Blistering and Firing 



141 



a mustard plaster should be used. Finely ground 

 mustard, stirred up with tepid water into a thin paste, 

 should be applied over the desired area by rubbing it 

 well into the roots of the hair with a case-knife or thin 

 wooden stick. When it is desired to remove the 

 mustard plaster, it should be very carefully scraped 

 off with a curry-comb. 



-Firing. "Firing" is burning the skin with a red-hot 

 iron, called a "firing-iron." Fig. 33. The irons can 

 be heated at a forge or at a brisk fire in 

 a cooking stove. Excellent instruments 

 are now in use with the irons kept at 

 white heat by gasolene vapor. Firing is 

 used particular^ upon the legs when 

 severe counter -irritation is required, es- 

 pecially in ring-bones, spavins and in- 

 jured tendons. The hair is clipped from 

 the area. The horse is confined, by tak- 

 ing up the opposite foot so that he is com- 

 pelled to stand on the one it is desired to 

 fire. A blindfold is placed over the eyes, 

 and a twist is applied to the nose. 



There are two general methods of firing. One 

 consists in making a series of parallel lines. This is 

 known as "feather-firing" or "line -firing." The second 

 form consists in using a pointed iron and burning 

 a number of points in the skin over the affected 

 area, sometimes puncturing the skin. This method 

 is known as "puncture-firing." Frequently the two 

 methods are combined, and after the feather-firing 

 a few punctures are made over the most -diseased 



Fig. 33. 

 Firing irons 



