ftO 



IHE MODERN SYSTEM 



spavin ; tlioiigh 1 have seen a gneat number of 

 Florses affected with what is termed spavin, 

 <hat never went lame at all, and some very 

 oxcellent hunters too : this arises from the 

 situation the bony enlargement exists in ; if at 

 the upper end of the leg bone, and not so as 

 to interfere with the small bones of the hock 

 joint, it may grow to a very con:<iderable sub- 

 stance, and but slight lameness exists; if this 

 should be the case, the treatment of spavin, 

 although also it may arise as well from hard 

 riding, or other straining causes, but when 

 taken in its early stage, such swelling may be 

 treated with gentle counter irritants, which 

 will invariably remove the lameness in a very 

 short time ; I do not approve of cooling- 

 lotions or repellers, as they are so exceeding 

 slow in their operation, and seldom or never 

 restore the Horse from lameness ; but, in colts 

 the mildest methods should be preferred, 

 though their effects are much slower. For a 

 mild application apply the following. 



Take Cantharides powdered - 4 drams. 

 White wine vinegar - 4 ounces. 



Put these into a six-ounce botde, and let them 

 stand three or four days, shaking the bottle 

 four or five times a day ; at the expiration of 

 which time it will be fit for use. 



Rub about two table spoonsful of the 

 lotion on the Horses hock night and morningf, 

 shaking the bottle well each time ; should 

 this not have the desired effect. 



Strong Blister. 



Take Cantharides powdered - 6 drams. 

 Mercurial ointment - - 4 do. 

 Hog's lard - - . _ 2 ounces. 



Cut the hair off close^ an inch and a half 

 further round than the spavin extends ; rub 



the blister well in with the hand ; (in all 

 cases of blistering be careful tliat (he Hor.se 

 wears a cradle,) in all probability this blis- 

 ter will remove the spavin entirely, or at least 

 the pain and lameness ; for, when once bony 

 matter is formed, they never are wholly 

 removed. 



Some spavins may require a second or third 

 blister, in such cases repeat the above at an 

 interval of about three weeks, not earlier to 

 prevent occasioning a blemish. 



With full grown Horses, and old Horses, this 

 disease is with difliiculty remedied ; however, 

 as .success sometimes attends even the milder 

 methods, it should not even at any age of the 

 Horse deter us from trying other remedies ; 

 some bold adventurers succeed sometimes with 

 them, where superior skill, under the direc- 

 tion of prudence, fails; but notwithstanding 

 this, their more frequent iil effects, by exciting* 

 excessive pain and inflammation, and even 

 death, should render every person very cau- 

 tious in their use ; but the poor animals (if 

 they could reason,) would be thankful if they 

 knew such barbarous blockheads, are now-a- 

 days pretty well exploded, \\\i\\ their mallet, 

 and chisel, and punch altogether. 



If the ointment is not effectual, you must 

 then have recourse to firing, which may be 

 done in the manner explained, by the cut at 

 the head of this article, see No. 3 ; be careful 

 not to fire through the skin, for wherever you 

 do, a blemish will be certain to supervene 

 after firing; lay the following blister on lightly, 

 you must on no account rub it in, as by that 

 means you would produce a blemish. 



Mild Blister. 



Take Cantharides powdered 

 Hog's lard - - - 



2 drams. 

 2 oz. . 



