VETERINARY JURISPRUDENCE. 
455 
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Inspector Peet) 
summoned Benjamin Walker, farmer, Killingbeck ; Wm, D. Goodall, 
farmer, Roundhay; William Hackney, cowkeeper, New Leeds; and 
Wm. Wilson, farmer, Scholes ; for cruelty to animals. The specific 
nature of the charges was that, on the 9th ult., cows owned by the 
defendants, and exposed for sale in Leeds Smithfield Market, were 
left unmilked, or “overstocked,” by which the udder, becoming 
largely distended, inflicted great pain upon the animals. Mr. 
Brumby, barrister-at-law, appeared on behalf of the society, and 
Mr. Ferns for the defendants. At the outset it was decided to 
take the case against the defendant Hackney, and at the close of 
the case the Bench remarking that as it was the custom of over¬ 
stocking cows against which the society was proceeding, the 
decision in this case would rule the remainder. 
Mr. Brumby said that the case which he had to bring before the 
court was one resulting from a practice that had been for some 
time very frequently carried on in Leeds—viz. that of sending cows 
to the cattle market in a state in which they ought not to be sent. 
The breeders or salesmen of the cattle, when sending a cow to the 
market, were in the habit of not milking it. The reason of this 
was that by so doing the udder became unnaturally swollen, and 
gave a fictitious appearance to the cows. They looked as being 
much more rich in milk than they actually were, and, as a conse¬ 
quence, stood a better chance of obtaining a good price. Instead 
of being milked at the end of twelve hours, the cows, when taken 
to market, were driven to Leeds with their udders filled, and suffer¬ 
ing intense pain and agony. On the 9th of April, about mid-day, 
the defendant Hackney was driving a cow along the road from the 
market in the direction of Chapeltown. The animal was seen by 
the officer of the society, and also two experienced veterinary 
surgeons, who would describe its pitiful condition. If the cow 
suffered from its udder being surcharged with milk, it must follow 
of necessity that the pain and suffering would be much increased 
when the animal came to be driven along the road. An animal 
like the cow, from the nature of its physical organization, when 
driven in such a state, must suffer intensely. He would call as 
witnesses gentlemen not only well known in the veterinary art, but 
also others who had made the science of comparative anatomy their 
special study, and who were in a position at any time to take up 
their status as surgeons. The poor cow driven by Hackney was 
walking with great difficulty when the officers saw it. The udder 
was distended, the milk was spirting out of the teats at each step, 
from the nostrils ropy mucus was issuing, and upon tliermometrical 
observations being made of the body the beast was found to be in 
a state of irritative fever. The normal heat of an animal ranged 
from 98 to about 100, but in this case the thermometer indicated 
104 degrees. The milk taken from the udder was so bad as to be 
totally unfit for human consumption. If the custom of thus “over¬ 
stocking” cows when exposed for sale in the market had been one 
of long practice in Leeds, the sooner it was remedied the better. 
XL V. 31 
