122 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



country was the source of improvement in the 

 breed of cart-horses. 



"Examples of the Bad Effects of Crossing the 

 Breed. — When it became the fashion in Lon- 

 don to drive large bay horses, the farmers in 

 Yorkshire put their mares to much larger stal- 

 lions than usual, and thus did infinite mischief 

 to their breed, by producing a race of small- 

 chested, long-legged, large-boned, worthless ani- 

 mals." 



QUACKERY. 



We hail with pleasure and gratitude any in- 

 telligent and scientific communication upon the 

 subject of diseases in the horse. This noble 

 animal has too long been surrendered to the ten- 

 der mercies of the ignorant and designing. In 

 the human frame, science and learning are pre- 

 pared to contest, if not to conquer, the preten- 

 sions of quackery, even in the present day of 

 humbug. But dominion over the lower animals 

 is surrendered to the pretensions of ignorance 

 almost without a struggle. It is even ludicrous 

 to observe the process to which a sick horse is 

 frequently subjected. The owner generally com- 

 mences by poking and thrusting a variety of 

 compounds down his throat, one after anoiher, 

 at random, because he is sure he has heard either 

 that, or something like it, recommended for 

 something, and then, if he fails to strangle or 

 kill him, he sends for the " horse doctor ;" who, 

 with equal ignorance and a great deal more 

 pretension, subjects the poor brute to a similar 

 course of treatment. The sagacity of the ani- 

 mal is sometimes greater than that of his mas- 

 ter, and we knew an old horse once, who had 

 been so long subjected to this kind of treatment 

 that he would, instinctively, recognize and shy 

 from a horse doctor whenever he met him. 



Defects of the eye are very common, and we 

 recommend the following extract, particularly, 

 to the notice of our readers : 



" Cure for Ir famed Eyes of the Horse. — Not- 

 withstanding my occupation requires my atten- 

 tion and exertions in attempting to cure or pal- 

 liate the " ills that flesh is heir to" in the human 

 species, my sympathies have been occasionally 

 enlisted in behalf of that noble animal upon 

 which we are so much dependant for many of 

 our pleasures and comforts, and derive so much 

 important service — the horse, in consequence of 

 the ernpyric and barbarous treatment frequently 

 practised upon him. 



"If the animal who claims for himself the 

 image of his Maker, is willing to indulge in 



Brandreth's Pills, Lobelia, Magnetic Ether, and 

 Jew David's Plaster, and write for his epitaph, 

 1 1 was well, took physic and died,' let his curi- 

 osity be gratified ; but while we assume to our- 

 selves the guardianship of the foui footed part 

 of creation, let us discharge the duty in that 

 manner that shall at least entitle us to the virtue 

 of humanity. 



" Not unfrequently when I have been giving 

 my horses high feed and severe service in hot 

 weather, over hard and dusty roads, I have ob- 

 served them frightened and shy from objects to 

 which they usually paid little or no attention; 

 and upon examination of the eyes, have disco- 

 vered the external membrane {tunica conjunctiva) 

 thickened so much as to impair or obstruct the 

 vision, presenting a whitish appearance occa- 

 sionally in spots, but frequently involving the 

 entire membrane covering the organ. At this 

 discovery many kind friends, actuated by the 

 best of motives, would volunteer their aid and 

 advice, for the purpose of removing the difficulty. 

 Mr. A., exhibiting an air of great confidence in 

 his skill in such matters, would say, ' You must 

 pound glass until it is very fine, and blow it into 

 the eye through a quill, to cut the scum. 1 A re- 

 medy, or rather an intended remedy, that would 

 most assuredly render him blind, even though 

 the disease should fail to accomplish ihat result, 

 Then comes Mr. B. : ' Sir, you must blow burnt 

 alum in that eye. 1 Mr. C., quite as knowing 

 as his neighbors in these affairs, makes ihe fol- 

 lowing prescription : £ Blow powdered blue stone 

 into it, and rub a little rabbit's grease above the 

 eye, and my word for it, to-morrow morning it 

 will be as bright as a diamond.' 



" By just such treatment many a noble road- 

 ster has been prematurely consigned to the cart 

 or tread-mill; whereas, had the matter been en- 

 trusted solely to the operations of Dame Nature, 

 the result would have been widely different. 



"The course that I invariably pursue in such 

 instances, is to keep the animal in a dark slable, 

 to be fed upon hay, or if practicable, fresh cut 

 grass and coarse bran — bleed freely from the 

 mouth, and administer one and a half pounds 

 of Glauber salts, two drachms of nitre, and fifteen 

 grains of tartarized antimony in a bucket of 

 water, and repeat the same daily until free pur- 

 gative operation is produced. The animal will 

 be invariably found in a feverish condition, and 

 if kept from water for a short time will drink 

 the mixture freely. If these means do not soon 

 produce a salutary impression, I bleed from the 

 large vein immediately below the eye. By 

 placing the thumb of the left hand firmly upon 

 the part, the vessel soon becomes distended, and 

 the operation may be most conveniently per- 

 formed with a common spring-lancet. By this 

 means I have frequently succeeded in extracting 

 from twelve to twenty ounces of blood, which 

 has acted like a charm, by relieving the en 



