CONTRACTION -THE EFFECT OF DISEASE. 411 
do so, and concluded by passing two or three stitches of small 
twine across the labia. She was then left. 
In about a fortnight afterwards, hearing of the case, I called 
to see her, having frequently had cows with the vagina consi¬ 
derably protruded. Her owner willingly shewed her to me. 
She was in a stye with her little ones, which appeared in excel¬ 
lent condition. She was lying down, but, upon speaking to 
her, she got up, and there appeared what I thought to be 
a vaginal protrusion, about the size of a man’s fist, and in 
a sloughing condition. I proposed to examine her, but the 
owner said he would have nothing more done to her, and 
that she should take her chance. The urine was continually 
dropping from her. I ordered a decoction of oak bark, and left 
her. 
On the 14th of June she was killed for bacon, weighing IfiOlfe. 
Upon opening her, the uterus was perfectly healthy, the vagina 
as clean as possible, and the tumour reduced by sloughing to 
the size of a lemon ; the bladder was completely gone, nor was 
there the slightest trace of it left. The kidneys were full of a 
white purulent matter, about the consistence of thick cream. 
The uterus led directly from the kidneys to the protruded part, 
at the inside of which, and just below the anus, was a formation 
of matter about the size of a hen’s egg. There was not the 
slightest appearance of inflammation in any of the surrounding 
parts. She had bred up all her ten pigs, and was in very fair 
condition when she was killed. 
CONTRACTION THE EFFECT AND NOT THE CAUSE 
OF DISEASE. 
Hy Mr. E. Wheeler, Isle of Wi^ht. 
I SEE in your periodical that the Veterinary Association had 
a discussion last year on the subjects of contraction and the na¬ 
vicular disease; and many of the members thought, and I believe 
it is generally thought and taught, that contraction is a disease, 
and not the effect of disease. I must differ from those gentle¬ 
men. Mr. C. Spooner, in my opinion, is the only one that has 
hit the right nail on the head. I quite agree with him when he 
says (in the Abstract of the Association, p. 225, in the August 
No. 1837) “ it was brought about by inordinate work, concussion, 
and the state of the foot consequent on the application of the 
shoe, and that the effect is taken for the disease.” 
I cannot think that we ever have a contracted foot without 
some other primary disease in the foot. I should say that a dis- 
