SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
653 
After roll-call and the reading of minutes, it was unani- 
nionsly voted that the Secretary should order Georg Muller’s 
“ Diseases of the Dog ” and P. J. Cadiot’s “ Treatise on Veteri¬ 
nary Surgical Therapeutics of the Domestic Animals,” as 
additions to the library of the society. 
The President then called on Mr. Dambert for his case 
report, which proved to be one of “ Impaction of the Colon 
in a Mule,” rendered interesting from the facts that he had 
obtained no results from the use of such powerful drugs as 
croton oil and eserine, and that the post-mortem showed the 
colon to be decidedly subnormal in size. Mr. Tambert explained 
his reasons for resorting to the above treatment by stating that, 
as is so often the case, he had not been called in professionally 
until^ the owner had already reduced the patient to a-hopeless 
condition by the ridiculous use of numerous quack remedies. 
A discussion ensued, assisted by the Hon. President and Presi¬ 
dent, as to the causes, symptoms and treatment of impaction, 
and as a result the prevailing opinion was that the easiest 
course to pursue was one of patience and perseverance in dilut- 
ing the intestinal contents with a plentiful supply of mucilagi¬ 
nous drenches and rectal enemas in preference to the use of 
dangerous drugs which were only occasionally successful. 
Mr. Spanton then followed with an interesting essay on the 
subject of “ Purpura Haemorrhagica,” in which he showed how, 
from the earliest times of veterinary writings, the irregularity 
of the symptoms, aetiological obscurity and different degrees of 
severity of this disease had caused a varied nomenclature, stat¬ 
ing that the one positive symptom in mild cases, otherwise diffi¬ 
cult of diagnosis, was the appearance of purple spots on the 
Schneiderian membrane. After carefully describing the symp¬ 
toms, he stated that, the idiopathic .swellings were due to the 
congested condition of the arterioles and capillaries, owing to 
vaso-motor paralysis, pointing at the danger of asphyxia should 
the extravasation of blood occur in the lungs. Among the 
many conditions which are supposed to be the causes of this 
disease, he gave special importance to that of improper 
hygienic surroundings, quoting Prof. Williams as his authority 
for saying that “ Purpura was due to the absorption of products 
of decomposition extrinsic to the body and that animals not fully 
recovered from some former debilitating disease were predis¬ 
posed to it.” He mentioned the difficulty in forming a prog¬ 
nosis, as frequently a patient, to all appearances making a 
satisfactory and rapid recovery, might at the next visit be found 
