ROWELLING. 269 



rator to no small share of professional repu- 

 tation. 



These are privileges against the power of 

 which there can be no appeal ; but if we 

 look into the operative process of rowels with 

 the eye of accuracy, and advert to their ori- 

 gin, we shall find they were introduced at 

 a period much less enlightened ; v;hen the 

 great efficacy of alteratives was but little 

 if at all known or established to any degree 

 of certainty, more particularly to those who 

 are generally entrusted with the medical su- 

 perintendence of horses ; that however expert 

 or judicious they may prove in the operative 

 parts of Farriery, must feel themselves 

 exceedingly mortified at knowing nothing of 

 medicines, their origin, preparations, com- 

 binations, proper-ties, or effects. 



This universal deficiency, so generally ad- 

 mitted, to which the major part of their 

 professional errors may be justly attributed, 

 now bids fair to be rescued from its dis- 

 graceful state of barbarism, (under which 

 stigma it has so long laboured) by a plan 



