Lib. I. Of Cures Fhyfical, i g 5 



letting Blood, there you fhall neither refpeft ClimatejSealbn of the Year, 

 Time of the Day, ^ign. Age, Strength, nor Cuftom, but letting allafide, 

 apply yo'jr ie'f only to the removing of the InHrmity. Now the Signs to 

 know if a Hone ftand in need to be let Blood are thefe : His Eyes will 

 look Red, and his Veins will fwell more than ordinary , alfo he will have 

 a certain Itch about his Mane and his Tail, and ftill be contiiiually rub- 

 bing them ;, and fometimes will fhed fome of his Hair alfo : He wiU now 

 and the 1 pi.l about the roots of his Ears, or in thole places where the 

 Head-ft'ill of the Bridle lies : His Urine will be Red and high-coloured, 

 nnd liis Dunp; v/ill be black and hard : Alio if he hath red Inflammations, 

 or lictle Bi'bbles on his Back, or doth not digeft his Meat well, it is a figu 

 the Horfj ihouKi be let Blood ; or if he hath any apparent ngn or Yel- 

 lownefs in tne Whites of his Eyes or in the inlide of his Lips, either up- 

 per or necher, is is a fign he iliould be let Blood : For after any of thefe 

 Signs does mc-'t commonly follow Ibme one or other grievous Sicknefs, 

 which to prevent, is the true Art of a skilful Farrier. Now it is fit that 

 when you intend to let a Horfe Blood ^having leifure to do the fame) that 

 you fulft.r him to be thinly dietted a Day or two before he be let Blood, 

 to the End that his Body may be quiet, and not troubled with Digeftion. 

 Now for the Manner of letting a Horfe Blood, you fliall as near as you 

 as can, let him fl:and upon even Ground, and if it be the Neck- vein which 

 you wouldiirike, you Jhall take a long fmall Cord with a Noofe, and put- 

 ting it over the Horfe's Neck, as clofe to the fetting on of the Shoulder 

 you can, there draw it as ftrait as is poiTible, and then faften it with a 

 running Knot, and prefently you ihall fee the Vein to appear as big as a 

 Man's Little-fingar, even from the nether Chap down to the Neck. Now 

 you are to obferve that the Place where you are to ftrike the Vein, is even 

 within three Fingers or four Fingers at the moft of the nether Chap : As 

 thus J if your Horfe have a long, fine, thin Neck and Skin, then you may 

 ftrike the Vein within three Fingers or lefs of the Chap, (fince the higher 

 is ever the better) but if he have a ihort chub Neck, with a thick Skiji, 

 and many wreaths or rouls abont the letting on of his Chaps, then you 

 Ihall ftrike the Vein at leaft four Fingers from the Chap,left thofe wreaths, 

 together with the thicknefs of the Skin, do fo defend the Vein that your 

 Fleim cannot reach it. When you have thus raifed the Vein up, you fhail 

 caufe one to ftand on the contrary Side of the Horfe, and with his Fift 

 to thruft the Vein forth hard againft you : then you fhall either with a 

 wet Spunge, or with a little Spittle, wet the part of the Vein which you 

 mean to ftrike, and then leparating the Hair, {et your Fleim even and 

 direftly upon the Vein ^ and then with a good fmart Blow ftrike it into 

 the Vein : Which done, you ihall caufe one to put his Finger into the 

 Horfe's Mouth, and tickling him in the Roof thereof, make him Chaw 

 and move his Chaps, for that will force the Blood to fpin forth. Now 



