214 VETERINARY JURISPRUDENCE IN SCOTLAND. 
long an abscess took to its formation, and when it was of such 
a character as to constitute bad health, when, to all outward ap¬ 
pearance, the health was remarkably good.” 
(Signed) ‘ W. WATSON. 
Setting aside the want of common sense and Queen’s English 
in the above note, and setting aside also the remark about “ cer¬ 
tain reports” that were to be produced “ but which have not 
been produced” (how could they, when they formed part of the 
evidence which the Sheriff refused to hear ]), let us look at 
what are his chief expressed grounds for arriving at the decision 
he comes to. Stripped of expletives, they are, that “ it is impos¬ 
sible to estimate the amount of the scientific knowledge of a 
country veterinary surgeon ;” “ but it is absurd to suppose that 
any one, from a post-mortem examination, can say how long an 
abscess took to its formation.” 
Both these positions may be correct: but to the first, used 
for the purpose for which the Sheriff introduces it, we say, is it 
consistent with reason or even common legal usage to refuse 
the evidence of every one, “ the amount of whose scientific 
knowledge” we cannot estimate 1 and thus condemn a witness 
unheard! Is it not the practice rather to examine the witness 
first, previously to passing an opinion upon the value of his 
testimony ] and then, if what he states be inconsistent with 
itself, or with what is currently believed in connexion with the 
subject in hand, to submit his evidence to some one competent to 
give an opinion as to its relevancy 1 This, at least, shews a 
desire to deal fairly. 
To the second position, while granting that it is impossible 
to say from inspection how long an abscess took to its formation, 
we would also reply, for the information of Sheriff Watson, that 
it is quite easy to state decidedly and with safety, a limited time 
previous to which it must have been in existence. When we 
see a field of corn ripe for the harvest, although we cannot say 
the exact day on which it was sown, yet we can affirm with 
perfect confidence that it must have been in existence a day, a 
week, or a month previous to arriving at maturity. The laws 
which govern organic nature teach us that every organised 
structure, each according to its kind, requires a definite time to 
its growth and formation, and to these laws the organised cyst 
of an abscess forms no exception, although a Sheriff may be 
ignorant of the fact. 
Country veterinary surgeons—and these compose the bulk of 
the profession —can forgive the worthy Sheriff the gratuitous 
inuendo against their “scientific knowledge” uttered by him: 
did he know how easy it was “ to estimate the amount of” his 
