594 ^^N LAMENESS. 



- vertence in him indeed, to fuppofe 'that thofe 

 whofe practice it has been to reduce the frog,, 

 have fo done with a view to its prel'ervation, as 

 a cufliion to the tendon : in truth, praftitioners 

 of that ftamp have never fatigued their fage 

 brains with any ufelefs fpeculations on the 

 matter ; but viewing the frog as one of nature's 

 h'^ftard and frohcfome produftions, a mere 



^ ' horny excrefcence, have ever taken efpecial care 

 to extirpate, as faft as (he could produce it ; and 

 that centuries before the theory of the frog's ufe 

 was generally known. ,It is laughable enough 

 to read Blaine's lons[-winded account of this 

 man's fhoes, and that man's flioes. He wouid, 

 with equal ufe, have given us a lift of thofe 

 great difcoverers, who have made alterations in 

 the cock of the hat for the laft twelve years ; 

 compared with whom, the invent'or of the hat 

 itfelf was, fans doute, a man of ftraw. 



In all invifible or uncertain lameneffcs, it 

 ought to be an inviolable rule to attempt no 

 random methods of cure, but to turn the horfe 

 to grafs, a fufficient length of time, during 

 which, he will probably either obtain a cure, or 

 difcover the feat of his malady. The man who 

 fhould fuffer his farrier to operate under fuch 

 circumftances, I would advife to apply to the 

 conjurer in Hatton Garden, whenever he fhall 

 be fo unfortunate as to lofe a filver fpoon. ^ 

 To repeat what I faid in the Firft Volume, 



the 



