FARRIERY is the art of curing the diseases of horses.

The practice of this useful art has been hitherto almost entirely confined to a set of men who are totally ignorant of anatomy and the general principles of medicine. It is not therefore surprising, that their prescriptions should be equally absurd as the reasons they give for administering them. It cannot indeed be expected that farriers, who are almost universally illiterate men, should make any real progress in their profession. They prescribe draughts, they rowel, cauterise, &c., without being able to give any other reason for their practice, but because their fathers did so before them. How can such men deduce the cause of a disease from its symptoms, or form a rational method of cure, when they are equally ignorant of the causes of diseases and the operation of medicines?

The miserable state of this useful art, especially in this country, has determined us to select, from the best authors, such a system of practice as seemed to be formed on rational principles; this, we hope, will be a sufficient apology for being so full upon this article.

Sect. I. General Directions with regard to the Management of Horses.

1. It ought to be laid down as a general rule, to give horses as few medicines as possible; and by no means to comply with the ridiculous custom of some, who are frequently bleeding, purging, and giving balls, though their horses be in perfect health, and have no indication that requires such treatment.

2. Proper management in their feeding, exercise, and dressing, will alone cure many disorders, and prevent most; for the simplicity of a horse's diet, which chiefly consists of grain and herbage, when good in kind, and dispensed with judgment, secures him from those complicated disorders which are the general effects of intemperance in the human body.

3. In France, Germany, and Denmark, horses are seldom purged; there they depend much on alternatives; the use of the liver of antimony we have from the French, which is in general a good medicine for that purpose; and may, in many cases, be substituted in the room of purging.

4. As hay is so material an article in a horse's diet, great care should be taken to procure the best: when it is not extraordinary, the dust should be well shook out before it is put in the rack; for such hay is very apt to breed vermin.

5. Beans afford the strongest nourishment of all grain; but are fitted for laborious horses, except on particular occasions. In some seasons they breed a kind of vermin called the red bugs, which is thought to be dangerous; the best method in such a case is to procure them well dried and split.

6. Bran scalded is a kind of panada to a sick horse; but nothing is worse than a too frequent use of it, either dry or scalded; for it relaxes and weakens the bowels too much. The boots in young horses may be owing to too much mulli bran and chaff, given with other foul food to make them up for sale; particular care therefore should be taken that the bran be always sweet and new.

7. Oats, well ripened, make a more hearty and durable diet than barley, and are much better suited to the constitutions of British horses. A proper quantity of cut straw and hay mixed with them, is sometimes very useful to horses troubled with botts, indigestion, &c.

8. Horses who eat their litter, should particularly have cut straw and powdered chalk given them with their feed; as it is a sign of a depraved stomach, which wants correcting.

9. The salt-marshes are good pasture for horses who have been surfeited, and indeed for many other disorders; they purge more by dung and urine than any other pasture, and make afterwards a firmer flesh; their water is for the most part brackish, and of course, as well as the grass, saturated with salts from the sea-water.

10. A summer's grass is often necessary; more particularly to horses glutted with food, and which use little exercise; but a month or two's running is proper for most; those especially who have been worked hard, and have stiff limbs, swelled legs, or wind-galls. Horses whose feet have been impaired by quittors, bad shoeing, or any other accidents, are also best repaired at grass. Those lamenesses particularly require turning out to grass, where the muscles or tendons are contracted or shrunk; for by the continual gentle exercise in the field, with the assistance of a pattin-shoe on the opposite foot, the shortened limb is kept on the stretch, the wasted parts are restored to their ordinary dimensions, and the limb again recovers its usual tone and strength.

11. The fields which lie near great towns, and are much dugged, are not proper pasture for horses; but on observation appear very injurious to them, if they feed thereon all the summer.

12. Horses may be kept abroad all the year, where they have a proper stable or shed to shelter them from the weather, and hay at all times to come to. So treated, they are seldom sick; their limbs are always clean and dry; and, with the allowance of corn, will hunt, and do more business than horses kept constantly within doors.

13. If horses, when taken from grass, should grow hot and coltive, mix bran and chopt hay with their corn; and give them sometimes a feed of scalded bran for a fortnight, or longer; let their exercise and diet be moderate for some time, and increase both by degrees.

14. When horses are foiled in the stable, care should be taken that the herbage is young, tender, and full of lap; whether it be green barley, tares, clover, or anything else the season produces; and that it be cut fresh once every day at least, if not oftener.

15. When horses lose their flesh much in foiling, they should in time be taken to a more solid diet: for it is not in foiling as in grazing; where, tho' a horse loses his flesh at first, yet, after the grass has purged him, he soon grows fat.

16. Young horses who have not done growing, must be indulged more in their feeding, than those come to their maturity; but if their exercise is so little as to make it necessary to abridge their allowance of hay, a little fresh straw should constantly be put in their racks, to prevent their nibbling the manger, and turning cribbers; they should also be sometimes strapped back in order to cure them of this habit.

17. It is obvious to every one, what care should be taken of a horse after violent exercise, that he cool not too fast, and drink no cold water, &c. for which reason we shall waive particular directions.

18. Most horses fed for sale, have the interfaces of their muscles so filled with fat, that their true shapes are hardly known. For which reason a horse just come out of the dealer's hands, should at first be gently used. He ought to lose blood, and have his diet lowered, tho' not too much: walking exercise is most proper at first, two hours in a day; in a week or fortnight two hours at a time, twice a day; after this usage for a month, bleed him again, and give him two or three times a week scalded bran, which will prepare him for purging physic, that may now be given safely, and repeated at the usual intervals.

19. When a horse comes out of a dealer's hands, his cloathing must be abated by degrees, and care taken to put him in a moderately warm stable; otherwise the sudden transition would be attended with the worst consequences.

Sect. II. Some General Directions in regard to Bleeding, Purgings, &c.

1. Horses who stand much in stable, and are full fed, require bleeding now and then; especially when their eyes look heavy, dull, red, and inflamed; as also, when they feel hotter than usual, and mangle their hay.

Young horses should be bled when they are shedding their teeth, as it takes off those feverish heats they are then subject to. But the cases that chiefly require bleeding, are colds, fevers of most kinds, falls, bruises, hurts of the eyes, strains, and all inflammatory disorders, &c.

It is right to bleed a horse, when he begins to grow fleshy at grats, or at any other time when he looks heavy: and it is generally proper to bleed before purging.

Let your horse always be bled by measure, that you may know what quantity you take away: two or three quarts are always enough at one time; when you repeat it, allow for the disorder and the horse's constitution.

Let the blood, when cold, be carefully examined, both as to colour and consistence, whether black, florid, fizzy, &c.

2. Purgings is often necessary in gross full horses, in some disorders of the stomach, liver, &c. but should be directed with caution. Before a purge is given to any horse, it is necessary some preparation should be made for it, in order to render the operation more safe and efficacious: thus a horse that is full of flesh should first be bled, and at the same time have his diet lowered for a week, especially those that have been pampered for sale; several mashes of scalded bran should also previously be given, in order to open the bowels, and unload them of any indurated excrement, which sometimes proves an obstacle to the working of the physic, by creating great sickness and griping.

Let it be remembered, that a horse is purged with difficulty; that the physic generally lies 24 hours in the guts before it works; and, that the tract of bowels it has to pass through, is above 30 yards; and lying horizontally, consequently refrains and other improper drugs may, and often do, by their violent irritations, occasion excessive gripings and cold sweats, shave off the very mucus or lining of the guts, and bring on inflammations, which often terminate in mortifications, and death.

It is remarkable too, that the stomach and guts of a horse are but thin, compared to some other animals of the same bulk, and therefore must be more liable to inflammation and irritation.

Horses kept much in the stable, who have not the proper benefit of air and exercise in proportion to their food, should in spring have a mild purge or two after a previous preparation by bleeding, lowering their diet, and scalded mash.

Horses that fall off in their stomach, whether it proceeds from too full feeding, or ingendering crudities and indigested matter, should have a mild purge or two.

Horses of a hot temperament, will not bear the common aloetic purges; their physic therefore should be mild and cooling.

Purging is always found very beneficial in stubborn dry coughs: but mild mercurials joined with them, make them yet more efficacious.

Horses of a watery constitution, who are subject to swelled legs, that run a sharp briny ichor, cannot have the causes removed any way to effectually as by purging.

The first purge you give to a horse should be mild, in order to know his constitution.

It is a mistaken notion, that if a proper prepared purge does not work to expectation, the horse will be injured by it; for though it does not pass by stool, its operation may be more efficacious as an alternative to purity the blood, and it may pass by urine or other secretions.

Purging medicines are very successfully given in small quantities, mixed with others; and act then as alternatives.

If mercurial physic is given, care should be taken that it be well prepared; and warmer cloathing and greater circumspection are then required.

Purges should be given early in the morning upon an empty stomach: about three or four hours after the horse has taken it, he should have a feed of scalded bran; and a lock or two of hay may then be put into his rack. The same day give him two more mash; but should he refuse warm meat, he may be allowed raw bran.

All his water should be milk-warm, and have a handful of bran squeezed in it; but if he refuses to drink white water, give it him without bran.

Early the next morning give him another mash; but if he refuses to eat it, give him as much warm water as he will drink: let him be properly cloathed, and rode gently about. This should be done two or three times a day, unless he purges violently; once or twice will then be sufficient: at night give him a feed of oats mixed with bran.

During the working, a horse should drink plentifully; but, if he will not drink warm water, he must Of purging be indulged with cold rather than not drink at all.

We shall here infert some general forms of purges.

Take socotrine aloes ten drams, jalap and salt of tartar each two drams, grated ginger one dram, oil of cloves 30 drops; make them into a ball with syrup of buckthorn. Or,

Take aloes and cream of tartar each one ounce, jalap two drams, cloves powdered one dram, syrup of buckthorn a sufficient quantity.

Or the following, which has an established character among sportsmen.

Take aloes from ten drams to an ounce and an half, myrrh and ginger powdered each half an ounce, saffron and oil of anniseed each half a dram.

Mr Gibson recommends the following:

Take socotrine aloes ten drams, myrrh finely powdered half an ounce, saffron and fresh jalap in powder of each a dram; make them into a stiff ball with syrup of roses, then add a small spoonful of rectified oil of amber.

The socotrine aloes should always be preferred to the Barbadoes or plantation aloes; though the latter may be given to robust strong horses; but even then should always be prepared with the salt or cream of tartar, which, by opening its parts, prevents its adhesion to the coats of the stomach and bowels; from whence horrid gripings, and even death itself has often ensued. This caution is well worth remarking, as many a horse hath fallen a sacrifice to the neglect of it.

Half an ounce of Castile soap, to a horse of a gross constitution, may be added to any of the above; and the proportions may be increased for strong horses.

When mercurial physic is intended, give two drams of calomel over night, mixed up with half an ounce of diapente and a little honey, and the purging ball the next morning.

The following, when it can be afforded, is a very gentle and effectual purge, particularly for fine delicate horses; and if prepared with the Indian rhubarb, will not be expensive.

Take of the finest socotrine aloes one ounce, rhubarb powdered half an ounce or six drams, ginger grated one dram; make into a ball with syrup of roses.

The following purging drink may be given with the utmost safety; it may be quickened, or made stronger, by adding an ounce more fennel, or two drams of jalap.

Take fennel two ounces; infuse it in a pint of boiling water two hours, with three drams of salt of tartar; pour off, and dissolve in it four ounces of Glauber's salts, and two or three of cream of tartar.

This last physic is cooling, easy, and quick in its operation; and greatly preferable in all inflammatory cases to any other purge, as it passes into the blood, and operates also by urine.

When horses lose their appetites after purging, it is necessary to give them a warm stomach-drink made of an infusion of camomile-flowers, anniseeds, and saffron; or the cordial ball may be given for that purpose.

Should the purging continue too long, give an ounce of diascordium in an English pint of Port-wine; and repeat it once in 12 hours, if the purging continues. Plenty of gum-arabic water should also be given; and, in case of violent gripes, fat broth glysters, or tripe liquor, should be often thrown up, with 100 drops of laudanum in each.

The arabic solution may be thus prepared.

Take of gum arabic and tragacanth of each four ounces, juniper-berries and caraway-seeds of each an ounce, cloves bruised half an ounce; simmer gently in a gallon of water, till the gums are dissolved; give a quart at a time in half a pail of water; but if he will not take it freely this way, give it him often in a horn.

When a purge does not work, but makes the horse swell, and refuse his food and water, which is sometimes the effect of bad drugs or catching cold, warm diuretics are the only remedy; of which the following are recommended.

Take a pint of white-wine, nitre one ounce; mix with it a dram of camphire, dissolved in a little rectified spirit of wine; then add two drams of oil of juniper, and the same quantity of unrectified oil of amber, and four ounces of honey or syrup of marshmallows.

When a horse swells with much physic, do not suffer him to be rode about till he has some vent; but rather lead him gently in hand till some evacuation is obtained.

As it is observed, that horses more willingly take sweet and palatable things than those that are bitter and of an ill taste, care should be taken that the latter be given in balls, and that their drinks be always contrived to be as little nauseous as possible, and sweetened either with honey or liquorice. Those that are prepared with gross powders are by no means so agreeable to a horse, as those made by infusion; as the former often clam the mouth, irritate the membranes about the palate and throat, and frequently occasion the cough they are intended to prevent.

Balls should be of an oval shape, and not exceed the size of a pullet's egg; when the dose is larger, it should be divided into two; and they should be dipped in oil, to make them slip down the easier.

As we have given some general forms of purges, we shall observe the same rule in regard to glysters, with some few cautions and remarks.

Let it be observed then, that, before the administering emollient glysters in colic disorders, a small hand, well oiled, should be passed up the horse's fundament, in order to bring away any hardened dung, which otherwise would be an obstacle to the glyster's passage.

A bag and pipe of a proper form is to be preferred to a syringe, which throws up the glyster with too much force, that it often surprizes a horse, and makes him reject it as fast as it goes in; whereas the liquor, when pressed gently from the bag, gives him no surprize or uneasiness, but passes easily up into the bowels, where it will sometimes remain a long time, and be extremely useful, by cooling and relaxing them; and will sometimes incorporate so with the dung, as not easily to be distinguished from the other contents of the guts. These emollient glysters are extremely serviceable in most fevers, and greatly preferable to purging ones; which in general are too pungent, and stimulate too much, especially if aloes are a part of the composition.

Nutritive glysters are very necessary, and often save a horse from starving when his jaws are so locked up by convulsions that nothing can be conveyed by the mouth. They should not exceed a quart or three pints at a time, but be often repeated; nor should they be too fat; but made of sheep's heads, trotters, or any other meat-broths, milk pottage, rice-milk strained, and many other such nourishing things. For an emollient glyster, take the following:

Take marshmallows and camomile flowers each a large handful, bay-berries and sweet-fennel seeds bruised each an ounce; boil in a gallon of water to three quarts, pour off into a pan, and dissolve in it half a pound of treacle and a pint of linseed oil or any common oil.

To make it more laxative, add four ounces of lenitive electuary, or the same quantity of cream of tartar, or common purging salts.

Purgative Glyster. Take two or three handfuls of marshmallows, senna one ounce, bitter apple half an ounce, bay-berries and aniseeds bruised each an ounce, salt of tartar half an ounce; boil a quarter of an hour in three quarts of water; pour off, and add four ounces of syrup of buckthorn, and half a pint of oil.

This glyster will purge a horse pretty briskly; and may be given successfully, when an immediate discharge is wanting; especially in some fevers with inflamed lungs, or other disorders, which require speedy relief.

But it is necessary to caution against a solution of coarse alues for this purpose, as it has been found to gripe horses violently, and excite feverish and sometimes convulsive symptoms; and indeed pungent and stimulating medicines, as the stronger purgatives generally are, should be given in this form with great caution.

But the generality of emollient glysters, may be prepared with much less trouble; as two quarts of water-gruel, with half a pound of treacle, a pint of oil, and a handful of common salt, will as effectually answer every purpose. The following is a restringent glyster.

Take pomegranate-bark or oak-bark two ounces, red-rose leaves fresh or dry a handful, balantines an ounce; boil in two quarts of water, till one is near consumed; pour off, and dissolve in it four ounces of diacordium; to which may be added a pint of Port-wine.

This will answer in all common cases where restringents are necessary, but should never be given in larger quantities; for the longer glysters of this kind lie in the bowels, the more efficacious they are.

Sect. III. Of Colds.

By taking cold, we mean that the pores and outlets of the skin (which in a natural healthy state of body are continually breathing out a fine fluid, like the steam arising from hot water, or smoke from fire) are so far shut up, that these steams, or perspirable matter, not having a free passage through them, are hindered from going off in the usual manner; the consequence of which is, their recoiling on the blood, vitiating its quality, overfilling the vessels, and affecting the head, glands or kernels of the neck and throat, the lungs, and other principal parts.

To enumerate the various causes of colds would be endless: the most usual are, riding horses till they are hot, and suffering them to stand in that condition where the air is cold and piercing; removing a horse from a hot stable to a cold one, and too suddenly changing his clothing, whence it is that horses often catch such fevers after they come out of dealers hands; and by not being carefully rubbed down when they come in hot off journeys.

The signs of a horse's catching cold, are a cough, heaviness and dullness, which affect him more or less in proportion to the severity of it: the eyes are sometimes moist and watery, the kernels about the ears and under the jaws swell, the nose gleets, and he rattles in his breathing; and when the cold is violent, the horse will be feverish, his flanks work, and he will both loath his hot meat and refuse his water. When these last symptoms are attended with a slimy mouth, ears, and feet cold, and a great inward soreness, there is danger of a bad fever.

But when the horse coughs strong, snorts after it, is but little off his stomach, pricks up his ears, and moves briskly in his stall, dungs and stales freely, his skin feels kindly, and his coat does not stare, he is in no danger, and there will be no occasion for medicines of any kind; but you should bleed him about two quarts, keep him warm, and give him feeds of scalded ban, with as much warm water as he will drink, in order to dilute his blood.

If the disorder should increase, the horse feel hot, and refuse his meat, bleed him, if strong, two quarts more; and if you are not satisfied without giving medicines, avoid, as you would poison, a farrier's drench; (which is generally composed of some hot, nauseous powders, given in a quantity of ale; which too often increases the fever by overheating the blood, and pulls the horse's stomach by its loathsome taste;) instead of it, infuse two ounces of anniseeds with a dram of saffron, in a pint and a half of boiling water; pour off the clear liquor, and dissolve in it four ounces of honey, to which may be added four spoonfuls of fallad-oil; this drick may be given every night; or one of the following balls, provided there is no fever, in which case it always will be more eligible to give two or three ounces of nitre or salt prunella every day in his feeds or water till it is removed; but should the horse be inclined to coliciveness, remember that his body should be kept open by emollient glysters, or cream of tartar dissolved in his water, to the quantity of three or four ounces a-day.

Pellicular Horse-ball. Take of the fresh powders of anniseed, chicampane, caraway, liquorice, turmeric, and flour of brimstone, each three ounces; juice of liquorice four ounces, dissolved in a sufficient quantity of mountain; saffron powdered half an ounce, fallad-oil and honey half a pound, oil of anniseed one ounce: mix together with wheat-flour enough to make them into a paste.

Or the following from Dr. Bracken.

Take anniseed, caraway seed, and greater cardamoms, finely powdered, of each one ounce, flour of brimstone two ounces, turmeric in fine powder one ounce and a half, saffron two grains, Spanish juice dissolved in water two ounces, oil of anniseed half an ounce, liquorice-powder one ounce and a half, wheat-flour a sufficient quantity to make into a stiff paste by beating all the ingredients well in a mortar.

These balls consist of warm opening ingredients; and, given in small quantities, about the size of a pullet's egg, will encourage a free perspiration; but, in case of a fever, should be cautiously continued. They are much more efficacious. Sect. IV. Of Fevers.

Efficacious and in all cases superior to the farriers drenches, if dissolved in a pint of warm ale.

This simple method, with good nursing and hot mashes, warm water and clothing, especially about the head and throat, which promotes the running at the nostrils, will answer the most sudden colds; and when the horse feeds heartily, and snorts after coughing, moderate exercise every day will hasten his recovery.

To a horse loaded with flesh, a rowel may sometimes be necessary, as may also a gentle purge or two to some, when the distemper is gone off.

Sect. IV. Of Fevers in general.

1. The symptoms of a fever are, Great restlessness; the horse ranging from one end of his rack to the other; his flanks beat; his eyes are red and inflamed; his tongue parched and dry; his breath is hot, and smells strong; he loses his appetite, and nibbles his hay, but does not chew it, and is frequently smelling to the ground; the whole body is hotter than ordinary, (though not parched, as in some inflammatory disorders;) he dungs often, little at a time, usually hard, and in small bits; he sometimes stales with difficulty, and his urine is high-coloured; and he seems to thirst, but drinks little at a time, and often; his pulse beats full and hard, to fifty strokes and upwards in a minute.

The first intention of cure is bleeding, to the quantity of two or three quarts, if the horse is strong; and in good condition: then give him a pint of the following drink, four times a-day; or an ounce of nitre, mixed up into a ball with honey, may be given thrice a-day, instead of the drink, and washed down with three or four horns of any small liquor.

Take of baum, sage, and camomile-flowers, each a handful, liquorice-root sliced half an ounce, salt primel or nitre three ounces; infuse in two quarts of boiling water; when cold, strain off, and squeeze into it the juice of two or three lemons, and sweeten with honey.

As the chief ingredient to be depended on in this drink is the nitre, it may perhaps be as well given in water alone; but as a horse's stomach is soon palled, and he requires palatable medicines, the other ingredients may in that respect have their use. Solely for this purpose advises two ounces of salt of tartar, and one of sal ammoniac, to be dissolved in two quarts of water, and mixed with a pail of common water, adding a handful of bran or barley-flour to qualify the unpleasant taste: this may be given every day, and is a useful medicine.

His diet should be scalded bran, given in small quantities; which if he refuses, let him have dry bran sprinkled with water: put a handful of picked hay into the rack, which a horse will often eat when he will touch nothing else; his water need not be much warmed, but should be given often and in small quantities: his clothing should be moderate; too much heat and weight on a horse being improper in a fever, which scarce ever goes off in critical fevers (as those in the human body terminate), but by strong perspiration.

If in a day or two he begins to eat his bran and pick a little hay, this method with good nursing will answer: but if he refuses to feed, more blood should be taken away, and the drinks continued; to which may be added two or three drams of saffron, avoiding at this time all hotter medicines: the following glyster should be given, which may be repeated every day, especially if his dung is knotty or dry.

Take two handfuls of marshmallows, and one of camomile flowers; fennel-seed an ounce; boil in three quarts of water to two; strain off, and add four ounces of treacle, and a pint of linseed oil or any common oil.

Two quarts of water-gruel, fat broth, or pot-liquor, with the treacle and oil, will answer this purpose; to which may be added a handful of salt. These sort of glysters are more proper than those with purging ingredients.

The following opening drink is very effectual in these fevers; and may be given every other day, when the glysters should be omitted; but the nitre-balls or drink may be continued, except on those days these are taken.

Take of cream of tartar and Glauber's salts, each four ounces; dissolve in barley-water, or any other liquor: an ounce or two of lenitive electuary may be added, or a dram or two of powder of jalap, to quicken the operation in some horses.

Four ounces of Glauber's salts, or cream of tartar, with the same quantity of lenitive electuary, may be given for the same purpose, if the former should not open the body sufficiently.

In four or five days the horse generally begins to pick his hay, and has a seeming relish to food; though his flanks will leave pretty much for a fortnight: yet the temper of his body and return of appetite shew, that nothing more is requisite to complete his recovery, than walking him abroad in the air, and allowing plenty of clean litter to rest him in the stable.

This method of treating a fever is simple, according to the laws of nature; and is confirmed by long experience to be infinitely preferable to the hot method.

The intention here is to lessen the quantity of blood, promote the secretion of urine and perspiration, and cool and dilute the fluids in general.

2. There is another sort of fever that horses are subject to, of a more complicated and irregular nature than the former; which, if not properly treated, often proves fatal.

The signs are, A slow fever, with languishing, and great depressions: the horse is sometimes inwardly hot, and outwardly cold; at other times hot all over, but not to any extreme; his eyes look moist and languid; he has a continual moisture in his mouth, which is the reason he seldom cares to drink, and when he does it is but little at a time. He feeds but little, and leaves off as soon as he has eat a mouthful or two; he moves his jaws in a feeble, loose manner, with an unpleasant grating of his teeth; his body is commonly open; his dung soft and moist, but seldom greasy; his flailing is often irregular, sometimes little, at other times profuse, seldom high-coloured, but rather pale, with little or no sediment.

When a horse's appetite declines daily, till he refuses all meat, it is a bad sign. When the fever doth not diminish, or keep at a stand, but increaseth, the case is then dangerous. But when it sensibly abates, and his mouth grows drier, the grating of his teeth ceases, his appetite mends, and he takes to lay down (which perhaps he has not done for a fortnight), these are promising signs. A horse in these fevers always runs at the nose, nose, but not the kindly white discharge, as in the breaking of a cold, but of a reddish or greenish dusky colour, and of a consistence like glue, and sticks like turpentine to the hair on the inside of the nostrils: If this turns to a gleet of clear thin water, the horse's hide keeps open, and he mends in his appetite; these are certain signs of recovery.

The various and irregular symptoms that attend this slow fever, require great skill to direct the cure, and more knowledge of the symptoms of horses' diseases than the generality of gentlemen are acquainted with. The experienced farrier should therefore be consulted and attended to, in regard to the symptoms; but very seldom as to the application of the remedy, which is generally above their comprehension; though it may be readily selected, by duly attending to the observations here inculcated.

First, then, a moderate quantity of blood, not exceeding three pints, may be taken away, and repeated in proportion to his strength, fullness, inward forensis, cough, or any tendency to inflammation. After this, the fever-drink first above mentioned may be given, with the addition of an ounce of snake-root, and three drams of saffron and camphor dissolved first in a little spirit of wine; the quantity of the nitre may be lessened, and these increased as the symptoms indicate.

The diet should be regular; no oats given, but scalded or raw bran sprinkled; the best flavoured hay should be given by handfuls, and often by hand, as the horse sometimes cannot lift up his head to the rack.

As drinking is so absolutely necessary to dilute the blood, if the horse refuses to drink freely of warm water or gruel, he must be indulged with having the chill only taken off by standing in the stable; nor will any inconvenience ensue, but often an advantage; for the nauseous warmth of water, forced on horses for a time, pall their stomachs, and takes away their appetites, which the cold water generally restores.

Should the fever after this treatment increase, the horse feed little, stale often, his urine being thin and pale, and his dung sometimes loose and at other times hard; should the moisture in his mouth continue, his skin being sometimes dry and at others moist, with his coat looking starting, and surfeited: upon these irregular symptoms, which denote great danger, give the following balls, or drink; for in these cases there is no time to be lost.

Take of contrayerva-root, myrrh, and snake-root, powdered, each two drams, saffron one dram, mithridate or Venice treacle half an ounce; make into a ball with honey, which should be given twice or thrice a day, with two or three horns of an infusion of snake-root sweetened with honey; to a pint and a half of which may be added half a pint of treacle-water or vinegar, which latter is a medicine of excellent use in all kinds of inflammatory and putrid disorders, either external or internal.

Should these balls not prove successful, add to each a dram of camphor, and, where it can be afforded, to a horse of value, the same quantity of castor. Or the following drink may be substituted in their stead for some days.

Take of contrayerva and snake-root of each two ounces, liquorice-root sliced one ounce, saffron two drams; infuse in two quarts of boiling water close covered for two hours; strain off, and add half a pint of distilled vinegar, four ounces of spirit of wine, wherein half an ounce of camphor is dissolved, and two ounces of mithridate or Venice treacle; give a pint of this drink every four, six, or eight hours.

Should the horse be coltive, recourse must be had to glysters, or the opening drink: should he purge, take care not to suppress it, if moderate; but if, by continuance, the horse grows feeble, add discordium to his drinks, instead of the mithridate; if it increases, give more potent remedies.

Let it be remembered, that camphor is a very powerful and effectual medicine in these kinds of putrid fevers; being both active and attenuating, and particularly calculated to promote the secretions of urine and perspiration.

Regard should also be had to his staling; which if in too great quantities, so as manifestly to depress his spirits, should be controlled by proper reftinging, or by preparing his drinks with lime-water. If, on the contrary, it happens that he is too remiss this way, and stale so little as to occasion a fullness and swelling of the body and legs, recourse may be had to the following drink:

Take of salt prunella, or nitre, one ounce; juniperberries, and Venice turpentine, of each half an ounce: make into a ball with oil of amber.

Give him two or three of these balls, at proper intervals, with a decoction of marsh-mallows sweetened with honey.

But if, notwithstanding the method we have laid down, a greenish or reddish gleet is discharged from his nostrils, with a frequent sneezing; if he continues to lose his flesh, and becomes hide-bound; if he altogether forsakes his meat, and daily grows weaker; if he swells about the joints, and his eyes look fixed and dead; if the kernels under his jaws swell, and feel loose; if his tail is raised, and quivers; if his breath smells strong, and a purging ensues with a discharge of fetid dark-coloured matter; his case may then be looked on as desperate, and all future attempts to save him will be fruitless.

