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- 

 mifh by the prefent rage for FIRING, which 

 is in general by much too frequently adopted ; 

 and no doubt upon moft occafions hurried 

 on by the pecuniary propenfity and didation of 

 the intereiled operator, anxious to difplay his 

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

 ** flourish," in the operation ; which, when 

 performed, and the horfe is turned out (as 

 mufi: be), if taken xx^ found, I fhall ever attri- 

 bute much more of the cui-e to that grand 

 Specif Cy REST, than to the effedl of his^r^. No- 

 thing can be more truly vcontemptible than the 

 ridiculous and abfurd adoption of the ancient 

 pradice of cold charges, compounded of ar- 

 ticles 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 adhefion, than medical relief by 

 its power of penetration. And this will be the 

 more readily credited when a moment's con- 

 fideration is afforded to the fad : for what in- 

 herent reftringent virtues can be polliffed by 

 G 2 *' doe's 



