164 
ON PUERPERAL FEVER. 
of his covering, black ‘ houlons or buds around the anus. They 
soon extended to the scrotum and sheath. They were placed be¬ 
tween the skin and muscles, at first as large as a small nut, and they 
increased until they attained the size of a pullet’s egg; they did 
not suppurate, and were insensible to the touch. In a short time 
all the cellular tissue was similarly affected, and the animal died. 
When cut into, a matter like the grease of a cart-wheel flowed 
out. All the progeny of this stallion which had the same colour 
was similarly affected; those which were black, bay, roan, or iron- 
grey, escaped.” 
“ In 1806, Laennec communicated to the faculty the result of 
his observations on the same subject, and which has been further 
elucidated by other writers since; but much still remains to be 
done for it. The tumour may either be a black opaque homoge¬ 
neous mass, or may contain a darkish-coloured fluid. Gohier saw 
a tumour of the kind in a horse weighing thirty-six pounds.” 
The lecturer next enters into the opinions of various writers as 
to the composition of the melanotic substance, most of them agree¬ 
ing that its black colour is owing to the presence of a large quan¬ 
tity of carbon. Many persons are of opinion that the black prin¬ 
ciple is an aberration oT the pigment destined by nature to be 
deposited elsewhere, as the rete mucosum, the choroid, the hair. 
It is said that persons with light hair, and elderly persons whose 
hair is white, as well as light grey or white horses, are most com¬ 
monly the subject of this disease.” This opinion is certainly sup¬ 
ported by the case related by me, the horse being a white Arabian. 
He had one tumour only externally perceptible, which was about 
the size of a walnut, and had existed for some years; but he had 
an immense number deeper seated in various parts of the body. 
It will be an interesting subject for future observation to ascertain 
whether and to what extent his progeny are affected; because, if 
they really become affected to any extent, it will offer a strong 
objection to the use of these white horses as stallions. The lec¬ 
turer has but little to say on the treatment of the disease, and that 
little not very satisfactory. It appears to me that, amongst our 
remedial agents, the use of iodine demands some attention. 
ON PUERPERAL FEVER, OR PARALYSIS AFTER 
PARTURITION IN CATTLE. 
By John Tombs, Esq., of Per shore, late of the Bengal Art'dlery. 
I HAVE had a tedious but not unfrequent case of chronic puerpe¬ 
ral fever in a cow, which was taken ill three weeks ago, a month 
after she calved. The second day of her sickness she fell down. 
