344 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



A graduated tin vessel, capable of containing six or seven 

 quarts, is very convenient for the purpose of receiving the blood, 

 every pint being marked on the inside of the vessel, so that the 

 quantity of blood drawn may be exactly known. The blood 

 sliould always be preserved, that we may judge from its appear- 

 ance of the nature of the disease, and whether it is proper or not 

 to repeat the operation. When it continues fluid a considerable 

 time, it denotes an inflammatory state of the system. Should a 

 whitish or light buff'-coloured jelly appear on its surface, after it 

 has coagulated or settled, and should this jelly be of consider- 

 able thickness, rather firm, and not easily penetrated by the 

 finger, we may be satisfied that the horse's complaint is inflam- 

 matory, that bleeding was a proper remedy, and that if the symp- 

 toms continue, the operation may be re])eated with advantage ; 

 but if the blood coagulates quickly, is uniformly of a dark liver 

 colour, loose and easily broken, with a considerable quantity of 

 water upon its surface, it denotes debility, and shows that the 

 disease arises from a weakness of the system ; that, instead of 

 hleedim/, tonic and cordial medicines are to be employed, with 

 every thing that may tend to restore the animal's strength. 



In order to judge correctly by the af)pearance of the blood, it 

 should be drawn from a large orifice, and not suffered to run 

 down the sides of the vessel which receives it, and should be 

 put aside for examination, and not shaken or disturbed in any 

 Avay until it has perfectly coagulated.* 



in great measure, stopped the supply, we may employ topical bleeding with 

 advantage. It is for want of attending to this that local bleeding has, in 

 some instances, been held in disrepute. In those situations where a large 

 quantity of blood can be abstracted locally, general bleeding is, of course, 

 most required. To relieve local intlammation we should, if possible, either 

 bleed from the gorged vessels themselves, or from a vein proceeding from 

 them, or from an artery going to the inflamed part. Farriers will bleed in 

 the thifjli veins for an inflammation of the kidneys, which is ridiculous and 

 absurd as a topical remedy. For inflammation of the brain great benefit 

 has been obtained from opening the temporal arteries. Now these vessels do 

 not supply the brain it is true, but by opening them an artificial drain is 

 made, through which much of the blood escajies tliat woiild otherwise have 

 gone to the brain, besides which a large quantity of blood is abstracted in a 

 short time, when, perhaps, it would have been difficult to have bled from the 

 neck at all, owing to the violence of the animal. Tiie benefit of the topical 

 bleeding is duly appreciated in human surgery, where, by means of cupping 

 and leeches, it is A-ery frequently practised. By such means enteritis and 

 pleurisy have been quickly alleviated in numerous instances. I have known 

 a person suffering most acutely from the former disease relieved from acute 

 pain in a few minutes, by cupping as near the scat of pain as possible. "We 

 cannot very conveniently employ cupping in the horse, but may often obtain 

 much benefit from scarifying with a lancet — dry cui)])ing as it is termed. — Ed. 

 * We must be cautious in not placing too much reliance on the appearance 

 of the blood. Connected with otlicr symptoms it will prove very serviceable, 

 but taken alone it is likely to deceive. — Ed. 



