102 IlEMEDIES FOR SPAVIN. 



years' experience, killed a horse of his own in this way. It was 

 a three-parts bred horse, and, no doubt, an irritable subject, and 

 possibly not duly prepared : he being, rather in haste, required to 

 be blistered or fired on account of staleness in his legs. Unfortu- 

 nately, and certainly injudiciously, the four legs were simultane- 

 ously blistered, with blistering ointment such as was at that day — 

 the year 1821 — in common use, containing a small proportion of 

 corrosive sublimate. The legs took to swelling more than they 

 ordinarily do after the application of blisters, and yet not to a de- 

 gree to create alarm. They, however, commenced discharging 

 from their surfaces about the usual time, but rather prematurely 

 the discharge abated ; and on the fourth day after being fired the 

 animal was seized with oppression in his breathing, manifesting 

 symptoms of fever, loss of spirits and appetite, &c. Feeling 

 alarmed at this attack, his owner called on me to come and con- 

 sult with him on the case. This was about nine o'clock on the 

 morning of the fifth day. I found the patient breathing hard 

 and oppressively, with dilated nostrils, through which the Schnei- 

 derian membrane was seen red, like scarlet ; and it was told me 

 he had ejected, through his nose, a little while before, a frothy 

 coffee-coloured fluid, having a disagreeable odour. The hind 

 limbs were swollen to that degree that the thighs partook of the 

 tumefaction ; but the swelling of the fore limbs had not as yet 

 reached the arms. His pulse was not more than 60. But there 

 was an expression of pain and anxiety in his countenance too 

 significant to be mistaken, and he was restless, though loose in 

 his box, ever and anon looking back at his flanks, or, in dis- 

 tress, thrusting his nose out at the door of his box, seeking the 

 cold air. His legs Avere with all possible haste got into warm 

 baths, and he was bled, and took medicine, &c. The blood, as it 

 flowed, proved treacly in consistence, dark even to blackness, and it 

 quickly congealed; though, after all, the coagulum turned out any 

 thing but a firm one. No relief being obtained through the day 

 by what had been done in the morning, at half-past seven o'clock 

 at night he was bled again. Now, however, a gallon of blood was 

 with great difficulty obtained. After this the mucous membranes 

 became pale, the mouth and lips and extremities cold, the pupils 



