EASTERN COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 483 
abuse and attendant consequences are sought to be corrected by the 
administration of infinitesimal doses on the one hand, and by an 
absolute denial of its use on the other. Now 1 do not recognise the 
necessity in avoiding one extreme to rush blindfold into another; 
and M'hile I cannot defend the old system of semi-judicial murder by 
physic, blisters, or bleeding, neither can I subscribe to the opinion 
that this important trio ought to be discarded from the practice of 
scientific men, for although inadmissible in tetanus, it is my firm 
conviction that in many cases in which the aid of the veterinary 
surgeon is sought, he will find these remedial agents most powerful 
and valuable aids in the successful treatment of disease. The 
homoeopathic system of medicine, whatever its merits, has cer¬ 
tainly not made many converts in the veterinary profession; but, 
although the followers of Hahnemann are not numerous, there are 
men of undoubted reputation and high scientific attainments 
amongst them, of whom perhaps it may be said without being invi¬ 
dious, that Mr. Haycock, of Manchester, is the chief exponent, and, 
as I am not able from personal observation to give an opinion, I 
have taken the liberty to quote from that gentleman’s remarks at 
the Lancashire Veterinary Medical Association’s meeting at Man¬ 
chester, 14th October, 1864, in the discussion which followed the 
reading of an “ Essay on Tetanus,” by Mr. John Lawson, senior, a 
full report of wdiich is published in the Veterinarian for that year, 
and to which 1 have very great pleasure in referring you, as it con¬ 
tains probably the greatest amount of reliable information on that 
important subject extant. At the meeting of the Lancashire Society, 
IMr. Haycock stated that he had treated thirteen cases of tetanus, 
six of which recovered, and seven died ; several of the former were 
very violent cases ; he had not submitted every patient to the same 
treatment, but had at various times administered aconite, chloroform, 
arnica, belladonna, opium, strychnine, with varying success. He 
had tried cold water in every conceivable form, also hot water and 
the steam bath, but could not speak favorably of either. Hydro¬ 
cyanic acid he did not think had much effect except in large doses; 
this was his opinion, after having tried it on the healthy horse. 
Wounds he invariably lanced, if there was heat, disturbance, or un¬ 
natural dryness about them. He strongly insisted on quietude, 
and his most successful treatment was with chloroform and Fleming’s 
tincture of aconite, two or three drops diluted with water, and given 
two or three times a day. 
Mr. Mac Taggart, of Halifax, also a homoeopath, states that he 
frequently used nux vomica, arnica, and other medicines, with con¬ 
siderable effect. 
Hydropathy is, I believe, seldom adopted in veterinary practice; 
it is said to have been used with benefit in cases of rheumatism ; the 
warm bath was very warmjy advocated and extensively used during 
the prevalence of cattle plague in this country, but it did not realise 
the expectations that w'ere promised by its advocates; in fact, as a 
remedial agent for the treatment of rinderpest, it was neither 
better nor worse than most other so-called remedies. But as regards 
34 
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