42 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
nate love of gain, that the flesh of diseased animals still 
finds its may into the London markets, and. doubtless 
into others, although it is often detected and destroyed, 
and. the parties sending it justly exposed and punished. 
As there are indications of diseased structure recognisable 
only by the scientific and observant man, we have before 
expressed our opinion that one so taught might be selected 
from our own body by the authorities, and appointed to the 
office of inspector. Correctly has the act been designated 
as one nearly allied to an attempt to poison, and effectual 
measures should be taken to suppress it. Something cer¬ 
tainly has been done towards this, but more remains to be 
done. “ The snake has been scotched, not killed.” We 
are therefore glad to see that this subject has been at 
length taken up by the public press, which asserts that 
“ skilled veterinary surgeons are the persons to whose 
scrutiny the meat we are destined to consume should be sub¬ 
mitted. In some of the worst cases the symptoms of the 
disease may be such as to escape the eyes of any but a man 
of science, and a little expense is nothing compared with the 
preservation of the national health, and the avoidance of 
evils which are sickening to contemplate and grievous to 
suffer.” 
We have been called upon to record some strange 
and unaccountable instances of cruelty to animals. The 
miscreants guilty of these enormities degrade themselves 
far, far below the noble brute on which they malignantly 
satisfy their revenge. Such acts as these too plainly and 
too sadly show the proclivity of a debased and brutish mind. 
Nor have those in power been slow to express their con¬ 
demnation of these acts—the Metropolitan Market Com¬ 
mittee having co-operated with the officers of the Society 
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals with this view, 
and employed two sergeants and twelve additional policemen 
to attend on market days to carry out their regulations, and 
to prevent, if it be possible, a recurrence of these enormi¬ 
ties. All this is right, and demands the co-operation of 
those who can render any assistance. 
We fear that too nearly allied to this is sometimes the 
practice of vivisection, Not that it necessarily is so; and 
