340 
VETERINARY EMPIRICISM IN FRANCE. 
M. LA.VIQUE had a cow, ten years old, which had been ill 
for two days, to administer to which he sent for a man named 
Gougot, a weaver, living some few miles distant, who for five 
or six years had been practising as a veterinary surgeon, and 
thereby had acquired some reputation. As soon as Gougot 
saw the cow, which was at the time in calf, he declared that her 
ailments were but trifling, that she required good food in small 
quantities, and that he would pay her another visit the next 
morning. Gougot returned according to his promise, examined 
the cow, and, in the presence of several persons standing by, 
declared there was nothing amiss with her save some slight 
bowel disorder, connected with some little indigestion, which 
would all be immediately rectified by a little potion he should 
administer to her. On saying this, he drew from his pocket a 
small phial containing a liquid, of which he mixed three spoon¬ 
fuls with a pint of honeyed water, and gave her as a draught. 
Scarcely, however, had the cow swallowed half of it when she 
experienced violent convulsions, throwing her head about in all 
directions, protruding her tongue, rolling her eyes, which had 
become wildly dilated, presenting altogether, in fact, every 
symptom of having been poisoned. All present became alarmed, 
and cried out to Gougot, that he was “ an ignoramus!” “a man 
void of skill!” and had "poisoned the cow!” But he answered, 
“ No such thing! This is nothing more than choking from the 
drench.” On which he poured some water down the cow’s 
throat; a remedy that served only to make her worse. Gougot 
pretended that all the disturbance had been occasioned by some 
phlegm lodging in the throat; and thrusting his arm into the 
mouth to remove it, he had but a short time withdrawn it before 
the animal expired. Before this occurred, however, finding the 
cow could not long survive, Gougot had quietly stolen away from 
the scene of trouble. 
The above case was, by the proprietor of the cow (Lavique) 
brought before the judge (Nicolas Chamoin) of the Canton, 
Montur-en-Der, the plaints being,—1st, that Gougot practised 
publicly as a veterinary surgeon; 2dly, that for so doing he re¬ 
ceived fees the same as a veterinary surgeon who had obtained 
his diploma would have done; 3dly, that he kept a stock of 
medicine at his house, out of which he dispensed to his pa¬ 
tients ; 4thly, that it appeared, divers beasts had fallen victims 
to his malpractice, presenting the same symptoms of having 
been poisoned as M. Lavique’s cow had shewn, and that such 
