RETROSPECTS OF VETERINARY PRACTICE. 223 
lameness, but “ as yellow as gold over the shoulders, neck, 
and particularly the affected side.” 
This was found to be the case, together with a large accu¬ 
mulation of dandriff partaking of the same colour. The 
milk, too, was nearly gone, about which the owner evinced 
greater concern, I thought, than the future well-being of the 
animal. 
1 now threw aside the idea of the stone wall and the bull, 
particularly as I afterwards learned that he was a myth ; the 
animal having strayed in consequence of the wall being down 
through the act of some mischievous urchins who roam at 
large in the vicinity of all large towns. 
The cathartic having acted well, it was succeeded by 
alterative doses of calomel. The appetite continued good— 
at times it was ravenous ; the milk returned; the lameness 
entirely disappeared after a few days, and in a fortnight she 
was quite well. 
From this time—May to January in the following year— 
I heard nothing more concerning my patient; when happen¬ 
ing to meet the owner, he said she had been recently 
slaughtered, and the liver was found “ rotten.” 
There appears not only a great scarcity of information as 
to the symptoms that decidedly characterise the variety of 
lameness which arises from affections of the liver, but also of 
actual cases of this kind: probably one fact depends much 
upon the other. Yet I am inclined to believe that such 
often occur, and are dependent, too, upon very slight causes 
wherein there are no w 7 ell-marked symptoms of a decided 
case of lameness; or, in other words, although there are 
indications of perverted function in the limb, yet the cause, 
arising from an abnormal condition within—namely, the 
liver—by no means establishes a regularity in the kind of 
lameness; although the affection may savour strongly of 
shoulder-lameness in one case, yet in another the impediment 
to correct progression is equally as great, but evidences are 
wanting to enable one to fix upon the joint, or part of the 
limb affected. This may not appear surprising when is 
borne in mind the fact that, disease of the liver will go on 
until it puts an end to the animal’s existence without any 
lameness existing, as in icterus, &c., and, in several cases 
which have come under my observation, any symptoms of 
internal disease, otherwise than could be supposed from a 
w T ant of good condition. One case, I remember, terminated 
in paralysis, the animal becoming comatose within an hour, 
and died whilst in that state. Nothing during life warranted 
the belief that any internal disease existed, as reasonable 
