INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. $$ 



ftronsjeft horfes, with the cathartic aids before 

 mentioned. He alfo molt courageoufly re- 

 commends half an ounce of calomel, or fub- 

 limed mercury in a fingle ball ; and fpeaks of 

 the internal adminiftration of the moft power- 

 ful poifons, corrofive fublimate or red preci- 

 pitate, as a matter of courfe : the proportion 

 for a dofe being curioufly afcertained by the 

 fublime menfuration of a filver two pence; as 

 if a premium had been abfolutely provided by 

 an act. of Parliament, for the general extirpa- 

 tion of the breed of Horfes," &c. &c. 



My purpofe in making the above quotation 

 is, to exhibit a flagrant in fiance, wherein Mr. 

 Taplin has moft grofsly deceived himfelf, or 

 attempted to deceive his readers. To avoid 

 all temptation to harfhnefs of language, I fhall 

 fimply ftate the matter of fact. \ leaving the 

 decifion and confequent obfervations to the 

 juitice and candor, or refentment of the dif- 

 cernin? reader. 



In the firft place, it has been already ob- 

 ferved, that after the publication of Dr. Brack- 

 en's books, Gibfon had the difcretion to correct 

 thofe errors in his latter editions, which Brack- 

 en had pointed out in his firft. Thefe will be 

 found by a collation of his firft edition of 

 farriery, in one vol. and his edition of 1750, 

 in two vols, with Bracken's Farriery. 1 he 

 chief of thefe corrections are as follows — a 



e 3 ftrong 



