426 
OBITUARY. 
minutes. At Tours I consulted two able men. On returning home 
my cook said to me, ‘ M. Soudid has been to see you, and will call 
again, and says it was his dog that bit you/ Presently this gentleman 
entered, accompanied by the rural guard. The object of the visit was 
to express the sorrow of M. Soudie, and to settle the matter amicably. I 
had not yet experienced any inconvenience from the bite, and said—‘My ~ 
pantaloons are worth 14 francs, my paletot 50 francs. Let M. Soudid 
add 150 to these sums, and I will not lodge any complaint.’ Soudie 
objected to this arrangement and the interview terminated.” 
Then commenced the recital of M. B—’s sufferings : “ When alone I 
heated a gauffering iron, and cauterized the bite to the depth of an inch 
in all directions. I was in a fearful state of mind at the prospect of 
dying, in good health, at the age of seventy-five, by the bite of a mad 
dog. Oh, it was horrible ! I was ready to blow my brains out to pre¬ 
vent hydrophobia. At last 1 became a little more calm, and set out 
for the sea-side. On my return I pursued the mercurial treatment for 
twenty-five days. I continued to take sea-baths every third day until 
the 13th September. M. Soudie is one of the richest men in St. 
Cyr, and one of the most miserly, and his vagabond dog is still at 
large because he will not go to the expense of a chain or collar. 
Soudie said his animal was not mad—that he had bitten himself and 
others, and no harm had come of it. I replied that a person could, 
perhaps, not have two kinds of madness at the same time, and that he 
had the money madness. ‘ If you are sure your dog is not so/ I added, 
‘ make him bite you before me, and I will give you a thousand francs, 
and renounce any claim upon you.’ He shook his head ; and I added, 
* My skin is worth as much as yours, I think;’ to which he replied, 
‘ That is possible, but I have more crowns than you have.’ Soudie 
brought the certificates of three veterinary surgeons that the dog was 
not affected with hydrophobia. ‘ So much the better/ said I.” 
The bitten doctor, however, came before the court, and claimed 
damages on the ground stated by himself. “I don’t fear hydrophobia 
any longer, although I feel vague pains ; I have lost my appetite, and 
my habits of bodv are disarranged.” He claimed payment of 2,989f., 
which sum included 40f. for refreshments at railway stations. “ My 
demand,” he said, “ is not excessive. I claim justice. I await the 
decision of the tribunal with calmness and respect.” His counsel made 
some remarks, but the only effect upon the audience was to create roars 
of laughter. 
The court, in the end, condemned M. Soudie to pay 500f. damages, 
and ordered the costs to be shared equally between them. 
OBITUARY. 
In our number for May we announced the unexpected 
death of W. Stockley, Esq., M.R.C.V.S., and expressed a 
hope that we should be able to place on record some par¬ 
ticulars of one who had been so long connected with the 
profession, and whose life was full of stirring incidents ; nor 
have we been disappointed, Mr. J. Stockley, V.S., Royal Ar¬ 
tillery, having kindly placed in our hands documents refer- 
