STRAINS. 83 



without instantly recurring to a perpetual ble- 

 mish by the present rage of FIRING, which 

 is in general by much too frequently adopt-* 

 ed ; and no doubt upon most occasions hur- 

 ried on by the pecuniary propensity and 

 dictation of the interested operator, anxious 

 to display his dexterity, or (as Scrub says) 

 ** his newest flourish," in the operation ; 

 which, when performed, and the horse is 

 turned out (as must be,) if taken up sounds 

 I shall ever attribute much more of the cure 

 to that grand specific, rest, than to the effect 

 of his Jire. Nothing can be more truly con- 

 temptible than the ridiculous and absurd 

 adoption of the ancient practice of cold 

 charges ; compounded of articles calculated 

 in some degree to what they call brace the 

 parts, it is true, but tending much more to 

 form a kind of bandage by its firmness of ad* 

 hesion, than medical relief by its powder of 

 penetration. And this will be more readily 

 credited when a moment's consideration is 

 afforded to the fact : for what inherent re- 

 ^triil^ent virtues can be possessed by '' doe's 

 hair, Armenian bole, rye Jiour, or oatmeal ** 

 more than the properties of forming a ce» 

 ment (equal to a bandage fpr keepitig thd 



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