ADVANTAGES OF SPAYING MILCH COWS. 629 
It was the medicine, and often the food of rustics, especially of 
harvest men: thus Pliny, 
“Allium admulta ruris praecipae medicamenla prodesse creditur.’* 
And Virgil, 
“ Thestylis et rapido fessis messoribus aestu 
Allia serpyllumque herbas contundit olentes.” 
It was thought to be a good stomachic, useful, as ginger 
amongst us, for restoring heat to the powers of digestion. And 
that, if taken beforehand, it was considered availing against the 
bite of serpents, is evident from .^milius Macer: 
“Hsec ideo miscere cibis messoribus est mos, 
Ut, si forte sopor fessos depresserit artus, 
Anguibus a nocuis tuti requiescere possint.” 
NEW FACTS IN PROOF OF THE ADVANTAGE OF 
SPAYING MILCH COWS. 
M. Regere, ill. F., Bordeaux. 
Several instances have been related in your Journal of the 
good effect resulting from the spaying of milch cows. I would 
beg leave to add some cases which have come under my own 
observation. The cows were taken from the best dairies, but, 
for obvious reqisons, I selected those that had met with some ac¬ 
cident at the time of calving. 
CASE I. 
A large cow, fifteen years old, had calved on the 24th of January, 
1834, and had, a few days after parturition, given from three to 
four gallons of milk per day. On the 22d of April following, 
she yielded only two or two and a half gallons. I then operated 
upon her. The pain of the operation, and the restricted diet to 
which she was afterwards subjected, diminished the produce to 
half that quantity. 
As soon as the consequent inflammation had disappeared, and 
the cow returned to her usual food, the flow of milk rapidly in¬ 
creased ; and, in fifteen days after the operation, the wound 
having healed, she yielded daily from two to two and a half gal¬ 
lons, and that quantity has not since diminished. She has also 
taken on a disposition to fatten, and is in better condition than 
she ever was before. She has once shewn a desire for the bull, 
but was not sent to him. 
