CUOPPINO.] 



MODEEN VETERINARY PRACTICE. 



[bleeding. 



additional weight, elevate the tail a little from 

 tue horizontal lino, advancinp: every two or three 

 days, until it has attained the lieight desired ; 

 but never go to the perpondicuUir or erect 

 position. Tho elevation, however, ought to 

 depend on tho height the tail is wished to 

 bo carried in future. The carriage of the 

 tail sliould therefore be examined every two or 

 three days; keeping in mind, that after the 

 pulleys are no longer used it frequently droops 

 a little. 



AVith regard to giving the horse exercise 

 during the time t]ie tail is in pulleys, we 

 should say it is decidedly wrong, and would 

 cause the animal great and excruciating pain 

 on being placed in them again. It would be 

 very like tearing open an old wound. But 

 there is a means of keeping him in health 

 without exercise, by giving him an ounce of 

 nitre in his water, two or three times a week, 

 and an alterative powder (see Medicines) every 

 day in his feed, which should be half bran 

 and half oats, made moderately wet, so that 

 the powders may easily adhere to it; not 

 sloppy, that the medicine can run off. 



Some attention will be requisite with regard 

 to the tail, to prevent the hair coming off; 

 but this will happen in some measure, no 

 matter how great muy be the caution used. 

 At the end of about seven or eight days 

 the tail should be taken out of the pulleys, 

 and unplaited ; then it should be carefully 

 combed out, and a little hog's lard applied to 

 the roots of the hair; when make fast again. 

 This should be done every five or six days ; 

 and it is the only and best means to keep the 

 hair on, though some cannot be prevented 

 from falling off. 



The only things now to be mentioned, are 

 the casualties attending the operation of nick- 

 ing, the principal of which is inflammation. 

 This may run so high, as to produce mortifi- 

 cation, lock-jaw, &c. ; but as we have before 

 treated of these specifically, there is no neces- 

 sity for here repeating what has already been 

 said, which will be found under their re- 

 spective headings. 



CROPPING. 



Custom has nearly abolished the practice of 

 cropping. Circumstances, however, may occur 

 to render it necessary; such as one ear 



becoming blemished ; therefore, at tho makers 

 of surgical instruments, we can always obtain a 

 sort of curved clams, called cropping irons. 

 Into these one of tho ears is intruducc-d, and 

 the upper part is cut off at one stroke, with a 

 knife of sufiicient length. The portion cut off 

 will serve as a guide for forming tho other 

 crop. In this operation a young i)ructitioner 

 is apt to be alarmed at tho retraction of tlio 

 skin from the cartilages ; but the exposed 

 edges disappear in a few days. Horses often 

 continue for a long time very shy about tlie 

 head after cropping ; consequently, both bridle 

 and halter should be used without a forepart or 

 fronting, till the ears are quite well. Tho 

 bridle should also be made to unbuckle on 

 one side from the bit, so that the head-stall 

 may be dropped on, without the hand being 

 raised to pass over the ears. This will naturally 

 operate in dissipating the customary shyness 

 which otherwise so long remains, and which is 

 never wholly lost, if force and cruelty be 

 afterwards used. Gentle means will be always 

 found to be best. 



BLEEDING. 



Bleeding is practised in several ways. Blood 

 is sometimes taken from the arteries. If the 

 trunk be considerable, it may be punctured, 

 but must afterwards have a ligature passed 

 around it. If it be less considerable, it will 

 be sufficient to divide the trunk of the vessel, 

 which having emptied all its ramifications, 

 recedes by its muscularity within the integu- 

 ment, and the bleeding stops. The temporal 

 artery is occasionally opened on both sides. 

 These arteries may readily be detected at three 

 or four inches below the root of the ear, iu a 

 line with the nostrils. The angular artery is 

 sometimes opened for inflammation of the 

 eyes. 



Bleeding at the toe also abstracts blood from 

 both veins and arteries. In drawing blood 

 from the foot, it should not be done iu the 

 ordinary way of paring down the marginal 

 line, with part of the sole, but the sole only, as 

 close to the marginal line as may be; then a 

 fine drawing-knife, or strong lancet should bo 

 taken, and the veins running round the margin 

 of the foot punctured, when, from the great 

 vascularity of the foot, the blood will flow 

 copiously. 



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