ON TUMOURS ABOUT THE KNEES OF COWS. 
161 
of their bodies to the same degree, and as frequently as with 
the groups of young animals above-mentioned, a much greater 
mortality would prevail among them. Hence, the danger to 
which they would be exposed if born in winter; hence, also, 
may be perceived the end which nature had in view, by gene¬ 
rally avoiding their production in that inclement season. This 
is usually the case with wild animals which are born with the 
greatest development of heat. However considerable this may 
be, it would not enable them to support the cold of our climate 
in the early periods of life ; and as they are, at the same time, 
stronger, more active, and more independent, their mother could 
not secure them from the inclemency of the air. They are 
usually born, therefore, in spring, or at the beginning of sum¬ 
mer, during the fine weather. Their power of producing heat 
gradually increasing, they are more capable of resisting the 
severity of the succeeding winter.” 
How many of the secrets of breeding are contained in this 
extract! We shall probably again recur to this and other im¬ 
portant illustrations of a similar nature; but we trust that we 
have said enough to excite some of our readers to peruse and 
study for themselves a work truly valuable, and more interesting, 
as connected with researches to which we have devoted a portion 
of our Journal. 
Practical Observations on the Tumours which 
APPEAR ABOUT THE KnEES OF CoWS. 
By M. Saussol. 
The disease of which I am about to speak prevails as an 
enzootic for the space of about half a square league, at a little 
distance from Mazamet. It consists of either soft or hard 
tumours, which are sometimes found only on one knee, and 
sometimes on both. It is confined to cows that pasture abroad, 
and I have only seen it in four dairies. It may, from the symp¬ 
toms by which it is characterized, be divided into two species. 
First species .—The anterior part of the knee is affected, and 
generally only one knee at a time; a fluid collects in the sub¬ 
cutaneous cellular tissue, which yields to the pressure of the 
finger, and is readily displaced; the pressure causes no pain, 
nor is there any inflammation of the integument. The animals are 
slightly lame at the commencement of the disease. The progress 
VOL. VI. X 