The signs of a horse's recovery are known by his hide keeping open, and his skin feeling kindly; his ears and feet will be of a moderate warmth, and his eyes brisk and lively; his nose grows clean and dry; his appetite mends, he lies down well, and both flales and dungs regularly.

Be careful not to overfeed him on his recovery; let his diet be light, feeds small, and increased by degrees as he gets strength: for, by overfeeding, horses have frequent relapses or great surfeits, which are always difficult of cure.

If this fever should be brought to intermit, or prove of the intermitting kind, immediately after the fit is over give an ounce of Jesuit's bark, and repeat it every six hours till the horse has taken four or six ounces; should eruptions or swellings appear, they ought to be encouraged; for they are good symptoms at the decline of a fever, denote a termination of the distemper, and that no further medicines are wanted.

The true reasons, perhaps, why so many horses miscarry in fevers, are, that their masters, or doctors, will not wait with patience, and let nature have fair play; that they generally neglect bleeding sufficiently at first; and are constantly forcing down sugar-sops, or other food, in a horn, as if a horse must be starved in a few days if he did not eat; then they ply him twice or thrice a-day with hot medicines and spirituous drinks, which (excepting a very few cases) must be extremely pernicious to a horse, whose diet is naturally simple, and whose stomach and blood, unaccustomed to such heating medicines, must be greatly injured, and without doubt are often inflamed by such treatment.

Dilute the blood with plenty of water, or white drink; let his diet be warm bran-mashes, and his hay sprinkled. Should the fever rise, which will be known by the symptoms above described, give him an ounce of nitre three times a day in his water, or made up in a ball with honey. Let his body be kept cool and open, with the opening drink, given twice or thrice a week; or an ounce of salt of tartar may be given every day, dissolved in his water, for that purpose, omitting then the nitre.

After a week's treatment in this manner, the cordial ball may be given once or twice a day, with an infusion of liquorice-root sweetened with honey; to which may be added, when the phlegm is tough, or cough dry and hulky, a quarter of a pint of linseed or flax oil, and the same quantity of oxymel squills.

The following cooling purge is very proper to give at the decline of the distemper, and may be repeated three or four times.

Take two ounces of senna, anniseed and fennel bruised each half an ounce; salt of tartar three drams; let them infuse two hours in a pint of boiling water; strain off, and dissolve in it three ounces of Glauber's salt, and two of cream of tartar; give for a dose in the morning.

This purge generally works before night very gently; and in fevers, and all inflammatory disorders, is infinitely preferable to any other physic.

Before we close this section on fevers, it may be no improper hint to the curious, to take notice, that a horse's pulse should more particularly be attended to than is customary, as a proper estimate may thereby be made both of the degree and violence of the fever present, by observing the rapidity of the blood's motion, and the force that the heart and arteries labour with to propel it round. The highest calculation that has been made of the quickness of the pulse in a healthy horse, is, that it beats about forty strokes in a minute; so that in proportion to the increase above this number, the fever is rising, and if farther increased to above fifty the fever is very high.

How often the pulse beats in a minute may easily be discovered by measuring the time with a stop-watch, or minute sand-glass, while your hand is laid on the horse's near side, or your fingers on any artery: those which run up on each side the neck are generally to be seen beating, as well as felt, a little above the chest; and one withinside each leg may be traced with the finger.

A due attention to the pulse is so important an article, in order to form a proper judgment in fevers, that it would appear amazing it has so much been neglected, if one did not recollect, that the generality of farriers are so egregiously ignorant, that they have no manner of conception of the blood's circulation, nor in general have they ability enough to distinguish the difference between an artery and a vein.—With such pretty guardians do we intrust the healths and lives of the most valuable of animals!

Sect. V. Of a Pleurisy, and an Inflammation of the Lungs, &c.

1. These disorders have scarce been mentioned by any writer on farriery before Mr Gibbon; who, by frequently examining the carcases of dead horses, found them subject to the different kinds of inflammations here described.

In order to distinguish these disorders from others, we shall describe the symptoms in Mr Gibbon's own words.

"A pleurisy then, which is an inflammation of the pleura; and a peripneumony, which is an inflammation of the lungs; have symptoms very much alike; with this difference only, that in a pleurisy a horse shews great uneasiness, and shifts about from place to place; the fever, which at first is moderate, rises suddenly very high; in the beginning he often strives to lie down, but starts up again immediately, and frequently turns his head towards the affected side, which has caused many to mistake a pleuritic disorder for the gripes, this sign being common to both, though with this difference: in the gripes, a horse frequently lies down and rolls; and, when they are violent, he will also have convulsive twitches, his eyes being turned up, and his limbs stretched out, as if he were dying; his ears and feet are sometimes occasionally hot, and sometimes as cold as ice; he falls into profuse sweats, and then into cold damps; strives often to stale and dung, but with great pain and difficulty; which symptoms generally continue, till he has some relief: but, in a pleurisy, a horse's ears and feet are always burning hot, his mouth parched and dry, his pulse hard and quick: even sometimes, when he is nigh dying, his fever is continued and increasing; and though in the beginning he makes many motions to lie down, yet afterwards he reins back as far as his collar will permit, and makes not the least offer to change his posture, but stands panting with short stops, and a disposition to cough, till he has relief, or drops down.

"In an inflammation of the lungs, several of the symptoms are the same; only in the beginning he is less active, and never offers to lie down during the whole time of his sickness; his fever is strong, breathing difficult, and attended with a short cough: and whereas, in a pleurisy, a horse's mouth is generally parched and dry; in an inflammation of the lungs, when a horse's mouth is open, a ropy slime will run out in abundance; he gleets also at the nose a reddish or yellowish water, which sticks like glue to the inside of his nostrils.

"In a pleurisy, a horse heaves and works violently at his flanks, with great restlessness, and for the most part his belly is tucked up: but, in an inflammation of the lungs, he always shews fullness; the working of his flanks is regular, except after drinking and shifting his posture; and his ears and feet are for the most part cold, and often in damp sweats".

2. The cure of both these disorders is the same. In the beginning a strong horse may lose three quarts of blood, the next day two quarts more; and, if symptoms do not abate, the bleedings must be repeated, a quart quart at a time; for it is speedy, large, and quick-repeated bleedings that are in these cases chiefly to be depended on. But if a horse has had any previous weakness, or is old, you must bleed him in less quantities, and oftener. Mr Gibson recommends rows on each side the breast, and one on the belly; and a blistering ointment to be rubbed all over his brisket upon the foremost ribs.

The diet and medicines should be both cooling, attenuating, relaxing, and diluting; and the horse should have warm mashes and plenty of water or gruel. The following balls may be given thrice a day.

Take of spermaceti and nitre, each one ounce; oil of anniseed, 30 drops; honey enough to make a ball.

A pint of barley-water, in which figs and liquorice-root have been boiled, should be given after each ball; to which the juice of lemons may be added; and if the lungs are greatly oppressed with a dry short cough, two or three horns full of the decoction may be given three or four times a day, with four spoonfuls of honey and linseed oil. A strong decoction of the rattle-snake-root is also much recommended in pleuritic disorders, and may be given to the quantity of two quarts a day, sweetened with honey. It remarkably attenuates the blood, disperses the inflammation, and in some parts is deemed a specific for this complaint.

An emollient glyster should be injected once a day, to which may be added two ounces of nitre or cream of tartar.

In two or three days he will probably run at the nose, and begin to feed; but should he not, and continue hot and short-breathed, you must bleed him again, and give the following glyster.

Take scamia and marshmallows, of each two ounces; fennel and bay-berries, each one ounce; boil in five pints of clear water, to two quarts; pour off the clear, and add four ounces of purging salts, two or three of syrup of buckthorn, and half a pint of linseed or any common oil.

If by these means he grows cooler, and his pain moderates, repeat the glyster the next day, unless it worked too much; then intermit a day; and when he comes to eat fedded bran and picked hay, leave off the balls, and continue only the decoction, with now and then a glyster.

But let it be observed, that a horse seldom gets the better of these disorders, unless he has relief in a few days; for if the inflammation is not checked in that time, it usually terminates in a gangrene, or collection of matter, which, for want of expectoration, soon suffocates him.

But as pleuritic disorders are apt to leave a taint on the lungs, great care should be taken of the horse's exercise and feeding, which should be light and open for two or three weeks.

There is also an external pleurisy, or inflammation of the muscles between the ribs, which, when not properly treated, proves the foundation of that disorder called the chest-founder; for if the inflammation is not dispersed in time, and the viscid blood and juices so attenuated by internal medicines that a free circulation is obtained, such a stiffness and inactivity will remain on these parts, as will not easily be removed, and which is generally known by the name of chest-founder.

The signs of this inflammation, or external pleurisy, are a stiffness of the body, shoulders, and fore-legs; attended sometimes with a short dry cough, and a shrinking when handled in those parts.

Bleeding, soft pectorals, attenants, and gentle purges, are the internal remedies; and, externally, the parts affected may be bathed with equal parts of spirit of sal ammoniac and ointment of marshmallows or oil of camomile.

These outward inflammations frequently fall into the inside of the fore-legs, and sometimes near the shoulder; forming abscesses, which terminate the disorder.

The membrane which separates the lungs, and more particularly the diaphragm or midriff, is often also inflamed; which is scarce to be distinguished from the pleurisy, only in this, that when the midriff is greatly inflamed, the horse will sometimes be jaw-set, and his mouth so much closed that nothing can be got in; but the method of cure is the same.

Sect. VI. Of a Cough, and Asthma.

The consequence often of the preceding disorders injudiciously treated, are settled habitual coughs; which frequently degenerate into asthmas and broken-wind.

Nothing has more perplexed practitioners than the cure of settled coughs; the cause of which, perhaps, has been their want of attention to the different symptoms which distinguish one cough from another; for without strict observance thereof, it is impossible to find out the true method of cure.

Thus, if a horse's cough is of long standing, attended with loss of appetite, wasting of flesh, and weakness, it denotes a consumption; and that the lungs are full of knotty, hard substances, called tubercles, which have often been discovered on dissection.

The following signs denote when the cough proceeds from phlegm and slimy matter that flop up the vessels of the lungs.

The horse's flanks have a sudden quick motion; he breathes thick, but not with his nostrils open like a horse in a fever or that is broken-winded; his cough is sometimes dry and husky, sometimes moist, before which he wheezes, rattles in the throat, and sometimes throws out of his nose and mouth great gobs of white phlegm, especially after drinking, or when he begins or ends his exercise, which discharge commonly gives great relief. Some such horses wheeze and rattle to such a degree, and are so thick-winded, that they can scarce move on, till they have been out some time in the air; though then they will perform beyond expectation.

The above asthmatic case proves often very obstinate; but, if it happens to a young horse, and the cough is not of long standing, it is greatly relieved, if not totally cured, by the following method.

If the horse is full of flesh, bleed him plentifully; if low in flesh, more sparingly; which may occasionally be repeated, on very great oppressions and difficulty of breathing, in proportionate quantities.

As mercurial medicines are found remarkably useful in these cases, give a mercurial ball (with two drams of calomel) over night, and a common purge next morning; or the following, which is recommended by Mr Gibson.

Take gum-galbanum, ammoniacum, and asa foetida, of each two drams, fine aloes one ounce, saffron one dram, oil of anniseeds two drams, oil of amber one dram; with honey enough to form into a ball.

They may be repeated at proper intervals, with the usual cautions. In the intermediate days, and for some time after, one of the following balls may be given every morning:

Take cinnabar of antimony, finely levigated, six ounces; gum ammoniacum, galbanum, and afa fuscida, of each two ounces; garlic four ounces; saffron half an ounce; make into a paste for balls, with a proper quantity of honey.

Take of the pectoral or cordial ball one pound, balsam of Peru half an ounce, balsam of sulphur annulated one ounce, flowers of benjamin half an ounce, honey as much as is sufficient to form them into a paste; give the size of a pigeon's egg every morning.

Exercise in a free open air is very serviceable, and the diet should be moderate.

The following are the symptoms of a dry cough, or asthma.

The horse afflicted with this cough eats heartily, hunts and goes through his business with alacrity, appears well coated, and has all the signs of perfect health; yet he coughs at particular times almost incessantly, without throwing up anything, except that the violence of the cough will cause a little clear water to distil from his nose. Though this cough is not periodical, yet some of these horses cough most in a morning, after drinking.

This may properly be styled a nervous asthma in a horse, as probably it chiefly affects the nerves in the membranous parts of the lungs and midriff; and is a case very doubtful at least, if not incurable; but when the horse is young, the following method may be successful.

Take away first a moderate quantity of blood; then give him two drams of calomel, mixed up with an ounce of diapente, for two nights; and the next morning a purging ball. Keep him well cloathed and littered, and feed him with scalded bran and warm water.

Once in eight or ten days this purge may be repeated, with one mercurial ball only, given over night.

The following balls may then be taken, one every day, about the size of a pullet's egg, the horse fasting two hours afterwards; and should be continued two months or longer, to be of real service.

Take native cinnabar, or cinnabar of antimony, half a pound; gum guaiacum four ounces; myrrh, and gum armoniac, of each two ounces; Venice soap half a pound; the cinnabar must be finely levigated, as before observed, and the whole mixed up with honey, or oxymel squills.

The following also will be found a useful remedy in obstinate dry coughs.

Take gum ammoniacum, squills, and Venice soap, of each four ounces; balsam of sulphur with anniseeds one ounce; beat up into a mass, and give as the former.

Before we close this section, it may be necessary to observe here, that some young horses are subject to coughs on cutting their teeth; their eyes also are affected from the same cause. In these cases, always bleed; and if the cough is obstinate, repeat it, and give warm mash; which, in general, are alone sufficient to remove this complaint.

Sect. VII. Of a Broken Wind.

This disorder hitherto seems to have been little understood; but Mr Gibson is inclined to think, that the source of it is frequently owing to injudicious or hasty feeding of young horses for sale; by which means the growth of the lungs, and all the contents within the chest, are so increased, and in a few years so prematurely enlarged, that the cavity of the chest is not capacious enough for them to expand themselves in and perform their functions.

A narrow contracted chest with large lungs may sometimes naturally be the cause of this disorder; and it has been observed, that horses rising eight years old are as liable to this distemper, as, at a certain period of life, men are to fall into asthmas, consumptions, and chronic diseases.

The reason why this disorder becomes more apparent at this age, may be, that a horse comes to his full strength and maturity at this time; at five, he commonly finishes his growth in height; after that time he lets down his belly and spreads, and all his parts are grown to their full extent; so that the pressure on the lungs and midriff is now more increased.

But how little weightsoever these reasons may have, repeated dissections have given ocular proofs of a supernatural largeness, not only of the lungs of broken-winded horses, but of their heart and its bag, and of the membrane which divides the chest; as well as of a remarkable thinness in the diaphragm, or midriff.

This disproportion has been observed to be so great, that the heart and lungs have been almost of twice their natural size, perfectly sound, and without any ulceration whatever, or any defect in the wind-pipe or its glands.

Hence it appears, that this enormous size of the lungs, and the space they occupy, by hindering the free action of the midriff, is the chief cause of this disorder; and as the substance of the lungs was found more fleshy than usual, they of course must lose a great deal of their spring and tone.

Whoever considers a broken-wind in this light, must own that it may be reckoned among the incurable distempers of horses; and that all the boasted pretensions to cure are vain and frivolous, since the utmost skill can amount to no more than now and then palliating the symptoms, and mitigating their violence.

We shall therefore only lay down such methods as may probably prevent this disorder, when pursued in time. But if they should not succeed, we shall offer some remedies and rules to mitigate its force, and make a horse as useful as possible under this malady.

It is usual, before a broken wind appears, for a horse to have a dry obstinate cough, without any visible sickness or loss of appetite; but, on the contrary, a disposition to foul feeding, eating the litter, and drinking much water.

In order then to prevent, as much as possible, this disorder, bleed him, and give him the mercurial physic above prescribed, which should be repeated two or three times.

The following balls are then to be taken for some time, which have been found extremely efficacious in removing removing obstinate coughs.

Take aurum mosaicum, finely powdered, eight ounces; myrrh and elicampane, powdered, each four ounces; annifeeds and bay-berries, each an ounce; saffron, half an ounce; make into balls with oxymel squills.

The aurum mosaicum is made of equal parts of quicksilver, tin, sal ammoniac, and sulphur. We give this medicine as strongly recommended by Mr Gibbon; but how far the aurum mosaicum may contribute to its efficiency, may perhaps justly be doubted: as a substitute in its room, therefore, for this purpose, we recommend the same quantity of powdered squills, or gum ammoniacum, or equal parts of each.

Broken-winded horses should eat sparingly of hay, which as well as their corn may be wetted with chamber ley, or fair water; as this will make them less craving after water.

The volatile salts in the urine may make it preferable to water, and may be the reason why garlic is found so efficacious in these cases; two or three cloves given at a time in a feed, or three ounces of garlic bruised, and boiled in a quart of milk and water, and given every other morning for a fortnight, having been found very serviceable; for by warming and stimulating the solids, and dissolving the tenacious juices which choke up the vessels of the lungs, these complaints are greatly relieved.

Careful feeding, and moderate exercise, has greatly relieved broken-winded horses.

Horses sent to graze in order to be cured of an obstinate cough, have often returned completely broken-winded, where the pasture has been rich and succulent, so that they have had their bellies constantly full. As the ill consequence therefore is obvious, where you have not the convenience of turning out your horse for a constancy, you may foil him for a month or two with young green barley, tares, or any other young herbage.

To purify thick-winded horses, Barbadoes and common tar have often been given with success to the quantity of two spoonfuls mixed with the yolk of an egg, dissolved in warm ale, and given fasting two or three times a-week, especially those days you hunt or travel.

But in order to make all these sorts of horses of any real service to you, the grand point is to have a particular regard to their diet, observing a just economy both in that and their exercise; giving but a moderate quantity of hay, corn, or water, at a time, and moistening the former, to prevent their requiring too much of the latter, and never exercising them but with moderation, as has before been observed. The following alternative ball may be given once a fortnight or three weeks; and as it operates very gently, and requires no confinement but on those days it is given (when warm meat and water are necessary), it may be continued for two or three months.

Take focotorine aloes six drams; myrrh, galbanum, and ammoniacum, of each two drams; bay-berries half an ounce; make into a ball with a spoonful of oil of amber, and a sufficient quantity of syrup of buckthorn.

Sect. VIII. Of a Consumption.

When a consumption proceeds from a defect in a horse's lungs or any principal bowel, the eyes look dull; the ears and feet are mostly hot; he coughs sharply by fits; freezes much, and frequently groans with it; his flanks have a quick motion; he gleets often at the nose, and sometimes throws out a yellowish curdled matter; and he has little appetite to hay, but will eat corn, after which he generally grows hot.

As to the cure, one of the principal things is bleeding in small quantities (a pint, or pint and half, from some horses is sufficient), which should be repeated as often as the breath is more than ordinarily oppressed. Pectorals may be given to palliate present symptoms; but as disfections have discovered both the glands of the lungs and mesentery to be swelled, and often indurated, the whole frets lies on mercurial purges, and the following ponderous alternatives, given intermediately.

Take native cinnabar, or cinnabar of antimony, one pound, powdered very fine, and add the same quantity of gum guaiacum and nitre; give the horse an ounce of this powder twice a-day, wetting his feeds.

The spring grass is often extremely serviceable; but the salt marshes are to be preferred, and to be more depended on than medicines; for great alterations are thereby made in the blood and juices, and no small benefit arises from open air and proper exercise.

Sect. IX. Of an Apoplexy or Staggers, Convulsive Disorders, Lethargy, Epilepsy, and Palsy.

Farriers generally include all distempers of the head under two denominations, viz. staggers and convulsions, wherein they always suppose the head primarily affected. But in treating these disorders, we will distinguish between those that are peculiar to the head, as having their source originally thence; and those that are only concomitants of some other disease.

In an apoplexy a horse drops down suddenly, without other seizure or motion than a working at his flanks.

The previous symptoms are, drowsiness; watery eyes, somewhat full and inflamed; a disposition to reel; feebleness; a bad appetite; the head almost constantly hanging, or resting on the manger; sometimes with little or no fever, and scarce any alteration in the dung or urine; the horse is sometimes disposed to rear up, and apt to fall back when handled about the head; which is often the case with young horses, to which it does not suddenly prove mortal, but with proper help they may sometimes recover. If the apoplexy proceeds from wounds or blows on the head, or matter on the brain; besides the above symptoms, the horse will be frantic by fits, especially after his feeds, so as to start and fly at every thing. These cases seldom admit of a perfect recovery; and when horses fall down suddenly, and work violently at their flanks, without any ability to rise after a plentiful bleeding, they seldom recover.

All that can be done is to empty the vessels as speedily as possible, by striking the veins in several parts at once, bleeding to four or five quarts; and to raise up the horse's head and shoulders, supporting them with plenty of straw. If he survives the fit, cut several rowsels; give him night and morning glysters prepared with a strong decoction of fennel and salt, or the purging glyster mentioned in the directions; blow once a day up his nostrils a dram of powder of safranaca, which will promote a great discharge; afterwards two or three aloetic purges should be given; and to secure him from a relapse, by attenuating and thinning his blood, give him an ounce of equal parts of antimony and crocus metallorum for a month; or, which is preferable, the same quantity of cinnabar of antimony and gum guaiacum.

If the fit proceeds only from fulness of blood, high feeding, and want of sufficient exercise, or a fizzy blood (which is often the case with young horses, who though they reel, stagger, and sometimes suddenly fall down, yet are easily cured by the above method), an opening diet with scalded bran and barley will be necessary for some time; and the bleeding may be repeated in small quantities.

As to the other disorders of the head, such as lethargy or sleeping evil, epilepsy or falling sicknesses, vertigo, frenzy, and madness, convulsions, and paralytical disorders, as they are most of them to be treated as the apoplexy and epilepsy, by bleeding and evacuations, with the alteratives there directed, we shall ware treating of them separately; but mention some particular rules to distinguish them, according to the plan we laid down; and then offer some general remedies for the several purposes.

In an epilepsy, or falling sickness, the horse reels and staggers, his eyes are fixed in his head, he has no sense of what he is doing; he stales and dungs insensibly, he runs round and falls suddenly; sometimes he is immovable, with his legs stretched out as if he was dead, except only a quick motion of his heart and lungs, which causes a violent working of his flanks; sometimes he has involuntary motions, and shaking of his limbs, so strong, that he has not only beat and spurned his litter, but the pavement with it; and with these alternate symptoms a horse has continued more than three hours, and then has as surprisingly recovered: at the going off of the fit, he generally foams at the mouth, the foam being white and dry, like what comes from a healthy horse when he chaps on the bit.

But in all kinds of gripes, whether they proceed from disorders in the guts, or retention of urine, a horse is often up and down, rolls and tumbles about; and when he goes to lie down, generally makes several motions with great seeming carefulness, which shews he has a sense of his pain; and if he lays stretched out for any time, it is generally but for a short space.

Epilepsies and convulsions may arise from blows on the head, too violent exercise, and hard straining; and from a fulness of blood, or impoverished blood, and surfeits; which are some of the causes that denote the original disorder.

In lethargic disorders, the horse generally rests his head with his mouth in the manger, and his pole often inclined to one side; he will shew an inclination to eat, but generally falls asleep with his food in his mouth, and he frequently swallows it whole without chewing: emollient glysters are extremely necessary in this case, with the nervous balls recommended for the staggers and convulsions; strong purges are not requisite, nor must you bleed in too large quantities, unless the horse be young and lusty. In old horses, rowels and large evacuations are improper; but volatiles of all kinds are of use, when they can be afforded: the alternative purge mentioned at the end of this section may be given, and repeated on amendment.

This distemper is to be cured by these means, if the horse is not old and past his vigour. It is a good sign if he has a tolerable appetite, and drinks freely without flabbergasting; and if he lies down, and rises up carefully, though it be but seldom.

But if a lethargic horse does not lie down; if he is altogether stupid and careless, and takes no notice of anything that comes near him; if he dungs and stales seldom, and even while he sleeps and dozes; it is a bad sign: if he runs at the nose thick white matter, it may relieve him; but if a viscid gleet, that sticks to his nostrils like glue, turn to a profuse running of ropy, reddish and greenish matter, it is an infallible sign of a great decay of nature, and that it will prove deadly.

Young horses from four to six years, are very subject to convulsions, from botts in the spring; and the large coach breed, more than the saddler. They are seized without any previous notice; and if botts and worms are discovered in their dung, the cause seems to be out of doubt, more especially if they have lately come out of a dealer's hands.

When this convulsion proceeds from a distemperature of the midriff, or any of the principal bowels, it is to be distinguished from botts and vermin by previous symptoms; the horse falls off his stomach, and grows gradually weak, feeble, and dispirited in his work, and turns short-breathed with the least exercise.

The lively description of that universal cramp or convulsion, called by some the flag-eoil, which seizes all the muscles of the body at once, and locks up the jaws, so that it is impossible almost to force them open, we shall give in Mr Gibbon's own words, who says: As soon as the horse is seized, his head is raised with his nose towards the rack, his ears pricked up, and his tail cocked, looking with eagerness as an hungry horse when hay is put down to him, or like a high-spirited horse when he is put upon his mettle; insomuch, that those who are strangers to such things, when they see a horse stand in this manner, will scarce believe any thing of consequence ails him; but they are soon convinced, when they see other symptoms come on apace, and that his neck grows stiff, cramped, and almost immovable: and if a horse in this condition lives a few days, several knots will arise on the tendinous parts thereof, and all the muscles both before and behind will be so much pulled and cramped, and so stretched, that he looks as if he was nailed to the pavement, with his legs stiff, wide, and straddling; his skin is drawn so tight on all parts of the body, that it is almost impossible to move it; and if trial be made to make him walk, he is ready to fall at every step, unless he be carefully supported; his eyes are so fixed with the inaction of the muscles, as give him a deadness in his looks; he snorts and sneezes often, pants continually with shortness of breath; and this symptom increases continually till he drops down dead; which generally happens in a few days, unless some sudden and very effectual turn can be given to the distemper.

In all these cases the horse should first be bled plentifully, unless he is low in flesh, old, or lately come off any hard continued duty; then you must be more sparing of his blood: afterwards give the following ball.

Take asa fetida half an ounce, Russia castor powdered two drams, valerian root powdered one ounce; make into a ball with honey and oil of amber. This ball may be given twice a day at first; and then once, washed down with a decoction of mistletoe or valerian sweetened with liquorice or honey: an ounce of asa foetida may be tied up in a piece of strong coarse linen rag, and put behind his grinders to champ on.

The laxative purges and emollient glysters should be given immediately to keep the body open; but when the former balls have been taken a week or ten days, the following may be given once a day with the valerian decoction.

Take cinnabar of antimony five drams; asa foetida half an ounce; arilloblochia, myrrh, and bay-berries, each two drams; make into a ball with treacle and oil of amber.

This is the most effectual method of treating these disorders; but when they are suspected to arise from baths, and worms, which is generally the case, mercurial medicines must lead the way, thus:

Take mercurius dulcis and philonium, of each half an ounce; make into a ball with conserves of roses, and give the horse immediately; half the quantity may be repeated in four or five days.

The following infusion should then be given, to the quantity of three or four horns, three or four times a day, till the symptoms abate; when the above nervous balls may be continued till they are removed.

Take penny-royal and rose of each two large handfuls, camomile flowers one handful, asa foetida and caltrop of each half an ounce, saffron and liquorice-root sliced of each two drams; infuse in two quarts of boiling water; pour off from the ingredients as wanted.

If the caltrop is omitted, add an ounce of asa foetida.

The following ointment may be rubbed into the cheeks, temples, neck, shoulders, spine of the back, and loins, and wherever there is the greatest contractions and stiffness.

Take nerve and marshmallow ointment of each four ounces, oil of amber two ounces, with a sufficient quantity of camphorated spirit of wine; make a liniment.

When the jaws are so locked up that medicines cannot be given by the mouth, it is more eligible to give them by way of glyster: for forcing open the jaws by violence often puts a horse into such agonies, that the symptoms are thereby increased.

In this case also he must be supported by nourishing glysters, made of milk-pottage, broths, &c., which must be given to the quantity of three or four quarts a day: glysters of this kind will be retained, and absorbed into the blood; and there have been instances of horses thus supported for three weeks together, who must otherwise have perished.

Mr Gibbon mentions some extraordinary instances of success in cases of this sort by these methods, and repeated frictions, which are extremely serviceable in all convulsive disorders, and often prevent their being jaw-set; they should be applied with unwearied diligence every two or three hours, where-ever any stiffness or contractions in the muscles appear; for a horse in this condition never lies down till they are in some measure removed.

The use of rowels in these cases is generally unsuccessful, the skin being so tense and tight, that they seldom digest kindly, and sometimes mortify; so that if they are applied they should be put under the jaws, and in the breast.

Thered-hot iron so frequently run through the foretop and mane, near the occipital bone, for this purpose, has often been found to have destroyed the cervical ligament.

In paralytic disorders, where the use of a limb or limbs is taken away, the internals above recommended should be given, in order to warm, invigorate, and attenuate the blood; and the following stimulating embrocation should be rubbed into the parts affected.

Take oil of turpentine four ounces, nerve ointment and oil of bays of each two ounces, camphor rubbed fine one ounce, rectified oil of amber three ounces, tincture of cantharides one ounce.

