234 <^N VETERINARY MEDICINE 



this time, in too many quarters. Prejudice, I 

 know, on more important fubjeQs, has often 

 been trumpeted forth, as not only harmlefs, but 

 beneficial amongft men ; which indeed would 

 be juft, were there any general utility in the 

 continuance of ancient abufes. It is the grand 

 bufinefs of philofophy to provide a counter- 

 blafl for thefe interefted or ignorant trumpeters. 

 It has already been afked of the advocates for our 

 ihoeing and fow-gelding do6lors, how they came 

 to fuppofe, that lefs medical knowledge would 

 fuffice to prefcribe for the brute, than for the 

 human animal, who can orally depi6l his feel- 

 ings, and verbally affift the phyfician in forming 

 a corre6l judgment of his difeafe. They feeni 

 to a6l upon the (Irange fuppofition, that it is 

 much eafier for an illiterate man to penetrate 

 at once, as it were b) intuition, into the arcana 

 of thefciences, than for a learned, or well-in- 

 formed, to render himfelf flvilful in the nature 

 and management of horfes. Can a man be the 

 worfe farrier for having learned the neceffity of 

 making conftant obfervations of his own, inftead* 

 of a6ling by rote, and being guided by a few 

 arbitrary receipts ; for knowing the nature of 

 the medicines he prefcribes, the anatomy and 

 animal funftions of the horfe, and for the 

 making all fuch knowledge his peculiar ftudy ? 

 Now that witches, and ghofts of all Hnds, are 

 flitting apace off the fcene, it is full time for 



men 



