832 
VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
curnbcd to an epizootic. This gentleman distinctly felt the stone at the 
neck of the bladder, and to this attributed retention of urine from which 
Favonius was suffering. It was then about the size of a nutmeg, but is 
now as large as a goose’s egg, lobulated on the surface, and apparently 
very hard. The horse was of a very nervous temperament, and was 
always irritable when his hind limbs were touched. The urine had been 
sent to an analyst in London, who found no indication of calculus; that 
which was first passed was thick, but subsequently the flow became thin 
and translucent. There was some question as to whether lithotomy 
should be performed, but the horse was a sure stock-getter of very high 
value, so the idea of the operation was abandoned. Hydrochloric acid 
was administered internally for three months, but without any appre¬ 
ciable effect, for pains were manifested periodically. So belladonna 
extract was placed in his drinking v y ater in the morning, Liquor 
Potassae in the evening. The benefit of this was proved by the fact that 
if it were ceased pain recurred. Incontinence of urine reappeared before 
the animal died.” 
Mr. Slipper’s case was most interesting, as being very similar to one 
which he submitted to the Association the session before. As the two 
animals came from the same place it was suggested the encephaloid 
might be due to hereditary influence. The specimen was submitted for 
examination to a committee of the members, and was reported upon at 
the next meeting. It seems that this method of referring to a committee 
work which would take up too much of the time of the Association as 
needing somewhat minute investigation is a matter which ought to be 
encouraged, as tending to the more thorough performance of the work 
of the Association, to the training of members to the system adopted in 
our leading learned societies, and to the preparation of elaborate records 
for preservation or publication. The report, as submitted by Mr. J. 
Gartside Mayor, Chairman of the Committee, is placed before you. 
The question of publication of. Proceedings of the Association is one 
of urgency, so that I venture to bring it under your notice. The cir¬ 
cumstances of the Society have much changed since the time when it 
produced its own journal, The Veterinary Transactions. The growth of 
veterinary societies in various parts of the country has converted ours 
from a general to a special Association. 
As I expressed it last year, the Yeterinary Medical Association, while 
still having wide sympathies with its members who have become qualified 
practitioners, is now the “ Student’s Society of the largest British Veteri¬ 
nary schools.” Thus, we are no longer in a position to produce a journal; 
it is not desirable that we should do so, but it may well be asked why 
the proceedings of the Association are brought under the notice of the 
professional public only in the form of an annnal report ? In reply, it may 
be urged that the papers of students are seldom original, and their dis¬ 
cussion not often profound and measured. Still, as our work of the past 
year shows (a), some of the papers read at our meeting are well worthy of 
publication, as might be expected, since their student authors have time 
and opportunities at their disposal such as are not permitted to the busy 
practitioner; also ( h ) with fresh theory at our fingers’ ends, and with an 
unconventional mode of looking at professional matters, we not unfre- 
quently at our discussions strike out new lines of thought and leave the 
beaten track; we are also (c) collected together from various parts of the 
country, and thus specially have the characters of a central society ; and 
(cl) especially, our supply of morbid and other specimens is rich and 
varied, also our prize essays ought to be published in justice to their 
authors, to unsuccessful competitors, and to the profession. Having 