With this liniment the parts affected should be well bathed for a considerable time, to make it penetrate; and when the bind parts chiefly are lame, the back and loins should be well rubbed with the same. To the nervous medicines above recommended, may be added snake-root, contrayerva, mustard-seed, horseradish root steeped in strong beer, or wine where it can be afforded. Take the following for an example, which may be given to the quantity of three pints a day alone, or two horns full may taken after the nervous balls.

Take snake-root, contrayerva, and valerian, of each half an ounce; mustard-seed and horseradish root scraped, of each two ounces; long pepper two drams: infuse in three pints of strong wine.

When the horse is recovering from any of the above disorders, the following alternative purge may be repeated two or three times, as it operates very gently.

Take fucotorine aloes one ounce, myrrh half an ounce, asa foetida and gum ammoniacum of each two drams, saffron one dram; make into a ball with any syrup.

Where a retention of dung is the cause of this disorder, the great gut should first be raked thoroughly with a small hand, after which plenty of emollient oily glysters should be thrown up, and the opening drink given, till the bowels are thoroughly emptied of their imprisoned dung. Their diet should for some days be opening, and consist chiefly of scalded bran, with flour of brimstone, scalded barley, &c.

Sect. X. Of the Strangles, and Vives.

1. The strangles is a distemper to which colts and young horses are very subject; and begins with a swelling between the jaw-bones, which sometimes extends to the muscles of the tongue; and is attended with so great heat, pain, and inflammation, that sometimes, till matter is formed, the horse swallows with the utmost difficulty.

The symptoms are, extraordinary heat and feverishness, with a painful cough, and a great inclination to drink without being able; some horses losing their appetite entirely, others eating but little, by reason of the pain which chewing and swallowing occasions: when the swelling begins on the inside of the jaw-bones, it is much longer in coming to matter than when more to the middle; when it arises among the glands, and divides into several tumours, the cure is generally tedious, as it breaks in different places; and when it forms upwards on the wind-pipe and gullet, there is sometimes danger of suffocation, unless the swelling soon Of the Vives.

But the most dangerous kind is, when, besides the above symptoms, the horse runs at the nose; this is by some called the baffard strangles.

As this disorder seems to be critical, the most approved method is to assist nature in bringing the swellings to maturity, by keeping them constantly moist with ointment of marshmallows, and covering the head and neck with a warm hood. But as all swellings in glandular parts suppurate slowly, the following poultice may be applied hot twice a day:

Take leaves of marshmallows ten handfuls, white lily root half a pound, linseed and fenugreek seed bruised, each four ounces; boil them in two quarts of water till the whole is pulpy; and add four ounces of ointment of marshmallows, and a sufficient quantity of hogs-lard, to prevent its growing stiff and dry.

In five or six days, by these means, the matter is generally formed, and makes its way through the skin; and if the discharge is made freely and with ease, the opening need not be enlarged; but should be dressed with the following ointment spread on tow, still containing the poultice over it to promote the digestion, and prevent any remaining hardness.

Take rosin and Burgundy pitch of each a pound and a half, honey and common turpentine each eight ounces, yellow wax four ounces, hogs-lard one pound, verdigris finely powdered one ounce; melt the ingredients together, but do not put in the verdigris till removed from the fire; and it should be stirred in by degrees, till the whole is grown stiff and cool.

If the fever and inflammation run high, and the swelling be so situated as to endanger suffocation, a moderate quantity of blood must be taken away, and the remainder diluted with plenty of water-gruel, or warm water, mash, &c.

The running at the nose which often attends the strangles is dangerous, especially if it continues after they have ripened and broke, as the horse will be greatly weakened thereby. To prevent this waste and decay, give him every day for some time an ounce of Jesuit's bark; or a strong decoction of guaiacum shavings, which hath been found extremely beneficial in restraining these glandular discharges when too liberal, and in drying up ulcers of all kinds in horses.

If a hardness remains after the sores are healed up, they may be anointed with the mercurial ointment; and when the horse has recovered his strength, purging will be necessary.

2. The vives or ives differ from the strangles only in this; that the swellings of the kernels under the ears of the horse, (which are the parts at first chiefly affected), seldom gather, or come to matter, but by degrees perish off and disperse by warm cloathing, anointing with the marshmallow ointment, and a moderate bleeding or two. But should the inflammation continue notwithstanding those means, a suppuration must be promoted by the methods above recommended in the strangles.

When these swellings appear in an old or full-aged horse, they are signs of great malignity, and often of an inward decay, as well as forerunners of the glanders.

The mercurial ointment above-mentioned, may be prepared thus:

Take of crude mercury or quicksilver one ounce, Venice turpentine half an ounce; rub together in a mortar till the globules of the quicksilver are no longer visible; then add two ounces of hogs-lard.

Sect. XI. Of the Diseases of the Eyes.

1. In order to make the disorders of the eyes well understood, we shall consider them as arising from different causes; external injuries affecting the globe of the eye; and from internal causes affecting the humours within the globe. We shall consider also the eye as naturally weak from a bad conformation, which possibly may often be hereditary.

2. In all recent disorders of the eye from external injuries, such as blows, bites, &c., attended with a swelling of the lid, and a running from the eye, you must first sponge the part often with cold spring-water and vinegar; and if much swollen, bleed immediately, and apply over it a poultice made of the pulps of roasted or boiled apples, cleared from their seeds and husks; or of conserve of roses and vinegar, with a little bole, and the white of an egg. When the swelling is abated, either of the following washes will complete the cure.

Take white vitriol half an ounce, sugar of lead two drams; dissolve in a pint of spring-water; to which may occasionally be added, when the rheum is very great, and inflammation removed, half an ounce of tufft or compound powder of cerus.

3. Let the eye and eyelid be bathed three or four times a day with a clean sponge dipped in this wash; or it may be applied with a feather, leaving a few drops on the eye. When the veins under the eye have been turgid, opening them with a lancet has often been found successful.

4. Mr. Gibbon, from his own experience, recommends the following, with which alone he has succeeded in most common cases.

Take two drams of rose-buds, infuse them in half a pint of boiling water; when cold, pour off the infusion, and add to it twenty grains of sugar of lead.

This is to be used as the former; but the quantity of sugar of lead may occasionally be increased.

5. Sometimes from the violence of the inflammation, succeeding blows, and external injuries, the coats of the eye shall lose their transparency, thicken, and turn white or of a pearl-colour; in the latter case, the horse has some glimmering of light; in the former, he is blind while the eye continues in this state.

6. If the horse be fleety and of a gross constitution, bleeding may be repeated, and a rowel will be necessary; let his diet be scalded bran or barley; avoiding for some days oats, beans, or any thing hard to chew.

The cooling opening drink, (p. 5, col. 2, par. 4.) should be given every other day, which will answer better than aloetic purges.

7. If the eyelids continue swelled and moist, and the under side of the eye inflamed, an ounce of honey may be added to four ounces of the above waters; or the part may be well bathed with an ounce of honey of roses, and half a dram of sugar of lead, dissolved in three ounces of spring-water; to which may be added, when the eye is very watery, a spoonful or two of red wine, which will help to thicken the matter and dry it up. 8. If a film or thick flough should remain, it may be taken off, by blowing into the eye equal parts of white vitriol and sugar-candy finely powdered.

Glaiss finely powdered, mixed up with honey and a little fresh butter, is much recommended by Dr. Bracken for this purpose; as also the following ointment.

Take ointment of tatty one ounce, honey of roses two drams, white vitriol burnt one scruple; this, with a feather, may be smeared over the eye twice a day.

9. Let it be remembered, that it has long been observed in practice, that the eye in its first state of inflammation is so very tender, that the eye-waters prepared with tatty and other powders aggravate the disorder; consequently, during this state, the tinctures of vegetables and solutions of salts are greatly preferable.

10. Wounds of the eye may be dressed with honey of roses alone, or with a little sugar of lead mixed with it; adding thereto, after a few days, an eighth part of tincture of myrrh; all the preceding directions in regard to inflammation being attended to, especially bleeding, rowels, and gentle cooling physic.

11. When the humours of the eye are thickened, and the disorder is within the globe, sharp internal applications are not only useless, but extremely detrimental by the irritation they occasion, and consequently should be avoided.

12. In all cases of this sort, whether moon-eyes, which are only cataracts forming, or in confirmed ones attended with a weeping; general evacuations, with internal alternatives, can only take place.

These generally make their appearance, when a horse is turned five coming six; at which time one eye becomes clouded, the eyelids being swelled, and very often shut up; and a thin water generally runs from the disfigured eye down the cheek, so sharp as sometimes to excoriate the skin; the veins of the temple, under the eye, and along the nose, are turgid and full; though sometimes it happens that the eye runs but little.

This disorder comes and goes till the cataract is ripe; then all pain and running disappears, and the horse becomes totally blind, which is generally in about two years. During this time some horses have more frequent returns than others; which continue in some a week or more, in others three or four; returning once in two or three months, and they are seldom so long as five without a relapse.

13. There is another kind of moon-blindness which is also the forerunner of cataracts, where no humour or weeping attends. The eye is never shut up or closed here, but will now and then look thick and troubled, at which time the horse sees nothing distinctly; when the eyes appear sunk and perishing, the cataracts are longer coming to maturity; and it is not unusual in this case for one eye to escape.

These cases generally end in blindness of one if not of both eyes; the most promising signs of recovery are when the attacks come more seldom, and their continuance grows shorter, and that they leave the cornea clear and transparent, and the globe plump and full.

14. The attempts to cure the cataracts have hitherto been only palliative and mitigating the symptoms; yet early care has sometimes been successful. To this end the horse should be rowelled and bled at proper intervals; except where the eyes appear sunk and perishing, where it is often pernicious. During the violence of the symptoms, observe the cooling treatment above recommended, giving him two ounces of nitre every day mixed into a ball with honey; and bathe the parts above the eye with vinegar, or vinegar, wherein rose-leaves are infused; to four ounces of which, half a dram of sugar of lead may be added. The swelling on the lid may afterwards be bathed with a sponge dipped in equal parts of lime and Hungary water, mixed together; the cooling physic, (p. 3, col. 1, par. 4, from bottom) should be given every fourth day, till the eye becomes clear, and recovers, its usual brightness. The following is also very proper physic for this purpose.

Take lenitive electuary and cream of tartar of each four ounces, Glauber's salts three ounces, syrup of buckthorn two ounces.

When the weeping is by these means removed, the alterative powders (See the section, Of Alterative Medicines) should be given every day, till two or three pounds are taken, and after an interval of three months the same course should be repeated. This method has often been attended with good success, where the eyes have been full, and no way perished; in that case, bathe or foment them with the following, twice a day.

Take crude sal armoniac two drams, dissolve in a pint of lime-water, and add to it four ounces of brandy or Hungary water.

This will act as a stimulus, and may help to thin and rarify the gummy juices, and bring new supplies of nourishment to the perishing eyes.

This course not succeeding, in order more powerfully to open the vessels of the crystalline humour, (which in these cases is always found opake, and, when the cataract is confirmed, entirely loses its transparency,) and hinder as much as possible the forming of obstructions, mercurials are chiefly to be depended on; thus give every other day, for three or four mornings, two drams of calomel, mixed up with conserve of roses; and then purge off with the common ball.

During this course, particular care should be taken of the horse; after repeating this, the alternative powders before-mentioned should be given for some weeks or months if you expect any benefit from them; or they may be beat up into a ball with live milpepes, and an ounce and a half given every day; if these should not succeed, and the horse is a valuable one, the turbith course recommended in the section on alternatives seems to be the most promising method left.

But to horses that are not fo, an ounce of antimony, ground into an impalpable powder, may be given every day in one of his feeds for three months or longer; or a strong decoction of guaiacum shavings may be given for some time, to which crude antimony may be added, in the following manner.

Take guaiacum shavings one pound, crude antimony tied in a rag the same quantity; boil in two gallons of forge-water to one, and give a quart a day, either alone, or mixed with his water.

15. The haws is a swelling and sponginess that grows in the inner corner of the eye, so large sometimes as to cover a part of the eye. The operation here is easily performed by cutting part of it away; but the farriers are apt to cut away too much; the wound may be dressed with honey of roses; and if a fungus or spongy flesh arises, it should be sprinkled with burnt alum, or touched Sect. XII. Of the Glanders.

The cause and seat of the glanders has till lately been so imperfectly handled, and so little understood by the writers of this distemper, that it is no wonder it should be ranked among the incurables; but a new light having been thrown on this whole affair by the study of M. La Fosse, the king of France's farrier, who has been at the pains to trace out, and discover, by dissections, the source and cause of this disorder; we hope the method he has proposed, with some further experiments and improvements, will soon bring to a certainty of cure (in most cases at least) a distemper so dangerous to our horses, and that hitherto has eluded the force of art.

M. de la Fosse has distinguished seven different kinds of glanders, four of which are incurable.

The first proceeds from ulcerated lungs, the purulent matter of which comes up the trachea, and is discharged through the nostrils, like a whitish liquor, sometimes appearing in lumps and grumous; in this disorder, though the matter is discharged from the nostrils, yet the malady is solely in the lungs.

The second is a wasting humour, which usually seizes horses at the decline of a disease, caused by too hard labour; this defluxion also proceeds from the lungs.

The third is a malignant discharge, which attends the strangles sometimes, and falls upon the lungs, which runs off by the nostrils.

The fourth is, when an acrimonious humour in the farcy seizes these parts, where it soon makes terrible havoc.

The fifth kind we shall describe by and by, as arising from taking cold.

The sixth kind is a discharge from the strangles, which sometimes vents itself at the nostrils.

These are the various disorders which have been observed sometimes to throw matter out from the nostrils; let us now describe the real glanders.

The matter, then, discharged from the nostrils of a glandered horse, is either white, yellow, or greenish, sometimes streaked or tinged with blood; when the disease is of long standing, and the bones are fouled, the matter turns blackish, and becomes very fetid; and is always attended with a swelling of the kernels or glands under the jaws; in every other respect the horse is generally healthy and sound, till the distemper has been of some continuance.

It is always a bad sign when the matter sticks to the inside of the nostrils like glue or stiff paste; when the inside of the nose is raw, and looks of a livid or lead colour; when the matter becomes bloody, and flinks; and when it looks of an ash-colour. But when only a limpid fluid is first discharged, and afterwards a whitish matter, the gland under the jaw not increasing, and the disorder of no long continuance, we may expect a speedy cure; for in this case, which arises from taking cold after a horse has been overheated, the pituitary membrane is but slightly inflamed, the lymph in the small vessels condensed, and the glands overloaded, but not yet ulcerated.

From these symptoms, and some observations made both by Breckin and Gibson, it is plain they were not absolute strangers to the seat of this disorder, though they neglected pushing their inquiries to the fountainhead, and consequently were at a loss to know how to apply the remedy to the parts affected.

But our author, after examining by dissection the carcases of glandered horses, and making a strict scrutiny into the state of the viscera, assisted for that purpose by ingenious and expert anatomists, for ten years together, affirms this disease to be altogether local; and that the true seat of it is in the pituitary membrane which lines the partition along the inside of the nose, the maxillary sinuses or cavities of the cheek-bones on each side the nose, and the frontal sinuses or cavities above the orbits of the eyes. That the viscera, as liver, lungs, &c. of glandered horses, are in general exceeding sound; and consequently that the seat of this disorder is not in those parts, as has been asserted by most authors. Nor indeed is it probable it should; for how could such horses preserve their appetite, their good appearance, sleek and shining coats; in a word, all the signs of health, for many years together (which many glandered horses are known to enjoy), with such disordered bowels?

But on nicely examining the heads of such horses, he found the cavities above-mentioned more or less filled with a viscid slimy matter, and the membrane which lines both them and the nostrils inflamed, thickened, and corroded with foul ulcers, which in some cases had eaten into the bones.

He observes, that when glandered horses discharged matter from both nostrils, both sides of the membrane and cavities were affected; but when they ran at one nostril only, that side only was found disordered.

It is a curious remark of our author, that the sublingual glands, or the kernels situated under the jawbone, which are always swelled in this distemper, do not discharge their lymph into the mouth, as in man, but into the nostrils; and that he constantly found their obstruction agreed with the discharge: if one gland only was affected, then the horse discharged from one nostril only; but if both were, then the discharge was from both.

The seat of this disorder thus discovered, our author with great ingenuity has paved the way for cure, by trepanning these cavities, and taking out a piece of bone, by which means the parts affected may be washed with a proper injection, and in fine the ulcers deterged, healed, and dried up.

But as, from the observations since made by this gentleman, there are different species of the glanders, so the cure of the milder kinds may first be attempted by injections and fumigations; thus, after taking cold, should a horse for 15 or 20 days discharge a limpid fluid or whitish matter from one or both nostrils, the glands under the jaw rather growing harder than diminishing, we may expect it will degenerate into a true glanders. To prevent which, after first bleeding, and treating him as we have directed for a cold, let an emollient injection, prepared with a decoction of linseed, marshmallows, elder, camomile flowers, and honey of roses, or such like, be thrown up as far as possible with a strong syringe, and repeated three times a day; should the running not lessen or be removed in a fortnight by the use of this injection, a restringent one may now be prepared with tincture of roses, lime-water, &c. and the nostrils fumigated with the powders of frankincense, malich, Of the Colic

maulich, amber, and cinnamon, burnt on an iron heated for that purpose; the fume of which may easily be conveyed through a tube into the nostrils.

This method has been found successful when used in time; but the methods of cure depend on the stubbornness of the disorder; and when invertebrate recourse must be had to the operation above described.

Sect. XIII. Of the Colic or Gripes, and Pains in the Bowels, from sudden accidents.

There seems to be no distemper so little understood by the common farrier, as the colic or gripes in horses, one general remedy or method serving them in all cases; but as this disorder may be produced by very different causes, the method of cure must also vary; otherwise the intended remedy, injudiciously applied, will not only aggravate the complaint, but make it fatal. We shall divide this disorder into three different species: the flatulent or windy, the bilious or inflammatory, and the dry gripes; each of which we shall distinguish by their different symptoms, and then point out the proper remedies.

1. The flatulent or windy colic is thus known. The horse is often lying down, and as suddenly rising again with a spring; he strikes his belly with his hinder feet, stamps with his fore-feet, and refuses his meat; when the gripes are violent, he will have convulsive twitches, his eyes be turned up and his limbs stretched out as if dying, his ears and feet being alternately very hot and cold; he falls into profuse sweats, and then into cold damps; strives often to stale, and turns his head frequently to his flanks; he then falls down, rolls about, and often turns on his back; this last symptom proceeds from a stoppage of urine, that almost always attends this sort of colic, which may be incerated by a load of dung pressing on the neck of the bladder.

These are the general symptoms of colic and gripes from wind, drinking cold water when hot, and when the perspirable matter is retained, or thrown on the bowels by catching cold; in all which cases they are violently distended. Cribbing horses are more particularly subject to this complaint, by reason they are constantly sucking in great quantities of air.

The first intention is to empty the strait gut with a small hand dipt in oil, which frequently makes way for the confined wind to discharge itself; and by easing the neck of the bladder, the suppression of urine is taken off, and the horse stale and gets ease.

The following ball and glyster seldom fail of giving relief in these cases.

Take Strasbourg or Venice turpentine, and juniper-berries pounded, of each half an ounce; salt-prunella or salt-petre, an ounce; oil of juniper, one dram; salt of tartar, two drams; make into a ball with any syrup; it may be given whole, and washed down with a decoction of juniper-berries, or a horn or two of ale.

If the horse does not break wind, or stale plentifully, he will find no relief; therefore in an hour or two give him another ball, and add to it a dram of salt of amber; which may be repeated a third time, if found necessary. During the fit the horse may be walked and trotted gently; but should by no means be harassed beyond his ability, or dragged about till he is jaded.

The following glyster may be given, between the balls, or alone, and repeated occasionally.

Take camomile flowers two handfuls; annise, coriander, and fennel seeds, of each an ounce; long pepper half an ounce; boil in three quarts of water to two; and add Daffy's elixir, or gin, half a pint; oil of amber half an ounce, and oil of camomile eight ounces.

The signs of a horse's recovery, are his lying quiet, without starting, or tumbling, and his gathering up his legs, and ceasing to lash out; and if he continues an hour in this quiet posture, you may conclude all danger over.

2. The next species of colic we shall describe, is the bilious or inflammatory; which besides most of the preceding symptoms, is attended with a fever, great heat, panting, and dryness of the mouth: the horse also generally throws out a little loose dung, with a hot scalding water; which, when it appears blackish, or of a redish colour, and fetid smell, denotes an approaching mortification.

In this case the horse should immediately be bled to the quantity of three quarts; and it should be repeated, if the symptoms do not abate in a few hours. The emollient glyster, with two ounces of nitre dissolved in it, should be thrown up twice a-day, to cool the inflamed bowels; plenty of gum-arabic water should be taken, and a pint of the following drink given every two or three hours till several loose stools are procured, and then it should be given only night and morning till the disorder is removed.

Take senna three ounces, salt of tartar half an ounce; infuse in a quart of boiling water an hour or two; then strain off, and add two ounces of lenitive electuary, and four of Glauber's salts.

If this disorder is not removed by these means, but the inflammation and fever increase, attended with a discharge of the flesh-coloured water above described, the event will most probably be fatal; and the chief thing to be depended on now, must be a strong decoction of Jesuit's bark, given to the quantity of a pint every three hours, with a gill of red port-wine.

A quart of the same may be used for a glyster, with two ounces of Venice turpentine, dissolved with the yolks of two eggs, an ounce of dilacordium, and a pint of red wine, and given twice a-day: if the horse recovers, give two or three mild rhubarb purges.

3. The last we shall describe is the dry gripes, or the colic, which arises often from coltiveness; it is discovered by the horse's frequent and fruitless motion to dung, the slackness and hardness of the dung, the frequent and quick motion of his tail, the high colour of his urine, and his great restlessness and uneasiness.

In this case the strait gut should be examined and emptied with a small hand oiled properly for that purpose; the emollient oily glyster (p. 4, col. 1, par. 2.) should be thrown up twice a-day; and the above purging drink given, till the bowels are unloaded, and the symptoms removed.

The diet for a horse in the gripes, should be scalded bran, warm water-gruel, or white water, made by dissolving four ounces of gum-arabic in a quart of water, and mixing it with his other water.

4. From this history and division of gripes and colics, with their different treatment, it appears how absolutely necessary it is they should be well understood, in order order to be managed skilfully: it is plain too, that violent hot medicines should in every species of this disorder be guarded against, and given with great caution and discretion, even in the first kind of flatulent colic, where indeed they can only be wanted; yet too often, when prepared by the farriers with oil of turpentine, geneva, pepper, and brine, &c. they even increase that disorder, by stimulating the neck of the bladder, too forcibly heating the blood, and inflaming the bowels, till a mortification is brought on them. There are, in general, the constant appearances of horses that die of this disorder; whose bowels being examined for that purpose, have been found inflamed, full of red and livid spots, sometimes quite black, crisped with extreme heat, and rotten.

Sect. XIV. Of the Lax and Scouring, with other Disorders of the Stomach and Bowels.

It is sometimes a nice matter to form a proper judgment when to controul or encourage a looseness; but these general rules may be a direction: If a healthy full horse, on taking cold, or upon hard riding, overfeeding, eating unwholesome food, or with a slight fever, should have a moderate purging, by no means think of stopping it; but rather encourage it with an open diet, and plenty of warm gruel: but if it continues long, with gripings, the mucus of the bowels coming away, and the horse losing his appetite and flesh, it is then high time to give him proper medicines; if he voids great quantities of slime and greasy matter, give him the following drench, and repeat it every other day for three times.

Take lenitive electuary and cream of tartar of each four ounces, yellow rosin finely powdered one ounce, and four ounces of sweet oil; mix with a pint of water-gruel.

The following alterative ball alone has been found successful for this purpose when given twice a-week, with scalded bran and warm gruel.

Take focotorine aloes half an ounce, diapente one ounce; make into a ball with the juice of Spanish liquorice dissolved in water, and a spoonful of oil of amber.

To this may be added two drams of myrrh, and a dram of saffron, and (where it can be afforded) half an ounce of rhubarb.

When the purging is attended with a fever, rhubarb should first be given to the quantity of half an ounce, with an ounce and half of lenitive electuary; at night, after the working, give half an ounce or more of diacordium in a pint of red wine mulled with cinnamon; and repeat it every day, and the rhubarb-ball once in two or three.

But if the distemper increases, the horse's flanks and belly look full and distended, and he appears gripped and in pain, let this glyster be given, and the quantity of diacordium increased an ounce in his night-drink:

Take camomile flowers one handful, red roses half a handful, pomegranate and balsamines of each an ounce; boil in two quarts of water to one; strain off, and dissolve in it two or three ounces of diacordium, and one of mithridate; to which may be added a pint of port wine; repeat it once a-day.

If the flux continues violent, give an ounce of rock-alum, with an ounce and a half of bole, twice a-day; or, dissolve double this quantity with two ounces of diacordium, and the cordial ball, in two quarts of harts-horn drink; to which may be added a pint of port; and give the horse, three or four times a-day, a pint of this drink. For this purpose also a strong decoction of oak-bark may be given, with either of the above remedies, and to the same quantity; even by itself, it will be found on trial no inconsiderable remedy.

When the discharge is attended with an acid mucus or slime, the griping and pains are very severe, the common lining of the bowels being washed away; in this case the following glyster should frequently be injected warm.

Take of tripe-liquor or thin starch two quarts, oil of olives half a pint, the yolk of six eggs well broke, and two or three ounces of coarse sugar.

Some horses, having naturally weak stomachs and bowels, throw out their aliment undigested; their dung is habitually soft and of a pale colour; they feed poorly, and get no flesh: to remedy this complaint, give the following purge two or three times; and then the infusion to the quantity of a pint every morning.

Take focotorine aloes six drams, rhubarb powdered three drams, myrrh and saffron each a dram; make into a ball with syrup of ginger.

Infusion.—Take zedoary, gentian, winters-bark, and orange-peel, of each two ounces; pomegranate-bark and balsamines of each an ounce; camomile-flowers and centaury, each a handful; cinnamon and cloves, each an ounce; infuse in a gallon of port or strong beer.

The bloody-flux is a distemper horses are not very subject to; however, as it sometimes does occur, whenever blood is discharged, attended with gripings and great pain in the bowels, if the flux is not speedily restrained the horse probably may be soon lost: we recommend therefore the following glyster and drink for that purpose.

Take oak-bark four ounces, tormentil-root two ounces, burnt harts-horn three ounces; boil in three quarts of forge-water to two; strain off, and add two ounces of diacordium, four ounces of starch, and half a dram of opium.

A glyster may also be prepared with the same quantity of fat broth, starch, and opium, in order to plaster over the coats of the bowels, and abate their violent irritations. Also,

Take soft chalk two ounces, mithridate or diacordium one ounce, powder of Indian-root half a dram, liquid laudanum 50 or 60 drops; dissolve in a pint of harts-horn drink, and add to it four ounces of cinnamon-water and red wine; give it twice a-day.

Gum-arabic dissolved in harts-horn drink, or in common water, should be the horse's usual drink.

When horses are apt to be costive, from whatever cause it arises, gentle openers should be given; such as cream of tartar, Glauber's salts, and lenitive electuary: four ounces of any two of these dissolved in warm ale, whey, or water, given every other morning for two or three times, will answer this purpose; especially if assisted by an oily emollient glyster, prepared with a handful of salt. Scalded bran or barley, with an ounce of fenugreek and linseed, occasionally given, will prevent... Of Worms vent this complaint: but where it is constitutional, and proceeds from the power and force of digestion in the stomach and guts, as sometimes happens, and the horse is in perfect health, no inconvenience will arise from it; and it is observed that such horses are able to endure great fatigue and labour.

**Sect. XV. Of Worms and Botts.**

Authors have described three different sorts of worms that affect horses, viz. Botts, which young horses are often troubled with in the spring; the Rondi, or those resembling earth-worms; and the Acarides, or those about the size of the largest sewing needle, with flat heads.

The botts which breed in the stomachs of horses, and are sometimes the cause of convulsions, appear to be very large maggots, composed of circular rings, with little sharp, prickly feet along the sides of their bellies (like the feet of hog-lice), which by their sharpness (like the points of the finest needles) seem to be of use to fasten them to the part where they breed and draw their nourishment, and to prevent their being loosened from such adhesion before they come to maturity. The eggs from whence these botts are produced, are dispersed into clutters all round the lower orifice of the stomach, and are laid under the inner coat or thin membrane of the stomach; so that when the animals come to form and life, they burst through this inner coat with their breech and tail straight outwards, and their trunks so fixed into the muscular or fleshy coat of the stomach, that it sometimes requires a good pull to disengage them; from the blood of this last coat they draw their nourishment, which they suck like so many leeches, every one ulcerating and purging up the part where it fixes like a honey-comb; and they often make such quick havoc, as to destroy the horse.

The symptoms of worms are various. The botts that many horses are troubled with in the beginning of the summer, are always seen sticking on the strait gut, and are often thrust out with the dung, with a yellowish coloured matter like melted sulphur: they are no ways dangerous there; but are apt to make a horse restless and uneasy, and rub his breech against the posts. The season of their coming is usually in the months of May and June; after which they are seldom to be seen, and rarely continue in any one horse above a fortnight or three weeks. Those that take their lodgment in the stomach, are extremely dangerous by causing convulsions; and are seldom discovered by any previous signs before they come to life, when they throw a horse into violent agonies. The other kinds are more troublesome than dangerous; but are known by the following signs: The horse looks lean and jaded, his hair flares as if he was starved, and nothing he eats makes him thrive; he often strikes his hind-feet against his belly; is sometimes gripped, but without the violent symptoms that attend a colic and strangury; for he never rolls and tumbles, but only shews uneasiness, and generally lays himself down quietly on his belly for a little while, and then gets up and falls a feeding; but the surest sign is when he voids them with his dung.

