Food. 327 



calls a philosophical treatise on Horses and their diseases. Nor can 

 there be any manner of question^ notwithstanding the dogmatic 

 assertions to the contrary of the writer alluded to, that the practice 

 of subjecting food to the culinary process, not only enables the ani- 

 mal to digest it more quickly, but, in the instance of all such sub- 

 stances as contain only a small quantity of nutritive matter, such a» 

 straw and chaff, by which latter I mean cut straw, to convert every 

 particle of that quantity, however small, into chyme. 



There is another consideration, however, which ought not to be 

 overlooked in the argument, namely, the prevention of costiveness, 

 by this mode of feeding, that fruitful source and material aggravation 

 of many diseases in Horses. And, as I have already alluded to 

 the philosophical treatise on Horses, I cannot refrain from going a 

 little farther out of my way, in order to observe that I consider this 

 performance a most remarkable instance of the incongruity of the 

 human mind. 



Of the religious, moral, and political sentiments scattered through 

 this most extraordinary medley, as they come not within my province, 

 I shall not pretend to speak ; but, as it appears to be fairly within 

 the scope of my subject, to give my opinion on the merits of the 

 book as a Veterinary Work, 1 shall not scruple to use the same 

 freedom with this author, which he has used in criticising and des- 

 canting upon the works of ethers. Confining myself, therefore, to 

 this view of the matter, I shall observe that I cannot help consider- 

 ing it a most extraordinary proof of rashness, that any man endowed 

 wllh talents sucb as this Author is unquestionably gifted with, should 

 venture to write upon a subject, the very idea of which, presupposes 

 a decent share, at least, of elementary knowledge, in the person uu- 



