52 

 the kidneys, &c. Blood may be drawn from any 

 part of the body, but in common cafes it is ufually 

 drawn from the great neck veins that run up, one 

 on each fide in the hollow, between the windpipe 

 and the flefh of the neck. Bleeding is not a difficult 

 <-)peration when once learned, and is commonly prac- 

 tifed by a fleam, which, being held juft on the vein, 

 is ftruck with a ftick fufficiently forcible to penetrate 

 the vein, but not to pafs through it. The moft pro- 

 per part to be opened is about a hand's breadth from 

 the jaw. If a ligature round the neck is ufed to 

 raife the vein, it fhould not be tied too tight ; but it 

 may, in moll inftances, be avoided by preffing one of 

 the fingers, of the hand holding the fleam, on the 

 vein, which will then rife. It is prudent to cover 

 the eye of the fide the blood is to be drawn from, as 

 the flourifli of the blood ftick may make the horfe 

 Hart, and thus a wrong part be ftruck, or the opera- 

 tion fruftrated. The pin ftiould never be fuftered to 

 remain more than twenty-four hours, or the wound 

 often fefi;ers. 



The quantity of blood drawn mufi; be regulated by 

 the age, fize, and ftrength of the horfe, together with 

 the nature of the difeafe. In violent inflammations 

 of important organs, as the lungs, bowels, &c., too 

 little is ufually taken away : in thefe cafes, five, fix, 

 or even feven, quarts is not too much. A horfe has 

 loft forty pounds without fainting, and has recovered. 



