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DISEASE AMONG CATTLE AND SHEEP IN BELGIUM. 
The Belgium correspondent of the Daily Telegraph states 
that, “ As large exports of cattle from this country to Eng¬ 
land are constantly taking place, it is right that the British 
public should be made aware that the same kind of epidemic 
which committed such ravages here among cattle and sheep 
in 1825 has again made its appearance in the neighbourhood 
of Alost, and that both oxen and sheep have already fallen 
victims to it. The authorities in London should take some 
precautionary measures to prevent diseased animals being 
introduced from here, which is all the more necessary as it 
has been ascertained that the malady in question renders the 
meat very prejudicial to the health of those who may par¬ 
take of it.” 
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS WITH THE TOOTH-ACHE. 
A letter from A. D. Bartlett to Mr. Buckland describes 
an interesting but dangerous operation upon a hippopotamus, 
such as probably was never before performed. The writer 
says: “ I had intended to write to you before I left town, but 
could not find time. You will be glad to know that I have 
succeeded in performing the largest, if not the greatest, 
dental operation on record. Our male hippopotamus has been, 
as you know, suffering from the fractured tooth, and, fearing 
that the consequences might be serious, I have had a strong 
oak fence fixed between his pond and the iron railings, 
and I then determined to remove the broken tooth; this I 
accomplished on the morning of Wednesday last, but not 
without a fearful struggle. I had prepared a powerful pair 
of forceps, more than two feet long; with these I grasped 
his fractured incisor, thinking, with a firm and determined 
twist, to gain possession of that fine piece of ivory. This, 
however, was not quite so easily done, for the brute, amazed 
at my impudence, rushed back, tearing the instrument from 
my hands, and, looking as wild as a hippopotamus can look, 
charged at me just as I had recovered my forceps. I made 
another attempt, and this time held on long enough to cause 
the loose tooth to shift its position, but was again obliged to 
relinquish my hold. I had, however, no occasion to say, 
c Open your mouth, 5 for this he did to the fullest extent; 
I therefore had no difficulty in again seizing the coveted 
morsel, and this time drew it from his monstrous jaws. One 
of the most remarkable things appeared to me to be the 
enormous force of the air when blown from the dilated 
nostrils of this great beast while enraged. It came into 
my face with a force that almost startled me/’ 
