274 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



will serve as a guide for forming the other 

 crop. A young practitioner is apt to be 

 alarmed at the retraction of the skin from the 

 cartilages ; but the exposed edges disappear 

 in a few days. Horses often continue for a 

 long time very shy about the head after crop- 

 ping ; consequently, both bridle and halter 

 should be used without a forepart or frontino-, 

 till the ears are qiiite well. The bridle should 

 also be made to unbuckle on one side from 

 the bit, so that the head-stall may be dropped 

 on, without the hand being raised to pass 

 over the ears. This will naturally operate in 

 dissipating the customary shyness that other- 

 wise so long remains, and which is never 

 wholly lost, if force and cruelty be afterwards 

 Msed ; therefore, gentle means will be always 

 found to be the best. 



BLEEDING. 



Bleeding is the next article that comes 

 onder our notice, and is practised by several 

 modes. Blood is sometimes taken fi'om the 

 arteries. If the trunk be considerable, it may 

 be punctured, but must afterwards have a 

 ligature passed around it. If it be less con- 

 siderable, it will be sufficient to divide the 

 trunk of the vessel, which having emptied all 

 its ramifications, recedes by its muscularity 

 within the integuments, and stops the bleed- 

 ing. The temporal artery is occasionally 

 opened on both sides. These arteries may 

 readily be detected at three or four inches 

 below the root of the ear, in a line with the 

 nostrils. The angular artery is sometimes 

 opened in inflammation of the eyes. 



Bleeding at the toe also abstracts blood 

 from both veins and arteries. In drawing 

 blood from the foot, it should not be done in 

 ♦he ordinary way of paring down the mar- 



ginal line, with part of the sole, but the sole 

 only, as close to the marginal line as may be ; 

 then take a fine drawing-knife, or strong 

 lancet, and puncture the vein running round 

 the margin of the foot, which from the great 

 vascularity of the foot, the blood will flow 

 copiously. 



With regard to instruments used to let 

 blood, the common blood-stick and phleme, 

 and a variety of lancets, are all to be seen 

 at Mrs. Long's, High Holborn, instrument- 

 maker to the Royal Veterinary College. 

 The lancet, I must confess, is the most sur- 

 gical-looking instrument ; but I prefer the 

 phleme, especially for country practice, where 

 you have necks of all thicknesses to contend 

 with ; for I have seen some practitioners make 

 one puncture through the skin first, then 

 another through the coats of the vein ; and 

 without some experience, the vein is also apt 

 to be altogether missed, in attempting to do 

 it by a lancet. Let your lancets and phlemes, 

 whichever you may make choice o^ be al- 

 ways clean, and highly polished ; and, after 

 bleeding, care should be taken to dry them, 

 and examine their points. 



Blood is most frequently taken from the 

 jugular vein, though other superficial veins 

 there are, from which blood may be taken 

 with advantage, such as the plate and thigh- 

 veins. 



The proper place for bleeding at the jugu- 

 lar vein, is about two inches below the branch- 

 ins: off" of that vein, towards the head. To 

 perform the operation, the principle thing is a 

 steady hand. If your intention is to bleed on 

 the near side, take your phleme in your left 

 hand, grasp it with your finger and thumb, 

 then with your middle and third fingers raise 

 up the vein by carrying your hand the back- 



