410 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
hinge upon it. However perfect a person may be in dia¬ 
gnosing a malady, if he knows not the remedy to be resorted 
to, so as to remove it or prevent its consequences, of what use 
is he ? An acquaintance with the safe and proper drugs to 
be administered is paramount. There is therefore a neces¬ 
sity for a study of books on the agents employed consti¬ 
tuting the materia medica of the Veterinary Surgeon. But 
this is not enough, he will have to acquire much from expe¬ 
rience. There are certain diseases in wliich so large an 
amount of a therapeutic agent cannot be given as is laid 
down, arising from certain peculiarities in the system, and 
others in which a much larger quantity may be advantage¬ 
ously administered; then there is what is called idio¬ 
syncrasy, which sometimes altogether changes the action of 
a drug, so that careful observation is at all times called for 
in the employment of medicines. 
Again and again v/e have expressed our conviction of the 
advantages that would result from a well-instituted inquiry 
as to the different action of medicinal agents on the lower 
animals. This may be designated Comparative Therapeu¬ 
tics. There are several valuable drugs the efficacy of which 
with us has been more than questioned. We might name 
opium and the potassio-tartrate of antimony, not to mention 
any others. Bespecting these we may, perhaps, hold 
opinions different from others, for we contend the action of 
an agent cannot be satisfactorily ascertained if given experi¬ 
mentally to an animal in health. Well has Dr. llobertson 
said, Disease both calls forth the powers and modifies the 
influence of medicines. That which agitates the calm of 
health may soothe the irritation of sickness, and that which, 
without opposition, is inert, may act powerfully when it 
meets with an opponent. Experiments, therefore, should 
be made on the sick in order to determine how the sick may 
be affected.'^ 
‘'Amicus Plato, amicus Socrates, sed magis arnica Veritas.” 
It may be thought that an opportunity lately presented 
itself in the appointment of an examiner in these divisions 
by the Council, and we are inclined to concur in opinion 
with ^‘Nemo/^ but the time is not far distant when they 
