HIDE-BOUND. 407 



custom, gives him plenty of cordial balls, — perhaps too many of 

 them, — on the whole not being unserviceable at this critical pe- 

 riod, yet not productive of a great deal of good. At length the 

 animal rallies of himself, and although not so strong and full of 

 spirits as he ought to be, is hardier and more lively than he was, 

 and able to struggle with the cold of the coming winter. 



What a desideratum in the management of the horse would 

 be a course of treatment that would render all this unnecessary ! 

 The desideratum has been found — a free escape of perspiration, a 

 moist and softened state of the skin, an evident increase of health, 

 and capability of enduring fatigue, and working on shorter supply 

 of food than he could beibre. This is said to be performed by the 

 clipping and singeing systems. 



Mr. Thomas Turner, who was almost one of the earliest advo- 

 cates of these systems, states that during the months of October 

 and November an inordinate growth of hair is observed over the 

 whole surface of the body, and in many horses as early as the be- 

 ginning of September, and almost invariably prevails, more or 

 less, in every horse that is not thorough-bred. The debilitating 

 effects thereby induced are profuse perspira^tion on the least pos- 

 sible exertion — depression of the animal spirits, and temporary 

 loss of appetite. The immediate removal of all the superfluous 

 hair by close clipping, instantly proves so powerful a tonic to the 

 animal, that he unhesitatingly affirms it to be inferior to none at 

 present known in our pharmacopseia. Mr. Turner adds, — " Now, 

 signal as the success of clipping has been, I do entertain a hope, 

 and am of opinion that, in the majority of instances, it may be 

 superseded by singeing under certain modifications." 



We may not, perhaps, be able satisfactorily to explain the ap- 

 parently magical effects of clipping and singeing on the general 

 constitution, and particularly the wind of the horse, or the respi- 

 ratory functions generally, but there is no doubt of their exist- 

 ence. An increased tone is given to the system generally ; and 

 probably, in some way not yet sufficiently developed, the increased 

 current of the electric fluid may have much to do with it. 



HIDE-BOUI^D. 



This is not so much a dimhmtion of the cellular or fatty sub- 

 stance between the skin and the muscles beneath, as it is an al- 

 teration in the skin itself It is a hardness and unyieldingness 

 of the skin from the want of the oily matter on its surface and its 

 substance. It is the diflerence that is presented to the feeling by 

 well curried and supple leather, and that which has become dry 

 and unyielding. 



The surface of the skin becoming dry and hard, the scales of 



