THE NEW POCKET FARRIER. 77 



if green fodder be procured, and the horse be fed wholly 

 on it ; provided the bowels will bear such food ; but if 

 the medicines gripe, by being joined with green food, 

 add to the diet bean-meal. When green meat cannot 

 be procured, carrots usually can; and when they cannot, 

 still potatoes may be boiled, or the corn may be speared 

 or malted. As a proof of the beneficial effects of green 

 meat, a horse, so bad with farcy as to be entirely 

 despaired of, was drawn into a field of tares, and nothing 

 more was done to him, nor further notice taken of him, 

 although so ill as to be unable to rise from the ground 

 when drawn there. By the time he had eaten all the 

 tares within his reach, he was enabled to struggle to 

 more ; finally he rose to extend his search, and perfectly 

 recovered. 



POLL EVIL. 



An abscess near the poll of the horse, formed in the 

 sinews between the noil bone and the uppermost vertebrse 

 of the neck. If this malady originates in blows (as it 

 generally does) the best way will be to bathe the swell- 

 ing as soon as it is perceived, frequently, with hot vine- 

 gar, and if the hair is fretted off with a kind of acrid 

 humour oozing through the skin, make use of two parts 

 of vinegar and one of wine. But if there be an itching, 

 with great heat and inflammation, the safest way is to 

 bleed freely, and apply a red oak poultice, which 

 method of proceeding, with the assistance of two or 

 three doses of purgative physic, will disperse the tumour 

 and arrest the disease. If, however, in spite of this pre- 

 caution, the swelling increases, and has all the signs of 

 containing matter, the only way left is to bring it to a 

 head as soon as possible, that it may be discharged either 

 by the tumour bursting of itself, or being opened with a 

 7* 



