124 HUNTING DIRECTORY. 



Physicking 



taken notion : lameness in the shoulder unquestionably 

 arises from damp kennels. Some of his hounds, when 

 his kennel was newly erected, had been thus afflicted ; 

 and although it must have proceeded from the cause 

 already mentioned, yet I am not prepared to deny that 

 Naylor's method of walking out the hounds would not 

 render the effect of damp kennels less violent, and con- 

 sequently less injurious. 



When hounds come in from hunting, they should be 

 carefully looked over, or examined ; and those that have 

 sustained any injury should be immediately attended to. 

 Beckford says, that " if you will permit those hounds 

 that are unable to work to run about your house, it will 

 be of great service to them. Of this there can be no 

 doubt, as hounds which are suffered to go at large, are 

 not nearly so liable to disease, as those kept in kennels — 

 it may in fact be justly observed, that liberty is highly 

 conducive to health. But it is not always convenient for 

 hounds to run about a house. 



" Every Thursday during the hunting season (says 

 Beckford) my hounds have one pound of sulphur given 

 them in their meat ; and every Sunday throughout the 

 year they have plenty of greens boiled up with it." I am 

 seldom inclined to give physick to dogs in good health ; 

 yet, although I may entertain no very exalted notion of 

 Beckford's weekly administration of sulphur, I am per*- 

 fectly convinced that greens may be occasionally (per- 

 haps frequently) given to hounds with the most bene- 

 ficial effect. 



The same writer further observes — " I am not fond of 

 bleeding hounds, unless I see they want it." Yet, I am 



