OrERATIONS. 345 



When bleeding is cm])loyed as a preventive, or in any sliolit 

 complaints, from two to three quarts of blood may be taken awav, 

 accordino; to the horse's strength and condition; but in cases of 

 internal inflammation or fever, a more copious evacuation is 

 necessary. 



The quantity of blood generally drawn in inflammatory dis- 

 orders is too small. It should always be carried so far as to 

 weaken the pulse. Two gallons may sometimes be necessary 

 to produce this effect ; and in mad staggers, I have seen four 

 gallons taken oif in the course of an hour with the best effect. 



When horses are taken from camp or grass, and put into 

 warm stables, they are very subject to inflammatory complaints 

 and dangerous fevers; under tliese circumstances, modei'ate 

 bleeding now and then will prevent such diseases. Horses that 

 ai'c getting into condition, as it is termed, are liable to similar 

 disorders, unless moderate bleeding be occasionally employed. 

 I am inclined to believe, however, that it is a bad practice to 

 bleed often upon trifling occasions; it is liable to induce ple- 

 thora or fulness of habit, whereby a horse is rendered more sus- 

 ceptible of disease than he would otherwise be.* Moderate 

 purging and regular exercise, with a proper regulation of diet 

 and temperatui'e, are fully adequate to the prevention of disease 

 on those occasions ; but these are too often neglected. 



It has been asserted, that it is seldom necessary to pin up the 

 orifice, which is made in the skin by bleeding. I grant there is 

 not often any danger to be apprehended from its bleeding ao-ain ; 

 but unless it be pinned up, that is, unless the lips of the wound 

 be brought into contact, and kept in that situation, by passino- a 

 pin through the edges of the skin, and twisting a little tow round 

 it, as is generally done, inflammation and swelling will sometimes 

 take place in the wound, and matter will form in consequence. 



[In pinning up, the edges of the skin should be brought inti- 

 mately together, and care should be taken that no hair insinuates 

 between them. The skin should be drawn from the vein as little 

 as possible, and the pin should not be too large. For want of 

 attending to these precautions, those disfigurements are produced 

 which we often perceive in the necks of horses that have been 

 bled. 



Sometimes, after bleeding, the part swells considerably from 

 blood es'^aping from the vein, and diffusing itself under the skin. 

 The best application, in these cases, is cold water, which should 



* Mr. Taplin's story is a very instructive one. lie tells ns, a coachman 

 requested his master to let him have the horse bled and physicked, because 

 they had been upon high feed, and had had but little work : he was permitted 

 to have it done provided he would sidimit to the same operations himself, as 

 there was exactly the same reason for it ; but told to avoid the expense for 

 the future, by using less food or more exercise. 



