STRAINS. 83 



ufeful one it will be found) for a quarter of 

 an hour every night and morning, till double 

 the quantity has been ufed. Under this prac- 

 tice I have feen the complete cure of many, 

 without inftantly recurring to a perpetual ble« 

 miih by the prefent rage of FIRING, vvhich 

 is in general by much too frequently adopted; 

 and no doubt upon moft occaiions hurried 

 on by the pecuniary propenlity and dilation 

 of the interefted operator, anxious to difplay his 

 dexterity, or (as Scrub fays) ^'his neweft 

 *'flouri£h," in the operation; which, when 

 performed, and the horfe is turned out (as 

 muft be,) if taken m^ found, I fhall ever attri- 

 bute much more of the cure to that gra?id 

 ffecific, REST, than to the eiFed oihisfre. No- 

 thing can be more truly contemptible than the 

 ridiculous and abfurd adoption of the ancient 

 practice of cold charges ; compounded of arti- 

 cles calculated in fome degree to what they 

 call brace the parts^ it is true, but tending 

 much more to form a kind of bandage by its 

 firmnefs of adhelion, than medical relief by 

 its power of penetration. And this will be 

 more readily credited when a moment's con- 

 fideration is afforded to the fad : for what in- 

 herent reftringent virtues can be poffeffed by 

 G 2 ^^ doe's 



