280 TRAINERS AND JOCKEYS 







portion in the water they drink ? Linseed-tea and other 

 strengthening vegetable infusions also appear to have 

 been overlooked. White-wine whey, given after a hard 

 day's work, or to horses with colds, must be nourishing 

 and grateful. And why should not milk, the most 

 nutritious of all liquids for foals and yearlings, be given 

 to old horses ? Cows' milk would no doubt be good, but 

 asses' milk would be infinitely better, because of the 

 closer affinity of the genus to the equine race. And 

 there would be no difficulty ; for ' the purveying of asses' 

 milk ' is now a common and honourable vocation. I am 

 quite serious in my advocacy of it. It is highly recom- 

 mended by the faculty, and extensively used in all 

 families of distinction. Milk, indeed, has acknowledged 

 wonderful properties. A pompous person once rested 

 his claims to greatness solely on its wonderful efficacy. 



' Do you know,' said he, addressing himself to a farmer 

 with whom he was disputing ' do you know that I was 

 brought up at the hands of two wet-nurses ?' 



'That may be,' replied the other; 'and with much 

 the same effect that I witnessed with a calf that was 

 reared by two cows. It only made him the greater 

 calf.' 



The effect of asses' milk on the human subject is thus 

 narrated by Miss Digby, daughter of Lord Digby, of 

 Sherborne Castle, Dorsetshire, who, in writing of her 

 brother's illness in a letter to Mr. Pope, dated July 17th, 

 1724, says : ' Last night he began to drink asses' milk, 

 which had the usual effect in giving him a good night's 

 rest, free from pain.' The original letter may be seen in 

 the British Museum, with a translation of the ' Odyssey ' 

 on the back of it. 



I will not say more on this subject. I must trust to 

 having been explicit in stating my theory. I will revert, 



