206 
USE OF COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE, ETC. 
ivithout an opinion as they were in having a professional one, 
as there was so little dependence to be placed upon it,— 
one veterinary surgeon said yea, the other nay. 
Now I think there can or ought to be but one opinion 
about the soundness of horses. I should imagine that any¬ 
thing—any abnormal deposit or growth, upon any part of the 
animal frame—should constitute unsoundness for the time 
being. A horse with cough, for example, is decidedly an 
unsound one; and yet, how often do we examine horses with 
cough? In the present defective state of matters relating 
to the soundness of horses, what are we to do ? Why, 
merely state that, according to law, the case is one of un¬ 
soundness ; but that, in due course, in all probability, the 
cough, if of recent origin, will, by proper treatment, soon 
be removed, and the animal become a sound one. On 
chronic cough there ought to be no second opinion. 
The plan or system I invariably adopt in the examination 
of horses is, as I have before advocated, to pronounce all dis¬ 
eases as unsoundness, and give the result of my experience 
as to how far that unsoundness will militate against the use¬ 
fulness of the animal, or whether it is likely to be permanent 
or otherwise. I have found, for along time past, that this 
system gives more satisfaction to both buyer and seller than 
the old one; and, until I have a reason to abolish it for a 
better, I shall certainly continue and at all times advocate it 
to the utmost of my power. There are many practitioners 
of long standing in the profession, who seem to treat the 
matter with silent contempt, being satisfied with things as 
they are. Doubtless they have their reasons for this, but I 
would respectfully ask them to aid and assist those w 7 ho are 
just entering the profession. We all of us require a re¬ 
minder sometimes. 
USE OF COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE IN CONSTI¬ 
TUTIONAL OPHTHALMIA.—POISONING WITH 
THE SAME. — POISONING OF PIGS WITH 
ARSENIC. —POISONING OF CALVES WITH 
LEAD.—FREQUENCY OF ABORTION BOTH IN 
COWS AND MARES. 
By Evers Musgrove, M.R.C.V.S., Hereford. 
1 have thought a few unconnected facts, occurring in my 
practice, might not prove uninteresting to the profession. 
