34 THE RACE-HORSE. 



infirm,'''' is chiefly implied having a tendency to fail 

 in their legs and feet, during their training, which 

 too many of our present racing-breed are given to ; 

 although the severity of training is not equal to 

 what it was some years back. It would be invidi- 

 ous to particularise individual sorts ; but we could 

 name stallions and mares, from which the greatest 

 expectations were raised, whose progeny have sacri- 

 ficed thousands of their owners' money, entirely 

 from this cause. It having been clearly shown, 

 not only in theory but in practice, that the diseases 

 and defects of horses are for the most part heredi- 

 tary, we may be induced to give credit to the as- 

 sertion, that the Arabians, after having brought 

 their breed of horses to the highest pitch of im- 

 provement of which they themselves considered 

 them capable, have preserved their chief perfec- 

 tions, namely, great endurance of fatigue, with 

 highly organised matter, and natural soundness of 

 limb — by restricting the use of stallions until ap- 

 proved of by a public inspector of them. Indeed, 

 in several European states, similar precautions are 

 taken, and stallions are provided by their govern- 

 ments, for the use of farmers and others who breed 

 horses, and care is taken in the selection of them 

 to avoid all such as have proved naturally unsound, 

 or been affected by any disease, the influence of 

 which may be hereditary. No part of veterinary 

 pathology is more interesting than that which re- 

 lates to the hereditableness of disease ; and, as an 

 eminent French writer (Professor Dupuy,) on the 

 veterinary art, observes, " That person will render 



