670 
TETANUS ARISING FROM CASTRATION. 
for he was kept in a loose box, and carefully managed. In fact, 
no assignable reason whatever existed but the operation. 
Secondly, That the horse was injured from the use of chloro¬ 
form. Unfortunately, it had not the slightest appreciable effect. 
It neither altered the breathing nor the pulse: nor produced the 
slightest stupor. Had warm water been poured upon the sponge 
instead of chloroform, it would have proved just as effectual. This 
my brother’s evidence, and a dozen more who were standing round, 
would readily prove it: even if it had acted so powerfully as to at 
once terminate the animal’s life, I contend that in extreme cases, 
when there is hardly a shadow of hope, a medical man is quite 
justified in using any remedy that may suggest itself as affording 
a chance of benefit. Endless reasons, if needed, might be cited to 
shew how trivial and utterly groundless such an objection really is. 
Thirdly, That I had no right to kill the horse. That I erred 
from misjudging the man I had to do with I readily admit; but 
that I was wrong in doing so, either legally or on the score of 
humanity, I as firmly deny, when Mr.-, the dealer, knew, the 
same morning on which the horse was observed to be ill, both from 
the purchaser’s note and my own lips, that I was attending the 
horse, and that the horse was considered to be his property, and 
that I had not the shadow of hope for his life, is it not a just in¬ 
ference to conclude, that if he had thought me incompetent to treat 
the animal, or objected to my doing with it just what I deemed 
right, he would then have said so, or sent a more competent person] 
His not doing so implied satisfaction and trust; and left the case 
in my hands, to act with it as I thought best. Thence I had a 
right (and had I not exercised that right I should have been cul¬ 
pable) to use any and all remedies that held out a chance of 
alleviation; and when all means failed to assuage pain and suf¬ 
fering, and when, at most, a few short hours must have terminated 
the poor animal’s frightful agonies—which the congested state of 
lung was quite sufficient to prove—was it not in such a case just 
as much a veterinary surgeon’s duty to have an end put to such 
frightful torture as it was to use his skill and talent to mitigate 
suffering or to check the progress of disease ] I contend it was; 
and I firmly believe, no twelve reasonable men could have thought 
otherwise. 
It has taught me a lesson of caution I shall not readily forget— 
What trivial objections may be raised, without being founded 
either on truth or honour, to evade the payment of a just demand] 
And character and reputation, when a few pounds are to be gained 
or saved, are handled as lightly as the wind wafts the thistle down. 
It is now past and settled; and the conscience of each man 
