of our profession. 
Last of all comes the warm-hearted and benevolent John Law¬ 
rence, the advocate of u the rights of brutes ; and, althougn not 
a professional man, the best writer we have on the diseases of 
cattle. He here follows the rest, and recommends oil of turpen¬ 
tine, in dozes of 2 oz. daily, for the cure of red water f. 
But why am I stating all this ? Most certainly to expose the 
woful and disgraceful ignorance which prevails respecting the 
diseases of the most valuable of our animals. And, then, to 
build my fame on the min of that of others? No; but as an 
apoloo y for my apparent presumption in venturing to appear before 
you as a lecturer on the anatomy and diseases of cattle. It is, 
indeed, high time that some effort should be made to dispel this 
lamentable darkness. If, with “ all my imperfections on my 
head ” I may be the humble instrument of rousing the profes¬ 
sors and governors of the Veterinary College to a proper sense of 
the imperative duty they owe to the veterinary pupils and practi¬ 
tioners, and to the agricultural interests of their country ; and, m 
the mean time, may somewhat better prepare but one student for 
the more advantageous pursuit of his profession, the object I have 
in view will be fully accomplished. .. , 
Will a competent acquaintance with the maladies of the horse 
prepare the veterinary surgeon for scientific practice on the dis¬ 
eases of other domesticated quadrupeds ? Most certainly not. The 
structure of important parts is essentially different, and the habits, 
and intention, and services of the animals yet more so. Each has 
his peculiar class of diseases. Farcy, glanders, strangles, grease, 
and thrush, are peculiar to the horse; the hoove, inflammatory 
fever foot-rot, to cattle and sheep; the scab and rot to sheep; 
that ’tuberculous affection of the skin and cellular membrane, 
termed measles, to the hog; and distemper and canker to the 
d °The diseases which attack the same organ are different in their 
symptoms, intensity, progress, and mode cf treatment. ihe 
* Knowlson, p 41. 
f J. Lawrence on Cattle. 
