A TOWN A DAY IN OKLAHOMA 77 



At the time I was sojourning there "hooks" was 

 almost anything which defied the diagnostic skill 

 of the quack or the jockey. If a horse or a mule 

 was ailing for a time and the usual dosage with 

 Harlem oil or "punkin seed tea" did not fix him 

 up he was charged with having the "hooks," and 

 condemned to have his nictitating membrane cut 

 out or extracted. 



Speaking of "punkin seed tea" reminds me 

 that in those parts this seemed to be the popular 

 colic remedy. When "punkin seed tea" failed 

 there was only one other hope for the patient. 

 This last hope was a dose of fresh chicken guts. 

 A chicken was hastily caught and killed and the 

 horse drenched with the "guts" while they were 

 yet warm. 



To northern and eastern practitioners this 

 sounds like a regular "made-up" story, I know. 

 But Oklahoma and Texas practitioners will ver- 

 ify the truth of my statements. 



In one of these towns I was requested to treat 

 two cases of open navicular or coffin joints. The 

 patients had picked up street nails and the local 

 quack had enlarged the openings, for drainage, 

 with a brace and bit. In both cases he bored a 

 half -inch hole directly into the joint. 



In another chapter I submit evidence to prove 

 that half the quacks in practice should be hanged 

 and the other half put in jail. Do you wonder 

 that I believe it? 



In one town a farmer took me out to his place 

 to show me a sick mare. He said his "veteri- 

 nary," who was a quack, had been treating the 

 mare for about a week without doing much good. 



