VETERINARY QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2199, 23 April 1896, Page 36

VETERINARY QUERIES.

rA»iw«rU ky t «uIT -oonUled Vetoriaur Bntgfn,Qi«rl« nut ba ncetred by itonxr »l(kt to enrare r»»ly to tkt (matmUßi lime.l P. J. T. — Perhaps your mare 'has been chilled after hard pulling, oausing some chest affection, followed by 'the swelling you mention. Take her into a .stable, 'foment the enlargement, and give her laxative food. J. H M., Waitati.— Without having an examination it would be impossible to «ay whether your heifer is suffering from th« result of on accident or from disease, but for your own safety and the welfare of others you ought to have that point settled at once by getting an expert's opinion. JBlosy.— You will get an anßwerto this query in the one preceding.

Most distressing cases of weakness and oickiiess invariably atari from a cold or cough. Don't taketheruki takeWoods's Great Peppermint Care— ls 6d and 2s 33. gold everywhere,

PASSING NOTES.

Being only a mere man I cannot be expected to enthuse over the "National Convention " of women which has been held at Ohristohurch. Everyone cannot be expected to rise to the occasion like, for instance, Mr J. Hatton, of Dunedin, whose name is somehow familiar in this and cognate directions. But then, of course., it is aot everyone who is so inured to conventional eloquence and the imminence of the political woman as that gentleman, j or perhaps bo well qualified to recognise the necessity there ia for the newvwomen to " help themselves." It is to be regretted that Mr Hatton'o congratulations were-not unanimouily endorsed. Mr Tregear, who seems to be a leading light among tbe ladies, assembled In mimic PaiHament, indeed seemed to hint that Mr Hatton should reserve bis " flattery " for more suitable oocasions, as for instance, in : the conservatory after a dance, though I shbnld not have suspected Mr Hattoi* \p be guilty of this. Such feminine weak\ nesses were not for " women " assembled in conference. I should think not, indeed. What bnsinesa has Mr Hatton, who ought to know muoh better, to even hint that the woman were doing ' anything remarkable in .assembling and discussing the divorce laws, the sweating system, the unemployed question, and so on ? Mr Tregear'a bou! is vexed with indignation when he hears " silly talk " about men oppressing women. And no wonder. We have changed all that. Ni*y,.more: there is growing a shrewd ««piraon that the boot is on tbe other leg. The convention is v going about its' business with a calmness that has something terrible in it.., To, have allowed it to be assumed that they were doing anything but what was proper and natural would have been, to give way to a weakness unworthy of a " National Convention."

Bat as one who is at a babe and a sackling 'in the ways of the advanced woman, may I be permitted to ask: Are things what they seem, or is timodb about} Here we find awoman (certainly she may be excused, being a " Mias " and not a " Mrs ") venturing to suggest that the word " servant " should be abqliehed, and " house assistant " substituted, with the title of Mias in lieu of the plebeian Betsy or Bridget. We are accustomed to smile at the American " wash lady " ; does ■he come in the train of the new woman 7 Is it possible to ennoble servile labour (I mean that which con»ißt«...in surrendering personal inclination to the will of another) by calling it by some high-sounding name 1 I desire to ipeak seriously on this point. Is not this affectation of social equality offensive And calculated to injure 1 If, according to the new code of domestic etiquette. l must ■address our "hired .girl" as "Mies" and generally treat -her as an equal, how can I countenance her gettiiig -up at 7 in the -morning and lighting tbe kitchen fire so that I may have my coffee in bed ? My duty clearly is to get up .and, light the fir* myself and carry her a • cup of coffee to .her bedside. And should I chacce to meet her in the street in -the afteri noon, must I not treat her as a lady aiid doff my-battto her, regardless of the misoonstruotion that Mrs 0. may place upon my conduct ? Pending farther light upon this difficult subject, I, give it up ; and, in the language of the card table, I also " pass " tho following resolution, oarritd at the council without a «3is- ' sentient : — " That, in all cases where a woman eleots to superintend her household, and to be tbe mother of children, there shall be a law attaching a certain juit share of her husband's earnings or income for her separate uee — payable, if she so desire, into her own separate account." I " pass " with emphasis, and if the opportunity comes I shall certainly decline to " make" it.

