ON PITERPER4L FEVKR IN COWS, &C. 301 
influence as cheering as a green spot in the desert to the parched 
and weary traveller. 
To the senior members of the profession these digressive re¬ 
marks will, of course, appear useless and uninteresting; but I must 
beg them to excuse them; white I will give the junior branches 
the credit of being anxious to snatch a wrinkle from any source, 
how^ever humble; a wrinkle which, while it supposes the expe¬ 
rience and respectability of age, intimates nothing of its imbeci¬ 
lity or deformity. At this time of the year the practitioner is 
often called upon to dry a cow of her milk for the purpose of 
feeding. After a free bleeding, the best medicine I ever found 
for this purpose is the muriate of soda in large doses (say llh.), 
combined with a little astringent medicine. The decided advan¬ 
tage which I consider the muriate of soda possesses over other 
medicines for this purpose is, that the condition of the animal is 
actually better by the use of it, when repetition of it becomes ne¬ 
cessary. I felt exceedingly pleased with the excellent letter from 
Mr. W. Clarke in the April number; it shews that some indivi¬ 
duals, at least, amongst farmers regard our exertions with com¬ 
placence, and would be glad to see us assert the supremacy in 
that department of veterinary science which relates to cattle also ; 
though as a body it must be confessed they have neglected us. 
They have, in their Agricultural Societies, &c. premiums for the 
best animals, of different descriptions; they are shewn, and the 
prizes awarded; but the best interests of the breeder and the 
farmer are not thereby proportionably forwarded, because the 
chain of events which led to success, is not an unbroken one: 
others cannot, with any degree of certainty, follow them in their 
devious route; nor can the successful competitors themselves al¬ 
ways be sure of being again able to trace the sinuosities and 
windings by which they arrived at the hill-top. They have for¬ 
gotten the man who, from the education he has or ought to have 
received—who, from his minute acquaintance with the structure 
and ceconomy of the animal—who, from his habits of tracing.-re¬ 
sults and consequences to their first principles—and who, from 
his daily practice of v/arring not only wdth effects, but with 
causes, is the one calculated to assist them in this dilemma. 
They have forgotten the man who might stand on the hill-top, 
and point out to them the road by which they have arrived there 
in the dusky twilight of uncertainty—who might shew them 
where they have gone direct, and where they have erred from 
the way—who might give them instructions so sufficient, that 
not only they but others might arrive at the same summit, by a 
route much easier and more direct, and so plain that he who 
runs might read.” That veterinary science is capable of effecting 
VOL. VI. Q q 