For the cure of botts in the stomach, calomel should first be given in large quantities, and repeated at proper intervals; Ethiop's mineral, or some of the under-mentioned forms, may be given afterwards.

But botts in the strait gut may be cured by giving the horse a spoonful of savin, cut very small, once or twice a-day in his oats or bran, moistened; and three or four of cloves of garlick may be added to advantage. Give also an aloetic purge between whiles; the following fluids recommended.

Take fine focotrine aloes, ten drams; fresh jalap, one dram; arnitolochia, or birthwort, and myrrh powdered, of each two drams; oil of savin and amber, of each one dram; syrup of buckthorn enough to form into a ball.

But as the source of worms in general proceeds from a vitiated appetite and a weak digestion, recourse must first be had to mercurials, and afterwards to such things as are proper to strengthen the stomach, promote digestion, and, by destroying the supposed ova, prevent the regeneration of these animals. Thus, two drams of calomel may be given with half an ounce of diapente, and mixed up with conserve of wormwood, over-night; and the next morning the above purge: these may be repeated six or eight days. Or the following mercurial purge may be given, which will be less troublesome, and no less efficacious.

Take crude quick-silver two drams, Venice turpentine half an ounce; rub the quick-silver till no glistering appears; then add an ounce of aloes, a dram of grated ginger, 30 drops of oil of savin, and a sufficient quantity of syrup of buckthorn to make a ball.

One of these balls may be given every six days, with the usual precautions in regard to mercurial physic; and the following powder immediately.

Take powdered tin and Ethiop's mineral of each half an ounce: give every night in a mash, or among his corn.

The various preparations of antimony and mercury must be given several weeks together, in order to get entire riddance of these vermin. The Ethiop's mineral may be given to the quantity of half an ounce a-day; the mercurius alkalifatus to two drams a-day, incorporated with a bit of cordial ball. The cinnamon powders, as directed in the farcy, are no less effectual: and when worms are bred from high feeding, or unwholesome food; rue, garlic, tanly, savin, box, and many other simples, may be given successfully; being for that purpose mixed with their food; as also cut tobacco, from half an ounce to an ounce a-day.

**Sect. XVI. Of the Yellows, or Jaundice.**

Horses are frequently subject to this distemper; which is known by a dusky yellowness of the eyes; the inside of the mouth and lips, the tongue, and bars of the roof of the mouth, looking also yellow. The horse is dull, and refuses all manner of food; the fever is slow, yet both that and the yellowness increase together. The dung is often hard and dry, of a pale yellow, or light pale green. His urine is commonly of a dark dirty brown colour; and when it has settled some time on the pavement, it looks red like blood. He flales with some pain and difficulty; and if the distemper is not checked soon, grows delirious and frantic. The off-side of the belly is sometimes hard and distended; and in old horses, when the liver has been long diseased, the cure is not practicable, and ends fatally. Sect. XVII. Of the Disorders of the Kidneys and Bladder.

The signs of the kidneys being hurt or affected are, a weakness of the back and loins, difficulty of flaling, faintness, loss of appetite, and deadness in the eyes; the urine is thick, foul, and sometimes bloody, especially after a violent strain. A horse diseased in his kidneys can seldom back, that is, move straight backwards, without pain, which is visible as often as he is put to the trial; the same thing is observable indeed in horses whose backs have been wrung and wrenched; but with this difference, that in the latter there is seldom any defect or alteration in the urine, except that it is higher coloured.

Bleeding is the prime remedy, and that plentifully, in order to prevent inflammation; and the more so, if a fever attends a difficulty in flaling, for then we may suspect the kidneys already inflamed. A rowel in the belly has been found useful; and the following balls may be given twice or thrice a day, with a pint of marshmallow decoction, in which half an ounce of gum arabic is dissolved, with an ounce of honey.

Take Locatellus-balsam one ounce, spermaceti fix drams, fal prunella half an ounce; mix into a ball with honey; if the urine is bloody, add half an ounce of Japan earth.

Should the fever continue, bleed largely, give emollient glysters, and the cooling opening drink, (p. 5. col. 1. par. 5.) till it abates.

If the urine palles with difficulty and pain, notwithstanding these means, give this ball, and repeat it twice or thrice a day till the horse flales freer and without pain, his urine become of a right consistence, and free from any purulent sediment.

Take balsam of copivi or Strasbourg turpentine, and Venice soap, of each one ounce, nitre fix drams, myrrh powdered two drams; make into a ball with honey, and wash it down with the marshmallow decoction.

As a suppression of urine arises sometimes from an inflammation of the kidneys; so at others, from a paralytic disorder, disabling them in their office of separating the urine from the blood: in this latter case, the bladder is usually empty, so that a horse will make no motion to flale; and if he continues a few days in this condition, his body will swell to a great degree, break out in blotches all over, and death will soon close the scene.

If it arises from inflammation, bleed largely, and treat the horse as above recommended; but if not, give stimulating glysters, and strong diuretics, such as the following balls, once in four hours: for if a horse flales not in 30 hours, his danger must be great.

Take juniper-berries powdered one ounce, fal prunella fix drams, ethereal oil of turpentine half an ounce, camphor one dram, oil of juniper two drams; make into a ball with honey, and give after it three or four horns of the marshmallow decoction and honey.

Or, Take squills powdered two or three drams, nitre half an ounce or six drams; make into a ball with honey.

If the complaint is not removed by these means, rub the horse's reins well with two parts of oil of turpentine, and one of oil of amber; and apply a poultice of garlic, horse-radish, mustard-feed, camphor, and green soap, spread on thick cloth, over them. Give the horse also two drams of calomel over night, and a moderate purge the next morning. These perhaps are the chief and best remedies that can be given in this generally fatal disorder.

When the strangury in a horse does not arise from wind, or dung pressing on the neck of the bladder (as was observed in the Section on Colics), the cause is from inflammation, or too long a retention of the urine. Such horses make frequent motions to flale, stand wide and straddling, are full, and have their flanks distended. In this case bleed largely; give the following drink, and repeat it every two hours, for two or three times, till the horse is relieved.

Take Venice turpentine, broke with the yolk of an egg, one ounce, nitre or fal prunella fix drams, half a pint of sweet oil, and a pint of white wine.

If this drink should not have the desired effect, the diuretic ball abovementioned may be given in the same manner, omitting the myrrh.

Give the horse plenty of the marshmallow-decoction; in a quart of which dissolve an ounce of nitre and gum arabic, and two of honey.

Horses subject to a diabetes, or profuse flailing, if old, or of a weak constitution, are seldom cured; they soon lose their flesh and appetite, grow feeble, their coat flaring, and they die rotten. Of a young horse there are more hopes; but he must not be indulged with too much water, or moist food. Give him the following:

Take Jesuits bark four ounces, bistort and tormentil-root of each two ounces; boil in two gallons of lime-water to the consumption of half, and give a pint three times a day.

As this disorder generally proceeds from too violent exercise, over-training, &c., repeated bleedings in small quantities are absolutely necessary, till the mouths of the vessels close up.

Sect. XVIII. Of Molten-grease.

By molten-grease is meant a fat or oily discharge with the dung; and it arises from a colliquation or melting down of the fat of a horse's body by violent exercise in very hot weather. It is always attended with a fever, heat, restlessness, starting and tremblings, great inward sickness, shortness of breath, and sometimes with the symptoms of a purify. His dung will be extremely greasy, and he will fall into a scouring; his blood will have a thick skin or fat over it when cold, of a white or yellow hue, but chiefly the latter; the congealed part or sediment is commonly a mixture of size and grease, which makes it so extremely slippery, that it will not adhere to the fingers, and the small portion of serum feels also slippery and clammy. The horse soon loses his flesh and fat, which probably is dissolved and absorbed into the blood; and those that survive this shock commonly grow hide-bound for a time, their legs swelling both before and behind, and continue in this state till the blood and juices are rectified; and if this is not done effectually, the farcy, or some obstinate surfeit, generally follows very difficult to remove.

In the first place bleed plentifully, and repeat it for two or three days successively in smaller quantities; two or three rowsels should also be immediately put in, and the cooling emollient glysters (p. 5. col. 2. par. 2, 3.) daily thrown up to abate the fever, and drain off the greasy matter from the intestines. By the mouth give plenty of warm water or gruel, with cream of tartar or nitre, to dilute and attenuate the blood, which in this case is greatly disposed to run into grumes, and endanger a total stagnation.

When the fever is quite gone off, and the horse has recovered his appetite, gentle aetotic purges should be given once a week, for a month or six weeks, in order to bring down the swelled legs. To this end give the following; which, repeated for some time, will entirely remove this disorder.

Take focotrine aloes fix drams, of gum guaiacum powdered half an ounce, of diaphoretic antimony and powder of myrrh of each two drams; make into a ball with syrup of buckthorn.

These will seldom take a horse from his business above two or three days in a week; neither will he lose his flesh or appetite with them, but on the contrary mend in both; which cannot be obtained by any other method of purging, and gives this greatly the preference in many cases.

Sect. XIX. Of Surfeits, Mange, and Hide-bound.

Surfeits arise from various causes; but are commonly the effects of some diseases not attended to, or that have been ill cured.

A horse is said to be surfeited, when his coat flares, and looks rusty and dirty, though proper means have not been wanting to keep him clean. The skin is full of scales and dander, that lies thick and mealy among the hair, and is constantly supplied with a fresh succession of the same, for want of due transpiration. Some horses have hurdles of various sizes, like peas or tares; some have dry fixed scabs all over their limbs and bodies; others a moisture, attended with heat and inflammation; the humours being so sharp, and violently itching, that the horses rub so incessantly, as to make themselves raw. Some have no eruptions at all; but an unwholesome look, and are dull, sluggish, and lazy; some appear only lean and hide-bound; others have flying pains and lameness, resembling a rheumatism; so that in the surfeits of horses, we have almost all the different species of the fevers and other chronical distempers.

The following method is usually attended with success in the dry species. First take away about three or four pounds of blood, and then give the following mild purge, which will work as an alternative, and should be repeated once a-week or ten days for some time.

Take focotrine aloes fix drams or one ounce, gum guaiacum half an ounce, diaphoretic antimony and powder of myrrh of each two drams; make into a ball with syrup of buckthorn.

In the intermediate days, an ounce of the following powder should be given, morning and evening, in his feeds.

Take native cinnabar, or cinnabar of antimony, finely powdered, half a pound; crude antimony, in fine powder, four ounces; gum guaiacum, also in powder, four ounces; make into 16 doses for eight days.

This medicine must be repeated till the horse cools well, and all the symptoms of surfeit disappear.

The wet surfeit, which is no more than a moist running fever, appears on different parts of the body of a horse, attended sometimes with great heat and inflammation; the neck oftentimes swells so in one night's time, that great quantities of a hot briny humour issue forth, which, if not allayed, will be apt to collect on the poll or withers, and produce the poll-evil or fistula. This disease also frequently attacks the limbs, where it proves obstinate and hard to cure, and in some horses shows itself spring and fall.

In this case bleed plentifully, avoid externally all repellers, and give cooling physic twice a-week; as, four ounces of lenitive electuary, with the same quantity of cream of tartar; or the latter, with four ounces of Glauber's salts, quickened, if thought proper, with two or three drams of powder of jalap, dissolved in water. water-gruel, and given in a morning fasting.

After three or four of these purges, two ounces of nitre made into a ball with honey may be given every morning for a fortnight; and if attended with success, repeat it for a fortnight longer.

The powders above-mentioned may be also given with the horse's corn; or a strong decoction of guaiacum shavings or logwood may be given alone to the quantity of two quarts a day. These, and indeed all alternative medicines, must be continued for a long time where the disorder proves obstinate.

The diet should be cool and opening, as scalded bran or barley; and if the horse is hide-bound, an ounce of fenugreek seeds should be given in his feeds for a month or longer; and, as this disorder often proceeds from worms, give the mercurial physic too, and afterwards the cinnamon powders, as above directed. But as in general it is not an original disease, but a symptom only of many, in the cure regard must be had to the first cause; thus, as it is an attendant on surfeits, fevers, worms, &c., the removal of this complaint must be variously effected.

In a mangy horse the skin is generally tawny, thick, and full of wrinkles, especially about the mane, the loins, and tail; and the little hair that remains in those parts stands almost always straight out or bristly; the ears are commonly naked and without hair, the eye and eye-brows the same; and when it affects the limbs, it gives them the same aspect; yet the skin is not raw, nor peels off, as in the hot inflamed surfeit.

Where this disorder is caught by infection, if taken in time it is very easily cured; and we would recommend a salphur ointment as most effectual for that purpose, rubbed in every day. To purify and cleanse the blood, give antimony and sulphur for some weeks after.

There are a great variety of external remedies for this purpose, such as train-oil and gun-powder, tobacco steeped in chamber ley, &c. Solefey recommends the following.

Take burnt alum and borax in fine powder of each two ounces, white vitriol and verdigris powdered of each four ounces; put them into a clean pot, with two pounds of honey, stirring till they are incorporated; when cold, add two ounces of strong aqua-fortis.

But when this disorder is contracted by low feeding, and poverty of blood, the diet must be mended, and the horse properly indulged with hay and corn. The following ointments are effectually used for this disorder rubbed into the parts affected every day.

Take powdered brimstone, train-oil, and tar, of each equal quantities; to which may be added ginger, or white hellebore.

Or, Take sulphur vivum half a pound, crude sal ammoniac one ounce, hogs lard or oil a sufficient quantity to form into an ointment.

These are both very powerful remedies for this disorder, and can scarce fail of success.

Sect. XX. Of the Farcin or Farcy.

The true farcy is properly a distemper of the blood-vessels, which generally follows the tract of the veins, and, when inveterate, thickens their coats and integuments, so that they become like so many chords. We shall not describe the different sorts of farcies, seeing they are only degrees of one and the same distemper but proceed to paint the distemper by its symptoms, which are pretty manifest to the eye.

At first, one or more small swellings, or round buds like grapes or berries, spring out over the veins, and are often exquisitely painful to the touch; in the beginning they are hard, but soon turn into soft blisters, which when broke discharge an oily or bloody ichor, and turn into very foul and ill-disposed ulcers. In some horses it appears on the head only; in some on the external jugular; in others on the plate-vein, and runs downwards on the inside of the fore-arm towards the knee, and very often upwards towards the brisket: in some the farcy shows itself on the hind-parts, about the paterns, and along the large veins on the inside of the thigh, rising upwards into the groin, and towards the sheath; and sometimes the farcy makes its appearance on the flanks, and spreads by degrees towards the lower belly, where it often becomes very troublesome.

When the farcy appears on the head only, it is easily cured; especially when it is seated in the cheeks and fore-head, the blood-vessels being here small: but it is more difficult when it affects the lips, the nostrils, the eyes, the kernels under the jaws, and other soft and loose parts, especially if the neck-vein becomes corded. When it begins on the outside of the shoulder or hips, the cure is seldom difficult; but when the farcy arises on the plate-vein, and that vein swells much, and turns corded, and the glands or kernels under the arm pit are affected, it is hard to cure; but more so when the crural veins within side of the thigh are corded, and beset with buds, which affects the kernels of the groin and the cavernous body of the yard. When the farcy begins on the paterns or lower limbs, it often becomes very uncertain, unless a timely stop is put to it; for the swelling in those dependant parts grows so excessively large in some constitutions, and the limbs so much disfigured thereby with foul sores and callous ulcerations, that such a horse is seldom fit for any thing afterwards but the meanest drudgery: but it is always a promising sign, wherever the farcy happens to be situated, if it spreads no further. It is usual to affect only one side at a time; but when it passes over to the other, it throws great malignancy: when it arises on the spines, it is then for the most part dangerous; and is always more so to horses that are fat and full of blood, than to those that are in a more moderate case. When the farcy is epidemical, as sometimes happens, it rises on several parts of the body at once, forms nasty foul ulcers, and makes a profuse running of greenish bloody matter from both nostrils; and soon ends in a miserable rot.

When the farcy makes its first appearance on the head, it rises on the cheeks and temples, and looks like a network, or small creeping twigs full of berries. Sometimes it inflames the eye, and sometimes little blisters or buds run along the side of the nose. It arises often on the outside of the shoulder, running along the small veins with heat and inflammation; and sometimes a few small buds appear near the withers, and on the outside of the hip. In all these appearances, the disease being superficial, and affecting only the smaller vessels, is easily conquered by the following method, when taken in time; for the simplest farcy, if neglected, may degenerate into the worst sort.

This distemper, then, being of an inflammatory nature, ture, and in a particular manner affecting the blood- vessels, must necessarily require large bleeding; particu- larly where the horse happens to be fat and full of blood. This always checks the beginning of a farcy, but is of small service afterwards; and if a horse is low in flesh, the loss of too much blood sometimes proves inju- rious. After bleeding, let the horse have four ounces of cream of tartar and lenitive electuary; which may be given every other day for a week, to cool the blood and the body; and then give nitre three ounces a-day for three weeks or a month, and anoint the buds or swel- lings with the following ointment twice a-day.

Take ointment of elder four ounces, oil of turpentine two ounces, sugar of lead half an ounce, white vi- triol powdered two drams; mix together in a gally-pot.

The buds sometimes by this method are dispersed, leaving only little bald spots which the hair soon covers again. When they break and run, if the matter be thick and well digested, they will soon be well; but in order to confirm the cure, and to disperse some little lumps which often remain for some time on the skin without hair, give the liver of antimony for a month; two ounces a-day for a fortnight, and then one ounce a-day for the other fortnight: by following this me- thod, a farcy which affects only the small vessels may be stopped in a week or ten days, and soon after totally eradicated.

When the farcy affects the larger blood-vessels, the cure is more difficult; but let it always be attempted early; therefore, on the plate, thigh, or neck-veins appearing corded, bleed immediately on the opposite side, and apply the following to the corded vein.

Take oil of turpentine in a pint-bottle six ounces, oil of vitriol three ounces; drop the oil of vitriol into the oil of turpentine by little at a time, other- wise the bottle will burst; when it has done smoak- ing, drop in more oil of vitriol, and so on till all is mixed.

This mixture is one of the best universals in a be- ginning farcy; but where it is seated in loose fleshy parts, as flanks or belly, equal parts of the oil of vitriol and turpentine are necessary.

Rub the parts first with a woollen cloth, and then apply some of the mixture over the buds, and wherever there is any swelling, twice a-day. Give the cooling physic every other day, and then three ounces of nitre every day for some time.

When the farcy begins on the flanks, or towards the lower belly, it often takes its rise from a single puncture of a sharp spur. The pain and smarting is one sure sign to distinguish the farcy from common accidents; the flaring of the hair, which stands up like a tuft all round the buds or blisters, and the matter that issues from the buds, which is always purulent and of a clammy greasy consistence, are other certain signs. After bath- ing with the mixture above mentioned till the ulcers are smooth and healing, should the swelling not subside, to prevent the spreading of the buds, and to disperse them, bathe with either of these mixtures as far as the centre of the belly; and at the same time give a course of antimonials as will presently be preferred.

Take spirits of wine four ounces, oil of vitriol and turpentine of each two ounces, white-wine vine- gar or verjuice six ounces.

Or the following:

Take spirits of wine rectified four ounces, camphor half an ounce, vinegar or verjuice six ounces, white vitriol dissolved in four ounces of spring-water one ounce; mix together.

In the lower limbs the farcy lies sometimes concealed for a great while; and makes so slow a progress, that it is often mistaken for grease, or for a blow or kick, and goes by the general appellation of a humour settled there. In order to distinguish the one from the other, we shall observe, that a kick or bruise is generally at- tended with a sudden swelling, or a contused wound, which for the most part digests easily; the grease is also a smooth swelling that breaks out above the bend- ing of the patterns backwards; but the farcy begins on the pastern joint usually with one bud, and runs up- wards like a knotty crab-tree.

Very simple means have sometimes stopped it, before it has begun to spread; a poultice with bran and ver- juice bound round the part and renewed once a-day will often alone succeed; and if proud flesh should arise, touch it with oil of vitriol, or aqua-fortis, an hour be- fore you apply the poultice; for when the distemper is local, as we suppose it here, it is to be conquered by outward applications.

When the distemper grows inveterate, and resists the above method, and the vessels continue corded, Gib- son recommends the following mixture.

Take linseed oil half a pint; oil of turpentine and salt-petre, of each three ounces; tincture of eu- phorbium and helichore, of each two drams; the soldiers ointment, two ounces; or oil of bays, or oil of origanum, half an ounce; double aqua-fortis, half an ounce; after the ebullition is over, add two ounces of Barbadoes tar.

Rub this into the corded veins, and wherever there is a swelling, once in two or three days; but if the orifices are choked up with proud flesh, or the skin so much thickened over the ulcers as to confine the matter, in either case it is necessary to make an open passage with a small hot iron, and destroy the proud flesh; after which it may be kept down by touching with oil of vitriol, aqua-fortis, or butter of antimony. A salve may be prepared with quicksilver and aqua-forti- s, rubbing any quantity of the former with enough of the latter to the consistence of a liniment; smear the ulcers with this whenever they appear foul, and you will find it preferable to most other eating medi- cines.

Our farriers, after opening the buds, put in usually a small quantity of corrosive sublimate or arsenic, which they call coring out the farcy; this may answer where the buds are few, and not situated near large blood- vessels, joints, or tendons; others use Roman vitriol, or sublimate and vitriol in equal quantities; but let it be remembered, that many a horse has been poisoned by these medicines ignorantly used, and in too large quantities.

The following balls are proper in every state of the farcy; and when the distemper has been in its infancy, before the skin was much defaced, has often cured it in a week or two, by giving them only once or twice a- day; but in an old farcy they should be given for two or three months together.

Take of native cinnabar, or cinnabar of antimony, eight ounces; long bithwort and gum guaiacum powdered, of each four ounces: make into a paste with honey, and form into balls of the size of a large walnut, and roll them into liquorice-powder.

The tediousness of this course has encouraged the giving of mercurials; and indeed, where they are directed with skill, they must be attended with success: the stronger preparations, as the red and white precipitates, and turpith, being combined with sharp saline parts, may be hazardous and injurious; but the latter given in small quantities have been found very successful in such kind of inveterate disorders. Mr Gibbon says, he has given it to a dram at a dose, where the limbs have been greatly swelled; that in 48 hours the sores were all dried up, and the limbs reduced; but that it made the horse so violently sick for several days, and scouring him to such a degree, that it could not be repeated.

One would have thought that the success attending this medicine so suddenly, might have encouraged Gibbon to have made further trials in smaller quantities; which had he done, it is more than probable he would not have been disappointed: for the grand secret in giving mercurials as alternatives, is the introducing them into the blood, without operating on the stomach and bowels; and to do this effectually, they must be given in small quantities, and so bridled as to controul their force on the first passages; taken in this manner, they will mix gradually with the blood and juices, and operate both effectually and safely.

Dr Braken recommends the knots and chords to be rubbed with the mercurial ointment before they break in order to disperse them; and after breaking, to dress the sores with equal parts parts of Venice turpentine and quicksilver: if these means the mouth should become sore, treat as above.—This method seems to be effectual, with proper care.

The following is also recommended by the same gentleman:

Take butter of antimony and bezoar mineral, of each one ounce; beat up with half a pound of cordial ball; and give the bigness of a walnut, or three quarters of an ounce, every day for two or three weeks, fasting two or three hours after it.

We shall here take notice of what is called the water-farcy; which has no resemblance to a true farcy, either in its cause, symptoms, or effects, but has only obtained this name through custom and ignorance.

This water-farcy, then, is of two kinds: one the product of a feverish disposition, terminating on the skin, as often happens in epidemical colds; the other is dropical, where the water is not confined to the belly and limbs, but shews itself in several parts of the body by soft swellings yielding to the pressure of the finger. This last kind usually proceeds from foul feeding, or from the latter gouts and fog that often comes up in great plenty with continued cold rains, and breeds a sluggish viscid blood. In the former case, we have seen the limbs and whole body enormously swelled, and very hard, the belly and sheath greatly distended; which were as surprisingly reduced in 24 hours, by slight scarifications within-side the leg and thigh with a sharp penknife, and three or four strokes on the skin of the belly on each side the sheath: from these scarifications there was a constant and surprising large dripping of water, which soon relieved the horse; when a few purges completed his recovery.

In the other species of dropfy the curative intentions are to discharge the water, recover the crisis or strength of the blood, and brace up the relaxed fibres throughout the whole body. To this end, purge once a week or ten days; and give intermediately either of the following.

Take black hellebore fresh gathered, two pounds; wash, bruise, and boil in six quarts of water, to four; and then strain out the liquor, and put two quarts of white-wine on the remaining hellebore, and let it infuse warm 48 hours; then strain off, mix both together, and give the horse a pint night and morning.

Take nitre two ounces, squills powdered three drams or half an ounce, camphor one dram, honey enough to form into a ball, to be given once a-day alone, or washed down with a horn or two of the above drink.

Before we close this section, it is proper to lay down the symptoms of an incurable farcy, that the owners of such horses may save themselves unnecessary expense and trouble in their endeavours to obtain a cure.

When a farcy, by improper applications, or by neglect, has spread and increased, or after long continuance resisted the medicines above recommended; if fresh buds are continually spouting forth, while the old ones remain foul and ill-conditioned; if they rise on the spines of the back and loins; if the horse grows hide-bound, and runs at the nose; if abscesses are formed in the fleshly parts between the intertices of the large muscles; if his eyes look dead and lifeless; if he forakes his food, and scours often, and his excrements appear thin and of a blackish colour; if the plate or thigh vein continues large and chocked after firing and other proper applications; these symptoms denote the distemper to have penetrated internally, and that it will degenerate into an incurable consumption: it is most probable also that the whole mass of fluids are tainted, and become irremediable by art.

Sect. XXI. Of Alternative Medicines.

By alternatives, or altering medicines, are to be understood such as, having no immediate sensible operation, gradually gain upon the constitution, by changing the humours or juices from a state of difference to health. This intention in some cases may perhaps be effected by correcting the acrimony of the juices, and accelerating the blood's motion; and in others by attenuating or breaking its particles, and dividing those cohesions which obstruct the capillaries or finer vessels, and so promote the due secretions of the various fluids. It is certain, that many have but an indifferent opinion of a medicine that does not operate externally, and gratify their senses with a quantity of imagined humours ejected from the body: but let such people remember, that there are good humours as well as bad, which are thrown off together; that no evacuating medicine has a power of selecting or separating the bad from the good; and consequently that they are thrown out only in a proportionate quantity. These few hints may be sufficient to convince the judicious reader of the great advantages arising from alternatives, and the preference ference due to them in most cases over purgatives; unless it could be proved, as already mentioned, that the latter could cull out and separate from the blood the bad humours solely, leaving the good behind: but this selective power has long been justly exploded as ridiculous and uncertain; since it is plain, that all kinds of purging medicines differ only in degree of strength, and operate no otherwise upon different humours than as they stimulate more or less.

We shall therefore take this opportunity of recommending some alternative medicines which are not so generally known as they ought to be; and that too on the surest grounds, a proper experience of their good effects in repeated trials. The first, then, is nitre or purified salt-petre; which has long been in great esteem, and perhaps is more to be depended on in all inflammatory fevers than any other medicine whatever: but besides this extensive power of allaying inflammatory disorders, it is now offered as an alternative remedy, taken in proper quantities for surfeits, molten-grease, hide-bound, grease-heels, &c. And as it has been known to succeed even in the cure of the farcy; what other distempers in horses, arising from vitiated fluids, may it not be tried on, with a strong probability of success? This great advantage will arise from the use of this medicine over most others, that, as its operation is chiefly by urines, it requires no confinement or cloathing; but the horse may be worked moderately throughout the whole course. This medicine has been found equally efficacious (by many trials made in one of our hospitals) in correcting the acrimony of the juices, and disposing the most obstinate and inveterate sores to heal up; and hence probably it came recommended as an alternative to our horses.

The quantity of nitre given at a time should be from two to three ounces a day; let it be finely powdered, and then mix with it by little at a time as much honey as will form it into a ball: give it every morning fasting for a month; or it may be given at first for a fortnight only, intermitting a fortnight, and then repeat it. If it be observed that the horse shows an uneasiness at the stomach after taking it; a horn or two of any liquor should be given after it, or it may be dissolved at first in his water, or mixed with his corn; though the ball, where it agrees, is the easiest method of giving.

When horses take drinks with great reluctance, powders must be given in their feeds: thus crude antimony, or liver of antimony finely powdered, may be given to the quantity of half an ounce, night and morning; but in all surfeits, gum guaiacum mixed with antimony is found more efficacious. Thus,

Take of crude antimony finely powdered, or, where it can be afforded, cinnabar of antimony, and gum guaiacum, of each a pound: mix together with an oily pellet to prevent the gum's caking: divide the whole into 32 doses, viz. an ounce each dose: let one be given every day in the evening-feed.

Or, Take of cinnabar of antimony, gum guaiacum, and Cadile or Venice soap, of each half a pound; salt of tartar, four ounces: beat them up into a mass, and give an ounce every day. To these may be added very advantageously, an ounce and an half of camphor.

