AS TO SOUNDNESS. 25 



of it cannot hold down his head to eat or drink 

 without congestion of this part of the body following, 

 from inability of the remaining veins to transmit the 

 blood with due celerity, except under favourable con- 

 ditions. Slight obliteration, again, may be felt, or, 

 still better, seen, on trying the capacity of the vein, 

 and should be regarded as an unsoundness ; as at 

 least the elasticity of the vein has gone, and its 

 transmitting powers diminished. 



The vein quite sound, yet showing evidences of 

 phlebotomy, should put us on our guard. Why has 

 the animal been bled? For anything we know, it 

 may have been for acute inflammation of an important 

 organ ; and, as I had occasion during the winter 

 to tell you, of all the causes predisposing to inflam- 

 mation of a part, not one is to be compared for 

 frequency and effect with previous inflammations. 

 The tissues are altered in • some way, and, if I may 

 be allowed the expression, they are never themselves 

 again. 



But now, how are we to know for what the horse 

 has been bled ? The feet may plainly show a prior 

 attack of inflammation, but we can have no evidence 

 of a previous enteritis or pneumonia; and I regret 

 to say that I cannot advise you to enquire the occa- 

 sion for the bleeding, as experience will show you 

 that you will be often grievously deceived if you 

 beheve what the vendor has to say concerning the 

 merits of his horse in regard to soundness. For my 



