THE COMPLETE FARRIER. 47 



Sometimes it swells very much, and is taken for a sprain. Some- 

 times horses get kicked by others, or meet with some other accident 

 winch causes a swelled knee, which is sometimes bad to remove. A 

 poultice made as follows will have a great tendency to remove the 

 swelling. Take 



4 oz. of Tar. 



4 do. Spirits of Wine. 



3 do. Hogs' Lard. 



Melt these top-ether over a slow fire, and be careful not to set fire 

 to them, and put in as much linseed-meal as will make them of a 

 proper consistence. This is a very good poultice for many other 

 kinds of swellings, and although but little known hitherto, I hope 

 that it will be found of great service. If any substance be left which 

 will not give way to this method, you must lay on a little blithering 

 ointment. 



LAMENESS IN THE STIFLE. 



The Stifle is the tenderest part of a horse, except the eye. How 

 many horses have lost their lives by misfortunes in this part, and how 

 many have been left lame by not being properly cured ! A horse 

 that is lame in the stifle generally treads on his toe, and cannot set 

 his heel to the ground without great pain and difficulty. When you 

 find this is the case, bathe the part well with warm vinegar; and if a 

 puny swelling appear, foment it well with a woollen cloth wrung out 

 of hot vinegar, wormwood and rosemary, having added half a pint of 

 spirits of wine to a quart of the decoction. Let this operation be 

 continued till the swelling is nearly gone. 



When a horse has got a stroke and cut by the heel of his shoe, 

 great care must be taken to keep out the cold air, and to keep him 

 from drinking cold water, especially in winter time; for if the horse 

 take cold, and an inflammation come on, there is reason to fear that 

 death will follow. When you perceive that a horse has got a stroke, 

 and is cut through the skin, bathe it well with the following mixture : 



2 oz. of Spirits of Wine. 



1 do. Spirits of Sal Ammoniac. 



1 do. Oil of Amber. 



Shake all well together, bathe the place well with it, and lay on a 



diachylon plaster with gum, in order to keep out the cold. If the 



horse grow very lame, and the place swell much, foment with the 



following : 



Take Wormwood, Elder Leaves, Camomile Flowers, Juniper Berries, and Marsh- 

 mallow Leaves, of each a handful, and boil them in two gallons of Chamber-lie. 



If the above cannot all be got, take double the quantity of juniper 

 berries and camomile flowers, and foment for some time as before 

 directed ; and when you leave off" fomenting, rub with the above 

 mixture. Be careful to wrap the part up warm, and as soon as it 

 comes to matter, dress it with basilicon ointment. If any brown lee 

 appear, syringe tincture of Benjamin, or balm drops, into the wound. 

 When a callous substance, or proud flesh appears, eat it off with red 

 precipitate. These are the best ways of curing a horse that has got 

 lamed in the stifle. 



