USE OF COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE, ETC. 
207 
I have lately tried the colc/iicum autvmnale, as recom¬ 
mended by you in your ‘ Manual of Pharmacy/ in specific 
or constitutional ophthalmia. In three cases the beneficial 
effects were almost magical. In two others, however, but 
little benefit appeared to result from its use. 
As to poisoning with this plant while growing, during the 
last year three cases only came under my notice. They all 
proved fatal in a few hours. 
Nine pigs were lately poisoned with arsenic, and seven of 
them died. Assisted by a medical friend, an analysis was 
made of the contents of some of their stomachs, and satis¬ 
factory indications of the presence of this mineral were given 
on the application of the usual tests for it. 
Last spring, a lot of yearling calves were placed under my 
care, suffering from the effects of lead. They were similarly 
affected to those recorded by me in the ‘ Veterinary Medical 
Transactions/ some years ago. 
This district abounds with abortions, more numerous than 
I like, both in the Bovine and Equine tribe. The latter, I 
believe, are brought about by the extreme cleverness of the wag¬ 
goners, and the want of command over them by the owners 
of the horses. 
We have no particular epidemic prevailing in this neigh¬ 
bourhood just now ; and that scourge of our fine breed of 
Herefords, black-leg or typhoid fever, was heard but little of 
last year. I suppose you are perfectly familiar with an 
absurd method termed nerving/ 5 which is adopted in this 
and many other districts, as a preventive of the above fatal 
malady. It consists in the making an incision in the front, 
and just above the bifurcation of the foot, and removing a por¬ 
tion of ligamentous tissue. Sometimes one, and occasionally 
all four feet are thus operated upon; and I have no doubt 
that in the hind limbs the anterior plantar vein is frequently 
torn asunder. Is it not strange after all our efforts to instil 
principles of science into the minds of our clients, that 
many so-called first-rate agriculturists should countenance 
so glaring a piece of quackery and inhumanity? It is vain 
to reason with them on the subject. 
I have at present under treatment a horse affected with 
nasal gleet, for which I have been giving the deniodide of 
copper, and causing him to inhale diluted chlorine. All my 
other cases are not of more than ordinary interest. 