Ethiops mineral, given to the quantity of half an ounce a day, is a very good sweetener and corrector of the blood and juices; but it has been observed, after having been taken a week or ten days, to make some horses flabby, and unable to chew their hay and oats; and the same symptoms have arisen, where only two drams of crude mercury has been given, and continued about the same space of time.

Diet-drinks.—1. A decoction of logwood, prepared like that of guaiacum, is also successfully given in surfeits.

2. Lime-water prepared with shavings of sassafras and liquorice, is a good diet-drink to sweeten and correct a horse's blood; and may be given with the nitre-balls for that purpose.

3. Tar-water also, as has before been hinted, may in many cases be well worth trial: but let it be remembered, that all medicines of this kind should be continued a considerable time in obstinate cases.

Sect. XXII. Of Rowelling.

There seems to be no remedy so much made use of, and so little understood by farriers in general, as rowels; for which reason we shall endeavour to set the whole affair in a clearer light than hitherto it has appeared in.

We shall begin, then, by describing rowelling; which is an artificial vent made between the skin and flesh, in order to unload and empty the vessels in general, and thereby relieve particular parts when too much oppressed by a fulness or redundancy.

The general and absurd reasoning of farriers on the effects and use of rowelling, in some measure makes this section the more necessary, as it is too notorious how imperitently they talk on this subject: for in short, with them, a rowel is to draw off all the bad and corrupt humours from the blood by a sort of magic.

It is necessary to observe, that the matter generally discharged by a rowel, is nothing more than an ouzing from the extremities of the vessels divided in the making of it; in fact, then, it is blood, which loses its colour, by being shed out of the vessels, by the warmth of the part, and by its confinement.

If this is granted, it will evidently appear, that the good effects ensuing from this operation must be owing to a gradual depletion or emptying of the vessels in general; by which means the surcharge or load on a particular part is taken off and removed, and impurities or bad juices (generally called humours) run off with the good in proportion to their quantity in the blood.

Thus, to lean hide-bound horses, and those of a dry hot constitution, the discharge, by depriving the constitution of so much blood and fluids, is daily exhausting the strength of the animal; and may be productive of bad consequences, by defrauding the constitution of a necessary fluid.

But in disorders from fulness, attended with acrimony or sharpness of the juices, and with defluxions on the eyes, lungs, or any part of consequence; the gradual discharge, brought on by these means, will contribute to lessen the fulness on the parts affected, and give the vessels an opportunity of recovering their tone, while evacuating and alternative medicines are doing their office.

It may be necessary, however, to observe, that there is a wonderful communication between the vessels of the cellular membrane under the skin, which remarkably appears Sect. XXIII. Of Strains in Various Parts.

1. It is necessary to observe, that, in all strains, the muscular or tendinous fibres are overstretched; and sometimes ruptured, or broke. To form, therefore, a true idea of these disorders, let us first consider every muscle and tendon as composed of springy elastic fibres, which have a proper power of their own to contract and extend themselves; or, to make their action more familiar, let us compare them to a piece of catgut, that we may the better judge with what propriety oily medicines are directed for their cure. Thus, then, if, by a violent extension of this catgut, you had to overstretch it so as to destroy its springiness or elasticity, and was inclined to recover its lost tone, would you for that purpose think of soaking it in oil? And is not the method of treating strains, or overstretched muscles and tendons, full as preposterous, when you bath or soak them in oily medicines, at a time that they want refringents to brace them up? Yet custom has so established this practice, and fallacious experience seemingly so confirmed it, that it would be a difficult task to convince the illiterate and prejudiced of the absurdity, who, by attributing effects to wrong causes, are led into this error, and the oils usurp the reputation that is due only to rest and quiet; they seem, however, to be aware of the ill consequences, by their adding the hot oils, as spike, turpentine, and origanum; which, though they in some measure guard against the too soppling quality of the other oils, yet the treatment is still too relaxing to be of real service.

2. And indeed, in all violent strains of either tendons or muscles, whatever opinion we may entertain of bathing and anointing with favourite nostrums, which often succeed in slight cases, where perhaps bandage alone would have done; yet it is the latter, with proper retting the relaxed fibres till they have thoroughly recovered their tone, that are the chief things to be depended on; and frequently some months necessary for effecting the cure.

3. All violent strains of the ligaments, which connect the bones together, especially those of the thigh, require time, and turning out to grass, to a perfect recovery. External applications can avail but little here, the parts affected lying too deep, and so surrounded with muscles that medicine cannot penetrate to them. The sooner, in these cases, a horse is turned out to grass, the better; as the gentle motion in the field will prevent the ligaments and joint-oil from thickening, and of course the joint itself from growing stiff.

4. When a horse's shoulder is overstrained, he does not put out that leg as the other; but, to prevent pain, sets the sound foot hardly on the ground to save the other; even though he be turned short on the lame side, which motion tries him the most of any. When trotted in hand, instead of putting his leg forward in a right line, he forms a circle with the lame leg; and when he stands in the stable, that leg is advanced before the other.

5. In order to cure this lameness, first bleed him, and let the whole shoulder be well bathed three times a day with hot vinegar or vinegar, in which may be dissolved a piece of soap; but if the lameness continues without swelling, or inflammation, after retting two or three days, let the muscles be well rubbed for a considerable time, to make them penetrate, with good opodeldoch, or either of the following mixtures:

Take camphorated spirit of wine, two ounces; oil of turpentine, one ounce; this proportion will prevent the hair coming off.

Or, Take the best vinegar, half a pint; spirit of vitriol, and camphorated spirit of wine, of each two ounces.

6. When the shoulder is very much swollen, it should be fomented with woollen cloths (large enough to cover the whole) wrung out of hot vinegar and spirit of wine; or a fomentation prepared with a strong decoction of wormwood, bay-leaves, and rosemary, to a quart of which may be added half a pint of spirit of wine.

7. A rowel in the point of the shoulder in this case often does great service; especially if the strain has been very violent, and the swelling very large: but as to boring up the shoulder with a hot iron, and afterwards inflating it, it is both a cruel and absurd treatment: and the pegging up the sound foot, or setting on a pattern shoe, to bring the lame shoulder on a stretch, is a most preposterous practice, and directly calculated to render a horse incurably lame; for it can only be necessary in cases the very opposite to this, where the muscles have been long contracted, and we want to stretch them out.

8. Where poultices can be applied, they are at first undoubtedly very effectual, after bathing with hot vinegar or vinegar; and are to be preferred greatly to cold charges, which, by drying so soon on the part, keep it stiff and uneasy: let them be prepared with oatmeal, rye flour, or bran boiled up in vinegar, strong-beer or red-wine lees, with lard enough to prevent their growing stiff; and when by these means the inflammation and swelling is brought down, bathe the part twice a day with either of the above mixtures, opodeldoch, or camphorated spirit of wine; and roll the part three or four inches, both above and below, with a strong linen roller, of about two fingers width; which contributes not a little to the recovery, by bracing up the relaxed tendon; and perhaps is more to be depended on than the applications themselves.

9. In strains of the coffin joint, that have not been discovered in time, there will grow such a stiffness in the joint, that the horse will only touch the ground with his toe; and the joint cannot be played with the hand: the only method here is repeated blistering, and then firing superficially.

10. Strains of the back sinews are very common; and are easily discovered by the swelling, which extends sometimes from the back-side of the knee down to the heel, but for the most part the horse sets that foot before the other. The tendon should be well bathed three or four times a day with hot vinegar; and if much swelled, apply the poultices above recommended; and when the swelling is down, bathe with the mixtures above, or with camphorated spirit of wine and oil of amber, in which is dissolved as much camphor as the spirits will take up; and roll up the tendon with a proper bandage, or laced stocking; which last, properly fitted to the limb, might be wore to great advantage, not only in these sort of injuries, but in most others, where there is a disposition to the grease, or other swellings of the limbs, from weak and relaxed fibres. Carriers shavings wetted with vinegar have been found useful for this purpose; as has also tar and spirit of wine; but where the tendons have suffered by repeated injuries of this kind, the case will demand blistering, firing, and proper rest.

11. Strains of the knees and pasterns arise frequently from kicks or blows; if they are much swelled, apply first the poultices; and when the swelling is abated, bathe with the above, or the following.

Take vinegar, one pint; camphorated spirit of wine, four ounces; white vitriol, dissolved in a little water, two drams.

Or, Take the white of three or four eggs, beat them into a froth with a spoon; to which add an ounce of rock alum, finely powdered; spirit of turpentine, and wine, of each half an ounce; mix them well together.

12. As great weakness remains in the pasterns after violent strains, the best method is to turn the horse out to graze till he is perfectly recovered; when this cannot be complied with, the general way is to blister and fire.

13. When a horse is lame in the stifles, he generally treads on his toe, and cannot set the heel to the ground. Treat him at first with the vinegar and cooling restraints; but if a large swelling, with puffiness, ensues, foment it well with the discutent fomentation till it disperses; and then bathe the part with any of the above medicines.

14. A lameness in the whirl-bone and hip, is discovered by the horse's dragging his leg after him, and dropping backward on his heel when he trots. If the muscles of the hip are only injured, this kind of lameness is cured easily; but when the ligaments of the joint are affected, the cure is often very difficult, tedious, and uncertain. In either case, at first bathe the parts well with the cooling medicines, four or five times a day; in the muscular strain, this method alone may succeed; but in the ligamentous, it is rest and time only can restore the injured parts to their proper tone.

15. Strains in the back are to be treated by soaking the parts with coolers and repellers; but when the ligaments are hurt, and they are attended with great weakness and pain, use the fomentation. If a hardness should remain on the outside, it may be removed by repeated blistering; if within, it may be out of the power of any external applications to remove; however, the joint should be fired gently with small razors or lines pretty close together, and then covered with a mercurial plaster. To the discutent fomentation above mentioned may be added crude sal armoniac, with a handful of wood-ashes boiled in it.

16. The blistering ointment for the above purposes may be found in the Section of Bone-sprain; but the sublimate should be omitted.

17. The firing, used for the strengthening relaxed sinews or tendons, should act only on the skin, which, by contracting and hardening it all round the sinews, compresses them more firmly like a bandage. The bowmen of old submitted to this operation, in order to give strength to the muscles and tendons of their arms. A proper degree of skill is very requisite to perform it effectually on a horse; for a due medium should be observed, and the instrument neither so slightly applied as to scarify the skin only superficially, nor so deep as to wound or cauterize the sinew or its sheath. The lines should be drawn pretty close together, on each side of the joint or sinew, following the course of the hair; no crofs lines should be made, as they but disfigure the horse afterwards, without any real use. The firing instrument, or knife, ought to be a little rounded on the edge, gradually thickening to the back, that it may retain the heat for some time, but should not be applied till the flaming redness is partly gone off. The cauterized parts may be bathed with spirit of wine at first; and anointed afterwards with bees-wax and oil, which alone is sufficient to complete the cure.

SECT. XXIV. Of Tumours and Imposthumous.

Tumours, or swellings, arise either from external injuries, or internal causes.

Swellings caused by external accidents, as blows and bruises, should at first be treated with restringents; thus, let the part be bathed frequently with hot vinegar or juice; and, where it will admit of bandages, let a flannel wetted with the same be rolled on; if by this method the swelling does not subside, apply, especially on the legs, a poultice with red-wine lees, strong-beer grounds, and oatmeal, or with vinegar, oil, and oatmeal; either of these may be continued twice a day, after bathing, till the swelling abates; when, in order to disperse it entirely, the vinegar should be changed for camphorated spirit of wine, to four ounces of which may be added one of spirit of sal armoniac; or it may be bathed with a mixture of two ounces of crude sal armoniac boiled in a quart of chamber-ley twice a day, and rags dipped in the same may be rolled on.

Fomentation made by boiling wormwood, bay-leaves, and rosemary, and adding a proper quantity of spirits, are often of great service to thin the juices, and fit them for transpiration; especially if the injury has affected the joints.

But in bruises, where the extravasated blood will not by these means be dispersed, the shortest way is to open the skin, and let out the grumes.

Critical tumours, or swellings, which terminate fevers, should by no means be dispersed; except when they fall on the pattern or coffin joint, so as to endanger them; in this case the discutent fomentation, (p. 25, col. 2.) should be applied three or four times a day, and a cloth or flannel frequently wrung out of the same should be bound on, in order to keep the joint continually breathing.

But if the swelling fixes under the jaws, behind the ears, on the poll, withers, or in the groins and sheaths, &c., it should be encouraged and forwarded by ripening poultices wherever they can be applied; oatmeal boiled soft in milk, to which a proper quantity of oil and lard is added, may answer this purpose; or the poultice recommended in the Section of Strangles; these must be applied twice a-day, till the matter is perceived to fluctuate under the fingers, when it ought to be let out; for which purpose, let the tumour be opened with a knife or strong lancet, the whole length of the swelling, if it can be done safely; for nothing contributes so much to a kind healing, as the matter's having a free discharge, and the opening's being big enough to dress to the bottom.

Pledgets of tow, spread with black or yellow basilicon (or the wound ointment), and dipped in the same, melted down with a fifth part of oil of turpentine, should be applied to the bottom of the sore, and filled up lightly with the same, without cramming: it may be thus dressed once or twice a-day, if the discharge is great, till a proper digestion is procured; when it should be changed for pledgets spread with the red precipitate ointment, applied in the same manner.

Should the sore not digest kindly, but run a thin water and look pale, foment, as often as you dress, with the above fomentation; and apply over your dressing the strong-beer poultice, and continue this method till the matter grows thick, and the sore florid.

The following ointments will generally answer your expectations in all common cases; and may be prepared without, as well as with, the verdigrease.

Take Venice turpentine and bees-wax of each a pound, oil of olives one pound and a half, yellow rosin 12 ounces; when melted together, two or three ounces of verdigrease, finely powdered, may be stirred in, and kept so till cold, to prevent its subliming.

Take of yellow basilicon, or the above ointment, without verdigrease, four ounces; red precipitate, finely powdered, half an ounce: mix them together cold with a knife or spatula.

This last, applied early, will prevent a fungus, or proud flesh, from shooting out: for if you dress too long with the above digestive, the fungus will rise fast, and give some trouble to suppress it; when it will be necessary to wash the sore, as often as you dress, with a solution of blue vitriol in water, or to sprinkle it with burnt alum and precipitate. If these should not be powerful enough, touch with a caustic, or wash with the sublimate water made by dissolving half an ounce of corrosive sublimate in a point of lime-water.

But this trouble may in a great measure be prevented, if the sore is on a part where bandages can be applied with compresses of linen cloth: for even when these excrements regerminate, as it were, under the knife, and spring up in spite of the caustics above mentioned, they are to be subdued by moderate compression made on the sprouting fibres by these means.

Authors on farriery have given in general very proper receipts to answer every intention of this kind by medicines: but as they have not laid down sufficient rules for their application in those cases where they are most wanted, the following general directions will not be unacceptable; as the difficulty in healing some kinds of sores arises frequently from the unskillful manner of dressing them.

It may be necessary then to observe here, once for all, that the cures of most sores are effected by the simplest methods; and that it is often of much more consequence to know how to dress a sore, than what to dress it with. And in this consists indeed the chief art of this branch of surgery: for the most eminent in that profession have long since discovered, that variety of ointments and salves are unnecessary in the cure of most wounds and sores; and they have accordingly discarded the greatest part formerly in repute for that purpose; repeated observations having taught them, that, after the digestion, nature is generally disposed to heal up the wound fast enough herself; and that the surgeon's chief care is to prevent a luxuriancy, commonly called proud flesh; which all ointments, wherein lard or oil enters, are but too prone to encourage, as they keep the fibres too lax and supple; and which dry lint alone, early applied, as early prevents, by its absorbing quality, and light compression on the sprouting fibres.

Thus, if a hollow wound or sore is crammed with tents, or the dressings are applied too hard, the tender shoots of flesh from the bottom are prevented pushing up; and the sides of the sore from this diffusion may in time grow horny and turn fibrous; nor has the matter by this method a free discharge.

On the other hand, if sores of any depth are dressed superficially, the external parts being more disposed to heal and come together than the internal, they will fall into contact, or heal too soon; and the sore, not filling up properly from the bottom, will break out afresh.

Hence we may justly conceive how little effect is to be laid on famous ointments, or family salves, unskillfully applied; for unless this due medium is observed, or obtained in the dressing, no hollow sore can heal up properly.

As soon then as a good digestion is procured (which is known by the thickness and whiteness of the matter discharged, and the florid red colour at the bottom of the sore) let the dressings be changed for the precipitate medicine; or the sore may be filled up with dry lint, alone, or dipped in lime-water with a little honey and tincture of myrrh, or brandy, about a fifth part of the latter to one of the former: a pledget of lint, dipped in this mixture should also be applied to the bottom of the sore, which should be filled up with others to the surface or edges, but not crammed in too hard, as before observed, nor yet applied too loosely.

By this method, the sore would incarnate, or heal up properly, and soft spongy flesh would be prevented or suppressed in time; whereas when ointments or salves are too long continued, a fungus, or proud flesh, is thereby so encouraged in its growth, that it requires some time to destroy and eat it down again: a proper compress of cloth, and a linen roller, is absolutely necessary both for this purpose, and to secure on the dressings, wherever they can conveniently be applied.

Sect. XXV. Of Wounds in general.

In all fresh wounds made by cutting instruments, there is nothing more required than bringing the lips of the wound into contact by future or bandage, provided the part will allow of it; for on wounds of the hips, or other prominent parts, and across some of the large muscles, the stitches are apt to burst on the horse's lying down and rising up in the stall. In such cases, the lips should not be brought close together: one Of Wounds stitch is sufficient for a wound two inches long; but in large wounds, they should be at an inch or more distance; and if the wound is deep in the muscles, care should be taken to pass the needles proportionably deep, otherwise the wound will not unite properly from the bottom.

Should the wound bleed much from an artery divided, the first step should be to secure it, by passing a crooked needle underneath, and tying it up with a waxed thread; if the artery cannot be got at this way, apply a button of lint or tow to the mouth of the bleeding vessels, dipped in a strong solution of blue vitriol, hydric water, oil of vitriol, or hot oil of turpentine, powdered vitriol, or colcotar, &c., and remember always to apply it close to the mouth of the bleeding vessels, and take care that it is kept there by proper compress and bandage till an eschar is formed; otherwise it will elude your expectations, and frequently alarm you with fresh bleedings.

In a memoir presented to the Royal Academy of Sciences by M. La Folle, he gives an account of the success he had met with in stopping the bleedings of very considerable arteries in horses, by the application of the powder of puff-balls, the arteries cicatrizing by this means only, without any succeeding haemorrhage. The lycopodium, or puff-ball, was made use of for this purpose in human subjects, about 170 years ago, by Felix Wurtz, a famous old surgeon in Germany; but he does not seem to have thought of trusting to it in such considerable arteries as M. La Folle mentions, viz., those of the leg and thigh, the bleedings from which divided vessels he stopped in a few minutes by the use of this powder only. The agaric of the oak may also be used for this purpose, where it can be retained by a proper bandage.

These applications, as indeed all styptics, seem to act by constringing the extremity of the vessel, or choking it up, till a grume of blood is formed internally, which plugs up the orifice; and has been found to adhere to it so as to constitute one body with the vessel.

We avoid setting down any famous receipts for fresh wounds, whether ointments, or Friar's balms, being well assured, that, in a healthy fond constitution, nature furnishes the best balm, and performs herself the cure, which is so often attributed to the medicine; when it is otherwise, and the blood is deprived of its balsamic state, as will appear from the aspect of the wound and its manner of healing, it must be rectified by proper internal medicines, before a good foundation for healing can be laid by any external application whatever.

The lips of the wound then being brought together by the needle or bandage, it needs only to be covered with rags dipped in brandy, or a pledget of tow spread with the wound ointment, (see p. 27, col. 1.) the directions in the preceding sections being observed and the wounded part kept as much as possible from motion.

Punctured wounds from thorns, or any other accidents, should be treated in the same manner; applying the beer or bread and milk poultice over the dressing, till some signs of digestion appear; and fomenting the part well every day. This method is also very successfully used to those swellings which often arise on the neck from bleeding; the sores being sprinkled with precipitate, and burnt alum powdered, to fetch out the core, or fungus, which chocks up the orifice. The usual method is to introduce a piece of vitriol, or sublimate, which often brings on a plentiful discharge, fetches out the core, and makes a cure; but it is often with the loss of the vein, and it sometimes leaves a large swelling and impolitumation.

In gun-shot wounds, when the ball has not penetrated too deep, it should be extracted, if it can be fetched away without disturbance, together with any extraneous bodies that might pass in with it; the wound should be dressed with the old digestive of Venice or common turpentine, divided with the yolks of eggs, to which may be added some honey and tincture of myrrh. The entrance of these wounds frequently requires to be enlarged, and a depending orifice should always be procured if possible; and if the wound should not digest kindly, apply the beer poultice, and foment with the discutient fomentation before mentioned.

In scalds, or burns from gun-powder, or any other cause, when the skin remains entire, bathe the part well, and keep it soaked with rags dipped in spirit of wine camphorated: salt bound thick on the part has been found very effectual for this purpose; and indeed all saline and spirituous applications excel others, while the skin is yet unbroken; but when the skin is separated, anoint the part, and keep it constantly supple with linseed or salad oil, and a plaster spread with beeswax and oil; if the skin is so scorched, that floughs must be digested out, dress with the wound-ointment and oil of turpentine, and finish the cure with any drying ointment. Should the horse be feverish from the pain, bleed him, give cooling glysters, and treat him as we have directed in simple fevers.

Sect. XXVI. Of Ulcers in General.

We shall not here enter into a description of each particular species of ulcers, but only lay down some directions for their general treatment; by which means we shall avoid the usual prolixity of authors on this subject, and yet give so general an idea of the nature of ulcers, as we hope will be sufficiently instructive both of the application and of the proper remedy to each.

It may be necessary to observe, that we may often in vain pursue the best methods of cure by external applications, unless we have recourse to proper internal remedies; for as all ulcers, difficult to heal, proceed from a particular indisposition of the blood and juices, before the former can be brought into any order, the latter must be corrected by alternatives and sweetening medicines.

The first intention in the cure of ulcers is bringing them to digest, or discharge a thick matter; which will, in general, be effected by the green ointment, or that with precipitate; but should the sore not digest kindly by these means, but discharge a gleety thin matter, and look pale, you must then have recourse to warmer dressings, such as balsam, or oil of turpentine, melted down with your common digestive, and the strong-beer poultice over them; it is proper also in these kind of sores where the circulation is languid, and the natural heat abated, to warm the part, and quicken quickens the motion of the blood, by fomenting it well at the time of dressing; which method will thicken the matter, and rouse the native heat of the part, and then the former dressings may be re-applied.

If the lips of the ulcer grow hard or callous, they must be pared down with a knife, and afterwards rubbed with the cauticle.

Where soft fungous flesh begins to rise, it should carefully be suppressed in time, otherwise the cure will go on but slowly; if it has already sprouted above the surface, pare it down with a knife, and rub the remainder with a bit of cauticle; and to prevent its rising again, sprinkle the sore with equal parts of burnt alum and red precipitate; or wash with the sublimate water, and dress with dry lint even to the surface, and then roll over a compress of linen as tight as can be borne; for a proper degree of pressure, with mild applications, will always oblige these spongy excrescences to subside, but without bandage the wound will not so well succeed.

All sinuses, or cavities, should be laid open as soon as discovered, after bandages have been ineffectually tried; but where the cavity penetrates deep into the muscles, and a counter opening is impracticable or hazardous; where, by a continuance, the integuments of the muscles are constantly dripping and melting down; in these cases injections may be used, and will frequently be attended with success. A decoction of colocynth boiled in forge-water; or solution of lapis medicamentosus in lime-water, with a fifth part of honey and tincture of myrrh, may be first tried, injected three or four ounces twice a day; or some resin, melted down with oil of turpentine, may be used for this purpose: if these should not succeed, the following, which is of a sharp and cautile nature, is recommended on Mr Gibbon's experience.

Take of Roman vitriol half an ounce; dissolve in a pint of water; then decant and pour off gently into a large quart-bottle; add half a pint of camphorated spirit of wine, the same quantity of the best vinegar, and two ounces of Egyptianum.

This mixture is also very successfully applied to ulcerated greasy heels, which it will both cleanse and dry up.

These sinuses, or cavities, frequently degenerate into fistulae, that is, grow pipey, having the inside thickened, and lined, as it were, with a horny callous substance. In order to their cure, they must be laid open, and the hard substance all cut away; where this is impracticable, scarify them well, and trust to the precipitate medicine made strong, rubbing now and then with cauticle, butter of antimony, or equal parts of quicksilver and aquafortis.

When a rotten or foul bone is an attendant on an ulcer, the flesh is generally loose and flabby; the discharge oily, thin, and tinkling; and the bone discovered to be carious, by its feeling rough to the probe passed thro' the flesh for that purpose. In order to a cure, the bone must be laid bare, that the rotten part of it be removed: for which purpose, destroy the loose flesh, and dress with dry lint; or the doffils may be preffed out of tincture of myrrh or euphorbium. The throwing off the scale is generally a work of nature, which is effected in more or less time, and in proportion to the depth the bone is affected; though burning the foul bone is thought by some to hasten its separation.

Where the cure does not properly succeed, mercurial physic should be given, and repeated at proper intervals; and to correct and mend the blood and juices, the antimonial and alterative powders, with a decoction of guaiacum and lime waters, are proper for that purpose.

Sect. XXVII. Of a Bone-Spavin.

Without entering at all into the cause of this disorder, which is a bony excrescence, or hard swelling, growing on the inside of the hock of a horse's leg, we shall content ourselves with describing the different kinds thereof by their symptoms, and then enter on their cure.

A spavin, that begins on the lower part of the hock, is not so dangerous as that which puts out higher, between the two round processes of the leg-bone; and a spavin near the edge is not so bad as that which is more inward toward the middle, as it does not so much affect the bending of the hock.

A spavin, that comes by a kick or blow, is at first no true spavin, but a bruise on the bone, or membrane which covers it; therefore not of that consequence, as when it proceeds from a natural cause; and those that put out on colts, and young horses, are not so bad as those that happen to horses in their full strength and maturity; but in very old horses they are generally incurable.

The usual method of treating this disorder is by blisters and firing; without any regard to the situation, or cause whence it proceeds. Thus, if a felonies on the fore-part of the hock comes upon hard riding, or any other violence, which threatens a spavin; in that case, such coolers and repellers are proper, as are recommended in strains and bruises. Those happening to colts and young horses are generally superficial, and require only the milder applications; for it is better to wear them down by degrees, than to remove them at once by severe means.

Various are the prescriptions for the blistering ointment; but the following, on proper experience, stands well recommended by Mr Gibbon.

Take nerve and marsh-mallow ointment, of each two ounces; quicksilver, one ounce, thoroughly broke with an ounce of Venice turpentine; Spanish flies powdered, a dram and a half; sublimate, one dram; oil of origanum, two drams.

The hair is to be cut as close as possible, and then the ointment applied pretty thick over the part; this should be done in the morning, and the horse kept tied up all day without any litter till night; when he may be untied, in order to lie down; and a pitch or any sticking plaster may be laid over it, and bound on with a broad tape or bandage to keep all close.

After the blister has done running, and the scabs begin to dry and peel off, it may be applied a second time, in the same manner as before; this second application generally taking greater effect than the first, and in colts and young horses makes a perfect cure.

When the spavin has been of long standing, it will require to be renewed, perhaps, five or six times; but after the second application, a greater distance of time must be allowed, otherwise it might leave a scar, or cause a baldness; to prevent which, once a fortnight or Of a Curb, or three weeks is often enough; and it may in this manner be continued six or seven times, without the least blemish, and will generally be attended with success.

But the spavins that put out on older or full-aged horses are apt to be more obstinate, as being seated more inward; and when they run among the sinuosity of the joint, they are for the most part incurable, as they then lie out of the reach of applications, and are arrived to a degree of impenetrable hardness.

The usual method in these cases is to fire directly, or to use the strongest kind of caustic blisters; and sometimes to fire and lay the blister immediately over the part: but this way seldom succeeds farther than putting a stop to the growth of the spavin, and is apt to leave both a blemish and stiffness behind; besides the great risk run (by applications of these fiery and caustic medicines to the nervous and tendinous parts about the joints) of exciting violent pain and anguish, and destroying the limb.

The best and safest way, therefore, is to make trial of the blistering ointment above, and to continue it according to the directions there laid down, for some months, if found necessary; the horse in the intervals working moderately: the hardness will thus be dissolved by degrees, and wear away insensibly.

Where the spavin lies deep, and runs so far into the hollow of the joint that no application can reach it, neither firing nor medicines can avail, for the reasons above-mentioned; though bold ignorant fellows have sometimes succeeded in cases of this sort (by men of judgment deemed incurable) by the application of caustic ointments with sublimate, which act very forcibly, enter deep, and make a large discharge, and by that means destroy a great part of the substance, and dissolve away the remainder: though, whoever is at all acquainted with the nature of these medicines, must know how dangerous in general their operation is on these occasions; and that a proper prepared cautery made like a fleam, under the direction of a skilful hand, may be applied with less danger of injuring either tendons or ligaments. After the sublimate of the swelling has been properly penetrated by the instrument, it must be kept running by the precipitate medicine, or mild blistering ointment. Where the spavin lies not deep in the joint, and the blistering method will not succeed, the swelling may be safely fired with a thin iron forced pretty deep into the substance, and then should be dressed as is above directed.

