OF FARRIERY. 



97 



examine into treatment, the old farriers have 

 generally adopted, by applying in general 

 strong stimulants, taken from their long list of 

 infallible nostrums. 



The treatment of open joints, if discovered 

 in their recent state, may not be so difficult : 

 our first care is to remove all extraneous 

 matter, such as dirt, gravel, &c. ; you next 

 proceed to the closing of the wound, which 

 must be first commenced by clipping off 

 the hair for some distance all round the 

 wound, if not large, and apply strips of 

 adhesive plaister, drawing the lips of the 

 wound as close as possible together, over 

 which plp.ce a plegit of tow, and immediately 

 after a liuen bandage, about three yards ong, 

 and fouj inches wide, so that the shutting up 

 of the cavity may be complete ; in addition to 

 which, Ihe symptoms of irritation, both local and 

 general, must not be neglected ; for if the 

 symptomatic fever should be high, we must 

 treat the Horse accordingly ; this you will 

 discover by his breathing short, loss of 

 appetite, heat and dryness of the mouth, 

 as well as the quickness and weakness of the 

 pulse ; if such should be the case, immediately 

 tike from two to four quarts of blood, and 

 give the following : 



No. 1. 



Take Aloes, Cape - ■• 1 dram. 

 Digitales - - - 2 do. 

 Linseed Meal - - 3 do. 

 Form into a ball with soap. 



Give a ball of the above kind night and morning, 

 until the fever and irritation is abated. 



Or, No. 2. 



Take Cape aioes - - 1 dram. 

 White hellebore - l^ do. 

 Linseed meal - - 3 do. 



Form into a ball, and give as the first. 

 By these means you will allay the irritation, 

 and decrease the fever, and the frequency of 

 the pulse also. 



When the wound is more extensive, or 

 more irregular, we must then employ sutures 

 with the plegit of tow, as before described, 

 and to well bandage the part, also every 

 means must be taken to keep the Horse as 

 still as possible ; use a neck cradle, fearing 

 from the irritation he may be inclined to 

 gnaw the part affected. If these means have 

 not the desired effect, we must have recourse 

 to the actual cautery ; and, if the opening be 

 not too large, the budding iron is as good shaped 

 one as you can use, touching the edges 

 lightly : if the wound should be larger and 

 irregular, use one of your firing irons carefully. 

 I have known these means succeed when all 

 others have failed. Have your iron heated to a 

 dull red heat, which will be quite sufficient, 

 and be careful not to insinuate it too far, 

 as you may have considerable inflammation 

 follow : you can easily judge when the cautery 

 has been sufficiently applied, by the stoppage 

 of the synovia, over which put a plegit of tow, 

 and a poultice of bran, wetted frequently with 

 the following : 



Take Sal ammoniac, powdered - 4 ounces. 



Sugar of lead . _ - - 1 do. 



Vinegar ------ 3 pints. 



Water ------- 1 do. 



If the oozing of synovia recommences, by 

 no means hesitate to apply the iron again ; and, 

 as often as the oozing appears, repeat it, by 

 which eventually success may be calculated 

 on. In some aggravated cases I have blistered 

 immediately, and that with good effect. 

 Rowels are sometimes employed as near the 

 . 2 B 



