NISBETT versus KENT. 
77 
We regret that Mr. Kent should have earned our meaning 
beyond the limit set to it; at the same time we feel reason (and 
we think Mr. Kent ought equally so) to rejoice at the consequences 
to which such comment has led—viz., the publication to the vete¬ 
rinary world in general, and to Mr. Kent’s employers and friends 
in particular, of a correct detail of the evidence elicited on the trial, 
than the perusal of which as set forth in the pamphlet, nothing 
further, we will take upon ourselves to affirm, is wanting, com¬ 
pletely to exculpate Mr. Kent from the charge of badly , igno¬ 
rantly, unskilfully , inartifidally , or carelessly bleeding the horse 
in question. 
Mr. Kent’s account of the operation is as follows :— 
“ On the 20th of June, the horse in question was brought to 
my yard by the plaintiff’s son or brother, a youth about twenty 
years of age, who requested me to bleed it, which I proceeded to 
do. I operated on the off or right jugular vein, with a human lancet, 
which instrument I have constantly used for thirteen or fourteen 
years, by which I obtained a regular flow of blood at the first 
puncture, and took away seven pounds, without the slightest cir¬ 
cumstance occurring to excite suspicion of any thing irregular in 
the operation. As the blood issued from the orifice, Nisbett ob¬ 
served, that it was peculiarly black, to which I replied it was. 
Having obtained as much blood as I wished, I proceeded to close 
the orifice in the usual manner, with a pin and tow; but the horse 
resisting my efforts, I directed one of my servants to apply a 
twitch, and then effected my purpose of securing the orifice. Up 
to this period, no thrombus or swelling whatever had taken place; 
but immediately on the ligature being applied, I observed a filling 
of the. cellular tissue beneath the orifice, and ordered my servant 
to apply cold water to it for a few minutes. The swelling or 
thrombus was so slight, that no one present would have been 
aware of its existence, had not 1 directed attention to it. I re¬ 
tained the horse, until I was quite satisfied that the thrombus 
ceased to enlarge, and then gave instructions to Nisbett to lead 
the horse quietly home, a distance of about a mile and a quarter, 
and to apply cold salt water over the part occasionally, when he 
got home. When he left my yard, the thrombus did not contain 
more than six ounces of extravasated blood. Here my personal 
