BOVINE POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS BY MEDICAL MEN. Under this title the British Medical Journal has in a recent number some editorial remarks, which we consider to be so mischievous in their tone
published
and
that
tendency
we
find it necessary to notice them
prominently. The British Medical Journal displays habitually such a jealous regard for the honour and dignity of the profession, and has done so much for the
that its utterances command with
public services,
medical and
rity
at
men
home and abroad well-merited authoIt is therefore all the
weight.
to correct a very
without full
more
needful
pronounced judgment evidently passed
knowledge
or
of the circum-
appreciation
stances of the case, whose effect must be to encourage resistance to authority in a matter affecting the ad-
justice and concerning a large and and industry in India. interest important The facts of the particular case on which the British ministration of
Medical Journal founds
a
sorious editorial article trate
requested who
partment,
to examine the Examiner fused to
temporarily enployed
body
of
cow
a
suspected
in civil to
duty,
have been
the viscera to the Chemical Government. The medical officer re-
and
poisoned
officer
an was
somewhat excited and cencorrectly stated. A Magisof the Army Medical De-
are
forward
to
comply
with the
request, contending that it perform or superintend the part duty cattle. A correspondence examination of post-mortem of his
was no
to
reached Government. The Surconsulted, and Government acting on
ensued whi'ch
finally
geon-General
was
his
advice issued
an
order that the
Magistrate
should
communicate with the Civil Surgeon in cases where well grounded suspicions of poisoning existed, that a butcher should invariably be engaged to perform the work of evisceration, and that the Civil Surgeon should
superintend the removal and despatch of the viscera to the Chemical Examiner. The order thus guards the Civil Surgeon against being harassed m cases which may be merely fictitious or conjectural, provides him with adequate aid for the manual part of the work, and simply imposes 011 him the duty of supervision without which the whole
object
of the
investigation
is
likely
to
be
To any one acquainted with the circumstances of this country, the order of Government must rustrated.
commend itself
why
the
usually
as
most
reasonable and temperate
cautious and
necessary, and British Medi-
cal Journal should fall foul of Dr. Payne as the adviser of Government in the conception and issue of it?
it is difficult to realize.
Dr. Payne's well
proved
zeal
October 2,
for the
BOVINE POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS BY MEDICAL MEN.
1882.]
service and the
public
great ability
he
has
district who
withheld the
rejoinder
tributive,
success
to the fierce and
entirely gratuitous personal
attack made upon him in this article quite needless. The case can fortunately be argued on its merits without to retort. In the first place, the object underlying the promulgation of this order, namely the suppression of cattle poisoning, is an exceedingly important one. The Journal, informs its readers jauntily recourse
that the real
"
Bengal, it appears at the present time to custom to poison cows by way of revenge In
or
imaginary injuries." but the real truth
the case, it is, and has
the sake of their hides. It is
sively practised.
one
for
This may or may not be is, that throughout India
the custom to
long been,
be
poison
cows
for
The crime is very extenof those organised and ha-
misdoing which are so hard to detect and extirpate. It is practised by a particular class methods and under circumstances which render its by and discovery suppression peculiarly difficult. The victims are the agriculturists?a poor ignorant helpbitual forms of
less class?who
require
and
element of the ence
to
population
to Cheveiis'
the
Report
to the Annual
"
deserve the more
Manual of Medical
of the
Reports
protection
than any other of the empire. A refer-
of Government and the law
Jurisprudence,"
Cattle Plague Commission,
of Chemical Examiners in the
Presidencies, and to sundry Government records make it plain that the crime with which the Gov-
three will
ernment of
Bengal
has to deal is not
an
isolated and
trivial outcome of revenge, but a widespread and deep rooted system of villainy practised upon the most
useful and industrious inhabitants of the province. In the second place, the service required of Civil Surgeons is one which there is no one else qualified to perform. Government does not hold at its disposal staff of Veterinary Surgeons who could distinguish signs of death by natural causes from those of poisoning, and superintend the selection and transmission
a
of material of such kind and in such
should be
properly
and
profitably
manner
that it
submitted for chemi-
In view of the
cal examination. great prevalence of both cattle disease and cattle poisoning in India the question has been l'epeatedly mooted and discussed whether a civil veterinary service should not be organized, but as yet nothing has been done in this direction. The few Veterinary Surgeons who come to India are either private practitioners in large towns or It is seldom that their services in military employ. are available in civil administration except when in times of
exceptionally
severe
plagues they are temporarily lent to civil governments by the Military department. The Civil Surgeon is the only officer?indeed the only person?at the head-quarters of a civil
task of
aid tlie
can
he has achieved in every capadisplayed in which he has city served, are such as to render any and
in the
important
this great crime, and if his aid is of justice, whether protective or re-
repressing is
magistrate
271
arm
correspondingly paralyzed.
