Grease, 101 



attacked with this complaint. Whereag, those of the upper and mid- 

 dle classes^ that are warmly clad about the feet and Icg-s, and (being 

 occasionally exposed to severe wet and cold J have access to heated 

 apartments, where there are fires, will be found to be very commonly 

 attacked with the disease. Again, how frequently does it happen, that 

 a young healthy Horse which is blistered in frosty weather, on account 

 of a sprain or any external injury about the fetlocks, shall be attacked 

 with all the worst symptoms of confirmed Grease, in the course of 

 forty-eight hours after the blistering, if he be suffered to stand with- 

 out exercise ; more especially, if the composition of the Blister 

 contain injudicious materials, which unnecessarily aggravate the 

 effects of the Cantharides ; such as any of the mineral acids, corro- 

 sive sublimate, euphorbium, and the likc.^ In fact, by this mode of 

 treatment, with the addition of confinement in the stall of a hot sta- 

 ble, it would be very easy to bring on artificial Grease in the sound- 

 est Horse, during frosty weather, provided the blistered part were 

 occasionally/ exposed to a current of cold air, for a ]ieriod of two or 

 three days. Now, surely, the most strenuous supporter of the doctrine 

 of foul humors, would readily admit, that the complaint in such a 

 case, was of a local kind, and was produced by external causes. 

 merely, although none of its phoenomena were to be distinguished, 

 from those of Grease brough on, under the ordinary circum- 

 stances of the complaint — These facts are so glaring*, and, if I 

 mistake not, so applicable to the point in question, that it is won- 

 derful the doctrine of foul humors, as applied to the Grease in 

 Horses, should have found so many advocates am.ongst people of 

 sense and reflection, at this enlightened period. It is not, more- 

 over, on account of any theoretical notion, of the analogy subsisting" 



Cc 



