78 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



stage, it frequently becomes of considerable 

 size, and what appears strange, the skin seems 

 to thicken as it becomes larger. 



For the treatment of Capped Hock, if you 

 should perceive it in its early stage, I use re- 

 pellents, such as the following : 



Take Sal ammoniac - I oz. 

 Spirits of wine - 8 do. 

 Vinegar - - 8 do. 



Rub some of this lotion on the point of the 

 hock, night and morning. Should this not 

 promote the absorption of the fluid, then in- 

 troduce setons on each side of the hock, and 

 keep the discharge up for a fortnight, dress- 

 ing every day with digestive ointment, as 

 follows : 



Take Common turpentine - 4 oz. 

 Hog's lard _ _ _ 4 do. 



Melt together over a slow fire, and dress the 

 setons wit!i it, when you change them every 

 morning. 



Should this not have the desired effect at 

 once, puncture with a lancet, and fire in the 

 manner seen in the Plate. Whilst using the 



Bird, of Hammersmith. On the occasion of one of my 

 visits, he asited me to see a brood mare, and two of her 

 colts, laying in a field close at hand, which he considered of 

 excellent make and form. The dam was a known good 

 one. She was a light chesnut mare ; the colts were of the 

 same colour, one a three-year old, the other a yearling ; 

 and all three, dam and colts, affected with capped hocks. 

 There had been a colt, which would then have been two 

 years old, but it had been dead about six months, and he 

 had capped hocks too. As far as my recollection will serve 

 me, I believe Mr. B. informed me they were all got by dif- 

 ferent Horses. This, I think, is sufficient proof of like 

 getting like. I know it frequently occurs in the human 

 subject, and why not in animals 1 I know a guard of a 

 mail-coach, who has one leg shorter than the other ; he has 

 a son, about sixteen years of age, affected precisely in the 

 same manner, and numbers of instances might be adduced, 

 'f we had spa:o to enter on that subject. 



above remedies, give a mild dose or two of 

 physic. 



THE ELBOW. 



These tumours frequently arise from various 

 causes: they are situated at the point of the 

 elbow, and sometimes grow to an amazino- 

 size ; I once recollect seeing one in Messrs 

 Barclay's stud of dray-horses as large as a 

 child's head, it appeared to give little or no 

 inconvenience, but the appearance is highly 

 disagreable. These tumours are not always 

 alike in their contents, some of them contain- 

 ing a yellowish fluid, and that in a considerable 

 degree ; this you may discover by the un- 

 dulating feel it has when pressed between the 

 thumb and finger. This kind of tumour con- 

 tains a yellowish serous fluid, deposited in the 

 cellular membrane, which greatly abounds in 

 this and the neighbouring parts. The other 

 kind of tumour is hard, will not yield to 

 pressure, and sometimes proceeds to calosity. 

 These tumours generally arise from heavy 

 dray-horses laying down on rough paved 

 stables, and frequently when they double 

 their fore feet up under them ; the large calkins 

 of the shoes just comes in contact with the 

 point of the elbow, and a bruise from either 

 of the foregoing causes will produce it ; it may 

 sometimes arise from kicks, but this, I should 

 imagine, but seldom ; as if it arose from a kick, 

 the Horse would instantly go lame, whereas 

 by bruising gradually, it continues growing 

 without producing lameness, as you may see 

 in the hands of blacksmiths, the right hand in 

 which he holds the hammer, the inside of 

 which is covered with an immense thick skin ; 

 but he feels no pain in producing it, because it 

 comes on gradually ; but put a tyro to use the 

 hammer for only one or two hours, and it is 



