570 BOTANY AS APPLIED TO VETERINARY SCIENCE. 
when the remainder of the cord entered the scrotum. 
There was but little haemorrhage. The other testicle was 
operated on in the same manner. The whole operation, 
from the time the horse was fixed, occupied somewhat less 
than ten minutes. 
I left Paris the next day, and returned in about three 
weeks, when I found the horse not only doing well, but ready 
to go to work, and quite cured of his viciousness. I am in¬ 
formed that torsion is now the general mode by which cas¬ 
tration is performed in France, and that the operation (which 
certainly would appear to be less painful than any other, for 
the animal did not struggle once during the twisting) is also 
more successful. There is, I am also informed, very little 
swelling consequent on the operation. 
Care should be taken to make the incision ample, so as to 
prevent it closing too soon, in which case an accumulation of 
pus in the scrotum is the consequence. This, however, is 
easily removed by introducing the finger into the wound. 
BOTANY AS APPLIED TO VETERINARY SCIENCE. 
By W. Watson, M.R.C.V.S., Rugby. 
(Continuedfrom p. 459.) 
It will be remembered that, in a former number of this 
Journal, I brought under notice the general botanical cha¬ 
racters by which the natural order Ranunculacece is distin¬ 
guished, and in my last communication furnished the descrip¬ 
tion of one of the most important plants belonging to the 
order, viz., the Aconitum napellus. The very interesting case 
recorded by Mr. Flower, M.R.C.V.S., of Derby, in the Vete¬ 
rinarian for July, in which the death of three heifers was 
caused by the Ranunculus ficaria, will afford a favorable oppor¬ 
tunity of bringing under notice another variety of plants 
belonging to the same natural order, and from w r hich it 
derives its name, viz., the ranunculus or crowfoot. Space will 
not permit me to give the botanical characters of all the 
varieties of the ranunculus ; therefore the following general 
observations, with a more detailed description of two or three 
of the varieties most commonly met with, will give an insight 
into the characters of them all. The different species of 
crowfoot or buttercup are found growing in most parts of 
Europe and the temperate parts of Asia. Several of them 
