198 



THE VETERINAEY SCIENCE. 



thoroughly and grease the parts three days afterwards. If it is 

 an occult spavin, or if the enlargement goes right through the 

 joint, put all the blister on at once, that is, half on the inside and 

 half on the outside of the joint; then let it alone for three weeks 

 and wash off the parts with warm water and soap, and blister 

 .again just the same as the first time. Repeat the blister a few 

 times, and, if not somewhat better, fire it with the feather iron» 

 the same as shown in the cut. Have three of these irons and get 



FEATHER IROV. 



them red hot, then place a twitch on the horse's nose ; also have 

 one of his front legs held up, and proceed to fire. Draw the lines 

 the same as seen in the cut, and always have them a good half- 

 inch apart each way. Run the iron lightly 

 over the lines (same as shown in cut) until 

 there is a white line appears, then that is 

 plenty deep enough. The best place to heat 

 your irons is at a blacksmith shop, and if 

 the horse is very ugly you may have to 

 throw him in the same way as if you were 

 going to castrate him, and then fire. Keep on 

 firing and blistering until you efi"ect a cure; 

 It may take from six months to a year or 

 two to eff"ect a complete cure. After firing 

 do not blister for six or seven days. It is 

 all right to work the animal a little between 

 times, it will help on with the cure, but 

 when you are working the horse, shoe him 

 with a high healed shoe, this helps to throw the strain off the 

 hock joint. After firing and blistering, always keep the animal; 

 out of the water, for getting the leg wet scalds the hair and skir& 

 and makes it very sore. 



