268 WARRANTING. 



" These diseases being often hereditary, or this 

 build being faulty, they are more liable to occur 

 in your horse." Beyond this, no uninspired ve- 

 terinary surgeon can caution you. When a re- 

 cruit presents himself before the surgeon of the 

 regiment, on enlisting, do you suppose the sur- 

 geon could tell if he had fever last year, or 

 sprained his leg last year, unless some evident 

 weakness or enlargement remained? How can 

 he tell if he is subject to gripes ? 



Buying a horse blind in both eyes, it is said 

 you cannot return him as unsound. Caveat Emp- 

 tor, p. 274. " But it has been held that a war- 

 ranty against visible defects is bad in law, the 

 purchaser being expected not only to possess 

 ordinary skill, but to exhibit ordinary precau- 

 tion." But a large splent extending on to the 

 back sinews, a large spavin, large curb, or con- 

 tracted, foundered foot, anchylosed pastern-joints, 

 are all as visible defects as blind eyes : they are 

 palpable defects, yet they constitute unsoundness : 

 but " law is law." 



Much has been said against dealers in Eng- 

 land, and dealers in India too. I have seen 

 some black tricks in both countries ; notwith- 

 standing, I think, in the long run, dealers are as 

 much sinned against as sinning. In either coun- 



