MODERN FARRIER. 129 



For most purposes of bleeding, we would recom- 

 meud the spring-fleam, as being easily applied, and 

 much more certain in it effect. 



Tying a rope, or any other ligature, about the 

 neck, previous to bleeding, is in some cases impro- 

 per, and in many dangerous. Rubbing the neck 

 briskly with a wisp of straw will be sufficient to fill 

 the vein. If the horse can stand, a moderate pres- 

 sure with the finger will make the blood flow freely; 

 but if the horse is lying on the ground, a ligature 

 will not be improper. 



The place where the vein is to be opened is of 

 some consequence, as, when the opening is made too 

 far from the head, where the vein lies deep among 

 the muscles, both the vein is not so easily opened, 

 and the wound is not so readily healed. The most 

 proper place for opening the jugular vein is about 

 an inch below the joining of the small branches that 

 come from the lower jaw. This is generally about 

 a hand-breadth from the head, but it may be easily 

 seen by the swelling of the vein when pressure is 

 made on its trunk. 



Before opening the vein, it is usual to wet the 

 hairs that lie above it, and to stroke them in the 

 direction of the intended orifice. This is a good 

 practice, as the instrument thus passes through the 

 skin more readily, not having to overcome the re- 

 sistance of the hair. In mentioning the direction of 

 the orifice, it is worth while to remark, that this 

 should neither be longitudinal nor directly across 

 the vein, but rather oblique ; as the flow of blood 

 from an oblique orifice is most easily stopped. 



When the vein is opened, it is highly proper in 

 all cases to catch the blood in some convenient ves- 

 sel. It is a very absurd practice, although it is 

 commonly adopted, to allow the blood to flow at 

 random on the ground or on a dunglull, by which 

 means no precise estimate can be made of the quan- 

 tity of blood taken away. This may either be so 



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