712 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
animals or young stock. A complete change in the system 
of management and in the kind of food, quickly arrested the 
further progress of this fatal disease. 
This epitome must suffice to show the correctness of the 
position we have assumed, and at the same time prove to 
the veterinary surgeon that his professional reputation does 
not altogether depend on the employment of curative mea¬ 
sures in arresting disease. Too many, we fear, imagine that 
their province is the application of these alone. To such we 
would say that, until they consider themselves as the con¬ 
servators of the health of the animals of the farm, and in¬ 
vestigate with a view to their removal the various causes 
of disease, they cannot hope to occupy their rightful position 
in the estimation of a discerning public. 
FRENCH VIVISECTIONS AND THE SOCIETY FOR THE 
PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. 
Animated, we trust, by an ardent desire to second the 
laudable efforts which are continuously put forth in the 
cause of humanity by the Society for the Protection of the 
Lower Animals from Cruelty, we have readily lent our 
feeble aid throughout, in assisting it in removing from the 
escutcheon of medical science the great blot of vivisection. 
Our readers will remember that the statements which 
were made by Professor Spooner, in his introductory lecture 
of last year, with reference to the cruelties which were being 
daily practised in the name of science at several of the French 
veterinary schools, reopened a question which had too long 
been allowed to slumber almost in a state of forgetfulness. 
It received at the time much opposition, and even a direct 
denial, from some obdurate defenders of the system, as also 
of the necessity of thus instructing veterinary pupils; which, 
however, only tended the more to keep the question alive in 
the public mind. 
The society, under such circumstances, wisely determined 
to inform itself of the full details of the practice, as adopted 
at Alfort and other scholastic institutions, and, if found 
necessary, to leave nothing undone which could effect its 
