AS TO SOUNDNESS. 93 



happened that the gentleman who was selhng the horse 

 was an old acquaintance of my friend, and persuaded 

 him, in spite of my warning, to purchase the brute. 

 When the horse arrived in Leeds I was requested to 

 give him an alterative ball, which I did, containing two 

 drachms each of powdered nitre, rosin, ginger, and 

 purging mass, beat up into a ball ; and super-purgation 

 followed its exhibition. \Ve could hardly believe that • 

 so little aloes — less than two drachms — could have such 

 an effect ; therefore a like ball was administered again 

 one Saturday night, when our '• leggy," flat-sided friend 

 with the thrush was in his best condition, and in less than 

 six hours he was nearly raked to death. The thrushes 

 in his fore feet kept discharging, with slight intervals, 

 all the twelve months I knew him, and left the back 

 part of his fore feet a complete wreck. I have seen so 

 many cases of the above description that, if I am ever 

 so certain in my own mind that the thrush is local and 

 not constitutional, on no account will I pass such a horse 

 or recommend him to be purchased. 



There is just one other case I must mention, because 

 it was a most remarkable case in itself, and lost me one 

 of my best employers. I examined two horses on the 

 Yorkshire wolds in one day for a gentleman at Halifax. 

 One was a three-year-old, the other, I think, was seven 

 or eight. Both horses were quite well known to my 

 employer's friend Sir G. W. ; but the latter was espe- 

 cially well and favourably known to this gentleman. I 

 thought him just a little flat-sided, but that I had nothing 



