X PREFACE. 



struct, pervades every page. The arrangement is 

 at least obvious : the principles being taught in the 

 first book, the details of practice follow in natural 

 order in the second and third books, and seem to 

 arise out of the preceding observations on the ani- 

 mal system of the horse, as regards the origin of 

 constitutional disorders. The references from the 

 latter chapters to the former, operate as exercises 

 with those students who may have neglected to ac- 

 quire and retain sufficient intimacy with the princi- 

 ples laid down in the pages so referred to. 



The diseases of brute animals are few and sim- 

 ple, and easily cured when the symptoms can be 

 distinctly traced up to their causes ; for the remedy 

 then consists in little more than putting the animal 

 upon a direct contrary course to that which brought 

 on the disorder (though not too rudely), and health 

 follows. For example, heat, inflammation, fever, 

 is the most general cause of constitutional derange- 

 ment in the horse : in a state of nature, he seeks 

 out and employs the remedy himself; when domes- 

 ticated and pampered, or at least denied the use of 

 green food, we judiciously set about reducing the 

 heat by cooling medicines and factitious regimen, 

 and the fever subsides. Again, hard work occasions 

 lameness, rest restores the feet to their wonted state 

 in incipient attacks, topical applications effect the 

 remainder in bad cases. 



For the same reasons few medicines are neces- 

 sary in veterinary practice ; but certain modifica- 

 tions of these add to their efficacy in particular 



