CURBS. 117 



road or the street pavement ? It may have been 

 made strong, and quite adequate to support the 

 weight it is designed to carry, but the best we 

 could say of it would be, it was safe ; but as a 

 spring, its chief utility has not been restored. It 

 is often something like this with curbs. 



A recent curb is generally easily reduced by 

 rest, cooling, and afterwards stimulating applica- 

 tions, or blistering. By these it may often be per- 

 fectly cured ; sometimes permanently. But this is 

 by no means certain ; for without firing, it is in 

 no way improbable that it will be brought on again 

 by exertion. Taking it, however, in its early 

 stage, and firing, will mostly render the part as 

 elFective as ever, and no further blemish will re- 

 main than the strokes of the iron. 



If, however, after the curb has shown itself, 

 it is trifled with, and the horse kept going, the 

 enlargement becomes so indurated that actual 

 cautery will probably fail as to reducing it, and 

 very often as to rendering the horse sound. If, 

 under such circumstances, it does remedy the ab- 

 solute lameness, the horse ever goes on two in- 

 elastic crutches in lieu of two springy joints, on 

 which the elegance, smoothness, and pleasant feel 

 of action so materially depends. 



I would, therefore, strongly advise the reader 

 to mistrust the assertion that curbs are to be con- 

 sidered lightly. They are often a serious evil : in 

 I 3 



