230 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



operation of throwing, so as to lessen as far as possible 

 a chance of injury, and the mare received no harm 

 whatever. Mr. Murphy then most carefully and skill- 

 fully replaced them within the abdominal cavity — a work 

 that took more than an hour to perform, for, owing to the 

 struggles of the mare, at least 2 in. were constantly 

 forced out again for every 3 in. that were inserted. 

 However, at last all were replaced, and the lips of the 

 wound having been cleansed, it was closed by passing a 

 large iron skewer through the lips, and made fast with a 

 figure-of-8 suture of tow. The iron skewer was passed 

 through both the fascia and skin, just as a needle is passed 

 by a seamstress in long stitch ; and the mare, after being 

 allowed to rise, was given a dose of aconite, and a bran 

 mash, and left for the night. Very slight increase of 

 temperature supervened during the next few days, which 

 was easily kept in check by the administration of aconite, 

 and but for a slight discharge which proceeded from the 

 wound, the mare never ' looked back,' and was out hunting 

 before the close of the season. She afterwards was put to 

 the stud, and has produced four living foals and one dead 

 one since 1882 {&tiici Book, vol. xvi. p. 599)." 



About two years after this occurrence, a mare of mine 

 called " Lurline," got blood poisoning in a hind-leg, from 

 getting a gorse spine into it, just when the sap was beginning 

 to run. As the mare carried her tail very badly, I thought 

 it a good opportunity to dock her when she was getting 

 better, but apparently her weak state could not stand the 

 operation, and " lock-jaw " supervened. The mare was 

 standing at Mr. W. M'Grane's stables, the famous dealer 

 in Park Street, and I treated her myself. After battling 



