EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
655 
pying the centre of the large tumour, and hanging by the ends of 
the fibres from the serous membrane, as if a tumour of still greater 
size, perhaps 60 lbs. or 100 lbs. in weight, had burst its envelope 
and its liquid contents become extravastated into the cavity of the 
abdomen, forming the dropsical distention which caused death, 
while the more tenacious fibrous portion remained attached to the 
surface from which it had been produced. This, at least, was the 
only ostensible cause that could be seen for the dropsical effusion; 
and absence of any irritation or inflammatory traces on any of 
the serous surfaces of the contents of the abdomen, or in the effused 
fluid itself, favours the conclusion. 
The whole weight of the tumourous matter, when dissected 
clear of the viscera, amounted to 138 lbs., which, added to at least 
150 lbs., or 160 lbs. of liquid, makes nearly 300 lbs. diseased mat¬ 
ter in the cavity of the abdomen, and the production of the serous 
membrane of that cavity. All the viscera of the abdomen were 
sound and healthy when the tumourous matter was removed from 
their surfaces; and as it was evident, as well from the known 
nature of the production as from the way in which the peritoneum 
had groivn to accommodate its contents, that the disease had been 
of slow and gradual development, the wonder is that the powers of 
the animal enabled it to carry on its work for such a length of 
time, and under such conditions. 
Should any of the veterinary readers of this have met with simi¬ 
lar disease, we should feel obliged by having their experience upon 
it; as, so far as our reading goes, it has never before been described 
as occurring in the horse. 
Scottish Farmer. 
THE VETERINARIAN, NOVEMBER 1, 1849. 
Ne quid falsi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat.— Ciceho. 
From the fact of our national statute registers growing more 
and more voluminous as generation succeeds generation, not more 
from the alteration or amplification of old laws than from the 
creation of new ones, it would appear that we poor frail mortals, 
while we are multiplying at a fearful rate, year after year, in our 
