ON THE ANATOMY, &C. OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. G29 
a portion of his class would have accomplished the period of their 
residence at the College, and being assured that he should not in 
the slightest degree compromise the interests of those who .were 
commencing their studies, he should venture to begin with one 
of the functions of life, and a very important one, digestion ; and 
he drew a rapid, but accurate and satisfactory sketch of the 
structure of the organs of digestion in the different domesticated 
animals, curiously and beautifully varying in each, according to 
the situation in which he was to be placed, and the destiny he 
was to fulfil: a more elaborate description of these was to form 
the subject of succeeding lectures. We will not attempt to follow 
him here, because we entertain a strong suspicion that in another, 
and, probably, the next, session, we may be enabled to present 
our readers with a continuous course of these lectures. We shall, 
however, occasionally glance at certain points in them of more 
than usual interest, or with regard to which Mr. Spooner may 
possess peculiar views. He concluded by again appealing to the 
candour of his hearers, who, he trusted, would not forget that he 
was treading a new path, and occupying a new division of vete¬ 
rinary science. While he pledged himself that he would anx¬ 
iously, thoroughly, devote himself to the execution of his task, 
he trusted that they would exercise much candour towards him, 
and consider that he could not be at once perfect. 
TWO FATAL CASES OF INTERNAL ABSCESS. 
Mr. J. W. Mayer, Newcastle-under-L^ne, 
If there is one part of veterinary surgery more important than 
another for the veterinary surgeon to be accurately acquainted 
with, it is the theory of inflammation—its causes, symptoms, 
treatment, and terminations; affecting, as it does, all tissues— 
arrested by no season of the year—defying the utmost skill of 
the practitioner to arrest its progress, and too often destroying 
life. 
Much has been done in the investigation of this important 
branch of surgery ; but in the causes, symptoms, and treatment 
of the termination of inflammation many points are open for 
further investigation. The susceptibility of certain parts of the 
body to take on diseased action, and the methods wliich Nature 
takes to relieve herself, are subjects not only for the curious, but 
they arc of essential interest to those whose duty it is to be the 
willing assistants in Nature’s operations. 
