ANIMAL FOOD IN VETERINARY PRACTICE. 
523 
I now come to the circumstance which to me is inter¬ 
esting, and I am inclined to think may be of some practical 
importance to others. 
Q>\st April, 1863. 
Sir,—You will remember the circumstance of coming up 
to see one of my carriage horses, which we deemed to be “ in 
eHremisP You saw it, I think, on the Saturday night, and 
on the following day the poor animal seemed much worse; 
die sat up on his haunches, groaned, or rather bellowed with 
pain. At times he would bury his head in the straw, then 
rise partly and sit on his haunches again, and so continue for 
hours. When we got a passage through his bowels, he 
seemed a trifle better, but alternated between improvement 
and the contrary for days. My cook was making some strong 
stock for soup, and the idea struck my boy of giving the 
horse some. To his surprise the horse readily took it, and 
afterwards from two to three weeks I had a shin of heef 
regularly hoilecl cloionfor him, which he greedily took, and neighed 
for as soon as the smell came to his notice. He is now quite 
well, although but as yet I have not worked him. 
I was talking to my friend Mr. Solly, of St. Thomas’ 
Hospital, the other day, and he said that I ought to write and 
tell you about it, and to give his name as being the instigator 
of my so doing. 
I am, Sir, &c. 
To Professor Vaenell. 
I think the readers of The Veterinarian will agree with 
me that this incident is worth recording. I am not sure 
that animal food in a soluble form may not become a valuable 
agent in our practice. We must allow that its composition 
and solubility admit of its being readily received into the 
organism and assimilated, and that it would be more suitable to 
renovate exhausted vital powers than vegetable food. May 
it not then be resorted to with advantage for the purpose of 
averting vital exhaustion in painful articular diseases, copious 
discharges, extensive loss of blood, and other circumstances 
which might be mentioned? 
I would suggest that a trial be made of meat-broths, in 
cases where much wasting has taken place. We need not 
be over particular in removing all the fat, for as an element 
of respiration tliis may also be beneficial. 
