OR CONTRACTED SINEWS. 583 



to ail appearance found ; but the firft ride has 

 CQnvinced me of the inutihty of thofe prema- 

 ture meafures, by the return of the horfe as 

 lame, and his fanews as loofe as at firft. In 

 moft cafes, our medicines by no means want 

 efficacy, but we ourfelves want patience ; not 

 flopping to confider the abfolute neceffity of 

 the heahng and confolidating bah'am of time. 

 If reflrin gents are too violent, even when the 

 parts are cool, they contra6t the fibres too fud^ 

 denly, whence neceflarily enfues a re-a6lion, 

 with increafed debility ; the fluids alfo are ' 

 puflied forward too faft for the capacity of the 

 abforbents, which produces inflammation, ten- 

 fion, and increafe of the difeafe ; how danger- 

 ous then muft be the effeft of powerful bra- 

 cers upon nervous and tendinous parts, yet in a 

 flate of inflammation from recent injury ? And 

 yet fuch application is a common praftice. 



I muft acknowle^lge that I am by no means 

 prepared to give' a decided opinion on the 

 fubjetl of firing, or the application of the 

 aftual cautery in ftrains; the truth is, I have 

 had few horfes fired, and with thofe few it did 

 not fucceed. Its ufe is faid to be, to difcufs 

 fwellings by promoting abforption ; and in 

 contracting the fliin to form a conftant ban- 

 dage around the finews, both during the cure,, 

 and ever afterwards. What ftrikes me as the 

 moft important benefit in the meafure is, the 



fupport 



