MR. MAY HEW IN REPLY TO MR. MAYOR. 351 
to dwell too forcibly on a painful subject, let me now consider what 
Mr. Mavor actually did pronounce. 
He said that, in the event of an operation being performed, serious 
consequences would in all probability ensue, and endanger the life 
of the animal. The existence of the horse was not to be simply 
perilled, but in all , that is, in every probability, the life was to be 
endangered by an operation. I understand this; but taking it in 
connexion with the previous portion of the sentence, I am unable 
clearly to comprehend it. At first Mr. Mavor decidedly states 
the operation is not impracticable, and afterwards he declares the 
operation, if performed, will in all probability kill the animal sub¬ 
jected to it. My notions of practicable operations are not asso¬ 
ciated with ideas of slaughter, and therefore my state of mind does 
not allow me to regard that operation as practicable which in 
all probability must destroy the life. When the chances of suc¬ 
cess are against the surgeon, the knife is never justifiably em¬ 
ployed. An operation is, in my opinion, only practicable when 
the hope of benefitting the patient very far exceeds the chance or 
probability of shortening its existence. Mr. Mavor, however, has 
evidently some novel opinions upon surgery; but as I do not know 
what they are, I cannot pretend to offer a conjecture upon their 
value, and as they are fundamentally opposed to my own convic¬ 
tions, perhaps I am not fitted to sit as judge upon their merits. 
The gentleman declares, however, the life would have been en¬ 
dangered if the tumour had been removed; but, with his former 
contempt for mean particulars, he does not say why or wherefore 
such a consequence should be the natural result. In anatomy I 
will not pretend to be Mr. Mavor’s equal; in physiology and pa¬ 
thology I acknowledge he is my superior: for having provoked 
him into a dispute, I concede to him all and every advantage. Up 
to my point of knowledge, however, I cannot, for the life of me, 
make out what it was that rendered the operation in question either 
complicated or hazardous to even an ordinary degree. Are there 
vessels and structures about the abdominal region which have 
hitherto been overlooked, and are known only to certain studious 
and highly-gifted gentlemen 1 My conclusion, as to the possibility 
of an operation was formed upon the known facts which anatomy, 
&c., has laid bare ; and I lament exceedingly Mr. Mavor did not 
condescend to teach us how little real practicable information such 
facts have imparted. No doubt, his judgment is of great weight; 
but I am selfish enough to wish he had given some few reasons in 
support of it; for he stands, not opposed to me alone, but to the 
entire world of science. All the so-called authorities, native and 
foreign, ancient and modern, are arranged against him; and, seeing 
how much he has to contend with, I naturally wish he should have, 
