BUSTEIUNG. 363 



blister does not rise, but the failure is generally to be attributed 

 to the idleness of the operator. 



The head of the horse should be tied up during the first two 

 days ; except that, when the sides are blistered, the body-clothec 

 may be so contrived as to prevent the animal from nibbling and 

 blemishing the part, or blistering his muzzle. At the expiration 

 of twenty-four hours, a little olive or neat's foot oil should be ap- 

 plied over the blister, which will considerably lessen the pain and 

 supple the part, and prevent cracks in the skin that may be diffi- 

 cult to heal. The oil should be applied morning and night, until 

 the scabs peel off. When they begin to loosen, a lather of soap 

 and water applied with a sponge may hasten their removal, but 

 no violence must be used. 



Every particle of litter should be carefully removed from the 

 stall, for the sharp ends of the straw coming in contact with a 

 part rendered so tender and irritable by the blister, wiU cause a 

 very great annoyance to the animal. After the second day the 

 horse may be suffered to lie down ; but the possibility of blem- 

 ishing himself should be prevented by a cradle or wooden neck- 

 lace, consisting of round strips of wood, strung together, reaching 

 *rom the lower jaw to the chest, and preventing him from sufh- 

 liently turning or bending his head to get at the blistered part. 



A blister thus treated wiU rarely produce the slightest blemish. 

 When the scabs are all removed, the blister may be repeated, if the 

 jase should appear to require it, or the horse may be turned out. 



In inflammations which threaten life, a blister can scarcely be 

 too active or extensive. In inflammation of the lungs, it should 

 reach over the whole of the sides, and the greater part of the 

 brisket, for, should a portion of the fly be absorbed, and produce 

 strangury (inflammation, or spasmodic affection of the neck of 

 the bladder,) even this new irritation may assist in subduing the 

 first and more dangerous one. In blistering, however, for injuries 

 or diseases of the legs or feet, some caution is necessary. When 

 speaking of the treatment of sprain of the back-sinews, p. 260, 

 it was stated, that " a blister should never be used while any heat 

 or tenderness remained about the part," for we should then add 

 to the superficial inflammation, instead of abating the deeper- 

 seated one, and enlargements of the limb and extensive ulcera- 

 tions might follow, which would render the horse perfectly unser- 

 viceable. When there is a tendency to grease, a blister is a 

 dangerous thing, and has often aggravated the disease. In win- 

 ter, the inflammation of the skin produced by blistering is apt to 

 degenerate into grease ; therefore, if it should he necessary to 

 blister the horse during that season, great care must be taken thtt 

 he is not exposed to cold, and, particularly, that a current of coid 

 air does not come upon the legs 



