ADVANTAGES OF THE THOKOUGH B KED. 287 



cannot be thoroughly got rid of by their use, and after 

 patient grooming the removal will only be partial. The 

 constant grooming produces soreness of the extremely 

 sensitive vessels or bulbs at the root of the hair, and we 

 irritate the horse without obtaining a suitable recompense. 

 "Washing with soap and water is also ineffectual, and is 

 inadmissible, as the horse's coat will soon show that injury 

 has been done, if the ablutions are continued. The per- 

 spiration lifts up the scales, and carries them to the surface 

 of the hair, which is proven by sweating a horse and 

 allowing him to dry, when he will appear as if powdered 

 with flour. The sweating then makes the skin actually 

 thinner and more supple, and of course the air will have 

 a greater effect on the blood-vessels that lie immediately 

 under the surface. 



PUPIL. I have become fearful of stating advantages 

 which I believe thorough blood of all others gives to the 

 trotter; but I hope you will pardon me for again calling 

 your attention to it in connection with this question, the 

 decarbonizing of the blood through the pores of the skin. 

 You see a thoroughbred horse after rapid exertion, and 

 there is apparent a perfect network of veins traceable 

 though in intricate confusion over the whole of the body. 

 There are not only many more in sight, but they are larger 

 than those of the cold-blooded one. It would be proper 

 to infer that if those you see are larger, it will also be the 

 case with those that are hidden, and if we deduce from 

 this data that the blood is more perfectly decarbonized, 

 our reasoning will be correct. Now, if the blood has lost 

 this detrimental equivalent through the pores of the cuti- 

 cular covering, there is less labor for the lungs to perform 

 in equal circumstances. 



PRECEPTOR. In your ardor for the thoroughbred, you 

 lose sight of all I have said. No one of any sense will 

 argue against the form and characteristics of the blood 



