AND THE TURF. 201 



befl of it was, if I am truly informed, a {lable- 

 keeper in Moorfields, was engaged to furnifli 

 Jennings with large half-bred marges, at a hun- 

 dred a piece, in order to breed fubftantial and 

 good fized racers from Chillaby ! 



It is not my purpofe to enter very diffufely 

 into the praftical mi'nutiae of this fubjeft, fuch 

 are more eafily acquired in the ftable, and upon 

 the theatre of aftion ; I wifh rather to confine 

 myfelf to certain topics of confequence, which 

 are not always attended to in praftice. 



The purging fyflem of the running flables is 

 ftill liable to folid objeftions. Grooms alvrays 

 fancy that the body of a horfe abounds with 

 noxious humours, which require fpecific purga- 

 tion. In their ideas, racing and aloetic, or m>er- 

 curial phyfic, are connefted by an indiflbluble 

 chain ; and thefe noftrums are fuppofed to 

 operate by a peculiar innate virtue or charm. 

 All this is of much the fame weight with any 

 other nonfqnfe which prefcription may have 

 fandioned. The exhibition of phyfic in this 

 cafe, bears. no more relation to the expulfion of 

 evil humours from the body of a horfe, than 

 to the extirpation of corns in his feet ; the fole 

 intent is the detrufion of accumulated alvine 

 fceces, in better Englifh, unloading the fluffed 

 bowels, attenuating the blood, and refrigerating 

 or cooling the general habit. Againft the befl 

 ^ioes no general objedion can polhbly lie ; it is 



a cathartic. 



