A DICTIONARY. 



223 



colored tenacious mass. This has been 

 much esteemed by old farriers in obstinate 

 coughs. When mixed with a small propor- 

 tion of oil of anise-seed, it has been thought 

 more efficacious, and is then named anis- 

 ated balsam of sulphur. 



Bandage. — ■ Strips of linen, cotton, or 

 flannel, about three or four inches wide. 

 They are serviceable in habitual swellings 

 of the legs, or weakness of the fetlock joint. 

 They are likewise used for the purpose of 

 keeping on dressings, or assisting in uniting 

 parts that are cut or lacerated ; they assist 

 by pressm-e in expelling matter, or pre- 

 venting the descent of ruptures, and as 

 compresses for restraining bleeding or hem- 

 on-hage. The mode of applying the bandage 

 to the leg is as follows : the material, after 

 being cut the proper width, must be rolled 

 up, and the bandage fixed by taking two or 

 three turns in the same place ; after which, 

 the roller may be carried round spirally, 

 taking care that every turn of the bandage 

 overlaps about two-thirds of the preceding 

 one. When the inequality of the parts 

 cause the margin to slack, it must be re- 

 versed, or folded over; that is, its upper 

 margin must become the lower, etc. A 

 bandage should be moderately tight, so as 

 to support the parts without intercepting 

 the circulation, and should be so applied as 

 to press equally on every part. In band- 

 aging a horse's leg, the roller should be 

 applied from the upper part of the hoof to 

 the knee ; in every case it is advisable to 

 bandage from joint to joint, thus leaving 

 the joint at liberty. When it is found 

 necessary to bandage a joint, the bandage 

 should be put on in the form of a figure 8. 



Barb. — A general name for horses im- 

 ported from Barbary. The barb, one of 

 the most celebrated of the African races, is 

 to be met with in Barbary, Tripoli, and 

 Morocco ; he seldom exceeds more than four- 

 teen hands and a half in height. The barb 

 requires more excitement to call out his 

 powers than the Arabian ; but, when suf- 

 ficiently excited, his qualities of speed and 

 endurance render him a powerful antagonist 

 to the Arabian. 



Bark. — This name is generally applied 

 to several different species of Peruvian 

 bark, the yellow and the red. The active 

 principle of the yellow bark is an alkaloid 

 principle, called quinse, combine-d with a 

 peculiar acid, called Idnic, or cinchonic, in 

 the state of an acid salt ; besides these, it 

 contains an oily and a yellow coloring mat- 

 ter, tannin, kinate of lime, and woody fibre. 

 Their value in treating diseases of the horse 

 consists in their tonic and astringent prop- 

 erties. It should be given to the horse in 

 the form of infusion; one ounce of pow- 

 dered bark to a quart of boiling water. It 

 is also useful to restore indolent ulcers to a 

 healthy state. The best tonic for a horse is 

 hydrastis Canadensis (golden seal). 



Bar Shoe. — A particular kind of shoe, 

 which is sometimes used to protect the frog 

 from injury; also in corns. 



Bars of the Foot. — (See Foot, part 

 first.) 



Bars of the Mouth. — Transverse ridges 

 on the roof of the mouth ; they are most 

 conspicuous, or full, in a young horse. 

 When swollen, or fuller than usual, the 

 horse is said to have the lampas. 



Basilicon. — A digestive ointment, com- 

 posed of equal parts of olive oil, yellow 

 beeswax, and common resin (or rosin). 

 These are to be melted over a slow fire, 

 and stirred until the mixture is quite cool. 



Bay. — A bay color, in horses, is so 

 named from its resemblance to dried bay 

 leaves. 



Biceps. — The biceps is a double-headed 

 muscle, which serves to bend a limb. 



Bile, or Gall. — A bitter, greenish fluid, 

 secreted by the liver for the purpose of as- 

 sisting digestion. In the horse there is no 

 gall bladder, or receptacle for the bile ; it 

 passes directly into the duodenum, or fii'st 

 part of the small intestines, a few inches 

 from the stomach. 



Bilious. — Diseases are called bilious 

 when they depend on a morbid state of the 

 liver. 



Bits. — There are various kinds of bits 

 in use ; among them are the snaffle and 

 curb. A snaffle may be either plain, or 



