VETERINARY SCHOOL AT ALFORT. 675 
diseases of man and the inferior animals, have been examined 
as to the active principles which they contain. Analytical 
chemistry is daily throwing new light on this branch of medicine, 
by distinguishing between that'which is active and that which 
is inert; and enabling the medical man and the veterinarian to 
combine the active principle with other analogous substances, 
and so to obtain a more effective remedy. 
In some provinces of Normandy the farmers employ whey 
kept until it is putrid for the cure of redwater in cattle. The 
professor of therapeutics being informed of this, endeavoured to 
ascertain the composition of this fluid ; and he found that it con¬ 
tained subcarbonate, and acetate, and a little hydro-sulphate and 
ulinate of ammonia. These ammoniacal products, and which 
are found to a greater or less extent in all animal matters under¬ 
going the progress of putrefaction, are, without doubt, the principal 
agents in the cure of redwater when this whey is employed: it 
wull, therefore, be advisable to try these pure ammoniacal pre¬ 
parations as a cure for this complaint. 
Rec. Sept. 1835. 
IDIOPATHIC TETANUS. 
Bp Mr. W. Karkeek, Truro. 
When I first presented this subject (in January and March 
last) to the notice of the readers of The Veterinarian, I 
was afraid that the theory which I had formed would not stand 
the test of practice, and might exemplify the folly of hasty con¬ 
clusions, jumped at from false premises; but I have now a 
better opinion of the remedy which I then suggested, and the 
following case must be considered as a proof of its efficacy. 
1 am aware that we very often delude ourselves in regard to 
the operation of medicines, which seldom effect what we sup¬ 
pose them to do. For this reason it is proper that we should be 
sceptical with regard to new remedies, which hardly ever main¬ 
tain the character bestowed upon them by their first employers. 
With this preface, I beg to offer the subject of Idiopathic Te¬ 
tanus a second time to your attention ; and so thoroughly im¬ 
pressed am I with its importance, that my only regret is, that it 
has not fallen to abler hands. 
A chestnut gelding, six years old, the property of Mr. N. 
Brewer, Truro, was brought to my stables early on the morning of 
the 1st of September, afflicted with idiopathic tetanus. The 
disease had manifested itself on the preceding day, and during 
that period had made considerable progress. The breathing was 
quick and laborious, the pulse varying from sixty to ninety, small 
