Genre:

News-Commentary

Subjects:

Animal Behaviour, Crime, Religious Authority, Cruelty

    Describes the case of a priest who was charged with maltreating an 'encroaching cat' with turpentine. Notes the similarities to the case of a parson who applied turpentine to a dog (see PU1/53/14/4) but observes that, while the parson was acquitted without any stain on his character, the priest was treated differently. Explains that the reason for this was that the cat had gone 'mad' from the pain of the turpentine, and the priest had drowned the animal to end its suffering. Concludes by discussing the 'odious law of comparison' between the cases.