342 ON RHEUMATISM. 



ciently often in lax habits. As to the curative 

 intentions, every one will be aware of the 

 neceflary difcrimination ; bold meafures may 

 fucceed with the former ; with the conftitutions 

 of the latter clafs the practitioner will not al- 

 low himfelf to make fo free. 



The grand difiBculty lies in afcertaining the 

 difeafe, which is fometimes vaorous in different 

 parts of the body ; the (houlders are often 

 affected ; but that confirmed fpecies particular- 

 ly defigned here, is ufually feated in and about 

 the hip-joint and membranes adjacent. The 

 horfe goes lame, from no vifible caufe, but 

 from a long continuance of the difeafe a waft- 

 ing of the parts may enfue. The fight and 

 touch muft determine the cafe, diftinguifliing it 

 from lamenels in the foot, the tendon, the 

 hock or ftifle, or from the pains occafioned by 

 initient fpavins, or curbs. Could certainty be 

 produced, no method would be attended with 

 fo probable a chance of a radical cure, as the 

 aftual cautery ; holes being bored with a fmall 

 iron, very deep into the mufcular parts near 

 the nervus fciaticus, and the iffues clofe cover- 

 ed, or bliftered, left to difcharge a confiderable 

 time. Bracken, who was equally a bold and 

 judicious praftitioner, recommends this to hu- 

 man patients, and records the cure of an inve- 

 terate fciatica by this method, upon a jolly 

 hoflefs of Yorkfhire, 



The 



