36 SI m-TOMS— HOW LEARNED. THE THORAX AND ABDOMEN. 



24 . All those important points of knowledge in the first principles of our arC 

 lie within the compass of every man's capacity, who can read ; they are cer 

 tainly open to his inquiries; and he who is constantly among horses can nor 

 fail to learn (after studying the subject in the manner I now propose) to mak< 

 himself as well acquainted with the symptoms or signs of approaching disease* 

 as the generality of veterinarians. He certainly may render himself much 

 superior to the old, ignorant set of farriers, who were bred up in the days ot 

 stupidity that are just gone by — never to return. Let such an inquirer after 

 knowledge bring to the task industry, patience, and good common sense, and 

 he may soon acquire knowledge enough of the outlines of the art to be able to 

 pronounce when a pretender is at work, or when it is that a man of judgment 

 and real sound learning in his art has undertaken the treatment of this valua- 

 ble animal in the distressful hour of sickness. On this head 1 am not ashamed, 

 after the lapse of nearly half a century, to own that I once wept over the suf- 

 ferings of a sick animal which died of the medicines administered by a stubborn 

 .self-willed farrier, who could read, and write, and talk, give a drench, and 

 drink himself — and nothing more: he could not think, of course could not 

 compare one. disease with another, nor mark the difference that exists between 

 two or more that are frequently and fatally mistaken for each other. And 

 here, once for all, I can not refrain from thus early insisting most strenuously 

 on one point, which therefore 1 shall not have to repeat when I come to notice 

 certain barbarous practices perpetrated by some such men, and the not unguilty 

 practice of other physic-giving horse-doctors ; and this is, in short, whoever 

 of them dares to undertake the administering of medicines to this incompara- 

 ble animal without paying especial attention to the subject matter that is 

 handled in this chapter, commits an unpardonable act of inhumanity on his 

 ♦suffering yjatient, and of gross dishonesty towards its owner. The remedy 

 for a disease is not always to be found in medicine ; preventives never. Pur- 

 gatives are not only the most obvious means of cure, but the best, the least 

 dangerous, and those which promise in the readiest manner to dispose th 

 most vital function to resume its wonted action. Alteratives are the safest anc. 

 most effectual remedy for valuable horses, and those which can not be spared 

 from labour ; they are indispensable in all cases of vitiated blood, and where 

 found inefTectual nothing else can be of service. Bleeding is the very best, or 

 the very worst auxiliary we can employ; its efficacy and precise periods of 

 utility may be learned in the sequel (see sect. 37 to 44), where " the circula- 

 tion" comes under consideration, also in the first pages of Book II, where the 

 pulse is justly made a subject of primary consideration. 



25. For the sake of making myself more clearly understood, I shall, when 

 explaining- the formation and functions of the horse's inside (i. e. as much 

 of it as will answer my purpose), consider it under two distinct heads; 

 namely: 



1st. The fore part, or throat part, as it is called from its neighbourhood to 

 the throat, or gullet; and, 



2d. The hinder part of him, being his belly, properly speaking, &c. 



Both of these parts have obtained learned names ; but that Is no busi.iess 

 af ours. 



The fore part of a horse is that which lies between the rider's two knees, 

 within the chest and true ribs. To the farthest of these is attached, as well 

 as to the middle of the back bone, a natural division of the two parts, stretched 

 tightly across his inside, like the head of a drum ; and it is also fastened to his 

 breast bone, but admits of the gullet to pass through, as it does of the great 

 vein and great artery which carry on the circulation of the blood of the ninder 

 part. With these exceptions it is air-tight, and it bears resemblance to the 

 oead of a drum in another particular — it is membraneous, except round the 



