CH. xviii.] MUSCLE WANTED, NOT FAT. 313 



and to remove all dust and gravel. They might afterwards be 

 gradually hardened by applying the salt and water. When they 

 are inflamed and bruised, almost a magical cure might be effected 

 by their being sponged with a solution of arnica ten parts of water 

 to one of arnica. Should the dog lick the lotion, dissolve a little 

 aloes in it. If, by the bye, you would make it a rule personally to 

 ascertain that attention is always paid to your dogs after a hard 

 day's work, and not leave them to the tender mercies of an un- 

 interested servant, you would soon be amply repaid for your trouble 

 by their additional performance. Many men make it a rule to send 

 their dogs to the mountains a week or two before the grouse shoot- 

 ing ; but they seldom even then get sufficiently exercised, and their 

 mettle is slacked (confessedly a temporary advantage with half- 

 broken, wild dogs), instead of being increased, by finding that, 

 however many points they may make (at squeakers under their 

 nose), they never secure a bird. A month's road- work, with 

 alterative medicine, is far better. 



567. Dogs severely worked should be fed abundantly on a nu- 

 tritious diet. Hunters and stage-coach horses have an unlimited 

 allowance, and the work of eager setters and pointers (in a hilly 

 country particularly) is proportionately hard ; but the constitutions 

 of dogs vary so greatly that the quantity as well as quality of their 

 diet should be considered ; for it must be your aim to obtain the 

 largest development of muscle with the least superfluity of flesh, 

 that enemy to pace and endurance in dog as surely as in horse and man. 

 Yet this remark does not apply to a water retriever : he should have 

 fat. It is a warm, well-fitting great coat, more impervious to wet 

 than a Mackintosh, furnished by Providence to whales, bears, and 

 all animals that have to contend with cold; and obviously your 

 patient companion will feel the benefit of one when he is shivering 

 alongside you while you are lying perdu in a bed of damp rushes.* 



* It will tend to your comfort ber into a thick fluid, add not 

 and health to have your boots more than one pint of oil ; linseed 

 made waterproof, and you will oil, or neat's foot oil is, I am 

 not easily get a better preparation, told, the best, 

 when well rubbed into the leather, For waterproofing cloth : 

 for effecting your object, than the 2 Ibs. alum, 

 following. It is an admirable one 1 K>. sugar of lead, 

 for rendering all kinds of leather 20 quarts spring water, 

 pliable, and for pres&rmng them in Strain off to clear. Let garment 

 that state and how often in the soak 48 hours. Hang up until 

 beginning of a season have you dry. Well brush afterwards. In- 

 found your water-boots as hard as expensive yet effective ! 

 a board ! When you catch cold, do not 



To one ounce of India-rubber too hastily blame our climate, our 



(the old bottle-shaped gum) cut enviable climate, which preserves 



into very small pieces, and dis- longer than any other the bloom 



solved in only as much spirits of of its women and the vigour of its 



naphtha as will convert the rub- men, where the extremes of cold 



and 



