Blistering and Firing 141 
a mustard plaster should be used. Finely ground 
mustard, stirred up with tepid water into a thin paste, 
should be applied over the desired area by rubbing it 
well into the roots of the hair with a case-knife or thin 
wooden stick. When it is desired to remove the 
mustard plaster, it should) be very carefully seraped 
off with a eurry-comb. 
Firing.— “Firing” is burning the skin with a red-hot 
iron, called a "firing-iron.” Fig. 38. The irons ean 
he heated at a forge or at a brisk fire in 
a cooking stove. Excellent instruments : 
are now in use with the irons kept at 
white heat by gasolene vapor. Firing is 
used particularly upon the legs when 
severe counter-irritation is required, es- 
pecially in ring-bones, spavins and in- 
jured tendons. The hair is clipped from 
the area. The horse is confined, by tak- 
ing up the opposite foot so that he is com- 
pelled to stand on the one it is desired to 
fire. A blindfold is placed over the eyes, Fig. 33. 
and a twist is applied to the nose. Hiring drous 
There are two general methods of firing. One 
consists in making a series of parallel lines. This is 
known as “feather-firing” or “line-firing.” The second 
form consists in using a pointed iron and burning 
a number of points in the skin over the affected 
area, sometimes puncturing the skin. This method 
is known as “puncture-firing.” Frequently the two 
methods are combined, and after the feather-firing 
a few punctures are made over the most-diseased 
