Ch. LVIl I. Of Gelding and Curtailing, 2 1 7 

 CHAP. LVIII. 



Of Gelding and Curtailing of Horfes, 



'X'HE Gelding of a Foal is an eafy Operation, and feldom 

 ■^ attended with any ill Accident. But if a Horfe's Stones 

 ihould be bruis'd, or otherwife hurt, and fo become irreco- 

 verable, the extirpating of ihefe will require the Skill of a 

 good Artift. 



The Horfe being firft caft on a Dunghill, or other foft 

 Place, the Scrotum^ or outward Cafe, is to be cut open on 

 each fide, where both Stones are to be taken away ; and 

 where there is but one, that Side where the difeafed Stone 

 lies ; afterwards tie a waxt Thread round the Strings, to ftop 

 the Blood, and with a pair of fharp Sciflars or Knife, cut 

 the Strings between the Ligature and the Stone, applying 

 to the Wound Pledgits dipt in the common Digeftive mix'd 

 with Spirit of Wine, laying over all Comprefles and a Ban- 

 dage, fuch as has been diredted to fufpend the Sheath. If 

 an Inflammation happens, it is to be treated with warm Fo- 

 mentations and fpirituous things, and the Horfe kept to an 

 opening Diet, with Barley-water for his Drink. 



This is a more fafe Method than what is generally prac- 

 tis'd, i^/z. by applying the adual Cautery, and then filling 

 the Place with Salt J for albeit it may fucceed with a Colt 

 or Foal, while the fpermatick Velle.'s are very fmall, yet it 

 muft needs expofe a Horfe to many Accidents when he is 

 come to his Maturity. 



As to the Curtailing or Docking of Hor- ^ ... 

 fes, all that I intend upon the Subjed, is on- "' ' ^' 



\y to advertife the Farrier, that his fearing Iron fliould be 

 fmoother and better polifli'd than what is generally made 

 ufe of, and that it fhould be rubb'd very clean on a woollen 

 Cloth, and the Metal harden'd, for v/hen it is otherwife, the 

 Scoria^ or Sparks that fly off from the Iron, are apt to caufe 

 2,n intolerable Anguifh, which falls down into the Funda- 

 ment and Sheath : Neither fliould the Iron be at any time 

 apply'd flaming hot, or elfe it will bring the burnt Part 

 along with it ; for want of this lail Caution, I have feen 

 the Iron apply'd two or three times before an Efcar couIJ 

 be form'd, which is always of bad Confequence, as it muft 

 be a cpiifiderable Time before the Bone is covered. 



CHAP. 



