286 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY 



introduce the finger into the mouth between the tushes 

 and the grinders, which by gently moving it about 

 induces motion in the jaws, and facilitates the rapidity 

 of the stream by the action of the muscles in connec- 

 tion with the vein. 



In the operation of bleeding the blood should 

 be received into a vessel the dimensions of which 

 are exactly known, so that the operator may be able 

 to judge from time to time of the quantity that has 

 been taken. When it is necessary to repeat the 

 bleeding, it will be better to make a fresh incision 

 lower down than to open the old wound. The blood 

 coagulates soon after it is drawn. That portion of 

 it which is coagulable is composed of two substances 

 — that which gives colour to the blood, and the thinner 

 part in which the red corpuscles float. By degrees 

 these separate, and the red corpuscles sink to the 

 bottom. If coagulation takes place slowly, the red 

 corpuscles have more time to sink through the fluid 

 portion, and there appears on the top a thick, ad- 

 hesive, pale, yellowish orange substance, called the 

 buffy coat. In proportion to the slowness of coagu- 

 lation and the thickness of this coat, the degree of 

 inflammation used to be determined. In the healthy 

 condition, coagulation is more rapid, and consequently 

 the red particles have not time to sink, and the buffy 

 coat is thin. When the horse is much exhausted, and 

 there is a general decay of his constitution, coagula- 

 tion is imperfect. 



When the necessary quantity of blood has been 

 taken, the edges of the wound must be brought close 

 together and kept in their place by a small pin being 

 passed through the contiguous skin, with a little tow 

 wrapped round the extremities of the pin so as to cover 

 the entire wound. In bringing the edges of the wound 



