•306 BLOOD LETTTNQ. ERRORS CONCERNING. 



sound in each alternate step. Hence, it will be seen, we must exa^nine 

 whether a horse be lame by a gentle trot. To judge whether the lameness 

 De before, let him come towards you, then the fore leg which falls to ground 

 the quickest is the sound leg, and the contrary one is faulty ; but to find owl 

 whether the inequality of his paces pK>ceeds from defect in the hind leg, make 

 him trot from you, and that leg which is longest in coming to the ground is 

 affected in some manner or other ; and in either case the faulty leg is to bo 

 closely examined, according to the instructions before set down, page 171 

 Even then, unless the person has great experience, he is liable to be imposed 

 on, as the poor animal is often lamed of a fore and a hind leg, at the same 

 time : an occurrence that may have been inflicted on one leg in order to coun- 

 teract the first appearance of actual lameness in the other. To detect this cruel 

 imposition, it becomes necessary to examine every leg. to turn up all the soles, 

 and to ascertain whether the horse has not been pegged between the shoe and 

 the sole, or his " heels opened," by the shoeing-smith for the purpose of sale. 



BLOOD-LETTING. 



Every one, almost, can bleed a horse in some way or other, and it is often 

 found extremely desirable that the operation should be performed without de- 

 lay. But, like many other excellent remedies in the hands of unreflecting 

 persons, this one is frequently employed imperfectly, as well as too often. Each 

 has its peculiar notions, either as to the fit part whence the blood should be 

 taken, the time when it becomes necessary, or the quantity proper to be taken ; 

 the latter being the more common error, as it is also the more excusable, inas- 

 much as they can plead " authority " either way for what they do, is neverthe- 

 less demonstrably ruled by wrong principles. The practice of bleeding at 

 given periods, be the quantity taken ever so small, is most injudicious, to say 

 no worse of it ; for, why should we employ a curative when there is nothing 

 to cure? especially when we thereby substract from vitaUty itself. 



" Only bleed in cases of inflammation," say the French farriers, and then 

 they take a large quantity, under the impression that taking a quart, or a little 

 more, from a mass of two hundred and twenty quarts, which is fairly calcu- 

 lated to reside in a middling-sized horse, " is but trifling with the disorder." 

 The existence of inflammation, or fever, is to be ascertained by the state of 

 the pulse, upon which I was tolerably minute whilst speaking of fever. &c. 

 (pages 61 — G4) the number of beats, and the kind of vibrations, being well 

 considered, previously to taking the fleam in hand, when the quantity drawn 

 should be commensurate to the extent of the disorder. Keep in mind, how- 

 ever, the exceeding danger of mistaking one series of febrile symptoms for 

 another, as may be judged of by turning to those of "low fever," at page 67, 

 when bleeding would destroy the horse. See also pages 68, 69. "Without 

 question, if the operator entertains a doubt about the symptoms as indicated 

 by the pulse, the least quantity he takes is likely to perpetrate the smallest 

 amount of harm ; whilst, if he be correct in his observations, and has witnessed 

 the good effects of bleeding in strictly similar cases, its inadequacy can effect 

 no good whatever, nor repetition amend the matter one tittle, but the contrary. 

 So that he must be wrong either way. 



For, as I proved at the pages before referred to, the disorders for which 

 bleeding is found serviceable depend less upon the quantity of blood that may 

 be in the system at the time of the attack, than upon the construction or 

 "state of the blood,"* and the degree of irritation that may exist in the ves- 



Thal IS to say, the proportion of its then component part% which is mainly aflectad by Qm 



Base. 



