40 THE COMPLETE FARRIER. 



THE FARCY, OR FARCIN. 



There have been many opinions respecting this disease. Some 

 authors reckon five kinds ; but although there are so many different 

 branches, yet four of them have the same root. The Water Farcy 

 is different from the others, and therefore I shall put it afterwards by 

 itself. There is a scurvy which horses are subject to, and which is 

 often called a Farcy ; but it is no such thing, for there are only the 

 two kinds of the Farcy, which I here shall treat upon. Horses are 

 often said to have the Farcy when they have not, for sometimes when 

 people do not know the proper name of a disorder, they call it the 

 Farcy. The true Farcy is a disorder of the blood-vessels, and gen- 

 erally follows the course of the veins, and when inveterate, thickens 

 their coats and integuments in such a manner that they become like so 

 many cords. 



Symptoms. — At the beginning of this disorder a few small knobs, 

 or tumors, resembling grapes, are found on the veins, which are so 

 painful to the touch that the creature shows evident marks of uneasi- 

 ness on their being pressed with the finger. They are at first very 

 hard like unripe grapes, but in a very little time they grow soft, and 

 break and discharge a bloody matter, and become very foul and un- 

 toward ulcers. This disease appears in different places in different 

 horses. Some show it first on the head; some on the external jugu- 

 lar vein ; some on the plate vein, extending from thence downward, 

 on the inside of the fore-leg, towards the knee, or upwards towards 

 the brisket. In some it first appears about the pasterns, on the sides 

 of the large veins, and on the insides of the thighs, extending towards 

 the groin ; in. others on the flanks, spreading by degrees towards the 

 lower belly ; and some horses are nearly covered all over the body at 



once 



Cure. — When the Farcy attacks only one part of a horse, and that 

 where the blood-vessels are small, it may be easily cured ; but when 

 the plate vein is affected, and turns corded; and especially when the 

 crural veins, withinside the thigh, are in that condition, the cure is 

 very difficult, and the creature is rarely fit for any thing but the low- 

 est work after it. Therefore those who depend upon some particular 

 medicine, and flatter themselves with being able to cure every species 

 of the Farcy with it, will find themselves wretchedly mistaken ; for 

 different medicines are needful, according as the disease is superficial 

 or inveterate. The former is easily cured, for sometimes moderate 

 exercise is sufficient; but the latter requires knowledge and experi- 

 ence ; and sometimes baffles the most skillful, and defies the whole 

 power of medicine. 



From the above description of this disease it appears that it is of the 

 inflammatory kind, and that the blood-vessels are affected. Copious 

 bleedings are therefore absolutely necessary, especially if the horse 

 be fat and full of blood. This evacuation always checks the progress 

 of the Farcy in its beginning, but its good" effects soon vanish, 

 especially if the horse be low in flesh. After bleedinq- mix the fol 



lowing- 



