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LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 5l7 
menced within the neural canal, and to have extended outwards, it was 
considered that the nerves distributed to the shoulder had become 
involved in the diseased condition previously to its being so extensive as 
to affect the contiguous muscles of the part, thus accounting for the 
interval between the injury and the shoulder lameness, and also why 
the shoulder lameness preceded the stiffness in the neck itself. 
Mr. Elam then exhibited the top of a large iron rail weighing several 
pounds, which he had extracted from the abdominal cavity of a cow, 
of which the following are the notes :—The cow, in trying to leap 
over the railing, got empaled on the top of one, and the parties in 
attendance, being unable to get her off, procured a hammer and broke 
off the head of the rail, leaving it enclosed in the abdominal cavity. I 
was not made aware of this on my arrival to attend the cow, and not 
until I had carefully returned the bowels, which protruded, and 
stitched up the wound, was I told that there was a lump of iron 
inside. 
I then undid the stitches, and by careful manipulation succeeded in 
extracting this massive cone-shaped rail head which you see. It fortu¬ 
nately had a very obtuse apex, and consequently had not penetrated the 
bowels. I then restitched the wound, fastened a truss on the part, kept 
the animal quiet, gave sloppy diet, a little aconite to allay the excitement 
during the early stages. In about a week a small abscess formed, which 
I opened, and in three weeks the cow was well. 
Mr. Elam also exhibited a specimen of mollities osssium in a five-year- 
old pony. The part shown was the head, but the whole of the bones of 
the body were similarly affected. The pony was the property of Mr. 
Hengler, and had been used by him in the circus for carrying perform¬ 
ing monkeys, but he did not know anything further concerning its 
previous history. 
A discussion as to the cause and pathology of this diseased condition 
followed, but no very definite conclusion was arrived at. 
A vote of thanks to Messrs. Leather, Barnes, and Elam for their 
contributions was carried unanimously. 
The Secretary nominated Mr. T. E. J. Lloyd, Liverpool, for election 
as a member of the Association. 
A vote of thanks to the Vice-President terminated the meeting. 
Duncan Hutcheon, Hon. Sec. 
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LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSO¬ 
CIATION. 
The usual quarterly meeting of the above Association was held at the 
Blackfriars Hotel, Manchester, on Wednesday evening, April 9th, 1879. 
W. A. Taylor, Esq., Vice-President, in the chair, in the absence of the 
President, W. Dacre, Esq., who was unable to attend in consequence of 
severe indisposition. The following persons were present—Messrs. P. 
Taylor, W. A. Taylor, T. Hopkin, E. Faulkner, M J. Roberts, J. B. 
Wolstenholme, J/Paton, of Manchester, Messrs. R. Reynolds and Dr. 
Hutcheon, of Liverpool, J. B. Taylor, of Ashton, Bunnell, of Oldham, 
W. Woods, Wigan, W. Whittle, of Worsley, A Darwell, of Northwich, 
H. Bean, of Macclesfield, — Pallin, Esq., 20th Hussars, T. Brigg, of 
Bury, Dr. Henry Briggs, of Liverpool, and the Secretary. 
Letters of excuse were received from Professors Pritchard and McCall, 