**Sect. XXVIII. Of a Curb and Ring-bone.**

1. As a spavin rises among the bones on the fore-part of the hock, so a curb takes its origin from the junctures of the same bones, and rises on the hind-part, forming a pretty large tumour over the back part of the hind-leg, attended with stiffness, and sometimes with pain and lameness.

A curb proceeds from the same causes that produce spavins; viz. hard riding, strains, blows, or kicks. The cure at first is generally easy enough effected by blistering, repeated two or three times, or oftener. If it does not submit to this treatment, but grows excessively hard, the quickest and surest way is to fire with a thin iron, making a line down the middle from top to bottom, and drawing several lines in a penniform manner pretty deep; and then to apply a mild blistering plaster or ointment over it.—This method will entirely remove it.

There is another swelling taken notice of on the outside of the hock, which is called a jardon. This commonly proceeds from blows and kicks of other horses; but frequently happens to menaged horses, by setting them on their haunches; it is seldom attended with much lameness, unless it has been neglected, or some little process of the bone be broke. It should first be treated with the coolers and repellers in sect. XXXI.: but if any swelling continues hard, and insensible, the best way is to blister or fire; but the mild blisters alone generally succeed.

2. The ring-bone is a hard swelling on the lower part of the patella, which generally reaches half-way round the fore-part thereof, and from its resemblance to a ring has its denomination. It often arises from strains, &c.; and, when behind, from putting young horses too early upon their haunches; for in that attitude a horse throws his whole weight as much, if not more, upon his pasterns, than on his hocks.

When it appears distinctly round the patella, and does not run downwards toward the coronet, so as to affect the coffin-joint, it is easily cured; but if it takes its origin from some strain or defect in the joint originally, or if a callous is found under the round ligament that covers that joint, the cure is generally dubious, and sometimes impracticable; as it is apt to turn to a quitter, and in the end to form an ulcer upon the hoof.

The ring-bones that appear on colts and young horses, will often insensibly wear off of themselves, without the help of any application; but when the sublimate remains, there needs no other remedy besides blistering, unless when by long continuance it is grown to an obstinate hardness, and then it may require both blistering and firing.

To fire a ring-bone successfully, let the operation be performed with a thinner instrument than the common one, and let the lines or razes be made not above a quarter of an inch distant, crossing them obliquely, somewhat like a chain; apply a mild blister over all, and, when quite dried up, the rupture-plaster; and then turn the horse to graze for some time.

**Sect. XXIX. Of Splints.**

These are hard excrescences that grow on the shank-bone, and are of various shapes and sizes. Some horses are more subject to splints than others; but young horses are most liable to these infirmities, which often wear off and disappear of themselves. Few horses put out splints after they are seven or eight years old, unless they meet with blows or accidents.

A splint that arises in the middle of the shank-bone is nowise dangerous; but those that arise on the back part of this bone, when they grow large and press against the back kneecap, always cause lameness or stiffness, by rubbing against it: the others, except they are situated near the joints, seldom occasion lameness.

As to the cure of splints, the best way is not to meddle with them, unless they are so large as to disfigure a horse, or are so situated as to endanger his going lame.

Splints in their infancy, and on their first appearance, Sect. XXX. Of the Poll-evil.

The poll-evil is an abscess near the poll of a horse, formed in the sinuses between the poll-bone and the uppermost vertebrae of the neck.

If it proceeds from blows, bruises, or any external violence, at first bathe the swelling often with hot vinegar; and if the hair be fretted off with an ouzing thro' the skin, make use of two parts of vinegar, and one of spirit of wine; but if there be an itching, with heat and inflammation the safest way is to bleed, and apply poultices with bread, milk, and elder flowers: this method, with the assistance of physic, will frequently dispel the swelling and prevent this evil.

But when the tumour is critical, and has all the signs of matter, the best method then is to forward it by applying the ripening poultices already taken notice of, till it comes to maturity, and bursts of itself; or if opened with a knife, great care should be taken to avoid the tendinous ligament that runs along the neck under the mane; when matter is on both sides, the opening must be made on each side, and the ligament remain undivided.

If the matter flows in great quantities, resembles melted glue, and is of an oily consistence, it will require a second incision, especially if any cavities are discovered by the finger or probe; these should be opened by the knife, the orifices made depending, and the wound dressed with the common digestive of turpentine, honey, and tincture of myrrh, and, after digestion, with the precipitate ointment; or wash with the following made hot, and fill up the cavity with tow soaked in it.

Take vinegar or spirit of wine half a pint, white vitriol dissolved in spring-water half an ounce, tincture of myrrh four ounces.

This may be made sharper by adding more vitriol; but if the flesh is very luxuriant, it should first be pared down with a knife before the application. With this wash alone Mr Gibbon has cured this disorder without any other formality of dressing, washing with it twice a-day, and laying over the part a quantity of tow soaked in vinegar and the white of eggs beat together.

But the most compendious method of cure, is found by observation to be by scalding, as the farriers term it; and is thus prosecuted when the sore is foul, of a bad disposition, and attended with a profusion of matter.

Take corrosive sublimate, verdigrase in fine powder, and Roman vitriol, of each two drams; green copperas half an ounce, honey or Egyptianum two ounces, oil of turpentine and train-oil of each eight ounces, rectified spirit of wine four ounces; mix together in a bottle.

The manner of scalding is first to clean the abscess well with a piece of sponge dipped in vinegar; then put a sufficient quantity of the mixture into a ladle with a spout; and when it is made scalding hot, pour it into the abscess, and close the lips together with one or more stitches. This is to remain in several days; and if good matter appears, and not in an over great quantity, it will do well without any other dressing, but bathing with spirit of wine; if the matter flows in great abundance, and of a thin consistence, it must be scalded again, and repeated till the matter lessens and thickens.

Sect. XXXI. Of a Fistula, and Bruises on the Withers, Warbles on the Back, and Sit-falls.

1. Bruises on the withers frequently imposthumate, and for want of care turn fistulous. They arise often from pinches of the saddle, and should be treated with repellers: for this purpose bathe the tumour well with hot vinegar three or four times a-day; if that does not succeed alone, an ounce of oil of vitriol may be put to a quart of vinegar, or half an ounce of white vitriol dissolved in a little water, and added to the same quantity. These are generally very effectual repellers for this purpose in hootes, and will frequently prevent imposthumation: when the swelling is attended with heat, smarting, and little hot watery pimples, the following mixture will then be more proper to bathe with.

Take two ounces of crude sal ammoniac, boiled in a quart of lime-water; where that cannot be had, a handful of pearl or wood ashes may be boiled in common water: pour off the decoction when settled, and mix with it half a pint of spirit of wine: anoint the part afterwards with linseed oil, or elder ointment, to soften and smooth the skin.

But when the swellings are critical, the consequence of a fever settled on this part, you must avoid the repelling method, and assist in bringing the swelling to matter, by means of suppurating poultices: experienced farriers advise, never to open these tumours till they break of themselves: for if they are opened before they are ripe, the whole sore will be spongy, and discharge a bloody ichor, which soon degenerates into a Fordid ulcer. But take care to enlarge the openings, and pare away the lips, that your dressings may be applied easily; and avoid the ligament which runs along the neck to the withers: if a gathering forms on the opposite side, open it in the same manner; but take care they incline downwards, for the sake of depending orifices, and letting the matter flow off easily. For the method of dressing, we must refer to the preceding Section; and if the bones should be found foul, they must be dressed with tincture of myrrh till they scale off: if the fungus is very troublesome, and the discharge oily, yellow, and viscid, pledges soaked in the following, made hot, have been found very effectual, bathing the swelling round with spirit of wine and vinegar.

Take half an ounce of blue vitriol dissolved in a pint of water; oil of turpentine, and rectified spirit of wine, of each four ounces; white-wine vinegar, six ounces; oil of vitriol and Aegyptiacum, of each two ounces.

When the cavities are truly fistulous, the callosities must be cut out, where it can be done, with a knife; and the remainder destroyed by corrosives, viz. precipitate, burnt alum, and white vitriol, as we have already observed in the Section on Ulcers.

2. Warbles are small hard tumours under the saddle-part of the horse's back, occasioned by the heat of the saddle in travelling, or its uneasy situation. A hot greasy dish-clout, at first frequently applied, will sometimes remove them. Camphorated spirits of wine are also very effectual for this purpose to disperse them, to which a little spirit of sal armoniac may be added. The repellers above-mentioned are successfully applied in these cases; and if you are obliged to work the horse, take care your saddle is nicely chambered.

3. A fistula proceeds generally from a warble, and is the horse's hide turned horny; which, if it cannot be dissolved and softened by rubbing with the mercurial ointment, must be cut out, and treated then as a fresh wound.

Sect. XXXII. Of Wind-galls, Blood and Bog Spavins.

1. A Wind-gall is a flatulent swelling, which yields to the pressure of the finger, and recovers its shape on the removal thereof: the tumour is visible to the eye, and often seated on both sides of the back finew, above the fetlocks, on the fore-legs, but most frequently on the hind-legs; though they are met with in various parts of the body, wherever membranes can be so separated, that a quantity of air and ferocities may be included within their duplicatures.

When they appear near the joints and tendons, they are generally caused by strains, or bruises on the sinews, or the sheath that covers them; which, by being over-stretched, have some of their fibres ruptured; whence probably may issue out that fluid which is commonly found with the included air: though, where these swellings shew themselves in the interstices of large muscles, which appear blown up like bladders, air alone is the chief fluid; and these may safely be opened, and treated as a common wound.

On the first appearance of wind-galls, their cure should be attempted by restringents and bandage: for which purpose, let the swelling be bathed twice a-day with vinegar, or verjuice alone; or let the part be fo-

mented with a decoction of oak-bark, pomegranate, Of Spavins, and alum boiled in verjuice, binding over it, with a roller, a woollen cloth soaked in the same. Some, for this purpose, use red-wine lees, others carriers shavings wetted with the same, or vinegar, bracing the part up with a firm bondage.

If this method, after a proper trial, should not be found to succeed, authors have advised the swelling to be pierced with an awl, or opened with a knife: but mild blistering has in general the preference given to these methods; the included fluids being thereby drawn off, the impacted air dispersed, and the tumour gradually diminished.

2. A blood-spavin is a swelling and dilatation of the vein that runs along the inside of the hock, forming a little soft swelling in the hollow part, and is often attended with a weakness and lameness of the hock.

The cure should be first attempted with the restringents and bandage above recommended, which will contribute greatly to strengthen all weaknesses of the joints, and frequently will remove this disorder if early applied; but if by these means the vein is not reduced to its usual dimensions, the skin should be opened, and the vein tied with a crooked needle and wax-thread passed underneath it, both above and below the swelling, and the turgid part suffered to digest away with the ligatures: for this purpose, the wound may be daily dressed with turpentine, honey, and spirit of wine, incorporated together.

3. A bog-spavin is an encysted tumour on the inside of the hough; or, according to Dr. Bracken, a collection of brownish gelatinous matter, contained in a bag, or cyst, which he thinks to be the lubricating matter of the joint altered, the common membrane that incloses it forming the cyst. This case he has taken the pains to illustrate in a young colt of his own, where he says, When the spavin was pressed hard on the inside the hough, there was a small tumour on the outside, which convinced him the fluid was within-side the joint; he accordingly cut into it; discharged a large quantity of this gelatinous matter; dressed the sore with dressings dipped in oil of turpentine; putting into it, once in three or four days, a powder made of calcined vitriol, alum, and bole: by this method of dressing, the bag sloughed off, and came away, and the cure was successfully completed without any visible scar.

This disorder, according to the above description, will scarcely submit to any other method, except firing, when the cyst ought to be penetrated to make it effectual; but in all obstinate cases that have resisted the above methods, both the cure of this and of the swellings called wind-galls should be attempted in this manner. If, through the pain attending the operation or dressings, the joint should swell and inflame, foment it twice a-day, and apply a poultice over the dressings till it is reduced.

Sect. XXXIII. Of Mallenders and Sallenders.

Mallenders are cracks in the bend of the horse's knee, that discharge a sharp indigested matter; they are often the occasion of lameness, stiffness, and the horse's tumbling.

Sallenders are the same distemper, situated on the bending of the hough, and occasion a lameness behind. They They are both cured by washing the parts with a lather of soap warmed, or old chamber-lye; and then apply over the cracks a strong mercurial ointment spread on tow, with which they should be dressed, night and morning, till all the scabs fall off: if this should not succeed, anoint them night and morning with a little of the following, and apply the above ointment over it.

Take hogs lard, two ounces; sublimate mercury, two drams.

Or, Take hogs lard, two ounces; oil of vitriol, two drams.

Take the next from Gibson, which is to be depended on.

Ethiops mineral, half an ounce; white vitriol, one dram; soft green soap, six ounces.

Anoint with this often; but first clip away the hair, and clear the scabs. On their drying up, it may be proper to give a gentle purge or two; or the nitre-balls may be taken advantageously, for a fortnight or three weeks.

Sect. XXXIV. Of Lampas, Barbs, and Wolves-teeth.

1. The lampas is an excrescence in the roof of the horse's mouth, which is sometimes so luxuriant, that it grows above the teeth, and hinders his feeding. The cure is in lightly cauterising the flesh with a hot iron, taking care that it does not penetrate too deep, so as to scale off the thin bone that lies under the upper bars; the part may be anointed with burnt alum and honey, which is proper for most sores in the mouth.

This operation is by some thought to be entirely unnecessary; it being a general observation with them, that all young horses have their mouths more or less full of what are called lampas; and that sometimes they rise higher than the fore-teeth; but they further observe, in proportion as a horse grows older, the roof flattens of itself, and the teeth then appear to rise. We are obliged to the ingenious M. La Folle for this remark, and hope it will be the means of abolishing this cruel and unnecessary operation.

2. Barbs are small excrescences under the tongue, which may be discovered by drawing it aside, and are cured by cutting close off, and washing with brandy or salt and water.

3. A horse is said to have wolves-teeth, when the teeth grow in such a manner, that their points prick or wound either the tongue or gums in eating. Old horses are most liable to this infirmity, and whose upper overshoot the under teeth in a great degree.

To remedy this evil, you may either chop off the superfluous parts of the teeth with a chisel and mallet, or file them down, which is the better way, till you have sufficiently waited them.

Sect. XXXV. Of the Grease.

In order to treat this disorder with some propriety, we shall consider it as arising from two different causes; a fault or relaxation in the vessels, or a bad disposition in the blood and juices. We must here observe, that the blood and juices (or humours, for there are always some in the best state of blood) are brought to the extreme parts by the arteries, and returned by the veins; in which latter, the blood is to rise in perpendicular columns, to return the circulating fluids from the extremities; hence swellings in the legs of horses may easily be accounted for, from a partial stagnation of the blood and juices in the finer vessels, where the circulation is most languid; and especially when there is want of due exercise, and a proper muscular compression on the vessels, to push forward the returning blood, and propel the inert and half-stagnating fluids through their vessels; in short, the blood in such cases cannot so readily ascend as descend, or a greater quantity is brought by the arteries than can be returned by the veins.

The grease then, considered in this light, must be treated as a local complaint, where the parts affected are alone concerned, the blood and juices being yet untainted, and in good condition; or as a disorder where they are both complicated; but when it is an attendant on some other distemper, as the farcy, yellows, dropsy, &c., such diseases must first be cured before the grease can be removed. In the former case, moderate exercise, proper dressing, cleanliness, and external application, will answer the purpose; in the latter, internals must be called in to our assistance, with proper evacuations.

When a horse's heels are first observed to swell in the stable, and subside or go down on exercise; let care be taken to wash them very clean every time he comes in, with soap-fuds, chamber-lye, or vinegar and water; which, with proper rubbing, will frequently prevent, or remove, this complaint; or let them be well bathed twice a-day with old verjuice, or the following mixture, which will brace up the relaxed vessels; and if rags dipped in the same are rolled on, with a proper bandage, for a few days, it is most likely the swellings will soon be removed by this method only, as the bandage will support the vessels till they have recovered their tone. To answer this end, also, a laced flocking made of strong canvas or coarse cloth, neatly fitted to the part, would be found extremely serviceable, and might easily be contrived by an ingenious mechanic.

Take rectified spirit of wine, four ounces; dissolve in it half an ounce of camphor; to which add wine-vinegar, or old verjuice, six ounces; white vitriol, dissolved in a gill of water, one ounce; mix together, and shake the phial when used.

But if cracks or scratches are observed, which ooze and run, let the hair be clipped away, as well to prevent a lodgment (which becomes stinking and offensive by its stay), as to give room for washing out dirt or gravel, which, if suffered to remain there, would greatly aggravate the disorder.

When this is the case, or the heels are full of hard scabs, it is necessary to begin the cure with poultices, made either of boiled turnips and lard, with a handful of linseed powdered; or oatmeal and rye-flour, with a little common turpentine and hogs lard, boiled up with strong-beer grounds or red-wine lees. The digestive ointment being applied to the fores for two or three days, with either of these poultices over it, will, by softening them, promote a discharge, unload the vessels, and take down the swelling; when they may be dried up with the following:

Take white vitriol and burnt alum, of each two ounces; Ægyptiacum, one ounce; lime-water, a quart quart or three pints: wash the sores with a sponge dipped in this, three times a day; and apply the common white ointment spread on tow, to an ounce of which may be added two drams of sugar of lead.

This method is generally very successful, when the distemper is only local, and requires no internal medicines; but if the horse be full and groggy, his legs greatly gorged, so that the hair flares up, and is what some term pen-feathered, and has a large tinkling discharge from deep foul sores, you may expect to meet with great trouble, as these disorders are very obstinate to remove, being often occasioned by a poor dropical state of blood, or a general bad disposition in the blood and juices.

The cure in this case, if the horse is full and fleshy, must be begun by bleeding, rowels, and repeated purging; after which, diuretic medicines are frequently given with success. Thus,

Take four ounces of yellow rosin, one of sal prunellae; grind them together with an oiled pestle; add a dram of oil of amber; and give a quart of forge-water every morning, fasting two hours before and after taking, and ride moderately.

As this drink is found very disagreeable to some horses, we would recommend the nitre-balls in its stead, given to the quantity of two ounces a day, for a month or six weeks, mixed up with honey, or in his feeds: take the following also for that purpose.

Yellow rosin, four ounces; salt of tartar, and sal prunellae, each of two ounces; Venice soap, half a pound; oil of juniper, half an ounce; make into balls of two ounce weight, and give one every morning.

The legs, in this case, should be bathed or fomented, in order to breathe out the stagnant juices, or to thin them, so that they may be able to circulate freely in the common current. For this purpose, foment twice a day with the discutent fomentation, (p. 26. col. 1.) in which a handful or two of wood-ashes has been boiled; apply then the above poultices, or the following, till the swelling has subsided, when the sores may be dressed with the green ointment till they are properly digested, and then dried up with the water and ointment above recommended.

Take honey, one pound; turpentine, six ounces; incorporate with a spoon; and add of the meal of fenugreek and linseed, each four ounces; boil in three quarts of red-wine lees to the consistence of a poultice; to which add, when taken from the fire, two ounces of camphor in powder; spread it on thick cloths, and apply warm to the legs, securing it on with a strong roller.

If the sores are very foul, dress them with two parts of the wound-ointment, and one of Egyptiacum; and apply the following, spread on thick cloths, and rolled on.

Take of black soap, one pound; honey, half a pound; burnt alum, four ounces; verdigris powdered, two ounces; wheat-flour, a sufficient quantity.

If the diuretic balls should not succeed, they must be changed for the antimonial and mercurial alternatives, already mentioned; but turning a horse out in a field, where he has a hovel or shed to run to at pleasure, would greatly contribute to quicken the cure, and indeed would in general effect it alone; but if this cannot be complied with, let him be turned out in the daytime.

If the horse is not turned out, a large and convenient stall is absolutely necessary, with good dressing and care.

The last thing we shall recommend, is a method to oblige a horse to lie down in the stable. This undoubtedly is of the utmost consequence, as it will not a little contribute to the removal and cure of this disorder; for by only changing the position of his legs, a freer circulation would be obtained, and the swelling taken down; whereas in general it is greatly aggravated by the obstinacy of the horse, who refuses to lie down at all (probably from the pain it gives him to bend his legs for that purpose), by which means the stiffness and swelling increases, till the over-gorged and distended vessels are obliged to give way, and, by bursting, discharge the fluids, which should circulate through them.

Sect. XXXVI. Of Scratches, Crown-scabs, Rat-tail's, and Capellets.

1. Scratches in the heels have so much affinity with the grease, and are so often concomitants of that distemper, that the method of treating them may be selected chiefly from the preceding section; which at first should be by the linseed and turnip poultice, with a little common turpentine, to soften them and relax the vellus; the green ointment may then be applied for a few days to promote a discharge, when they may be dried up with the ointments and washes recommended in the above section. It is best afterwards to keep the heels supple, and softened with carrier's dubbing, which is made of oil and tallow. This will keep the hide from cracking, and be as good a preservative as it is to leather; and, by using it often before exercise, will prevent the scratches, if care is taken to wash the heels with warm water when the horse comes in. When they prove obstinate, and the sores are deep, use the following; but if any cavities or hollow places are formed, they should first be laid open; for no foundation can be laid for healing, till you can dress to the bottom.

Take Venice turpentine, four ounces; quicksilver, one ounce; incorporate well together by rubbing some time; and then add honey and sheep's feet, each of two ounces.

Anoint with this once or twice a day; and if the horse is full or fleshy, you must bleed and purge; and if the blood is in a bad state, the alternatives must be given to rectify it.

2. The crown-scarb is an humour that breaks out round the coronet, which is very sharp and itching, and attended with a scurfiness: sharp waters prepared with vitriol are generally used for the cure; but the safest way is first to mix marshmallow and yellow balsam, or the wound-ointment, equal parts, and to spread them on tow, and lay all round the coronet. A dose or two of physic may be very proper, with the diuretic medicines prescribed in the preced. col. and the alternatives above recommended, in rebellious cases.

Vid. the Section on Alteratives.

3. Rat-tails are excrescences which creep from the pattern to the middle of the shanks, and are so called Of Ruptures, &c.

from the resemblance they bear to the tail of a rat. Some are moist, others dry; the former may be treated with the drying ointment and washes, p. 33, col. 2, par. ult., the latter with the mercurial ointment prescribed in the Section of Stranglers, last paragr. If the hardness does not submit to the last medicine, it should be pared off with a knife, and dressed with turpentine, tar, and honey, to which verdigrase or white vitriol may occasionally be added; but before the use of the knife, you may apply this ointment.

Take black soap, four ounces; quicklime, two ounces; vinegar enough to make an ointment.

There are particular swellings which horses are subject to, of a venous nature, which grow on the heel of the hock, and on the point of the elbow, and are called by the French and Italians capellets; they arise often from bruises and other accidents; and when this is the case, should be treated with vinegar and other repellents. But when they grow gradually on both heels or elbows, we may then suspect the blood and juices in fault, and that some of the vessels are broke and juices extravasated: in this case, the suppuration should be promoted, by rubbing the part with marshmallow ointment; and when matter is formed, the skin should be opened with a lancet, in some dependent part towards one side, to avoid a scar: the dressings may be turpentine, honey, and tincture of myrrh. The relaxed skin may be bathed with equal parts of spirit of wine and vinegar, to which an eighth part of oil of vitriol may be added. The contents of these tumours are various; sometimes watery; at others fatty, or like thick paste; which, if care be not taken to digest out properly with the clyster, will frequently collect again; was it not for the disfigurement, the shortest method would be to extirpate them with a knife, which, if artfully executed, and the skin properly preserved, would leave very little deformity.

Sect. XXXVII. XXXVIII. Of Ruptures, Anticor, Colt-evil or Gonorrhea, and Diseases of the Mouth.

In regard to ruptures, though they are generally divided into particular classes, we shall only observe, that by violent efforts of the horse, or other accidents, the guts or caul may be forced between the muscles of the belly at the navel, and through the rings of the muscles into the scrotum or cod. The swellings are generally about the size of a man's fist, sometimes much larger, descending to the very hock: they are frequently soft, and yield to the pressure of the hand, when they will return into the cavity of the belly with a rumbling noise; and, in most, the vacuity may be felt through which they passed.

On their first appearance, endeavours should be made to return them by the hand; but if the swelling should be hard and painful, in order to relieve the stricture, and relax the parts through which the gut or caul has passed, let a large quantity of blood be immediately taken away, and the part fomented twice or thrice a day, applying over it a poultice made of oatmeal, oil, and vinegar, which should be continued till the swelling grows soft and easier, or the gut is returned. In the meantime, it would be proper to throw up emollient oily glysters twice a-day, and to let the horse's chief diet be boiled barley, scalded malt, or bran.

Should the swelling afterwards return, we apprehend the restringent applications, usually recommended on these occasions, will avail little without a suspensory bandage; so that an ingenious mechanic in that art is chiefly to be relied on for any future assistance; though it has been observed, that with moderate feeding, and gentle exercise, some horses have continued to be very useful under this complaint.

The anticor is a disorder not very common among our horses, or those in northern climates; but is particularly taken notice of by the French, Spanish, and Italian writers; who describe it a malignant swelling in the breast, which extends sometimes to the very sheath under the belly; it is attended with a fever, great depressions and weaknesses, and a total loss of appetite.

The cure should be first attempted by large and repeated bleedings, to abate the inflammation; emollient glysters should be injected twice or thrice a-day, with an ounce of sal prunella in each, and the cooling drink in the Section on Fevers should be given inwardly; the swelling should be bathed with the marshmallow ointment; and a ripening poultice, with onions boiled in it, should be applied over it. If by this method, continued four or five days, the inflammation in the throat and gullet is removed, our attention should more particularly turn to encourage the swelling at the breast, and bring it, if possible, to matter: to which end, continue the poultice, and give two ounces of Venice treacle dissolved in a pint of beer every night; when the swelling is grown soft, it must be opened with the knife, and dressed with turpentine digestive, the danger now being over.

But should it be found impracticable to bring the swelling to matter, and it increases upwards, so as to endanger suffocation; authors have advised to pierce the tumour with a hot pointed cautery in five or six places; to dress with the above digestive; and, in order to stimulate and promote a greater discharge, to add to it a small quantity of Spanish flies and euphorbium in powder; fomenting at the same time, and bathing the circumjacent parts with ointment of marshmallows.

M. Gueriniere, as well as Solyfell, have advised opening the skin, when the tumour cannot be brought to matter, in order to introduce a piece of black heliobore-root steeped in vinegar, and to confine it there for 24 hours: this also is intended as a stimulant; and is said to answer the intention, by occasioning sometimes a swelling as big as a man's head.

Besides the disorders of the mouth, which we have already animadverted on, there are frequently observed on the inside the lips and palate, little swellings or bladders called giggs. Slitting them open with a knife or lancet, and washing them afterwards with salt and vinegar, is in general their cure; but when they degenerate into what are called cankers, which are known by little white specks, that spread and occasion irregular ulcers, the best method then is to touch them daily with a small flat cautery, moderately heated till the spreading is stopped, and to rub the sores three or four times a day with Aegyptiacum, and tincture of myrrh sharpened with oil or spirit of vitriol; when by this dressing the sloughs are separated, they may be washed frequently with a sponge dipped in copperas, or sublimate water, if they continue to spread; or a tincture made by dissolving half an ounce of burnt alum, Observations on Horses Feet.

A relaxation and swelling of the palate sometimes happens to horses on catching cold. To remedy this disorder, blow pepper on the part, or anoint it with the same mixed up with honey. The tincture above mentioned may be used for this purpose, to which may be added half an ounce of spirit of sal ammoniac.

4. The colt-evil is supposed to arise from flamed colts having full liberty with mares, before they are able to cover them; whence frequently ensues an excoriation or fretting on the glands and a swelling on the sheath. This last disorder frequently proceeds too from dirt or filth lodging there, and is often removed by washing the part clean with butter and beer; but when the yard itself is swelled, foment it twice a day with marshmallows boiled in milk, to which may be added a little spirit of wine; anoint the excoriation with the white ointment, or wash it with a sponge dipped in lime, to a pint of which may be added two drams of sugar of lead; the yard should be suspended up to the belly; and if the swelling should increase with the inflammation, bleed, and give the cooling phytic, anoint with ointment of alder, and apply the bread-and-milk poultice.

If a simple gonorrhea or seminal gleet is observed to drip from the yard, (which is often the case in high-fed young horses, where a relaxation of the glands and seminal vesicles has been brought on by frequent emissions), let the horse be plunged every day into a river or pond; give him two or three rhubarb purges, at proper distances; and immediately the following balls.

Take of balsam of copivi, or Venice turpentine, olibanum, and mastic powdered, of each two drams; bole armeniac, half an ounce; mix up into a ball with honey, and give it night and morning till the discharge lessens, and then every night till it goes off.

Balls prepared with rhubarb and turpentine may also be given for this purpose; two drams of the former, with half an ounce of the latter.

DISEASES OF THE FEET.

Sect. XXXIX. Preliminary Remarks.

