452 
Facts and Observations, 
THE SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO 
ANIMALS OF FRANCE. 
The annual stance of the Society for the Prevention of 
Cruelty to Animals was held on Monday, June 18ih, 1859* 
This society, which was thought impossible at first, has been 
prospering with each year, and has at length entered almost 
as thoroughly into French mceurs as into our own. The medals 
were distributed amid great enthusiasm, and speeches were 
made at which the heart of the philanthropist bounded with 
joy ; verses were read which, if not exactly causing that of 
the poet to do the same, at all events displayed the interest 
which can even be given to bad verses by the goodness of the 
cause. The two medals which created the greatest general 
interest, were the one bestowed on a shepherd named Chatrier 
for an ingenious mechanical invention to be adopted during 
the treatment of sick sheep ; and the other given to M. Pellis 
for his newly invented bit, whereby the mouth of the horse 
is uninjured even by the most unskilful rider. 
CALCULUS IN A MARE. 
A calculus of an unusually large size was found in the 
lower bowels of a mare, which died the other day, belonging 
to Mr. Newton, of Pea Croft. For some time before the 
mare’s death, it was evident that either a tumour or a calculus 
existed within the body, and it is supposed that a fall the 
mare had a few days previous to her death, caused a dis¬ 
placement of this concretion. It is perfectly globular, 
and its surface is smooth and polished. There is nothing un¬ 
usual in these accumulations in the intestines of the horse, and 
the only peculiarity this presents is its size and weight, the latter 
amounting to upwards of 8 lbs. They vary very much in 
size, shape, and general appearance; and no doubt many of 
our readers have seen a large collection of them at Mr. Cart- 
ledge’s surgery in Market Street. They have their origin fre¬ 
quently in some indigestible substance being taken into the 
stomach w’ith the food, such as a piece of coal, gravel, or a 
nail, around which nucleus other matters adhere until a dense 
substance is formed, which frequently produces pain ; and ul- 
