192 
MISCELLANEA. 
good, they appeared to get worse, and eventually they died off one by 
one, until he lost two cows, seven oxen, ten sheep, and twenty lambs. 
The plaintiff at last began to suspect the cake, and sent a quantity of it 
to several analysing chemists, and amongst others to Dr. Letheby and 
Dr. Hassell, who discovered a quantity of small hard masses, so hard 
that they could find no solvent that would in any way produce the 
slightest effect upon them. They were often found in linseed of the 
commonest class. They (the medical men) had no doubt that these 
seeds caused an irritation in the stomach, and thus produced death. 
The plaintiff\ in cross-examination, said that he had a stack of oats in 
the straw-yard. He did not tell the defendant that they were bad oats. His 
cattle had fed upon those oats. He had a mare which died about the 
same time that the beasts and sheep died. She had been fed upon the 
same oats. She had never had any of the oil-cake. There was a company 
formed at Griffield, in Yorkshire, called The Joint-Stock Linseed Cake 
Company. They promised to assist him if he lost the action. 
Dr. Letheby said that he had performed a post-mortem examination 
on two beasts which had died from partaking of the oil-cake, and he 
there found the same kind of seeds. He had no doubt, therefore, but 
that they were the cause of death. 
At the conclusion of the plaintiff’s case, Mr. Frost submitted that the 
plaintiff ought to be nonsuited. It was clear that the cattle had died 
from eating the oats. 
Ultimately the learned Judge nonsuited the plaintiff. 
MISCELLANEA. 
THE GOOD OF PAIN. 
Pain is a blessing, says Dr. Hall, it is the great life-pre¬ 
server; it is the sleepless, faithful sentinel which gives 
prompt warning that harm is being clone. All pain is expe¬ 
rienced through the nerves; they telegraph it to the brain, 
and there the mind takes note of it. Pain is the result of 
pressure on or against a nerve; that pressure is made by a 
blood-vessel, for there is no nerve without a blood-vessel in 
close proximity. A blood-vessel is distensible, like an india- 
rubber life-preserver—both may be full and yet may be 
fuller. In health, each blood- vessel is moderately full; but 
the very moment disease, or harm, or violence, by blow, or 
cut, or otherwise, comes to any part of the body, nature be¬ 
comes alarmed as it were, and sends more blood there to 
repair the injury—much more than is usually required ; that 
additional quantity distends the blood-vessels, and gives dis¬ 
quiet or actual pain. In these cases this increased quantity 
of blood is called “inflammation;” and if there is not this 
increased flow to the injured parr, there is no healing, and 
that part dies, unless some stimulating application is made. 
