viii author's address. 



quit giving it? With such a book at hand, the farmer, or his neighbor, 

 who may be more apt at doctoring horses, may determine the disease 

 and apply the proper treatment with success, far superior to what would 

 result without such a book. But has such a book yet been oflfered to the 

 public? I think not. I am aware of a few works which are occasionally 

 met with, which have given the subject a full consideration; but they are 

 written in professional language, and, consequently, can not be under- 

 stood by the general reader. Such are the works of Youatt, Dadd, and 

 others. They are not at all explanatory. Besides these, there are 

 many small works on farriery, generally in pamphlet form, principally 

 filled up with "cures," "receipts," etc. These are usually written by 

 farriers or shoeing smiths, who have been industrious in gathering up 

 cures. Whatever may be the merits of the cures they contain, they are so 

 deficient in the explanation of the symptoms of the different diseases as 

 not to be relied on. Certainly, if any are disposed to use their own 

 cure, or that of the farrier, for any disease, the first point is to determ- 

 ine that the horse has that disease. 



From these facts, it is clear that the books heretofore published do not 

 contain all that is necessary in a horse-doctor book intended for the 

 general use of the people. This, we think, does meet that object. It is 

 so full in its explanations as to enable any one to understand it, and may 

 be used to aid in explaining other works. It is especially valuable to 

 those who have a collection of receipts, for it enables them to first de- 

 termine the disease with certainty, so that they may not give their rem- 

 edies in the wrong disease, and thus do harm instead of good with them. 



That horses need doctoring is evident from the number of diseases to 

 which they are liable, and the readiness with which they can be cured 

 by proper treatment. The good effects of proper treatment of the dis- 

 eases of horses are quite as clear as of those of human patients, and the 

 evil of bad treatment quite as destructive of life. Some may object that, 



