902 
LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
J. Leather, Senr., of Liverpool, seconded by Mr. Jas. Patou, and carried. 
Mr. S. Loclce proposed Mr. H. T. Hodgkinson, of Rochdale, seconded 
by Mr. T. Taylor , and carried. Mr. Challinor nominated for member¬ 
ship Mr. Litt, of Bolton. Mr. Bromley , nominated for membership Mr. 
R. Roberts of Kendal. Mr. Wm. Whittle then begged leave to nomi¬ 
nate as Honorary Associate of this Association Lieut.-General Sir F. 
Fitzwygram, Bart., Prof. Williams, Geo. Fleming, Peter Tayloi’, and 
Thomas Greaves. 
Mr. T. Taylor said he had received a letter from Dr. A. Gamgee, of 
Owens College, Manchester, in which he had kindly promised to read 
before this Association (during the winter) two papers “Upon the Phy¬ 
siology of Digestion, with illustrations.” This notice was received with 
great satisfaction by all present, and the secretary was deputed to write 
to Dr. A. Gamgee thanking him for his kind offer. 
Mr. Storrar of Chester, then exhibited a specimen of skin disease in a 
cow, with photograph of the animal. 
Mr. Tallin brought forward a specimen of disease of the intestine. 
The subject was a troop mare. She had had repeated attacks of colic 
since July, 1877, but in September last she died after one of them. Upon 
making a post-mortem examination, there was found a large sac of bowel 
at the commencement of the floating colon, which was impacted with 
food. Prof. Williams gave it as his opinion that the intestinal wall at 
this particular part had become paralysed, and in consequence could not 
act upon its contents. 
Mr. Tallin also exhibited an extraordinary specimen of rupture of 
muscles of the neck and dislocation, the dentata being twisted com¬ 
pletely upon the atlas; he also showed a drawing and photograph of the 
position in which the animal was found dead. It had placed its head 
over a top bar at the box door, and firmly laid hold of the bottom bar 
with its teeth, and became thus fixed. Death must have been almost 
instantaneous. 
Mr. Geo. Fleming then read a lengthy and instructive paper upon 
the “Responsibility of the Veterinary Surgeon,” which was listened to 
with great interest by all present. A long discussion followed, in which 
a good many members and friends took part. 
Mr. Greaves observed—Being the member who proposed that Mr. 
Fleming should be requested to bring before us this subject, I think it is 
only right that I should express my best thanks to him and also offer him 
the best thanks of the Lancashire Veterinary Medical Association for hav¬ 
ing complied so readily and so kindly with our wishes, and allow me to say 
that the manner he has placed the matter before us of the “ Responsibi¬ 
lity of the Veterinary Surgeon ” reflects the highest possible credit on him. 
This subject has assumed a very serious aspect of late years, and it 
behoves us to carefully consider it, and if it be possible to place ourselves 
in a protected position. At this moment one of our members is being 
sued for £173, loss on a horse he examined. I have been in practice 
nearly half a century, and during that time have been almost daily en¬ 
gaged in the performance of operations and in the examination of horses 
as to soundness. Up to the present time I have not once been asked to 
make good any loss that may have been incurred by a purchase having 
been made on the faith of the soundness of my opinion. I do not for 
one moment presume to say that I may not be held responsible to¬ 
morrow for some loss or other, but what I wish to say is this : I can 
conceive of no greater hardship or injustice to a veterinary surgeon than 
after he has made a careful, deliberate, and sincere examination, having 
exercised the best abilities he possesses, and given the opinion he has 
