86 BLEEDING. 



tied a piece of cloth round the bottom, or hold- 

 ing it tight between your forefinger and thumb, 

 that it may not go in deeper than the fleam 

 would, insert the point gently into the vein, and 

 ram it in a little upwards, so as to make an 

 orifice full half an inch in length. 



The beauty, and the great effect, of bleeding a 

 horse in the neck vein, particularly under inflam- 

 mation, consists in taking a large quantity of 

 blood in a short time ; therefore both veins in 

 these cases should be opened at once, and the 

 larger orifice the fleam makes the better. No 

 fleams from Mr. Long, or any good maker, are 

 made too broad-shouldered ; if made too deep, 

 the artery underneath may be penetrated, and 

 the horse lost. Having got the quantity of blood 

 you want, do not let the flow stop quite sud- 

 denly, or air may get into the vein and half kill 

 him; but loosen the cord, if one has been on, 

 gradually; then close the wound immediately, 

 and that without pulling the skin from the neck, 

 by which blood is apt to get underneath and 

 cause a bad swelling; pin the two edges to- 

 gether, taking care not to include any of the 

 hair between the lips of the wound, with the 

 smallest possible pin, or needle, which is bet- 

 ter, not an inch and a half skewer ; and do not 

 forget to tie the head up for an hour, and to see 



