COMMUNICATION FROM MR. GADSDEN. 
769 
mio’ht consider these remarks of sufficient interest to give 
them a place in the Veterinarian* 
As to treatment—owing to the difficulty there would be 
in fixing the limb so as to allow of the fractured edges being 
kept in apposition long enough for them to unite, I ima¬ 
gine that little or nothing can be satisfactorily had recourse 
to. The case must, therefore, like many others, be left 
principally to the curative effects of nature alone. 
COMMUNICATION FROM MR. GADSDEN, 
M.R.C.V.S., BRACKNELL, RELATIVE TO 
MR. FORBES' CASE OF DIFFICULT PARTURITION. 
“ Reigate County Court, May 19 , 1864 . 
“ Before W. Furner, Esq. 
“ DIFFICULT PARTURITION,—ACTION FOR THE VALUE OF A MARE. 
“ FREDERICK ISAAC V. MATTHEW BLAKER FORBES.” 
Gentlemen, —In your July number you published a 
case headed as above, under the section a Veterinary Ju¬ 
risprudence," which was, no doubt, read by a great many 
veterinary surgeons with disgust, especially as they could 
form no fair opinion who was in fault, Mr. Forbes for Ids 
want of skill, or the learned judge for the justice of his 
verdict. On the 29th of September last this case was tried 
again at the Reigate County Court, when the judge had a 
jury to assist him, who, after patiently listening to the par¬ 
ticulars of the case for about five hours, gave their verdict 
for the defendant, Mr. Forbes, thus reversing the verdict 
given on the 19 th May. 
The case was one of the most difficult we can meet with, 
the presentation being as follows:—Head, neck, both fore 
legs, and one hind leg, protruding from the vagina. The 
mare also was a very small one, being only thirteen and a 
half hands high. It was, as your readers well know, not a 
very agreeable case for a man to attend in the middle of the 
night, when it was pouring with rain, and the mare out in a 
meadow. Mr. Forbes did his best under the circum¬ 
stances, and, in the opinion of Mr. Gregory, M.R.C.V.S., 
Tonbridge, Mr. Legge, M.R.C.V.S., Dorking, and myself, 
there was no want of skill on his part. We heard the whole 
of the evidence on both sides, and formed our opinion from 
it. Trusting that your sense of justice will be a sufficient 
excuse for my trespassing on your pages to lay these facts 
before the profession, I am, 
Gentlemen, &c. 
To the Editors of c The Veterinarian .’ 