I. Of Greasing, Oiling, and Stuffing Horses Hoofs. The custom of keeping our finest horses constantly standing upon dry litter and hot dung in the stable, is exceedingly hurtful to the feet and legs, particularly the former, which are always found to agree best with coolness and moisture. Hence we find, that horses' hoofs, whilst running in the fields, are always in better condition than those that are kept hot and dry in the stable, which, beside being liable to many diseases, are hard, brittle, shattered, and often broken.

With respect to greasy or oily applications, so often prescribed for the hoofs of horses in order to preserve them sound, tough, &c. Mr Clark very justly condemns them as rather pernicious than salutary.

When young horses (he observes) are first taken from the fields, their hoofs are cool, sound, and tough. These are found from experience to be good qualities. But horses are no sooner introduced into the stable, than their hoofs are greased or oiled two or three times a week; and if they are kept much in the house standing upon hot dry litter, without being frequently led abroad, and without having an opportunity of getting their hoofs cooled and moistened in wet ground, their hoofs grow so brittle, dry, and hard, that pieces frequently break off, like chips from a hard stone; and, when driving the nails in shoeing, pieces will split off, even although the nails are made very fine and thin. Now, if these same horses with brittle shattered hoofs are turned out to graze in the fields, their hoofs in time will become, as they were originally, sound, tough, and good.

This change must undoubtedly be ascribed to the wet and moisture which the hoofs are exposed to in the fields, of which water is the principal ingredient; and it is a certain fact, of which we have daily proofs, that when all other means fail, horses are turned out to graze in order to recover their decayed brittle hoofs. It is known, that the hoofs of horses are porous; and that insensible perspiration is carried on through these pores, in the same manner, and according to the same laws, as take place in other parts of the body. Now, everybody knows, that greasy or oily medicines applied to the skin of the human body, prevent perspiration, which is frequently attended with the worst consequences. The same reasoning will hold with respect to the hoofs of horses; for greasy or oily applications close or shut up the pores of the hoof, by being absorbed or sucked into its inner substance. Hence the natural moisture which should nourish the hoof, is thereby prevented from arriving at its surface; which, on that account, becomes as it were dead, and consequently dry, brittle, and hard.

The original practice of greasing or oiling horses' hoofs, had probably taken its rise, from observing, that grease or oil softened dead substances, such as leather, &c. But this will by no means apply to the hoofs of horses, as there is a very great difference between the living and dead parts of animals. The former having juices, &c. necessary for their own nourishment and support, whilst the latter require such applications as will preserve them from decaying and rotting.

The dealers in horses about London, when they get a bad-footed horse in their hands, moisten his hoofs frequently in water; for which purpose, they keep a puddle of water and dung at the watering place, that when the horse comes to water, his fore-feet are sunk in the puddle, by which means they are cooled and moistened twice or thrice every day; so that, whilst they are making up his carcase for the market, his hoofs are likewise repaired, and sufficient to stand the test of a trial upon sale. But no sooner do horses with hoofs of this kind come into other hands, their hoofs at the same time being kept dry and greased, &c. than they degenerate into their former state. Hence the cause of so many complaints that horses turn soon lame after they come from dealers, when, in fact, it proceeds from greasy applications, and neglecting to cool or moisten the hoofs in water; for the careful groom, when airing his master's horses, rather than lead them into a puddle, will go about in order to keep their legs clean and dry.

Another practice equally pernicious, is the stuffing up horses' hoofs (as it is called), with hot, refrinous, and greasy mixtures, under the notion of cooling and softening them. Various are the prescriptions recommended for this purpose, many of which are of a quite opposite opposite nature to the purpose intended.—There is likewise a great impropriety in raising up the hoofs with rotten dung and stale urine; this, it is true, is moisture; but of the very worst kind, on account of the salts contained in the urine, which of itself greatly contributes towards hardening and drying their hoofs, in place of softening them; besides the other bad effects which may arise to the frog, &c., from the rottenness of the dung. But, without commenting upon the various compositions or pompous prescriptions recommended in books, or those handed about as receipts for the softening and stuffing horses' hoofs, the author would recommend one which is more natural, and ought not to be despised for its simplicity, as it is only cooling and moistening the hoofs with water morning and evening. And, to those who are fond of stuffing, he would prefer bran and water, or clay, &c., made into the consistency of a poultice; and, in particular cases, where horses stand much in the stable, and the hoofs are disposed to be very hard, dry, and brittle, a poultice of this kind, or any other emollient composition in which water is a principal ingredient, may be applied all round the hoofs; or, in imitation of some dealers, to keep a puddle of water at the watering place, which will answer equally well, if not better. From this manner of treatment, the hoofs will be preserved in their natural state, and a free and equal perspiration kept up, by which the nourishment natural to the hoof will have free access to its surface, as it is this only which causes that cohesion of the parts which constitutes a firm, sound, tough hoof.

II. Of the natural Defects of the Feet. It is very well known, that different climates and different soils greatly affect the feet of horses. Those that are bred in hot countries, standing mostly upon dry ground, have deep crafted hollow hoofs with small frogs; for, being but little exposed to wet or moisture, the fibres of the hoof contract more closely. And, even in Great Britain, there is a considerable difference, according to the dryness or wetness of the soil upon which horses are bred. Those that are bred upon the mountainous parts of England and Wales, and in the northern parts of Scotland, have generally good sound tough hoofs; whilst those horses that are bred upon low marshy grounds, (which are mostly of the big draught kind), have flat, large, soft hoofs; for being kept too moist, by always soaking in wet, the horny fibres of the hoof are too much relaxed.

Those hoofs which are either too large or too small, in proportion to the size of the body, and thickness of the bones of the legs, are generally, and not without foundation, looked upon as bad. Large broad hoofs, for the most part, have thin flat soles; large, soft, spongy frogs; a strong crust, something hollow upon the upper and fore part, and full of wrinkles or rings, not unlike the rough outside of an oyster-shell. Hoofs of this shape are liable to that disease termed foundered; and to have high, round, or swelled soles, and low weak heels, &c.

Small hoofs are liable to the opposite extreme, especially those of that kind which generally go under the denomination of after hoofs, as they are deep crafted and narrow, the sole very hollow, the frog small, the heels high and strong, the crust upon the outside clear and shining: these are naturally disposed to a contraction of the whole hoof, which is called hoof-bound; and likewise to corns, running thrushes, or fractures; either of which render a horse lame.

Some hoofs are pretty well-proportioned, and look well to the eye; but, at the same time, they are thin and weak crafted, and not able to stand much fatigue in travelling upon hard stony grounds. On the other hand, very strong crafted hoofs are by no means the best, but are liable to cracks, &c. In such hoofs, the horny fibres appear very distinct, and run in a straight line from the coronet or top of the hoof to its basis, resembling the grain of some kinds of wood, particularly oak. Hence they are disposed to cracks or fissures, which cleave the hoof quite through, sometimes from the coronet down to the bottom of the hoof. In others, these cracks at first do not penetrate through the horn, but appear like a seam on the surface of the hoof, commonly named a sand-crack; which, from retaining the sand and gravel, at last works its way into the quick, and occasions lameness, &c. Another disadvantage attending very strong crafted hoofs is, that, when they stand long in a dry hot stable, they contract, and by their thickness and hardness bruise the internal parts of the foot. Hence the horse will be lame, though, at the same time, no visible defect will be seen about the hoof, excepting a great heat, pain, and tenderness in his feet; the true cause of which is seldom attended to or known; and hence the horse is said to be lame in some other part, perhaps the shoulders. Low thin heels are weak-crafted, and liable to lameness from injudicious shoeing. The opposite extreme, viz., very high heels, is equally bad; as these are subject to corns, and contraction of the hoof; and the deepness of the crust causes a numbness in the feet, and uneasiness in the horse's going, which make him liable to trip and stumble.

Much has been said by authors, with respect to the different colours of horses' hoofs, ascribing different qualities and temperaments to peculiar colours, such as hardnefs, drynefs, brittleness, &c. But it is very well known to practitioners in shoeing horses, that there are good and bad hoofs of all colours; some being naturally weak and disposed to be brittle, whilst others are tough and strong. But a great deal depends upon the management of them in the stable, in keeping them properly moistened, in order to preserve a due medium between these opposite extremes. It is likewise generally remarked, by authors, as a sure sign of bad thin hoofs, that, when the shoe-nails are drove high up in the crust, it is, say they, an evidence that the crust is thin, and that there was not sufficient hold, without driving the nails high up. But this can be no true criterion to judge by; for, if the nails can be driven high up in the crust with safety in a thin weak foot, the same may as certainly be done in a strong foot, with more ease and expedition, which indeed is frequently the case.

To form a right judgment of what may be called a good hoof, it must neither be too large nor too small in proportion to the size of the leg: at the same time, its shape must be regular, gradually enlarging from the coronet towards its basis; the crust smooth, even, and free from seams, cracks, or wrinkles; the sole strong, and a little hollow; the heels firm and open; the frog tough, sound, and dry. Sect. XL. Wounds in the Feet.

Wounds in the feet happen frequently, but chiefly from want of proper care, and treating them injudiciously when they are first inflicted.

1. Wounds upon the coronet, or top of the hoof, when superficial, are easily cured, if not neglected or improperly treated. But the most simple wound, by bad management or neglect, may, especially if the horse should happen at the time to be in a bad habit of body, be attended with dangerous consequences: therefore, however trifling they may at first appear, they should be treated with attention.

When large deep wounds are inflicted upon the coronet, from which may be apprehended a great inflammation, and its consequences; to prevent these evils as much as possible, it will be necessary to have recourse to bleeding, and, at the same time, to give such internal remedies as are recommended in inflammatory cases; cooling salts, glysters, &c. together with a low soft diet, keeping the hoof moist and soft with emollient poultices applied around it, which may be made of turnip, mallows, or even bran and water.

Deep wounds upon the coronet are generally made by long sharp caulkers upon the heels of the shoes of the opposite foot, penetrating downwards between the coffin-bone and the hoof. In this case, as there is no depending orifice or passage for the matter contained in the wound to be discharged downwards, there is great danger of a fistula or sinuous ulcer being formed; to prevent which, an artificial drain or opening must be made through the hoof, first rasping or paring it very thin upon the outside where the perforation is to be made; then introduce a sharp-pointed instrument, a little bent, into the orifice of the wound, and, passing it to the bottom, force it outwards. This operation will be performed with less pain to the animal, if the instrument be concealed within a canula or hollow tube, till it reaches to the bottom of the wound; when the perforation is to be made by pushing it beyond the extremity of the canula; and, by applying a bandage pretty tight round the coronet, the sides or lips of the wound may be brought into contact and healed up, or a feton may be introduced, and continued till the inflammation, swelling, &c. is removed. If this operation be too long delayed, the matter confined in the wound forms a number of sinuses or fistulas, which frequently run in different directions under the hoof, and require a large portion of it to be cut away before they can be healed up, leaving an ugly blemish, and a weakness or tenderness on that part of the hoof, which never admits of a thorough cure. But, by treating it in the manner now mentioned, the annular ligament may be preserved entire, and a false quarter avoided: and, although there may remain an horizontal crack or fissure in the hoof where the perforation was made; yet, as the hoof grows downwards, it will likewise go along with it, and wear out, without leaving a blemish or any other bad consequence.

When the capsular ligament of the coffin-joint is wounded or perforated by any instrument, so as to admit the external air into its cavity, the glands there situated inflame; and, in place of secreting a lubricating mild liquor, they discharge a sharp ichorous fluid, which destroys and corrodes the very cartilages or gristles upon the ends of the articulated bones, which at last grow together, and form what is termed an ankylosis, and of course lameness. There are many farriers who boast of their having cured wounds in the joints after they were affected with that symptom which they call a joint-water, that is, a discharge of the synovia or mucilaginous fluid contained within the cavity of the joint. But what they commonly call a joint-water, is only a yellow serum or lymph, which is frequently to be met with issuing in great abundance from wounds in the legs; and not the synovia or fluid contained within the cavity of the joint. Notwithstanding wounds of this kind happen frequently; yet, so little are the generality of practitioners acquainted with the nature of them and their consequences, that they make no distinction betwixt them and those of a more simple nature. Hence, therefore, they find themselves frequently mistaken in prognosticating the cure of a wound, to appearance of a very simple nature.

It is a certain fact, confirmed by experience, that, when the capsular ligament of any joint is perforated or cut through, there is but little chance of a complete cure being effected, so as the horse may be useful for the saddle or carriage; although, in other respects, to those who are willing to be at the expense, he may, if a strong horse, be useful in some kinds of drudgery.

As to the mode of dressing wounds of this kind, all that art can do, is to prevent, as much as possible, a violent inflammation or flux of humours to the affected limb, by bleeding, glysters, cooling salts, together with a low soft diet, applying digestive poultices to the wound, and injecting now and then into the cavity of the joint tincture of myrrh.

2. Wounds upon the coronet towards the back part of the foot or heel, which are commonly called an over-reach, are occasioned by the toe of the hind-shoe on the same side cutting the fore-heel. Some horses are much addicted to this, owing entirely to their manner of going, viz. the hind-foot moving in the same line of direction with the fore-foot; in riding fast, the forefoot not giving place in time to the hind-foot, strikes against the fore-heel: hence some horses, in trotting, make a clattering noise with the hind-shoes striking against the heel of the fore ones; hence, likewise, many horses are thrown down by the same cause.

Although an over-reach is a wound of the complicated kind, being at the same time a contusion or bruise together with a wound; yet they are nowise dangerous, and are easily cured by treating them in the manner hereafter mentioned; for, in two or three days, when the wound comes to suppurate properly, the bruised or dead parts fall off, and only leave a larger surface of a wound than was at first apprehended.

With respect to the dressing proper for recent wounds, farriers are too much prejudiced in favour of certain balms, ointments, and tinctures; and too sanguine in the belief of their supposed specific virtues, the healing qualities of which they flatter themselves are irresistible. But the truth is, all that art can do in the healing of wounds, is to remove every impediment which may obstruct the uniting of the divided parts, and to forward the formation of laudable pus or matter; that being once effected, the rest is performed by nature, which is self-sufficient. All the balms and remedies which Wounds in which are said to generate new flesh, in fact only assist nature by excluding the external air, keeping the wounded parts warm, and confining the secreted humours, which, by remaining there a due time, are converted into laudable matter, which is the balsam of nature's preparing. Therefore, the most approved and rational method of treating recent wounds is, to endeavour to bring them to a suppuration or discharge of laudable matter; for which purpose, poultices are most eligible, as they may be easily made more or less of a digestive quality, by melting and mixing any proper digestive ointment with the poultice whilst warm.

1. Digestive Ointment. Take common turpentine and hog's lard, of each equal parts, melted together.

This ointment may be made stronger or weaker, by diminishing the one ingredient and increasing the other; and is very proper to be mixed with poultices, in order to keep them soft and pliable.

2. Digestive Poultice. Take oat-meal or coarse wheat-flour; digestive ointment, two ounces; beer-grounds, a sufficient quantity: boil the whole to the consistence of a poultice. The quantity of the ointment may be increased or diminished in proportion to the size of the poultice.

The experience the author has had of the good effects of poultices of this kind in recent wounds, makes him recommend them as preferable to any other mode of dressing, for promoting a quick suppuration, and leaving a smooth even cicatrix.

3. Emollient Poultice. Take oat-meal, or coarse wheat-flour, and linseed powdered, of each half a pound. Boil them in milk or water to the consistence of a poultice: to which add of sal ammoniac, in powder, one ounce.

This emollient poultice may be applied when there is a great heat, inflammation, or swelling, attending wounds; and by the addition of fresh butter, lard, or oil, may be made of a more relaxing nature.

Many people are indeed prejudiced against the use of poultices, from a wrong notion, that they (as the phrase is) draw humours to the wounded part; but the absurdity of this way of reasoning will be evident to those who are acquainted with the healing art.

"Poultices," says Mr Bartlett, "are of such real and extensive use in farriery, that we thought the composition of them could not be too general. How simple soever the ingredients may appear to some, (which are generally at hand), yet they will be found to answer most intentions, where present care is to be obtained by warmth, softening, and relaxing the injured part. Many are the cases which demand such assistance, as recent swellings, inflammations, treads, bruises, cracked and swelled heels and feet, burns, scalds, bruised and lacerated wounds from stumps, thorns, glass, nails, &c., which last are much better treated with such simple emollient applications, than by hot oils or scalding plasters dropped into the wounds; which, under the absurd notion of drawing, but too often fear up the mouths of the vessels, hinder digestion, and consequently increase both pain and inflammation. In short, it is certain that very great services are daily done by the use of poultices, not only in those disorders to which the human body is incident, but also in those where-with the brute part of the creation is afflicted. One advantage which they have over most outward applications is peculiar to them, that they convey and retain an additional heat, besides what is often in the ingredients; and as most of them have also something emollient in their composition, they must necessarily soften and relax the skin and vessels, abate tension, attenuate and thin viscid and obstructed juices, so that their return into the common course of circulation, or discharge by the pores of the skin, must in general be much better answered by poultices than by other methods."

Poultices may be continued till such time as the wound appears to be well digested, (that is, a kindly suppuration of white well-concocted matter), look smooth and equal, free from cavities or excrescences of proud flesh; in that case, the use of poultices may be left off, and the surface of the wound may be sprinkled over with the following mild effcharotic powder.

4. Take burnt lime-lime, that breaks down on being exposed to the air without water, three ounces; Armenian bole, one ounce; rubbed together in a mortar, and put through a fine sieve.

After the wound is sprinkled with this powder, a pledget of dry lint may be fixed gently over it; and, when the surface of the wound is nearly equal with the skin, the powder will be sufficient, without any cloth or covering.

5. There is another species of wounds to which the feet are much exposed, called punctures, on account of their small orifice, as the parts immediately after the wound is inflicted readily close up, whereby it becomes difficult to know the depth of the wound. They are generally occasioned from treading upon sharp stones, broken glass, sharp bones, and nails, and likewise from nails in shoeing; either of these perforating the sole or frog, and wounding the internal parts of the foot; which, from their situation and confinement within the hoof, are attended with the most violent pain and inflammation, which are frequently increased by the injudicious method generally observed in treating these wounds when first inflicted, by the application of hot corrosive oils poured into the recent wound, in order to deaden it, which is productive of the worst of consequences. Thus, a fine young chaise-horse, upon a journey, was pricked with a nail in shoeing; which being immediately observed, the farrier poured into the wound oil of vitriol. The horse continued very lame; and, upon the third day, he gave up, not being able to travel any longer. The leg, immediately above the hoof, swelled to a most enormous size, broke out in different places, and discharged an incredible quantity of bloody matter, by which the whole limb was wasted, and the horse rendered entirely useless.

Punctures or pricks from nails in shoeing, are commonly said to proceed from ignorance or blundering. This may sometimes be the case; but, at the same time, it is an accident that may, and indeed does, happen to the most expert artill; and it is surprising, considering the narrow space there is in some hoofs for driving nails, that it does not happen more frequently. When it is discovered in time, it is easily cured, by opening a passage for the matter downwards, and dressing it with any digestive ointment or poultice, and keeping the foot moist, by applying an emollient poultice all round the hoof. But when it is overlooked, or Wounds in a fragment of the nail remains in the wound, the inflammation increasing, it at last suppurates. The matter accumulating, and not finding a passage downwards, from the natural formation of the hoof, it moves upwards to the coronet or top of the hoof, and forms a round tumour, which afterwards breaks out and degenerates into a most malignant ulcer, commonly termed,

4. A Quitter-bone. This tumour is attended with great pain and inflammation, and a considerable swelling round its basis. The method of cure commonly practised, and indeed recommended by authors, especially Dr. Braken, is to bore a number of holes into the substance of the tumour with a hot iron, pointed pyramidally; and to introduce into these holes small pieces of corrosive sublimate, (some even use arsenic), which corrodes and destroys the flesh for some space around them, and at last separates from the sound parts, in a hardened mass of dead mortified flesh, called a core, which falls off and leaves a large surface of a wound. But, frequently, a second or sometimes a third operation is found necessary, before the fistula or sinus can be opened to the bottom, and the proud flesh totally overcome, which grows very luxuriantly, and renders the cure tedious, uncertain, and very painful to the animal. Therefore, as this method of cure is attended with so many inconveniences, and is even dangerous from the quantity of sublimate, &c. made use of, which may as readily destroy the ligament of the joint, bones, &c. as the substance of the tumour, it ought never to be used but with caution, and when other means have failed, as it likewise endangers the life of the horse. The knife seems far preferable: first tie a ligature round the fetlock, in order to stop the bleeding; and, with a crooked sharp knife, cut out the tumour to the bottom; afterwards dress it like a fresh wound, till it is healed up.

In ulcers of this kind, as there are a number of sinuses or fistulae which run in different directions underneath the hoof, it is hardly possible to avoid destroying the annular ligament which lies below the coronet, and cutting away a large portion of the hoof; yet, in many cases, (especially when there is an opening in the tumour), the method proposed, at the beginning of this section, for curing the deep wounds upon the coronet with feton, may be first tried; and, if that does not succeed, either of the operations above mentioned may be performed.

Punctures differ little or nothing, in the manner of treating them, from wounds; only the sole or frog should be scraped thin all round the orifice of the wound, which, at the same time, if too small, should be enlarged; and the digestive poultice applied, taking care that no fragment or extraneous substance remain in the wound, and keeping the whole hoof moist and soft with emollient poultices around it; and, in cases attended with violent pain, recourse must be had to such internal remedies as are proper in inflammatory cases, such as the following mixture by way of a drink, in order to prevent, as much as possible, an inflammation, or a flux of humours to the afflicted limb, bleeding being first prevented, together with using a low soft diet.

5. Take salt of nitre, two ounces; common treacle, two ounces. Dissolve in a quart of water.

It will be necessary to repeat this draught morning and evening; if the horse should show any uneasiness, or appear griped, the quantity of water may be increased, or the same quantity of nitre may be given the horse in a bath of bran twice a-day, if it does not cause him loath his food. If the coffin-bone should be wounded and turns carious, it will be tedious to wait for an exfoliation, as, from the spongy texture of this bone, it exfoliates but slowly: therefore, if it can conveniently be done, the carious parts may be scraped off with a knife, and afterwards dressed with pledgets of tow dipped in the tincture of myrrh; and let the poultice be applied above it.

In punctures, as above described, it is a common practice to pour into the wound hot corrosive oils, (some even run into the wound an iron nail made red hot), in order, as the phrase is, to decaden the parts. In superficial or slight wounds, when perhaps little more than the hoof is wounded, the application of hot oils can hardly be very hurtful. But the barbarous method of pushing a hot nail into a recent wound, cannot fail of being attended with bad consequences, as the cure is unquestionably worse than the disease. But, at all events, when the puncture is deep, either of these cruel methods is extremely hurtful. The wound is said to be of the most inextirpate or desperate kind; when, in fact, the bad practice of injudicious applications, &c., escape the just censure they deserve.

5. Contusions or bruises happen frequently on the coronet or top of the hoof, from the treading of other horses feet, which will occasion lameness; although, at the same time, no external mark of violence will appear on the coronet, farther than a little swelling, or the horse will show a sense of pain when the affected part is touched or pressed upon. The following poultice in this case may be applied with success, if continued for some time.

6. Take thick lees of wine or vinegar, one pint; crude sal ammoniac, two ounces; oat-meal or bran, sufficient to make it of a due consistence. Dissolve the sal ammoniac in the lees first.

Before concluding this section, it may not be improper to mention the following rules, which ought carefully to be attended to by every practitioner:

1. The first thing to be observed in dressing of wounds is, to remove all foreign bodies, (if it can be done with safety), all lacerated or torn parts, whether of the flesh or of the hoof, &c. which, from their being left in the wound, would greatly impede the cure. 2. All wounds should be carefully inspected at every dressing, observing attentively whether any alteration has been made on their surface, whether they be clean at the bottom, and free from any extraneous substance that may hinder or retard the cure. 3. Whatever appears mortified, or any fungous or proud flesh, must be removed, either by suppuration, by the knife, or by cauticle. 4. Cramming wounds with hard tents, or syringing them frequently with spirituous tinctures, are extremely hurtful. The former increases the pain and inflammation, &c. the latter produces a callus upon the internal surface of the wounds, which prevents their healing. 5. The dressings of wounds should lie smooth and easy upon the parts. 6. Over-tight ligatures or bandages should be carefully avoided. 7. As wounds in the feet or legs, for obvious reasons, are more Sect. XLII.

Footed more difficult to heal than on any other part of the body; therefore, rest and a wide stall are absolutely necessary, together with a low regimen or soft diet, in order to keep the body cool and open.

Sect. XLII. Of that Disease in the Feet commonly called FOUNDERED.

The term foundered is frequently applied to lame horses in a very vague manner, and without any determined or fixed meaning: for, when a horse shows any defect or impediment in moving his fore-feet, he is then pronounced to be foundered, whether he really has been so or not; that is, according to what is commonly understood by that term, owing to the want or neglect of not making proper distinctions of the different diseases in the feet. If we consult authors who have treated upon this subject, we shall find their accounts of it very dark and imperfect; they bewilder the reader, and convey but a very indistinct idea of the nature of the disease; hence many errors are committed in practice, to the destruction of a number of valuable horses, which otherwise, by proper management, might have been rendered sound and useful.

When a horse is first attacked with this disorder, he shows a great restlessness, is hot and feverish, heaves much at the flanks, breathes quick, has a quick strong pulse, and groans much when moved about; at the same time, he shows symptoms of the most violent pain, sometimes in one, but more frequently in both fore-feet; for which reason, he lies down much; but, when forced to move forwards, he draws himself together, as it were into a heap, by bringing forward his hind-feet almost under his shoulders, in order to keep the weight of his body as much as possible from resting upon his fore-feet. In stepping forward, he sets his heel down first with great caution, as afraid of touching the ground. This last symptom should be particularly attended to, as from it we may conclude with certainty that the chief seat of the disorder is in the feet. The hoofs at the same time are exceedingly hot; and, if water is thrown upon them, they dry instantly: if an attempt is made to pull off any of the shoes, the horse shows great uneasiness upon the least twist or pressure made upon any part of the foot, and a great unwillingness to support the weight of his body upon the other foot, especially when they are both alike affected.

It is universally allowed, that the cause of this disease proceeds from too violent exercise, such as riding very hard upon stony grounds or turnpike roads, and that young horses are most liable to it; and to these we may likewise add, unequal pressure upon the internal parts of the foot, from the concave or hollow form of the common shoes. All these causes combined together, when a horse is of a plethoric or full habit of body, and not accustomed to violent exercise, occasion this disease in a greater or lesser degree. To form some faint idea of this malady in horses, we may in a great measure appeal to what we experience ourselves in running upon hard ground; for we find, that it occasions a great heat, attended with a smart pain in our feet, which would be greatly increased from uneasy shoes, especially if compelled (like horses) to continue the running for any considerable time. The feet likewise become turgid and painful after a long day's journey, especially if the person is not accustomed to travel; and this inflammation frequently terminates in blisters upon the soles of the feet. Hence it is evident, that, in proportion to the habit of body the horse is in at the time, and the violence of the labour or exercise he has undergone, the inflammation in the internal parts of the foot will be more or less violent, and attended with all the symptoms already mentioned.

This disease, then, appears from the symptoms attending it, and the effects it afterwards produces in the feet, to be, in its first stage, an inflammation of the internal parts of the feet, arising from the violent exercise, which occasions a more than ordinary determination of the blood to the feet; hence that rapid circulation of the blood in the vessels within the hoof, which frequently terminates in a rupture of these vessels, and of course an extravasation of the blood, and, in some cases, a total separation of the horny substance of the hoof from the aponeurotic fibres upon the fore part of the coffin-bone; whilst in others, where it has been less violent, a concretion or growing together of the parts within the hoof has taken place, so as to appear upon dissection one solid mass; and hence lameness.

Thus, a young chaise-horse, after a hard day's work, was attacked with all the symptoms already mentioned, and was treated in the common manner as above related, that is, rowelled, &c. In a few weeks after the disease had taken its course in the ordinary way, he was put under the author's care. The sole, a little before the point of the frog in one of his fore-feet, became soft; and having a curiosity to see the cause of it, the author cut away the sole, which was but thin, and found a cavity containing a reddish coloured liquor; after removing the ragged parts of the hoof, a large transverse opening showed itself, into which a probe was introduced upwards between the coffin-bone and the hoof; the connection between the tendinous fibres upon the surface of the coffin-bone and the hoof, was destroyed at the fore-part or toe; the bone, losing part of its support, pressed down upon the horny sole, and produced that swelling or convexity of its surface, which is called a high, round, or pumice sole. The hoof lost its former shape, growing narrow towards the toe, with a preternatural thickness of the horny substance of the crust, whilst the quarters or sides of the hoof were decayed, thin, and full of deep wrinkles, together with a hollowness upon the surface of the upper part of the hoof, the whole foot having a diseased appearance. When the horse had recovered so far as to be able to walk, in going forward he threw out his legs well before him, but drew them backwards before he set his foot to the ground; setting the heel down first with great caution upon which he reeled most, the toe being turned a little upwards. From this symptom only, we may judge with certainty, even though at a distance, upon seeing a horse walk, whether he has ever been foundered or not.

This disease proves still more violent, and indeed sometimes fatal, if the horse has been allowed to stand in cold water when his feet are overheated. Thus, a faddle-horse, after being rode very hard, was turned loose into a stable-yard all over in a sweat; he went immediately into the water-pond, where he was suf- fered to stand for a considerable time in very cold weather; a few hours afterwards, he was seized with a most violent fever, and a great pain in his fore-feet: he lay upon the litter for some days in the greatest agony; and at last both his hoofs dropped off, occasioned by a mortification brought upon the parts from the application of the cold water, which rendered him entirely useless.