Tbe " unitary " home system enunciated by Professor Bickerton at tbe convention seems to me to fail in the fundamental particular that it ignores the most important element — viz., human nature. It ' may be that some women would be content to make a home which had nothing to distinguish' it from a number of others in a large building, but such women are not incladed among those of ,my acquaintance. A'group v of dwel-' lings would have a common kitchen, a general washhouso, a common garden; in facfc,-all the domestic arrangements afaould be on the co-operative system. That would mean that every person would be compelled to subordinate individual taste to tbe general system. There would have to be fixed hours and fixed methods for everything. Instead of the unpretending joint that now graces ray dinner table, I shonld have to be conteot with a cut off the joint, just as if I were in an eating bouse, with this difference, that I could not seed it baok if it were not done to my tsmte, because td do so would ba to mortally offend the lady, perhaps my next door neighbour, whose turn it was to officiate in the kitchen. It maybe that it is criminally weak and carnal to have a liking for food prepared- in a certain way, but there it is, and no two tastes agree. It may be that my objection to eating maat burned to a cinder is only fanciful, and though, like tbe male objector at the convention, I am afraid 1 4hall have to wait for my reincarnation before I can overcome, my repugnance to cleaning my own boots, still less those of my neighbour, .that may be only a trifling prejudice that cogent argument and example would remove. But while these prejudices exfet they aie an effectual obstacle to tbe institution of "unitary" homes. I am afraid the advocates of " unitary " homes want to see the fruit before the tree is planted. Another striking feature .of the " unitary" home.scheme is /its aspect of condescension. Mrs Ponsonby de Tompkyas needs no' reform ; it is Mrs Smith or Mrs 'Brown whose lot is dreary and whose life ie drab. But that feature is conspicuous all through tha convention.

In our own fair oity also the women have had a good innings during tbe past week. To the " ladies only " of Dunedin there has been lecturing a certain Dr Emily Brainera Ryder (Miss or Mrs ?) on subjects connected with the health of women and children. Dr Ryder, we are informed, was attired in a " collegiate gown," is " exceedingly amiable in appearance; 11 •"oosseßsw a fascinating

manner, and ia a brilliant .speaker. 1 * How I wißh "that I could have been metamorphosed into a "lady only "for the occasion of one or other of the " health conversaziones " of the talented leoturess. The subject of. £he first lecture was "How Not to be, 111," and I am told by my better half that it was most eloquent and interesting. Unfortunately the learned lady who held forth did not appear to appreciate -the fact that one of the most potent factor* in keeping ladies from not being ill is a constant supply of fresh air, and dire results I geem to have followed. The lecture is said to have lasted for. an hour and a-hal£, and, as the daily papers te»»ly puc it, ".None left fill the conclusion of the discourse, with ' the exception of several ladies ivJio fainteA, .ewiriff to tie intense heat in the hall." Mrs " Oivis " informs me it was very ■hot indeed — the air in the ball I mean, of course, and not the lecture. Poor ODr Ryder .must have bean somewhat taken aback at the unrehearsed faintings that took I plaoe from time-to time. I trust that she Ltook occasion to/warn her hearers of thet dangers of tight-lacing in Its relation to fainting fljtsl - 1 asked my wife who it was that curried out tbe comatose -ladies from the City Hall, buff she somewhat tartly replied that I wanted to know too muob, . and. that of course ended the disoussion.

I have never yet had "the good (of bad)' fortune to serve om» jury: I look upon the jury system, as in 'duty bound, as " onrof the bulwarks of our Constitution," but up till now I have had no opportunity of praotloally testing its merit* or demerits. The .nearest I ever got to ths jury box iras in a criminal' trial some years ago, when I was summoned as a juror, and my name was one of those first called ont by the venerable sheriff.' I. moved towards the jury box, but was told in a peremptory faVhioe to stand down, and iTslun'k away rather abashed. To this day I never have found out why I was challenged— whether the police thought me a suspicious character, or .the prisoner fancied that my features were too intelligent for bis purpose. Naturally, I favour tbe latter auppoiition. I observe that a 'jury got into disgrace in London the other day in a somewhat novel manner. It appears that they had agreed to dlsagrae — six being on one side aad six on the other — almost before retiring,* and it Beemed to them ■ essential that a decent interval shonld elapse before announcing to the judge that they could not agree. The sleepy members suggested a map; but a sportiug gentleman said " Nap," and Nap it was. Tbe sporting gentleman- produced a pack of cards from his pocket, aad Nap .went on merrily for ati hour or more. I have frequently read of tho " elevating and educative effect " of the jury system on the jurymen themselve*, and I now begin to understand what is meant by such noble sentiments.

I bsliove that there is a large number othe Devil's Brigade at present" waiting ont '■' side the door "ot poUticakprofenneu±.~ -The position of Attorney-general is still vacant, and there are at least half a score of staunch . Ministerial lawyers awaiting the' plum frith open months. Oar lcoa'l men : Beem to be rather oat of the running at i present. Mf J. F. M. Fraser baa already been fairly well rewarded for his services to j the present Government of the d#y, and .the . Hon. Dowuie Stewart has apparently lost his chances. I observe^ that in Wellington the latest " tip "is" thSfc Colonel Pitt, of Nelaon, will get the coveted position. Who on earth is " Colonel "" Pitt 1 Is he an American gentleman? or a lineal descendant of the great Commoner of England? When we hear of a real lire " colonel " being a favourite candidate for « high legal office we can almost fancy ourselves in the United States at election time, when colonels and generals are as thick as blackberries.and every second man jou meat is a lawyer or a politician, or i both. Cms.