36 NEWMARKET EARLY IN THE CENTURY. 



should pull out the plugs at the bottom of the 

 troughs, and let the water run off; after which 

 I should fill the troughs again with fresh water 

 brought from the well." " Oh," exclaimed Mr 

 Prince, " that will take too long ; there is no 

 danger ; so let the horses drink their fill, and I 

 will be responsible for all risks." When the 

 horses were brought to the troughs, their natural 

 powers of scent led them at once to suspect that 

 all was not right. Some of them began to snort, 

 and refused to touch the water at any price ; but 

 others drank a little, and were hardly able to get 

 home, in consequence of the violent griping which 

 immediately overtook them. On the return of 

 these latter to the stable, my father, who was 

 a capital "vet," although all his knowledge had 

 been acquired by rule of thumb, administered a 

 strong dose of castor-oil to Coelebs and Reveller, 

 two horses belonging to Sir Sitwell Sitwell. 

 Spaniard, Pirouette, and The Dandy, which be- 

 longed to Sir Frank Standish, were usually at- 

 tended, like all his other horses, by a Dr Bowles, 

 of Cambridge, who was a certified physician for 

 human beings, and also very clever in treating 

 quadrupeds. At that time the veterinary art 

 was at a very low ebb, as any one may see if 

 he cares to exhume such books as ' Taplin's 

 Stable Directory ' and ' Lawrence On the Horse/ 

 In this instance the delay which necessarily 

 elapsed before Dr Bowles arrived from Cam- 