But apart from a consideration of the necessities of the case, there is, in the third place, nothing derogatory to the
dignity
of
a
medical
of
tem examination
a
man
cow
in
making
a
post-mor-
any other animal for
or
the purpose of increasing knowledge or promoting In these days the study of comparative pa-
justice.
high esteem,
is held in
thology
understand how it
can
be
and
pursued
it is difficult
without
to
post-mortem
It has been never, as far as we are a disgrace to Drts. accounted been Murchison, aware, Sanderson and Marcet, when, Brale, Bristowe,
examinations.
request of a commission of the House of Commons, they undertook investigations regarding the pathology of cattle plague, and their reports furnish abundant evidence that they not only superinthe
at
tended but made
post-mortem
examinations and hand-
led material which the Journal
evidently considers would soil not only the hands but the honour of a Nor have the large body of Indian medical man. medical officers who have made cattle plague and cattle
poisoning
subject
a
of
inquiry
and contri-
very substantial share of all that is known on those important matters suffered in name, fame, reputation or promotion in consequence of their buted
a
veterinary
predilections,
tinguished
names in
are
two
one or
We could cite several dis-
support of this assertion, but there
men
named in
the list
supplied by
the Journal itself who have not thought it degrading Che vers claims to handle the carcases of animals.
being the first to bring this very subject of poisoning into prominent notice. Fayrer and Ewart saw no degradation in handling the carcases of snakes, fowls and dogs ; Charles Macnamara dissected monkeys suspected to have died of cholera^
credit for cattle
doubt that Martin and Good eve, Macphersons would have anatomised MacRae and the to a serve purpose scientific cows, horses, or elephants and
or
we
have
useful.
no
Hitherto
one
of the
distinguishing
charac-
ters of the Indian medical officer, and more especially of the Civil Surgeon has been his many-sidedness and
willingness to render useful aid to the authorities whether in the strict line of professional duty or beyond it. A Civil Surgeon is appealed to by his Magistrate in all questions where scientific knowledge is likely to assist administration, and the appeal meets with a ready response even should it concern a rice bug or a Gangetic dolphin. We hope and believe that the Civil his
display the same readiness to place whatever special knowledge he may possess at the disposal of Government and its representatives for good and useful purposes, and we refuse to contemSurgeon
of the future will
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
272
plate
his conversion into the conceited and
prig
which
an
infusion
of the
disputations
spirit displayed by
the B. M. Journal's editorial would stitute him.
[October 2,
1882-
published
and
that
tendency
we
find it necessary to notice them
prominently. The British Medical Journal displays habitually such a jealous regard for the honour and dignity of the profession, and has done so much for the
that its utterances command with
public services,
medical and
rity
at
men
home and abroad well-merited authoIt is therefore all the
weight.
to correct a very
without full
more
needful
pronounced judgment evidently passed
knowledge
or
of the circum-
appreciation
stances of the case, whose effect must be to encourage resistance to authority in a matter affecting the ad-
justice and concerning a large and and industry in India. interest important The facts of the particular case on which the British ministration of
Medical Journal founds
a
sorious editorial article trate
requested who
partment,
to examine the Examiner fused to
temporarily enployed
body
of
cow
a
suspected
in civil to
duty,
have been
the viscera to the Chemical Government. The medical officer re-
and
poisoned
officer
an was
somewhat excited and cencorrectly stated. A Magisof the Army Medical De-
are
forward
to
comply
with the
request, contending that it perform or superintend the part duty cattle. A correspondence examination of post-mortem of his
was no
to
reached Government. The Surconsulted, and Government acting on
ensued whi'ch
finally
geon-General
was
his
advice issued
an
order that the
Magistrate
should
communicate with the Civil Surgeon in cases where well grounded suspicions of poisoning existed, that a butcher should invariably be engaged to perform the work of evisceration, and that the Civil Surgeon should
superintend the removal and despatch of the viscera to the Chemical Examiner. The order thus guards the Civil Surgeon against being harassed m cases which may be merely fictitious or conjectural, provides him with adequate aid for the manual part of the work, and simply imposes 011 him the duty of supervision without which the whole
object
of the
investigation
is
likely
to
be
To any one acquainted with the circumstances of this country, the order of Government must rustrated.
commend itself
why
the
usually
as
most
reasonable and temperate
cautious and
necessary, and British Medi-
cal Journal should fall foul of Dr. Payne as the adviser of Government in the conception and issue of it?
it is difficult to realize.
Dr. Payne's well
proved
zeal
October 2,
for the
BOVINE POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS BY MEDICAL MEN.
