162 THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 



• 



and the orifice made into the vein before their fears 

 are excited. For this reason, the fleam and blood- 

 stick have long been in use, and in skilful hands are 

 not improper instruments for the purpose, although 

 with many practitioners the spring- fleam would be 

 much safer, and on that account ought to be preferred. 

 When a lancet is used, the instant the horse feels the 

 point of it he raises or shakes his head and neck, in 

 order to shun the instrument before the operator has 

 time to make a proper orifice, which frequently proves 

 too small or too large ; for this reason, those who have 

 tried the lancet have been obliged to lay it aside. 



" Many persons tie a ligature or bandage round the 

 neck, in order to raise the vein, and that they may 

 strike the fleam into it with greater certainty ; but a 

 slight view of its effects in preventing this and its other 

 consequences, will show the impropriety of the prac- 

 tice. 



" When a ligature is tied round the neck previous 

 to bleeding in the jugular-vein, it is to be observed that 

 it stops the circulation in both veins at the same time ; 

 hence they become turgid and very full of blood, inso- 

 much that they feel under the finger like a tight cord ; 

 and as the parts adjoining are loose and soft, when the 

 stroke is given to the fleam, the vein, by its hardness 

 and tightness, slips to one side, and of course it eludes 

 the stroke ; hence a deep wound is made by the fleam 

 to no purpose, and this is sometimes frequently re- 

 peated. 



" Unskilful persons have hkewise a custom of wav- 

 ing or shaking the blood-stick before they strike the 

 fleam in view of the horse, whose eye is fixed on that 

 instrument, and when they intend to give the stroke, 

 they make a greater exertion ; hence the horse being 

 alarmed by its motion raises his head and neck, aixCi a 



