20 AMATEUR VETS 



And cases are by no means rare in which horses 

 have been blistered with cantharides unmixed 

 with lard ; and repeatedly dumb patients have 

 been severely fired and blistered by the un- 

 educated on the "sound" instead of the 

 "unsound" leo". In fact the list of such atrocities 

 is a wearisomely long one, to say nothing of the 

 superstitions peculiar to certain counties. In 

 Devonshire, for instance, there is a supposed 

 cure by magic, the name being " Whitewitches " 

 or something of the sort. A nineteenth-century 

 English savage takes a nail, which he dips into 

 a pot of urine, and expects the owner of a cow 

 who is suffering from milk fever, or any other 

 ailment, to walk round. In the event of the 

 patient recovering, the witch, of course, takes 

 the credit. 



The Whitechapel costermongers pin their faith 

 to vinegar and whitening, or turpentine and beer ; 

 in cases of sprains this lotion is well rubbed into 

 the affected part. Certainly this is a very inno- 

 cent recreation — it has been said that the English 

 take their pleasures sadly — compared with the 

 number of times that lamenitis, sometimes termed 

 "founder," or "fever in the feet," is mistaken for 

 congestion of the lungs, and even tetanus, all of 

 which require immediate treatment. Need we 

 say more on this point ? To dwell on painful 

 subjects is exceedingly depressing, but we feel 

 bound to lay a stress upon the eager way in 

 which amateur vets, who have never received a 

 practical or scientific training, delight in giving 

 purgatives, without in the least taking into con- 



