218 BLISTERING AND ROWELLING. [BOOK II. 



day, or leaving him there in clothing whilst the sun 

 may be out, if it shine at all. 



Pleurisy, or inflammation of the pleura^ where 

 it doubles and divides the two lobes of the lungs (see 

 chap. ii. p. 99.) has been described hy Richard Law- 

 rence as a separate disease ; but, as the treatment 

 is the same as the preceding, we can see no propriety 

 in making the distinction he does, especially as we 

 cannot know the difference until after death dis- 

 closes all imperfections. What is more, we could 

 scarcely persuade ourselves that this doubling of 

 the pleura was ever designed to act in the horse ; 

 all the full-grown subjects we have examined for 

 years (say 500) having it (the mediastinum) adhering 

 firmly together. Colts ever, and wild horses, not 

 strongly exercised, we apprehend to be exceptions. 

 Of the former several, of the latter one case only 

 has come under our notice ; and this a healthy mare 

 that was staked near Simon's Bath, on Exmoor, 

 apparently ten or twelve years old. 



Blistering and rowelling are recommended 

 by most veterinarians, as tending to divert inflam- 

 matory heat from the more vital part to the surface. 

 The theory is good : in the practice of human me- 

 dicine we believe blistering is universally adopted ; 

 and this is one reason why we ever looked upon 

 rowelling as a means of cure with suspicion, even 

 before we ascertained that the general heat or fever 

 is always increased by the employment of either 

 blister or rowel. Both are of the same nature, but 

 blistering is the mildest, the safest, and equally 

 efficacious; and the practitioner may learn how 



