The T RE face: 



even brought to its greateft Perfection, by the noble 

 Perlbn whom we have already taken Notice of ; yet 

 we have hardly one who has treated of the Difeafes of 

 Horfes in any tolerable Way. Blundevil, who was 

 the iiril of any great Repute amongft us, is now al- 

 moft quite forgot. As for Markbam and De Gre\\ 

 with others of later Date, they were only Copiers 

 from him, as himfelf was alfo a Copier and Trans- 

 lator from the Italians ; and what thefe Authors have 

 with fo much AlTurance taken from the common 

 Rctc\ and added as their own, is, generally fpeakino-, 

 the moft Infignincant of any thing they have deli- 

 vered ; fo that it is no Wonder, if the Practice of 

 thofe be very abfurd, who tie th^mfelves up to their 

 Rules. 



The Want of proper Helps is certainly a very great 

 Difadvantage, not only to the Farrifrs, but to all 

 thofe who are interefted in Horfes ; for tho' thev may 

 pradife with Certainty enough in fome Operations, 

 and in many common Accidents that require only 

 outward Applications, yet they mull needs be at a 

 great Lofs in moftDifeafes, where the Mafs of Blood 

 is airected -, and thereiore, we find in all fuch Cafe?» 

 their main Recourfe is to Bleeding and Purging; ; and 

 whetlier that be proper or not, they neither know 

 themfeives, nor can their Books inform them : And 

 when a Hcrfe gives Signs of inward Sicknefs, theBook 

 (which is chief.y made up of a Parcel of infignincant 

 Receipts) furnifhes them with a Cordial Drink, com- 

 pos'd of iomc Spices, or a few Herbs to be boil'd in 

 Ale or White-wine; and if one Drench or two does 

 not make a Cure, they are at a great Lofs what to 

 do next : FLiving no other Notion of Medicines, buc 

 as if they ^ivork'd by a Sort of Magick. 



That this is the comnion and ordinary Way of 

 Practice among Horfes, every one knows. We can- 

 not howe%-er but own, there are many Gentlemen, 

 and aJfo fome of the ablell Farrifrs, who have noE 

 A 4 am- 



