88 NOTITIA VEXATICA. 



mediately destroyed. A broken thigli or arm, however, soon unites, if 

 a plaster or bandage is carefully placed round it ■with splints. Let the 

 patient be kept continually muzzled, except when fed, to prevent him 

 gnawing off the bandage. Take some blood from him, and give him 

 several mild doses of physic. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 



Bleed to exhaustion, and repeat if necessary ; give the dog a hot 

 bath, and inject two or three drops of croton oil in some broth two or 

 three times a day, and dose with castor oil. 



Section Sixth. 



ON PHYSICKING HOUNDS IN GENERAL. 



We are now about to treat upon the practice of physicking hounds, 

 which is far from being the least interesting topic embraced in kennel 

 management, and concei'ning wliich more different opinions perhaps 

 exist, than upon any other subject connected with condition. Food of 

 the best quality, and properly administered, added to a well-regulated 

 system of exercise, is no doubt the main point to be attended to in the 

 management of not only foxhounds, but all other animals Avhose cor- 

 poreal exertions are required to be tried to the utmest of their abilities ; 

 but unavailing would this system of care and attention prove, without the 

 timely execution of those medicinal auxiharies, without which the various 

 channels of the body, or secretions, would, from excess of stimuh, 

 quickly become overcharged and devoid of their proper and natural tone. 

 " It is the condition of the hound which gives him the advantage over 

 the animal he hunts," says Colonel Cook, in his " Observations on Fox- 

 hunting. " But how is this point of condition to be attained ? Not by 

 overloading his stomach with food, and, consequently, his circulation and 

 absorbents Avith grossness, but by introducing as much and no more nu- 

 triment than can be easily and thoroughly digested. Of the feeding of 

 hounds I have spoken sufficiently in a former chapter, and shall content 

 myself here with making a few observations upon the medicine which is 

 considered necessary to be used in getting a pack of foxhounds into 

 condition. Nearly all huntsmen have their favourite recipes for physic; 

 but, although there may be various ways of producing the eft'ect required, 

 still the principle upon which each plan is founded nuist stand the same 

 in all cases. Large bodies of animals which are kept together, such as 

 sheep, horses, cattle, hounds, and even human beings, fi'om living on 

 exactly the same food, breathing air of the same temperature, and pur- 

 suing the same habits, become, by degrees, very similar in their consti- 

 tutions ; this is evident by diseases, Avhich arc not contagious, breaking 

 out in schools, workhouses, and other places whei'e a large body of 

 human beings arc in the habit of living together. We may also see the 

 same thing amongst cattle, and in studs of horses, where an epizootic 

 frequently shows itself without the possibility of its having spread by 

 contagion, Hounds, wliich have been kept together for mouths, and 



