THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 63 



may be remarked is in extreme cases, which do but 

 seldom happen. The old practice of injecting stimu- 

 lant fluid into the wounds, is now abandoned as use- 

 less, and is one of the many cruelties the farriers 

 of by-gone days used frequently to have recourse to. 



Strains in the Back-Sinews 



Are very serious, and require the greatest attention, 

 and are generally a distention of the sheaths of the 

 tendons, and more rarely of the tendons themselves. 

 Violent exercise of all kinds, as galloping, leaping, &c., 

 produces this complaint. As usual with every disease 

 of a similar nature, the usual accompaniments are in- 

 flammation, swelling, and tenderness. The first attempt 

 must be to subdue that inflammation by bleeding the 

 t]iigh or plate-vein, according as the injury is situated 

 before or behind. The use of warm fomentations are 

 useful, and sometimes blood may be aptly drawn from 

 the toe. Some cases require blistering, but never use 

 any thing of that nature while heat and tenderness 

 exist, as severe sprains when treated badly often re- 

 quire to be fired, which must always be done in straight 

 lines. Rest is perfectly requisite in all cases of strain 

 or sprain. In ordinary cases, after subduing the in- 

 flammation, a bandage bound round the part affected, 

 and gradually increasing the pressure on each removal 

 of it, will suffice. After firing for the severer sprains, 

 six or eight months run at grass will conduce to a 

 torse's benefit. 



Rupture of the Suspensory Ligaments, 

 Or '* Breaking doivn,'' as the farriers term it, is an 



