58 THE HOKSE AND ITS DISEASES. 



A Common Softening Poultice. 

 Bran, any quantity, pour boiling water to form a thin 

 paste, add linseed meal, sufficient to make it adhesive ; 

 after this, stir in one or two ounces of sweet oil, 



A Cooling Poultice, 



Bran : , . . . , any quantity. 



CaiTots , ditto. 



Sugar of lead water to form a poultice, which as it 

 dries moisten with more sugar of lead water. 



Cleansing Poultice for Grease 

 or icherous discharge from other diseased surfaces, or for 

 gangrenous wounds. 



Oatmeal .,..., , half-pint. 



Linseed Meal ditto 



Powdered Charcoal four ounces. 



Stale beer gi'ounds, sufficient to make a poultice. 



Bleeding, 



This operation is frequently necessary in the diseases 

 of horses, and is performed either with a lancet or fleam 

 in the neok vein. The blood should always be preserved, 

 that the quantity drawn may be accurately known, and 

 its quality ascertained. The princij^al object in di'awing 

 blood is to lessen its quantity, by which the remaining 

 mass circulates with more freedom in the vessels. It 

 likewise takes off the inflammatory tendency of the 

 blood, removes spasms, and prevents other bad conse- 

 quences that may follow, especially in plethoric habits ; 

 and it is always to be remembered, that when the 

 symptoms of a disease are taken from the motion of the 

 blood, the disorders arising from it depend upon its 

 circulation being either increased or diminished. Hence, 

 therefore, all the changes which take place in the 

 quantity and quality of the blood are attended either 

 with diminution, or an increase of its velocity. 



