Reviews. 
Quid sit pulchrum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non.—Hon. 
Thoughts on the Action of Medicines, and on Veterinary 
Medical Politics; being the substance of a Paper read 
before the Lancashire Veterinary Medical Association, 
March 15th, 1871/ with Addenda and a Defence of 
Science . By Thomas Walley, M.R.C.V.S.L. 
Mr. Thomas Walley, who is now Professor of Cattle 
Pathology in the Veterinary College of Edinburgh, endeavours 
in the short pamphlet before us to point out some of the 
difficulties which belong to the investigation of medicinal 
action. He truly remarks : 
“We cannot, like the engineer, look into our machine, 
and watch the various movements of every cog-wheel, crank, 
or strap engaged in givin'g it motion. Once our remedies 
have passed into the system of our patients, no microscope 
will penetrate the unfathomable darkness that surrounds 
their future operation; of this, we can only judge by the 
visible effects produced. The peculiar anomalies which ever 
present themselves before our eyes have not been, and cannot 
be explained.” 
Much is, doubtless, left to conjecture, and the successful 
empiric may perchance put to confusion the orthodox prac¬ 
titioner; witness the following anecdote, which Mr. Walley 
gives on the authority of a friend: 
“ An Indian, belonging to a tribe of wandering herbalists, 
was cited to appear before the Porto-Medico of that city. 
When he presented himself, he was asked by the chairman 
why he practised medicine without a license from that board ; 
the Indian answered not, but quietly and pensively looking 
at the members of the council, he took from his wallet a 
dried leaf, which he handed to the chairman, with a request 
that he would smell it; the latter complied, and immediately 
epistaxis set in very violently. Simple remedies were applied 
unsuccessfully ; more stringent ones were resorted to with 
the same result: all was excitement, and all now feared 
for the life of their chairman. The Indian said, ‘ I find 
that you, gentlemen physicians, noted for your skill and 
learning, have failed to arrest the flow of blood induced by 
the odour of that simple leaf;’ with this, he withdrew 
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