viii PREFACE. 



cftimation, or rendered of fuch intrinfic worth, by a 

 difplay of his various powers, as in the prefent age of 

 experiment and refinement. 



To this caufe may undoubtedly be attributed the 

 very great attention paid for fome years pad to the 

 breed of the diftin6l and feparate clafTes for the tur^ 

 field, road, or draft 5 and as their value has, in a very 

 fhort fpace of time, abfoluteiy doubled their former 

 worth, furely v/e ought to be proportionally anxious 

 for their prefervation, wliether for/porfy ccnveniencey 

 or emclument. The almod incredible number of 

 this truly valuable part of the creation, that annually 

 fall victims to xk\.e invincible confidence of thofe ruilic 

 fons of Vulcan, felf-denominated /^rnVrj, (with the 

 thunder of whofe ignorance almofh every village re- 

 founds), has for years feemed to implore the afTifl- 

 ance of fome intelligent member of fociety to come 

 forward; and, by blending the adminiflration of 

 medicines with a pradical knowledge of their pro^ 

 perties and effeblsy refcue the poor fuffering animals 

 from theconftant, invariable, and unrelenting depre- 

 dations of illiterate pra^it loners and experimental per- 

 fecuiors. 



Well aware of the arduous tafk of attempting to 

 eradicate vulgar and habitual prejudices in favour of 

 ancient practice, or the improbability of reconciling 

 attachments of long Handing to the rational fyflem 

 pf modern com.pofition ; and the little chance of ex- 

 ploding 



