THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 385 



which your kennel is built is damp, your hounds will be 

 liable to rheumatism, and be lame ; and the more porous 

 the soil is, the more likely will it be for the damp to 

 ascend, for which reason, sandy soils, which appear to be 

 the driest, because they dry soonest after rain, are the 

 worst for the sites of kennels. Some attribute the malady 

 to several other causes, such as washing, dressing, &c. I 

 do not believe washing hounds has anything to do with it ; 

 although it is possible the injudicious use of sulphur in 

 dressing or physicking may. Madness I hope you will 

 never experience. One thing, however, I think you may 

 assure yourself of, namely, that your hounds will never 

 go mad spontaneously that is to say, unkss from the bite 

 of a rabid dog. At least such is my opinion ; and it is 

 also the opinion of several veterinary surgeons, who are 

 now turning their attention to the diseases of dogs, as well 

 as those of horses. In case, then, of any hound in your 

 pack being bitten by a dog of whose state of health you 

 are ignorant, have him separated from the pack instantly 

 on seeing anything unusual in his appearance. Of all 

 other diseases, distemper excepted, cleanliness will be the 

 best preventive. As Somervile says 



' Much does health on cleanliness depend.' 



" As for distemper, you must take your chance for that. 

 There appears to be no specific as yet found out ; but 

 acting on the prophylactic system has answered with me. 

 I give repeated mild doses of salts to my young hounds 

 when they first come up, and then, should they take the 

 distemper, the disease is less virulent, and oftener yields 

 to those medicines which are found to be partly efficacious. 

 Physicking and bleeding and dressing, after the season is 

 concluded all of which are essential to the well-doing of 

 your pack will be attended to by your kennel huntsman ; 

 all you have to do is, to see that they are properly per- 

 formed. During the moving of the coat is considered the 

 best time to dress. 



" Over accidents you have no control ; rest is the best 

 doctor for strains of shoulder, stifle, &c. ; and the sharpest 

 astringents are to be applied to wounds in the feet, to 

 which hounds are so liable in their work. The most 

 efficient remedy for wounds was siipposed to lie in the 

 dog's own tongue ; but experience has proved it to be, in 

 many cases, injurious. Spaying bitches is recommended 



