PREFACE. 1\ 



cussions like these rather belong to periodical publications, 

 such as the ^^ Annals" professes to be (where they admit of 

 refutation), than to a *' Compendium." For my part, 1 

 was early induced to enter into the spirit of those periodi- 

 cal investigations, and the inquiries set on foot in that work, 

 and occasionally to furnish the materials for an article, or 

 the argument in point for a controverted doctrine, or dis- 

 puted *' improvement." An offer of two premiums of ten 

 and live pounds for the best and second best of an *^ Essay 

 on the Structure of the Horse," had first induced me to la- 

 bour in the pages of the Annals. The award of the highest 

 premium to my paper* encouraged me to hearken to pro- 

 posals for its enlargement, and the present volume is the 

 result, t 



The volume has been a long time at press, and in October 

 last was fully announced by advertisement. The author 

 could not, therefore, satisfactorily account why his title 

 was adopted by another in the month of April of the pre- 

 sent year 



* Divided into magazir.e-like portions, and inserted as convenience offered 

 in many successive numbers of the Annals of Sporting, for the years 1822, 

 3, 4, 5. 



tThe second premium vi^as followed by the like result: the writer of it, 

 Mr. Percivall, (1 presume) having since then pubhshed his volume on the 



Principles of the Veterinary Art." The utility of such periodical worka 

 that devote their pages to the promotion of useful arts, is thus manifest in the 

 fact that to those premiums the public owe two volumes at least on animal 

 medicine. 



London, July, 1827. 



