HUNTERS 



to the armament of the veterinarian, but its 

 indiscriminate employment is deserving of 

 the severest condemnation. A part may be 

 fired either in lines or in points, according to 

 the suitability of its application. In splint, 

 for instance, point-firing is the best, whilst the 

 blemish is insignificant. For sprained or sprung 

 tendons, it is customary to fire in lines, whilst 

 many hunting men have the back tendons of 

 the fore-limbs of their hunters fired merely 

 for the purpose of strengthening or bracing 

 them up. Cross-firing is a severer method, 

 one. line obliquely crossing another. Line- 

 firing ought not to be too close, otherwise 

 sloughing is too severe. It is a common 

 practice to fire a part and then smear it with 

 blistering ointment immediately afterwards, in 

 order to increase the irritation, which is re- 

 garded as a reparative one, set up by the actual 

 cautery on the blister. Some hunters will 

 stand to be fired, others must be thrown with 

 the hobbles, but it is needless to remark that 

 firing is a painful process, and that a hunter 

 must have a very submissive temperament 

 before allowing it to be quietly done. The 



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