From what has been said with respect to this disease, it is evident, that as the circulation is greatly increased, and the current of blood chiefly determined toward the fore-feet, attended with symptoms of the most violent pain, we may thence conclude, that there is an inflammation in these parts: therefore, the cure must first be attempted by diminishing the circulation of the blood, giving cooling salts internally, as No. 5. glysters, an opening diet, and plenty of diluting liquor four or five times a day, together with emollient poultices applied warm all round the hoofs, in order to soften them, and keep up a free and equal perspiration; observing, that his shoes be easy upon his feet; but by no means to pare the sole or frog to that excess which is commonly done in cases of this kind, farther than cleaning away the hardened surface of the sole and frog, in order that the poultice may have the desired effect, by increasing the perspiration through the pores; and to avoid all manner of greasy or oily applications to the hoofs, for the reasons already mentioned.

In all violent inflammations, there is nothing which contributes more to give immediate relief, than plentiful bleeding timely performed; and which ought by no means to be neglected, or too long delayed: for, in cases of this nature, although the fever may be so far overcome by strength of constitution, or prevented by medicines from destroying the life of the animal; yet the effects of it will ever afterwards remain, and, of course, the horse will be lame for life. But, in order to judge properly when this operation may be necessary, the pulse must be attended to, the knowledge of which is of the utmost importance in the practice of farriery, and should be more generally studied, as it is the only criterion or rule by which we may be directed when bleeding is necessary, or when it ought to be avoided. But, when this operation is neglected, and the cure is first attempted by rowels, &c. it is a long time before they can come to a proper suppuration, on account of the violence of the fever. Hence, in place of suppurating, they sometimes turn into a gangrene, by which many horses lose their lives. But, at all events, before the rowels could have any effect, even allowing they were to suppurate in the common time, (which is about three days), the inflammation within the hoof will by that time have taken place, and its consequences will follow, to the ruin of the feet, and, of course, the soundness of the horse.

The manner in which a horse walks or stands upon his fore parts, when affected with this disorder, has induced many practitioners, &c. to conclude, that the shoulders are affected: hence they say a horse is founded in the body; and that drains, such as rowels, are the only proper remedies. But granting there was a stiffness, &c. all over the body, which is frequently the case in the beginning of inflammatory fevers, bleed-

Sect. XLII. Hoof-Bound.

This complaint affects the hoofs differently, according to their natural shape, and the treatment they are exposed to, whether from injudicious shoeing, keeping the hoofs too hot and dry, or paring the sole and binders at every time they are shod. Some are affected with a circular contraction of the crust, compressing the whole foot. In others, the crust is contracted at the coronet only, compressing the annular ligament, &c. A third kind is, when either one or both heels are contracted; hence, therefore, in proportion to the degree of contraction, the internal parts of the foot are compressed, and the horse becomes more or less lame.

It has been already observed, sect. xxxix. that deep-crunched narrow hoofs, or what are commonly called affes hoofs, are naturally disposed to this malady: when they become diseased, they are easily known from their appearance, as they are smaller in proportion than the legs, and frequently smaller at their basis than at the coronet; the crust of the heels is high, thick, and strong; the frog wasted and rotten; the hoofs are almost perpendicular; the horse moves in pain, steps short and quick, and trips and stumbles frequently; it is not uncommon that one foot only is affected, which then appears considerably smaller than the other.

This disease is hastened and brought on by paring and hollowing out the sole and binders at every time the shoes are renewed, from a mistaken notion of widening the heels; hence they are thereby made so very thin, that the crust at the extremity of the heels may be forced almost close to one another even with one's fingers: and what greatly forwards the complaint, is the form of the shoes commonly used, which are made hollow; for this practice of hollowing the shoes so universally prevails, that, without any regard to the shape of the sole, whether it be flat or otherwise, the shoe is made concave or hollow upon that side which is placed next the foot. Hence the outer edges of the concave shoes force the crusts at the heels nearer to one another; which being there retained, the contraction of the hoof becomes general, and confirmed beyond the power of art or remedy.

In the second species of this complaint, the hoof acquires a particular shape, which Mr. Gibson, in his Farriery, compares to that of a bell; that is, the hoof appears contracted and tight round the coronet and instep, but spreads wider downwards to its basis; the hoof in other respects looks well and sound. This is generally occasioned by keeping the horse standing for a long time together in the stable upon hot dry litter, without moistening and cooling the hoofs, allowing them at the same time to grow to a preternatural size both in length and breadth; hence, from the great strength, the rigidity and dryness of the under part of the hoof, a preternatural stricture or pressure is made by the hardened crust at the coronet, which compresses the annular ligament, and parts near it.

The third species of this malady is, when either one or both heels are contracted. This frequently happens even in all kinds of hoofs, but more especially in those that are flat, from the use of concave or hollow shoes, together with cutting out the sole and binders at every time. time the horse is shod. But it more frequently happens, that the inside heel only is contracted, from the natural weakness of that part of the hoof; hence the weight of the limb, &c., pressing upon the inside crust at the heel, it is inflicted or bended inwards; by which, together with the concave form of the shoe, and loss of substance from paring, &c., the disorder is increased, the crust of the heels becomes contracted, and compresses that quarter of the foot, and of course occasions lameness.

With respect to any particular method of cure to be observed in removing this disease, all that can be said is, That, as it is one of that kind which comes on gradually and perceptibly, it may by proper care and management, when properly attended to, be prevented. But, when once it becomes confirmed, it never will admit of a thorough cure. Nevertheless, it may be so far palliated as to render a horse in some degree sounder, by keeping the hoofs cool and moist; as, in this case, they are naturally disposed to be very hot, dry, and hard, his shoes should be flat, narrow, and open heeled, the hoofs never greased nor oiled, the soles never pared. But, as the crusts of the heels in these hoofs are preternaturally high and strong, they should always be pared down till they are lower than the frog, that it, if possible, may rest upon the ground. This operation will tend to remove that stricture from the heels and frog, which will greatly relieve them. But many people, adhering too strictly to that general rule, which, from inattention, has crept into practice, viz., of paring down the toes, and keeping the heels entire, without reflecting upon the shape or natural formation of the particular hoofs, continue the same practice upon deep-crustled, high-heeled hoofs, which is only necessary to be observed in long-toed hoofs with low heels, and thereby this disorder is greatly increased; the weight of the body is likewise thrown forwards, by which the horse stands too much upon his toes; and hence the leg-bones, from the awkward habit of the horse's standing, become bent at the joints, and occasion what is called knuckling or nuckling.

The second species of this complaint, is when the crust at the coronet becomes contracted; and, compressing the annular ligament, &c., occasions lameness, the hoof acquiring that shape formerly compared to that of a bell. Different methods have been tried and recommended for the cure. Mr. Gibson proposes to make several lines or rases on the fore-part of the hoof with a drawing knife, almost to the quick, from the coronet down to its basis, and turning the horse out to graze; others, after this operation is performed, screw the heels wide, by means of a screwed shoe; a third method practised is, to draw the sole, and divide the fleshy substance of the frog with a knife, and keeping it separated by the screwed shoe above mentioned; a fourth method in use, is to make the inner-rim of the shoe-heel very thick on the under side, (its upper surface being quite flat); and by making it rest upon the binders and sole at the extremity of the heels, by pressure from the weight of the body, the heels are forced to recede to a greater distance from one another. Either of these methods may indeed in a small degree widen or expand the horny substance of the crust, and may be of use in recent contractions. But, when once it has become confirmed, and is of some standing, no means whatever can then restore the internal parts to their primitive state; for, as the contraction takes place, the tender parts within the hoof being compressed, lose their tone, and diminish in their size. The blood-vessels become impervious; hence a decay or wasting of the whole foot, and not unfrequently a concretion of the parts, and, of course, the impossibility of the horse ever becoming sound. But, as it has been observed, that the cause of this species of the complaint now under consideration proceeds from allowing the hoofs to grow to an extraordinary size, and keeping them too hot and dry, by which they acquire a rigidity and dryness occasioning a preternatural compression upon the coronet; to remove which, (as the case will only admit of palliation), the surface of the hoof at its basis must be pared down till the blood appears, the thick strong crust upon the outside towards the toe rasped in the same manner, and the horse turned out to graze in soft meadow-ground till the feet recover. But it must be observed, that, if both hoofs are alike affected, one of them at one time only should be treated in the manner directed, as a tenderness will remain for some days, which might prevent the horse from walking about in search of food.

The third species is a contraction of one, or sometimes of both heels, in flat feet, from the use of concave shoes, &c. Where it has not been of a very long standing, it may, by proper management, be greatly relieved, by laying aside the use of concave shoes, and refraining from paring the sole, &c. But to remove the stricture of the hoof more immediately, the whole contracted quarter of the crust near the heel must be rasped or pared to the quick, from the coronet to its basis, close to the frog, taking care to avoid drawing blood, putting on a barred shoe, causing the shoe-bar to press upon the frog, keeping the hoof cool and moist, or turning the horse out to graze. Hence the pressure from the contracted hoof being removed, and the frog at the same time resting upon the bar of the shoe, the contracted quarter is thereby dilated or expanded; the new hoof growing from the coronet downwards, acquires a round, full shape, and becomes of its original form.

From what has been said concerning this disorder in the feet of horses, it is evident, what little prospect there is of effecting a thorough cure by art, as the complaint is of such a nature as only to admit of some palliation, and, even then, in some very favourable cases only. Nevertheless, it is practicable to prevent contractions in the hoofs from taking place, even in those hoofs which are seemingly disposed that way from their shape, &c. by observing the rules already laid down, viz., by keeping the hoofs moist and cool, which is their natural state; using flat shoes, from which the hoofs can acquire no bad shape; allowing the sole and frog to continue in their full strength, the latter especially to rest upon the ground; and keeping the crust within due bounds, not suffering it to grow too long towards the toe, nor too high at the heels.

Sect. XLIII. Of Corns.

In the human body, corns in the feet are termed so with some propriety, from their horny substance; but, what are called corns in the feet of horses, are very improperly named, as they are quite of an opposite nature, Of Corns. ture, rather resembling contusions or bruises, and not unlike those bruises which happen in the palms of the hands and fingers to working people, arising from violent pinching, bruising, &c. where the skin is thick, which appears of a blackish red colour, and exceedingly painful at first, containing blood; but, in the end, the serum or thinner parts being absorbed, the red particles appear, when the dead skin is removed, like red powder. In like manner corns, or rather bruises, appear red and foxy (as the phrase is). They are situate in the corner or sharp angle of the sole at the extremity of the heels, where the crust reflects inward and forward, forming the binders. But, they are more frequently to be met with in the inside heel, from the manner of the horse's standing, together with the pressure or weight of the body, which is greater upon the inside of the hoof than the outside. Bruises of this kind are exceedingly painful, insomuch that the horse shrinks and stumbles when anything touches or presses upon that quarter of the hoof; hence lameness.

This complaint arises from different causes, according to the shape or natural formation of the hoof, together with the treatment they are exposed to. But the following are the most frequent:

1st. In flat low heels, from too great a pressure of the shoe-heel upon the sole, whether from cankers, a too great thickness of iron upon the heels of the shoe, or its being bended downwards upon the sole, or the shoe made too concave; either of these causes will produce the same effect; for, from the too great pressure upon the horny sole, the fleshy sole, which lies immediately underneath it, is compressed and bruised between the shoe-heel, the sole, and the extremities or outward points of the coffin-bone; and hence a contusion or bruise, attended with an extravasation of the blood, which afterwards gives that part of the sole a red appearance, and is the reason why the sole on that place never grows up so firm and solid as it was before, but remains soft and spongy, forming a lodgment for sand and gravel, which frequently infuses itself into the quick, causing an inflammation, attended with a suppuration or discharge of matter, which, if not finding a passage below, will break out at the coronet.

2nd. This complaint is produced in wide open heels, when the hoofs are very thick and strong, from too great a luxuriancy of the binder, which, being infected or bended downwards between the shoe and the sole, compresses the fleshy sole, as already mentioned; and hence lameness.

3rd. This malady, in deep narrow hoofs, proceeds from a contraction of the crust compressing the heels, &c. Hence, it not unfrequently happens in hoofs of this shape, that both heels are alike affected, from the fracture and pressure of the hardened crust upon the tendinous aponeurosis, &c. on the outside of the coffin-bone, which, in this case, is bruised between the bone and the crust; hence the redness may sometimes be traced upwards almost to the coronet. In this case, no radical cure can take place, as the cause which produces these bruises, &c. will exist while the horse lives, and at the same time the horse will be lame from the contraction of the hoof; but the remedy proposed in the preceding section, by way of palliation for hoof-bound feet, may be of use to render the horse in some measure more serviceable.

With respect to the two first causes, when the bruise proceeds from too great a pressure from the shoe-heels, &c. upon the sole, the shoe must be made so as to bear off the tender part, and likewise to some distance on both sides of it; for which purpose, a round or a barred shoe will be necessary. The red and bruised parts must be cut out to the quick, and the hoof kept soft with emollient poultices for some time. But the texture of the blood-vessels, and likewise that of the hoof at the bruised part, being destroyed, a sponge-net remains afterwards, and, upon the least unequal pressure from the shoe, &c. are liable to a relapse, never admitting of a thorough cure, and of consequence subject to frequent lameness.

Corns or bruises in the feet of horses might, by taking proper care of them, be easily avoided: for in those countries where horses go mostly barefooted, this malady is not so much as known; neither are those horses that go constantly at cart and plough subject to them: hence, therefore, this complaint is most frequently to be met with in great towns, where horses go much upon hard causeway, having their shoes turned up with high caulkers on the heels, and frequently renewed, at the same time their hoofs being kept too dry and hard, from standing too much upon hot dry litter; hence will appear the necessity of complying with what is most natural to the hoofs of horses, namely, coolness and moisture, together with using such a form of shoe as will press equally upon the circumference of the crust, and without giving it any bad unnatural shape. See Shoeing of Horses.

Sect. XLIV. Of Running Thrushes.

1. A Running Thrush (or Frush), is a discharge of a fetid, and sometimes ichorous, matter, from the cleft in the middle of the frog, affecting one, frequently both, and in some cases all the four feet. But, generally, the fore-feet are most subject to this disease. In most cases, it seldom admits of a radical cure; but is subject to frequent relapses, occasioning lameness, from the rawness and tenderness of the parts affected, on being exposed to sand, gravel, &c. or in rough grounds, from the heels treading on sharp stones, &c. and when the horse happens to be of a bad habit of body, they even degenerate into what is commonly called a canker.

Running thrushes, according to Mr Gibbon, "are sometimes profitable to horses of fleshy and foul constitutions; because (says he) they drain off a great many bad humours." But, however salutary or beneficial they may be in some particular constitutions, yet, upon the whole, they prove extremely troublesome, on account of the lameness and tenderness of the feet affected with them; and, where there occurs one case in which they may properly be said to become beneficial to the constitution, there are a far greater number in which they are hurtful, as they are brought on by the treatment the hoofs are exposed to, together with the injudicious method generally observed in shoeing them, particularly in those hoofs that are narrow-heeled, or disposed to be hoof-bound, running thrushes being always an attendant upon that complaint. But, to explain this more particularly, there is, in the middle of the frog, a cleft or opening, by which the heels in a natural state have a small degree of contraction and expansion, especially when the horse treads or presses his his heel upon the ground, the frog then expands; when, therefore, a horse is shod with concave or hollow shoes, the heels are deprived of that power of expansion, being constantly confined in a contracted state by the resistance from the outer edges of the concave shoe, by which the frog is pressed or squeezed on both sides, by the crust of the heels being brought nearer to or almost into contact with one another. Hence pain, inflammation, an obstruction of the blood, &c. (in the fleshy substance of the frog), and of course that wasting and rottenness of its external covering, which, falling off in pieces, leaves the quick almost bare: the new frog, growing in detached pieces, never acquires the solidity of the former; and hence that rawness and tenderness which ever afterwards remain, and that extreme sensibility of pain when any hard substance touches that part of the foot, and of course subject the horse to frequent lamenesses. There are, no doubt, other causes which may be said to occasion this malady, even in those hoofs that are wide and open at the heels, where there is not the least appearance of a contraction at the heels: but these are generally owing to the treatment the hoofs are exposed to in the stable, by keeping them too hot and dry for a long tract of time together, during which the natural perspiration is greatly obstructed, by the constant application of grease or oil to the hardened hoofs, and stuffing them up with hot, resinous, and greasy mixtures, as tar, turpentine, &c., the horse being all the while kept at full feeding, and not having proper and necessary exercise to promote the circulation of the fluids, and to forward the ordinary secretions, &c.: the legs swell and inflame; at last a running in the frog appears; and hence this discharge is said to be beneficial to the constitution, when in fact it is but too frequently brought on by a slothful neglect, and kept up by bad management. Fresh air and regular exercise are essentially necessary towards preserving horses in an active healthy state; for running thrushes, like other diseases to which pampered horses are subject, are not known in those countries where horses run at large in the fields; neither are they so frequently to be met with in the country amongst labouring horses, whose exercise is regular, and whose hoofs are much exposed to coolness and moisture, the natural state of the feet of horses.

With respect to the cure of running thrushes, it has been hinted, that in most cases, especially where it has been of long standing, affecting all the frogs more or less, it is impracticable to eradicate it by any affluence from art. For instance, when it proceeds from contracted narrow heels in those feet which are said to be hoof-bound, it is then an attendant only on that disease; and therefore cannot be cured without removing the first cause, tho' then it will only admit of some small degree of palliation. But in those hoofs which are wide and open at the heels, where the complaint is recent, one or both the fore-feet only being affected, and where there is reason to suspect that it proceeds from the use of concave or hollow shoes, or keeping the hoofs too hot, dry, and hard, the cure then may be completed with ease and safety, by laying aside the use of concave shoes, washing the frogs clean after exercise, and dressing them with Mel Egyptiacum, made as follows:

11. Mel Egyptiacum. Verdigris in fine powder, two ounces; honey, six ounces; vinegar, four ounces; boil them over a gentle fire till they have acquired a reddish colour.

Or a solution of blue vitriol.

12. Solution of vitriol. Blue vitriol powdered, one ounce; water, one quart: keeping the hoofs cool and moist. But, at the same time, recourse must be had to internal remedies by way of revulsion, as purging or diuretic medicines, bleeding being first premised: if the former is made choice of, twice or thrice will be sufficient, repeated at proper intervals; but if the latter, which seems preferable, they may be continued for some time with great safety, without losing one day's work of the horse.

In some cases, there is frequently not only a discharge of fetid matter from the clefts of the frogs; but, at the same time, a discharge of greasy-like matter from the round protuberances of the heels, and the hollow of the pattern joints. It will be necessary, therefore, to make a distinction between the matter discharged in this case, which appears of a thick, white, clammy, or foamy consistence, and that running in the legs commonly termed a gout, which is of a quite opposite quality; the latter by good management will admit of a thorough cure, whilst the former baffles all the power of medicine.

2. In horses of a gouty habit of body, especially the heavy draught-kind, running thrushes sometimes degenerate into what is commonly called a canker. In this case, the horny substance of the frog is soon thrown off; the fleshy parts grow to an immoderate size, the luxuriant substance or spongy flesh having a great number of papillae or tubercles, which Mr Gibbon compares not improperly to cauliflower, the colour only excepted, which is of a pale red, and sometimes variegated and tinged with blood; attended with a copious discharge of a thin ichorous fetid humour, having a most offensive smell. If its progress be not speedily stayed, the fleshy sole, from its vicinity, becomes likewise affected; the horny sole rots, decays, and falls off; the whole foot turns into a kind of quag or bog, (in warm weather full of maggots, which it is almost impossible to prevent, even with the most corrosive dressings); the tendons become likewise affected; the bones carious, the hoof falls off, and the horse is rendered useless. To prevent these and the like consequences, as soon as a running thrush begins to show the least malignant disposition, proper means must be used to correct the habit of body, and to divert this discharge to some other outlet, either by purging or diuretic remedies, continued for some time, bleeding being first premised. As to external applications, the first thing necessary to be done, is to pare down the crust till it is lower than the fungus, or growth of the canker, and to remove any hard pieces of the hoof or sole wherever it preludes upon the tender parts; the circular part of the crust should be surrounded and kept soft with an emollient poultice. For dressings, the mildest choleric powders may be first tried, as the following:

13. Take burnt alum powdered, two ounces; blue vitriol powdered, one ounce.

But, when it degenerates into the last species mentioned above affecting the fleshy sole, &c., the strongest corrosive applications will then be necessary, and sometimes hardly sufficient to keep down the luxuriancy of the the fungus. The caustic oils are found preferable, as ch. vitriol, aqua-fortis, butter of antimony: either of these may be applied once every day; otherwise, if neglected dressing too long, or to every other day, which is the common practice, the great humidity and moisture issuing from the fungus weakens the force of the strongest oils, that they have little or no effect: when these sharp dressings seem to gain upon the cancer, it may be dressed with equal parts of red precipitate and burnt alum pounded and mixed together, till such time as the new sole begins to grow; the purging or diuretic medicines being given at proper intervals till the cure is completed.

Sect. XLV. Of Falfe-quarter, and Sand-cracks.

1. What is commonly called a falfe-quarter in the foot of an horse is a cleft or chink in the side or quarter of the hoof, running in a slanting direction with the horny fibres of the hoof, from the coronet to its basis, by which the horny substance of the crust is divided; one part of the hoof being in a manner detached from the other, and rendered unable to sustain its portion or share of the weight of the limb, &c., and hence the name of falfe-quarter; for, when the horse sets his foot on the ground, the chink widens; but, when it is lifted up, the hardened edges of the divided hoof take in between them the tender and soft parts, and squeeze it so as to occasion frequent bleeding at the chink, and is frequently attended with inflammation, a discharge of matter, and, of course, lameness.

This complaint, notwithstanding the different accounts commonly given as to the cause of it, is in fact the effect of a deep wound or bruise upon the coronet, by which the continuity of the parts has been entirely broke off; for we always find, that, when the horny fibres are divided at their roots, they never unite or grow up as before, but leave a blemish, more or less, in proportion to the size and deepness of such wounds, &c. We have many instances of this, even in the human body; for, when a wound happens at the roots of the nails, whether in the fingers or toes, it occasions a blemish, which continues to grow in the same manner afterwards. Hence, it will be evident that no radical cure can possibly take place; but we may so far palliate the complaint as to render the horse something useful, by using a shoe of such a construction as will support the weight of the limb, &c., without relining or pressing too much upon the weakened quarter; for which purpose, a round, or what is called a barred shoe, will be most proper. The surface of the hoof on and near the diseased part may be cut down lower than the surface of the crust upon which the shoe is to rest; or, if the hoof will not admit of being cut down, the shoe may be raised up from the weak quarter. Either of these means will remove the weight of the body from the diseased part, and the horse will go sounder.

But, as sand and gravel is easily admitted into the chink, or crack, where, being accumulated and pent up, it irritates and inflames the parts, whereby matter is formed underneath the hoof, which causes lameness, and which not unfrequently breaks out at the coronet, producing the most inveterate ulcers, which become extremely difficult to heal, on account of the sinus or fistula branching out in different directions underneath the hoof. Therefore, horses with this defect should be carefully observed; and, when the thick hardened cracks, &c., edges of the chinks or crack grow too high, by which it is so much the deeper, and, of course, lodges the greater quantity of sand, &c., these edges should be rasped, or pared with a crooked knife, till the seam disappears. But wherever there remains a blackness, or appearance of gravel, that part must be tracked farther; always observing, if possible, to avoid drawing blood. The chink or crack thus made smooth and equal, no sand or gravel can lodge in it; and, as the parts will be tender, it will be necessary to apply an emollient poultice for some days, till the tenderness wear off. If the inflammation has been great, and matter formed in the crack, or the parts wounded by the knife in cutting its hardened edges, proud flesh may rise and jet out. In this case, the hard parts of the hoof near it are to be removed, a digestive poultice applied, and, when the inflammation is abated, the proud flesh may be touched with the following corrosive powder:

Take blue vitriol burnt, two drams; corrosive sublimate, one dram; rubbed into powder.

2. A sand-crack is of much the same nature with a falfe-quarter; only they run more frequently in an horizontal direction than the latter, on the outside or surface of the crust: they are generally the effect of slight or superficial wounds upon the coronet, and grow gradually downwards towards the basis of the hoof, and at last are cut or rasped off in the shoeing; when they occasion lameness from lodging sand or gravel, they must be treated in the same manner as already mentioned for falfe-quarters.

Sect. XLVI. Of Horses cutting their Legs in Travelling.

Horses frequently cut their legs both before and behind, by striking or knocking the hoof when trotting, &c., against the opposite leg, whereby a wound is made, which is attended with an inflammation, swelling, &c., and of course lameness. The parts commonly wounded from cutting in the fore-legs, are the prominent and back part of the fetlock joint; and under the knee joint on the inside of the leg. The former is most common: the latter only happens to those horses who raise their feet high in trotting; and, as such horses generally go fast, this last species of cutting is distinguished by the name of the swift or speedy cut.

In the hind-legs, horses cut themselves upon the prominent part of the fetlock-joint; and sometimes, especially those who move their legs too low, cut upon the coronet. But, whether they cut before or behind, it commonly proceeds from some of the following causes.

1/3. Injudicious shoeing; under which may be included, the hoofs being suffered to grow too large and broad, the shoe projecting over the inside edge of the hoof, the clenches or rivets of the nails rising above the surface of the crust.

There are a great variety of shoes recommended for preventing this complaint, of different constructions; but the most common are those that are made thick upon the inside heel. Others have a border or margin turned up upon the inside of the shoe's rim, commonly called a feather, which raises the inside of the hoof...

considerably higher from the ground than the outside. Either of these shoes may be of use to a dealer, in order to make a wry-footed horse appear to stand straight upon his limbs; but can have no effect upon a horse's manner of moving his legs, especially at the time when the foot is raised from the ground, and passing by the other leg, so as to prevent him from cutting. The reason why this method of shoeing seems to succeed, especially in the hind-feet, is this: when the shoe is made thick upon the inside heel, which part commonly strikes the opposite leg, the shoe-nails are removed to a considerable distance forward from the thick part of the shoe, which, at the same time, is kept much within the circle of the hoof; and, on that account, it becomes impossible that the shoe should touch the opposite leg. But, to show that this raising of the inside quarter or heel, by a thickness of iron in the shoe, is not necessary to prevent horses from cutting, the author has frequently caused the heel of the shoe to be made thinner than common; and, by keeping it within the hoof, it answered equally well with the former: he has likewise caused the shoe to be cut in the middle of the quarter, whereby the hoof at the heel was left quite bare; which answered the purpose so much the better, as the foot was less loaded with the additional weight of superfluous iron.

2d. The great weight of the concave shoes commonly used, is likewise another cause why horses, that in other respects move well upon their legs, do frequently cut and wound themselves; and to this we may add, the great length of the hoof at the toe, especially in the fore-feet, which is allowed frequently to grow to an unnatural size. It has been already observed, that great load of iron is by no means necessary in a horse's shoe; on the contrary, it becomes a great disadvantage; for a flat one that is properly constructed, and well wrought, that is, well hammered, will wear as long as a concave or hollow shoe that is almost double the weight of the former. This, at first view, will perhaps appear a paradox; but, nevertheless, it is a fact: for, as the round or outward surface of a concave shoe is the only part that touches the ground, and is liable to be wore, it soon grows thin, and yields to the pressure from the weight of the body; and therefore must be renewed before the other parts of it are hardly touched, and but little reduced in its original weight.

But the surface of a flat shoe, resting equally upon the ground, will remain firm upon the hoof, and be sufficiently strong to support the weight of the body till it wears very thin.

When horses cut or wound themselves immediately under the knee-joint, this is called the swift or speedy cut; and is occasioned by raising the feet high in trotting, whereby the inside toe or quarter of the hoof strikes against the opposite leg. This is easily prevented, by making the shoe straight, and placing it considerably within the hoof at the part where the hoof strikes the other leg, observing that no nails are to be put in that part of the shoe which is kept so much within the hoof, otherwise they must immediately plunge into the quick.

3d. When cutting proceeds from a natural defect, that is, a wrong position of the foot upon the leg-bones, whereby the toes are turned too much outward, or too much inward; at the same time, if the horse croffles his legs much in trotting; in this case there is no preventing his cutting altogether, though it may be palliated. Such horses are by no means fit for journey-riding, being generally addicted both to cutting and stumbling.

In the last place, it may proceed from fatigue or weakness. This happens frequently, even to those horses that deal their legs well (as the phrase is), especially in young horses; but they soon leave it off when they acquire more strength, and are accustomed to their work: most people must have experienced this in themselves when boys, as they at that age are very ready to knock their ankles with the heel of the opposite shoe, which custom wears off as they grow strong.

Upon the whole, the best general rule that can be laid down for preventing horses from cutting their legs, is to keep their hoofs round and short at the toe, and from growing too large and broad; to observe that the shoe does not project over the inside edge of the hoof; that the clenches or rivets of the nails on the outer surface of the crust are smooth; and above all, that the shoe be made light, well worked, and properly proportioned to the size of the foot. See Shoeing of Horses.