BLEEDINQ. 34 X 



BLEEDING. 



Blood-letting in former times was regarded as tlie sheet- 

 anchor in veterinary practice ; but that day has past. The 

 practice of bleeding horses upon all occasions cannot be too 

 strongly condemned; the cases where blood-letting proves 

 beneficial being comparatively few. Before using the lancet 

 the pulse must be examined, the condition of the animal con- 

 sidered, and the effects upon that pulse must decide the quan- 

 tity of blood to be taken. The pulse will be found following 

 the front margin of the masseter muscle, which muscle forms 

 the fleshy parts of the head upon each side, called the cheeks. 

 By following the front part of this 

 muscle downward with the thumb, until 

 near the base of the lower 

 jaw, and then passing the 

 forefingers under, or ----^'' 

 inside of the jaw, the 



felt ; or, to point its i-ady scffolk. 



location out with more certainty, if an imaginary line is drawn 

 perpendicularly from the front part of the ear downward, it 

 will cross the point where the pnlse is located and felt. 



In a healthy condition the pulse beats from thirty-six to 

 forty times a minute ; variation above or below this standard 

 indicates a morbid condition of the system. This fact should 

 be born in mind in the description of any disease. When 

 bleeding is necessary, the neck never should be corded, as 

 much injury has at times been caused by this practice. All 

 that is requisite is to raise the jugular vein by pressing upon 



