INTRODUCTORY. 



guishing disease by observing the sounds in the part, by 

 means of the ear, with or without a tube, appHed to the 

 surface. Is it necessary to repeat all this^every time this 

 process is adverted to ? Clearly not. The word " Thorax''' 

 signifies the cavity of the body above or forward of the 

 diaphragm or midriff, — the w^ord " Abdomen''' the cavity 

 of the body below or behind the diaphragm. Can any 

 common words — any of the terms of vulgar quackery — 

 be given which will definitely express the above ideas, 

 and ivhich can be any ivay more easily remembered than 

 these ? There cannot. In all such cases, therefore, no 

 change of language is attempted. And Webster's Dic- 

 tionary will help the reader out of every difiiculty of this 

 kind. 



We have here a remark to submit to all readers, and 

 especially the young reader, in relation to the propep 

 MANNER OF READING YouATT — wlicrc the aim is to full\ 

 understand him, or the subject which he treats. Thiu 

 never can be done by dipping into the book here and 

 there, in search of information now on one topic, and now 

 on another, as the occasion seems to demand it. The 

 work should be read consecutively and carefully from be- 

 ginning to end. If this is done, and the reader fixes in 

 his mind anatomical names and details^ as he advances, 

 he will have no difficulty in fully understanding every 

 part, and he will be infinitely better prepared to form a 

 correct judgment in any case where he is called upon to 

 make a practical application of his knowledge. The 

 horse-owner who takes this course will find Youatt's 

 work an invaluable advantage to him — worth a thousand 

 of the common empirical recipe books on farriery. The 

 one w4io does not, will find it, or afiy other ivork, of little 

 avail. 



W. C. Spooner, Esq., one of the most distinguished 

 veterinary writers and practitioners of England, wrote, in 

 1849, a Supplement to Mr. Youatt's work, designed to 

 *' advance it to the present state of veterinary science.'' 

 All that is of any importance in this supplement — in fact, 

 most of Mr. Spooner's additional remarks entire, have 

 been added to the present work in the convenient form 

 of notes. Several of them will be found valuable. And 



