state, not a muscle except the involuntary ones moving, I gave her a little brandy and water, and then closed the door and left her. The general opinion of the by-standers was, that in a few minutes she would be dead: this was about 4 p.m. Indispensable business prevented me from seeing her until 10 o'clock, when I was glad to find my patient somewhat revived. I gave more brandy and beef-tea, and left her for the night.
"At 6 a.m. there was a decided improvement; the extremities were warm, the respiration tranquil, with an occasional grunt and pricking or moving of the ears; some fæces had passed during the night. I doubted whether the bladder had been emptied, and therefore introduced a small catheter which I use for sheep, &c., and took away a great quantity of water. I ordered more weak brandy and water and broth.
"At 6 p.m. the symptoms were improving, excepting that the side surrounding the incision was a little swelled; I therefore ordered fomentations to be applied, using hot cloths, with but little water.
"18th.—Doing well; the secretions regular; and she for the first time voluntarily took a little milk, with a drachm of brandy, of which she appeared fond. From this time she continued to improve daily; and on the fifth day from the operation she was able to stand, and fed well. The roller round her body was not removed for a month, and the plaster remained for nearly three months. When it came away the wound was beautifully healed. This animal has attracted considerable attention in the neighborhood, and she is now as fat as she can be, and a fine specimen of the short-eared breed."
MONSTROSITIES.
Monstrosities are often farrowed by swine. It would be difficult to assign any cause for this, did we admit, with most persons, that these are peculiarly stupid and unimaginative animals; but as in Chapter III. we have already declared our opinion to be a contrary one, the inexplicability of the matter is done away with.
Mr. Ellis, V. S., of Liverpool, gives an account of six sows belonging to one person which all produced blind young ones, the greater part of which were without the least semblance of an eye, the orbit being quite empty. Some of them had four ears each. Only four out of the whole lot lived; they were either brought forth dead or died immediately after birth.
One of the sows could not farrow any of her young ones, they being three times the proper size, and in a state of decomposition. The Cæsarean operation was therefore performed, as the only means of saving her; but it had been delayed too long; she only lived three hours after it.
