14 THE COMPLETE FARRIER 



Work them up with honey, or Barbadoes tar, into one ball ; roll it in 

 liquorice powder, and give it fasting, and to fast two hours after. 

 This ball must be given every morning, for six or seven times, before 

 it can have a fair trial ; but if the horse be not a good one it will be 

 thought too expensive. In the cure of this disease, the diet should be 

 very moderate, the usual quantity of hay should be abridged, and 

 sprinkled with water, and the usual allowance of corn and water divi- 

 ded into several portions ; for with these regulations in diet the disease 

 will soon be cured ; and where it is incurable, the horse will be so far 

 recovered as to be able to do a great deal of work. 



It may not be improper here to add that some young horses are sub- 

 ject to coughs when cutting their teeth, and their eves are also affected 

 from the same cause. In these cases always bleed, and if the cough 

 be obstinate, repeat it : and give warm mashes, which are often suffi- 

 cient alone to remove the complaint. 



When young horses have a cough that is caused by worms, as is 

 often the case, such medicines must be given as are proper to de- 

 stroy those vermin, of which I shall inform you in the chapter on 

 worms. 



THE CHOLIC, OR GRIPES. 



This disorder is little understood by common Farriers, and has for 

 a long time been a secret to many, so that many a horse has been lost 

 in it that might have been saved. The same medicines have gener 

 ally been given to horses in the Cholic as in the dry gripes, when 

 there is much difference in the disorders. 



The Cholic proceeds from various causes, therefore the method of 

 cure varies ; for otherwise the medicines intended to cure it may in- 

 crease it, and perhaps render it fatal. We shall therefore divide this 

 disorder into three different species, and endeavor to give such plain 

 directions for managing each, as cannot fail to prove very beneficial. 

 The three species are these : 



1. The Flatulent or Windy Cholic. 



2. The Bilious or Inflammatory Cholic. 



3. The Dry Gripes^ 



THE FLATULENT OR WINDY CHOLIC. 



Symptoms. — The horse is very restless, lying down and starting up 

 again. He strikes his belly with his hind feet, stamps with his fore- 

 feet, and refuses his meat. When the pain is violent, he has convul- 

 sive twitches ; his eyes are turned up, and his limbs stretched out, cs 

 if dying ; and his ears and feet alternately cold ; he falls into profuse 

 sweats, and then into cold damps ; often tries to stale, and turns his 

 head frequently to his flanks ; he then falls down, rolls about, and 

 often turns on his back. This last symptom proceeds from a stoppage 

 of urine, which generally attends this species of cholic, and may be 

 increased by a load of dung pressing on the neck of the bladder. 



Causes. — This disease often proceeds from catching cold by drink- 

 ing cold water when hot, and the perspirable matter is by that means 

 thrown upon the bowels, which causes them to distend violently, and 



