THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 165 



considerable portion of the flesh around it. This is 

 called by the common farriers coring out the vein. 



" It frequently happens that this corrosive applica- 

 tion destroys the vein likewise, and sometimes violent 

 bleeding ensues, so as to endanger the life of the ani- 

 mal. The most proper place for making the opening 

 in the jug-ular-vein is where the integuments are thin- 

 nest, which is about a hand's breadth from the head, 

 just below the branching ofl" of the vein to the lower 

 jaw, and which may be distinctly seen when any pres- 

 sure is made on the main branch of the vein. 



" In performing the operation with a fleam, the ope- 

 rator should hold the fleam between the fore-finger and 

 thumb of the left hand ; with the second finger he is 

 to make a slight pressure on the vein, and before it 

 becomes too turgid, or full, make the opening : the 

 same degree of pressure is to be continued on the vein 

 till such time as the quantity of blood to be taken 

 away is received into a proper measure. 



" Another great error which generally prevails in 

 opening the vein with a fleam, is the applying too 

 great force, or giving too violent a stroke to it, by which 

 it is forced through the opposite side of the vein. 

 Hence there is danger of wounding the coats of the 

 carotid artery, which lies immediately underneath. 

 Gibson, in his treatise on the diseases of horses, men- 

 tions a case of a fine horse that was bled in the plate- 

 vein for a lameness in the shoulder, which was followed 

 by a hard oval swelling about the size of a goose's e^^^ 

 which extended upwards on the breast, and also down 

 the leg, attended with excessive pain, fever, deadness 

 in the horse's looks, and all the other symptoms of an 

 approaching mortification. In order to avoid the con- 

 sequences sometimes attending these local operations 

 in the breast, legs, &c., and as horses are more or less 