1882.]
service and the
public
great ability
he
has
district who
withheld the
rejoinder
tributive,
success
to the fierce and
entirely gratuitous personal
attack made upon him in this article quite needless. The case can fortunately be argued on its merits without to retort. In the first place, the object underlying the promulgation of this order, namely the suppression of cattle poisoning, is an exceedingly important one. The Journal, informs its readers jauntily recourse
that the real
"
Bengal, it appears at the present time to custom to poison cows by way of revenge In
or
imaginary injuries." but the real truth
the case, it is, and has
the sake of their hides. It is
sively practised.
one
for
This may or may not be is, that throughout India
the custom to
long been,
be
poison
cows
for
The crime is very extenof those organised and ha-
misdoing which are so hard to detect and extirpate. It is practised by a particular class methods and under circumstances which render its by and discovery suppression peculiarly difficult. The victims are the agriculturists?a poor ignorant helpbitual forms of
less class?who
require
and
element of the ence
to
population
to Cheveiis'
the
Report
to the Annual
"
deserve the more
Manual of Medical
of the
Reports
protection
than any other of the empire. A refer-
of Government and the law
Jurisprudence,"
Cattle Plague Commission,
of Chemical Examiners in the
Presidencies, and to sundry Government records make it plain that the crime with which the Gov-
three will
ernment of
Bengal
has to deal is not
an
isolated and
trivial outcome of revenge, but a widespread and deep rooted system of villainy practised upon the most
useful and industrious inhabitants of the province. In the second place, the service required of Civil Surgeons is one which there is no one else qualified to perform. Government does not hold at its disposal staff of Veterinary Surgeons who could distinguish signs of death by natural causes from those of poisoning, and superintend the selection and transmission
a
of material of such kind and in such
should be
properly
and
profitably
manner
that it
submitted for chemi-
In view of the
cal examination. great prevalence of both cattle disease and cattle poisoning in India the question has been l'epeatedly mooted and discussed whether a civil veterinary service should not be organized, but as yet nothing has been done in this direction. The few Veterinary Surgeons who come to India are either private practitioners in large towns or It is seldom that their services in military employ. are available in civil administration except when in times of
exceptionally
severe
plagues they are temporarily lent to civil governments by the Military department. The Civil Surgeon is the only officer?indeed the only person?at the head-quarters of a civil
task of
aid tlie
can
he has achieved in every capadisplayed in which he has city served, are such as to render any and
in the
important
this great crime, and if his aid is of justice, whether protective or re-
repressing is
magistrate
271
arm
correspondingly paralyzed.
But apart from a consideration of the necessities of the case, there is, in the third place, nothing derogatory to the
dignity
of
a
medical
of
tem examination
a
man
cow
in
making
a
post-mor-
any other animal for
or
the purpose of increasing knowledge or promoting In these days the study of comparative pa-
justice.
high esteem,
is held in
thology
understand how it
can
be
and
pursued
it is difficult
without
to
post-mortem
It has been never, as far as we are a disgrace to Drts. accounted been Murchison, aware, Sanderson and Marcet, when, Brale, Bristowe,
examinations.
request of a commission of the House of Commons, they undertook investigations regarding the pathology of cattle plague, and their reports furnish abundant evidence that they not only superinthe
at
tended but made
post-mortem
examinations and hand-
led material which the Journal
evidently considers would soil not only the hands but the honour of a Nor have the large body of Indian medical man. medical officers who have made cattle plague and cattle
poisoning
subject
a
of
inquiry
and contri-
very substantial share of all that is known on those important matters suffered in name, fame, reputation or promotion in consequence of their buted
a
veterinary
predilections,
tinguished
names in
are
two
one or
We could cite several dis-
support of this assertion, but there
men
named in
the list
supplied by
the Journal itself who have not thought it degrading Che vers claims to handle the carcases of animals.
being the first to bring this very subject of poisoning into prominent notice. Fayrer and Ewart saw no degradation in handling the carcases of snakes, fowls and dogs ; Charles Macnamara dissected monkeys suspected to have died of cholera^
credit for cattle
doubt that Martin and Good eve, Macphersons would have anatomised MacRae and the to a serve purpose scientific cows, horses, or elephants and
or
we
have
useful.
no
Hitherto
one
of the
distinguishing
charac-
ters of the Indian medical officer, and more especially of the Civil Surgeon has been his many-sidedness and
willingness to render useful aid to the authorities whether in the strict line of professional duty or beyond it. A Civil Surgeon is appealed to by his Magistrate in all questions where scientific knowledge is likely to assist administration, and the appeal meets with a ready response even should it concern a rice bug or a Gangetic dolphin. We hope and believe that the Civil his
display the same readiness to place whatever special knowledge he may possess at the disposal of Government and its representatives for good and useful purposes, and we refuse to contemSurgeon
of the future will
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
272
plate
his conversion into the conceited and
prig
which
an
infusion
of the
disputations
spirit displayed by
the B. M. Journal's editorial would stitute him.
[October 2,
1882-
