RIDING TO HOUNDS 191 



larger veins, s.nd, unless it swells up at once, let bleeding 

 alone — at least, until the medical adviser arrives. 



Should it, however, happen that no veterinary surgeon is 

 near, if the breathing becomes hurried, the nostrils dilated, 

 and the horse reaches out bis neck as though reaching for 

 more rein liberty, if the linings of the nose, although at first 

 pale, now begin to look fiuslied and red, and the mouth 

 becomes hot, proceed to bleed. If the vein rises well, make 

 a large orifice, so that it may discharge the blood quickly, 

 w^atching the effects of the flow. If it rushes out, and the 

 horse does not falter, take three quarts, or even more, away. 

 Let his head be turned to the door, and rub and bandage 

 his legs up. As soon as the first symptoms go ofif, or his 

 legs and ears become cold, briskly hand-rub them, clothe the 

 body also, and throw up a gruel clyster ; and, unless the 

 weather be very cold, allow a free current of air, but clothe 

 the body and give the following : Sweet spirit of nitre, half 

 an ounce; mix with a pint and a half of gruel. Should 

 active symptoms of weakness come on, horn down equal 

 parts of gruel and sound ale ; and should the debility 

 increase, horn these down every half hour, with occasional 

 full does of opium also, to allay irritability in the system, 

 and to arrest the looseness that is usually present. 



When active inflammation follows the over-exertions of 

 a hard day, the over-marking does not immediately show 

 itself. The horse probably appears at first only moderately 

 fatigued, but he soon gets a strong shivering fit, accompanied 

 with an oppressed pulse. The lining of the nose becomes 

 highly injected, and the breathing much disturbed. The 

 symptoms which follow vary according to the organ which 

 is the principal object of attack, and the treatment also 

 must vary with that. While proper medical assistance is 

 procuring, the groom, under these symptoms, with propriety 

 may bleed, back-rake, and bandage up the legs if cold ; but 

 he should avoid giving any heating, i.e., stimulating drinks, 

 under the name of cordials ; indeed, he should not give any 

 thing supposed to be medicinal, until the horse has been 

 seen by a veterinary surgeon. 



