62 THE HOUSE AISTD ITS DISEASES. 



No. 3. 



Barbadoes Aloes 7 drachms. 



Calomel ^ ,, 



Oil of Aniseed 10 drops. 



Aromatic Powder 1 drachm. 



Hog's Lard 3 , , 



In one hall. 



Firing. 



This becomes an important and a very salutary agent 

 in good hands. The practice of firing was not always 

 confined to quadrupeds; on the contrary, it probably 

 was first used on man ; to this day, in many countries, 

 it is a popular remedy among human surgeons. In 

 India, Persia, and China, it is applied over the abdomen 

 for the cure of the ague ; it is also used for white 

 swellings, and numerous other complaints ; nor would 

 it be difficult to prove that we have no remedy in 

 human surgeiy, except mercury, that can compensate 

 for its disuse. Firing is performed on horses for two 

 purposes, one for the forming a permanent bandage to a 

 part, which it does by destroying the elasticity of the 

 skin, and lessening its surface — the other is that of 

 raising an active inflammation, and thereby exciting 

 absorption. Sometimes it is used to answer one of those 

 purposes only, and sometimes it is performed to promote 

 both conjointly. The Arabs fire the joints of their 

 young horses to strengthen them, by keeping a constant 

 bandage on the foot — some English breeders of blood 

 horses have done the same. This is an instance where 

 firing is performed for the first purpose. In splints, 

 spavins, and ring-bones, firing is used as a strong stimulus 

 to the surrounding absorbents, to remove any extraneous 

 substance lately deposited, hence, the bony matter so 

 hurtfully thown out, w^hich forms such swellings, 

 becomes swallowed up by these vessels, and thus 

 removed. 



