OF FARRIERY, 



283 



outcry. My life has been devoted to the 

 amelioration of the miseries of the whole brute 

 race, and I am the last man that would inflict 

 one useless pang on them ; but when, by a 

 momentary addition to their present suflFering, 

 I could abstract years of future pain, I would 

 not court popularity by joining in decrying 

 all painful operations. 



When it is of consequence to keep up the 

 irritation in future, or even to increase it at the 

 present, which we dare not do by deeper firing, 

 or by lines too near each other, then blistering 

 immediately after is admissible. Such cases 

 occur in long continued enlargements, liga- 

 mentary, or osseous diseases ; but when firing 

 is applied to four stale extremities, or even to 

 two, which present only the ordinary appear- 

 ance of disease, it is not only unnecessary, 

 but it is wantonly cruel ; and what, perhaps, 

 will be more deterring, it is dansrerous also, 

 and has proved destructive. 



The mode of firing differs according to 

 circumstances. The general mode adopted 

 at the Royal Veterinary College is in straight 

 lines, up and down the course of the hair, 

 or in perpendicular lines ; the reasons for 

 this are well known. If it be applied as 

 a bandage, in no direction can it corrugate 

 the skin in so effective a manner, as the lines 

 drawn inversely to the action, as well as the 

 enlargements of the parts. As the principles 

 of the firing-iron have become so known, it 

 ■would be ridiculous to say farther on that 

 part of the subject. 



I think I mentioned before, that there were 

 several methods of firing ; I should also have 

 remarked, that there are also several kinds of 

 irons required, of various shapes. The prin- 

 cipal are, the searing-iron, for the tail : this 

 iron is probably called into request more than 



any other. Then the budding-iron, for touch- 

 ing cavities, and searing farcy-buds. There 

 is also the common firing-iron, the iron to re- 

 move lampas, and some others, according to 

 the particular purpose for which they may be 

 required. To practitioners these are all pretty 

 well known, and all should be tolerably thick 

 at the back to retain the heat; and when 

 used, should only be heated to a dull-red 

 heat. 



When performing the operation of firing, 

 care should be taken to have a piece of board 

 near vou, to rub the edoe of the iron on. 

 This will prevent its getting too sharp, and 

 cutting through the skin ; the iron also by 

 this means becomes cleaned from all scales, 

 which would be a very great interruption to 

 the operator, if he had no means of speedily 

 removing them. If you have a forge estab- 

 lishment of your own, there will be no diffi- 

 culty in determining where to heat your irons ; 

 but if you have to perform the operation in 

 the country, you will find some little diffi- 

 culty ; but this, though it may take up a little 

 more time, it would be better to put up with, 

 than to shew any thing like a fastidious dispo- 

 sition ; for country practice has a great many 

 difficulties which cannot be avoided, and which 

 may be removed with facility in a town. 



Firing is not the simple operation many 

 persons are inclined to think ; for, if you 

 penetrate the true skin, you produce a wound 

 with great inflammation and ulceration, leav 

 ing also a bad blemish. To prevent this, if 

 the iron be made very hot, you must pass it 

 quick and light over the parts ; then as it gels 

 cool, you can draw more at your leisure ; and 

 if the parts should not be level, you will be 

 enabled to touch lightly those over again, in 

 order to make your work look well. Ring- 



