Book VII. VETERINARY OPERATIONS. 9f-'9 



out, or have bent legs. Others cut only when they are lean, which brings their legs nearer together. 

 Weak horses cut because they cross their legs when fatigued, and young unfurnished horses cut at 

 youthful periods, and grow out of it afterwards. The part in which a foot interferes with the opposed 

 limb is very different. When it strikes the shank high up it is called speedy cut, and is best remedied bv 

 wearing knee-boots or rollers. When it is at the fetlock the cutting is at the side, or rather backward, 

 according to circumstances. Some horses cut by the edge of the shoe, others by the hoof at the quarters - 

 and some by the point of the heels. It is to be remarked, that it is better to put up with the evil of 

 cutting, than to do as is too frequently done, which is, to pare away the hoof until it excites contraction. 

 The shoe may be feather edged, or it may be set a little within the cutting quarter } but by no means 

 alter the size or the form of the hoofs themselves, and particularly avoid taking liberties of this kind 

 with the fore feet. Boots, or rollers, are but little trouble to put on, and when not buckled too tight 

 never injure : whereas, to allow a horse to continue to cut produces a callus, and often throws the 

 animal down. 



Sect. VI. Veterinary Operations. 



6530. The general practices to be here enumerated are chiefly the treatment of wounds, the application 

 of fomentations, setons, blisters, clysters, and physicking ; and the operations of castrating, nicking, 

 bleeding, &c, 



Subsect. 1. Treatment of Wounds. 



6531. A wound must be treated, in some measure, according to the part of the horse's body in which 

 it happens ; but there are some principles to be observed alike in all horse surgery. There are like- 

 wise a few, which, as they differ from the principles of human surgery, should be first noticed, and 

 which should guide the practice of those who might be misled by analogy. The wounds of horses, 

 however carefully brought together and confined in their situation, as well as shut out from the sti- 

 mulus of the external air, are seldom disposed to unite at once, or, as it is called in surgical language, 

 by the first intention. It is always, therefore, necessary to expect the suppurative process: but as the 

 adhesive inflammation does now and then occur, we should never wash a mere laceration with water or 

 other liquids, if no foreign matter, as dirt, Sec, be suspected to be lodged within it, still less should we 

 stuff it with candle tow, or tents of any kind. On the contrary, it should be carefully and smoothlv 

 brought together, and simply bound up in its own blood ; and if it do not wholly unite at once, and by 

 the first intention, perhaps some portion of it may ; and, at all events, its future progress will be more 

 natural, and the disfiguration less than when stuffed with tents, tow, &c, or irritated with heating oils or 

 spirits When an extensively lacerated wound takes place, it is common, and it is often necessary to insert 

 sutures, or stitches, into the lips of the wound : and here we have to notice another considerable variation 

 from the principles of human inflammation, which is, that these stitches in the horse, ox, and dog, soon 

 ulcerate out, seldom remaining longer than the third or fourth day at farthest. It therefore is the more 

 necessary to be careful, that by perfect rest, and the appropriation of good bandages, we seenre the wound 

 from distortion. In this we may be assisted by strips of sticking plaster, made with diachylon and pitch ; 

 but these strips should be guarded from touching the wound itself by means of lint or tow first put over 

 it When, in addition to laceration in a wound, there is a destruction of substance, then the caution of 

 washing will not apply, as it will be necessary to bathe with some warming spirit, as tincture of myrrh, 

 tincture of aloes, or friar's balsam, to assist in restoring the life of the part, and in preventing mortifi- 

 cation. Bleeding must be stopped by pressure and astringents, as powdered alum : when it is very con- 

 siderable, the vessel from whence the blood comes must be taken up. When great inflammation follows 

 wounds or bruises, counteract it by bleeding, a cooling temperature, opening medicines, and continual 

 fomentations to the part itself. 



Subsect. 2. Balls and Drinks. 



6532. Mode of giving a ball. Back the horse in his stall, and being elevated on a stool (not a bucket 

 turned upside down), gently draw the tongue a little out of the mouth, so as to prevent its rising to 

 resist the passage of the hand ; the tongue should however not be laid hold of alone, but it should be 

 held firmlv by the fingers of the left hand against the jaw. The ball previously oiled, being taken into 

 the right hand, which should be squeezed into as narrow a shape as possible, must be passed up close 

 to the roof of the mouth, and the ball placed on the root of the tongue, when both hands being with- 

 drawn, it will readily pass down. This mode is much preferable, when a person is at all handy, to 

 using a balling iron. ' At Long's, veterinary surgeon's instrument maker, is sold a clever machine for 

 this purpose. 



6533. Mode of giving a drink. Exactly the same process is pursued, except that a horn holding the 

 liquid matter is forced up the mouth ; the passage being raised beyond the level line, the liquid is poured 

 out from the larger end of the horn, and when the tongue is loosened it is swallowed. Clark, however, 

 ingeniously proposes to substitute the smaller end of the horn, the larger being closed, by which, he says, 

 the horn can be forced up the mouth between the teeth, and poured farther back so as to ensure its not 

 returning. 



Subsect. 3. Fomentations and Poultices. 



65.34. Fomentations are very commonly recommended of various herbs, as rue, chamomile, St. John's 

 wort, wormwood, bay leaves, Arc. ; but the principal virtue is to be found in warmth and moisture, which 

 unload the vessels : but this warmth ought not to be too considerable, except w hen the inflammation is 

 within, as in inflamed bowels. Here we foment to stimulate the skin, and cannot foment too hot : but 

 when we do it at once to an inflamed part, it ought not to be more than of blood heat ; and it should be 

 continued long, and when removed the part should be dried or covered, or cold may be taken, and the 

 inflammation increased instead of diminished. Anodyne fomentations are made of poppy heads, and of 

 tobacco, and are frequently of great use. 



The method of applying fomentations is conveniently done by means of two large woollen cloths 

 wrung out of the heated liquors ; as one is cooling the other should be ready to be applied. 



6536. Poultices act in the same way as fomentations in allaying irritation and inflammation ; but are in 

 some respects more convenient, because they act continually. It is an error to suppose that poultices, 

 to be beneficial, should be very hot : however hot they may be applied, they soon become of the tem- 

 perature of the surrounding parts. When poultices are applied to the extremities, a stocking, a? has 

 been before stated, is a convenient method of application. When it is drawn over the leg and bound 

 around the lower part of the hoof, or of the pastern, or otherwise, the matter of the poultice may be put 

 within, and it may be then kept in its situation, if high up on the extremity, by means of tape fastened 

 to one part of it, and passed over the withers or back to the other side, and again fastened to the stocking. 

 In this way, also, loose bandages may be retained from slipping down. Cold poultices are often useful in 

 the inflammations arising from strains, &c. In these cases bran and goulard water form a convenient me- 

 dium ; but when the poultice is necessarily hot, a little linseed meal added to the bran will render it adhe- 

 sive, and give it consistence. It is a very necessary caution in this, as in every instance where bandages 

 are wanted around the extremities, to have them broad, and only so tight as to secure the matters con- 

 tained, as in a poultice, or as in common bandaging. 



