DRESSING AND PHYSIC. 161 



been kept till it is high. The usual method of preparation 

 is to break up the greaves, and boil them in water till they 

 are soft, then stir in the oatmeal, and boil for a quarter or 

 half an hour, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Take 

 oif the pot, or if in a copper, rake the fire out, and let the 

 whole cool, when it becomes stiff, and is known as " pud- 

 dings." The quantity of meal necessary for making this 

 varies so much, according to the quality, that no directions 

 can be given, and practice will soon show how much will 

 suffice. Of the greaves a pound per week is plenty for dogs 

 out of work; and of the puddings thus made somewhere 

 about a pound and a half to two pounds will be the average 

 consumption per head daily. I may mention that the pud- 

 dings should be so stiff as to bear to be cut in masses without 

 losing shape, or sticking to the knife or spade with which 

 this is done. When dogs are hard at work, and indeed, 

 while they are strongly exercised in preparation for it, a 

 little flesh should be given to them; and for this purpose 

 there is nothing better than sound horse-flesh, boiled, and 

 the broth used for the puddings. The change, however, 

 should be gradual, and it is well to give them an occasional 

 meal of it during the summer, to avoid the chance of its 

 disagreeing in the autumn, which it often does when given 

 for the first time. 



DRESSING AND PHYSIC. 



WJien dogs are kept long in kennel they are almost sure to 

 contract some eruption of the skin, which is often caused by 

 parasites of one kind or other. Many of these are so minute 

 as to require the microscope to detect, but others are visible 

 to the naked eye. Of the latter kind are fleas, ticks, and 

 lice, which are great pests, and very difficult to exterminate. 

 The usual method adopted is to dress the dogs once or twice 

 in every year, and the dressing adopted is very generally a 

 mixture of train oil and brimstone, which is rubbed into the 

 roots of the hair over the whole body. This answers well 

 enough in killing the vermin above named, none of which 

 can live when covered with oil, but it is very apt to chill the 

 dogs themselves, as the oil has nearly as cooling an effect 



M 



