THE HUNTER AT HOME. 155 



the masters^ memory by the appearance of a bony en- 

 largement on the place that was injured, like a splint, but 

 situated on the place where the injury occurred. This is 

 better let alone, as it will not lame the horse, and often 

 wastes away of its own accord. By interfering with it 

 inflammation may be produced, and the horse laid up for 

 longer than his master likes. If the bump be very 

 unsightly, I should wait till the end of the season before 

 meddling with it, and then apply the mildest of remedies. 

 As good a thing as any in such a case is a green cabbage 

 leaf, put on under a bandage. It makes a sort of mild 

 blister at last, and does not make the leg so sore as iodine 

 or any blister of that kind. Still I should prefer leaving 

 such things alone, for nature sometimes removes them, 

 and if she does not, a blemish on a hunter^s leg is of no 

 great consequence, so long as the action of the limb is 

 not damaged. A blow on the sinew is a much more 

 serious thing. In a case of this kind the leg is hot and 

 filled; and it requires some experience to determine 

 whether a blow or a sprain has caused the mischief. But 

 if ingenuous youth is not certain on this point, he may 

 console himself by the reflection that the treatment of 

 both is about the same, so he cannot go very far wrong. 

 Fomentations with hot water, are the first requisite, and a 

 hot bandage at night. By this I mean a flannel bandage 

 wrung out of hot water and put on the leg, with a 

 dry flannel bandage above it. If the horse is very lame, 

 a mild dose of physic is to be recommended, and the hot 

 bandage and fomentation should go on until the inflam- 

 mation has subsided. At this stage blistering used to be 

 recommended ; but I would rather use cold applications, 

 the heat having gone from the limb, and Mr. Clark^s 

 lotion with the unpronounceable name is the best thing I 



