802 
ON SLINGS AND SLINGING. 
lie down, they get, when in that position, weaker and weaker 
till they become quite exhausted, and incapable of rising. 
Such animals generally succumb to the disease, assisted as it is 
by the sores and pain produced from lying, and the cramped 
position of the chest ; whereas if raised and placed in slings, 
perfect recovery frequently results. Slings are sometimes em- 
ployed in tetanus, when the horse seems likely to fall, or if he 
can be raised after having fallen, yet not, I fear, with very favor- 
able results in the majority of cases ; still, if there be any 
chance of the animal recovering after having arrived at that 
stage of the disease, he will be more likely to do so when sup- 
ported by slings, provided only that he will stand quiet in 
them. Slinging is useful, as I have said, in some cases of 
partial paralysis of the hind parts ; but when the disease in 
any way approaches complete paraplegia, the recumbent 
position is more favorable to recovery, for when in the slings, 
through the hindlegs being incapable of supporting any of the 
weight of the body, the animal completely hangs in them, and 
the abdomen in consequence is dangerously compressed. I have 
given a rough sketch of the mode in which horses are slung at our 
establishment, which differs considerably from the arrangement 
depicted and described in Percivall’s Hippopathology, that 
being the only illustration of slings given in any work with 
which T am acquainted, and though it is a fair representation 
of the slings as used at that time, it cannot be taken as a cor- 
rect example of them as now modified and improved {see 
woodcut). Simplicity of construction and strength being two 
points especially advantageous, it is a great advantage to have 
the apparatus as simply constructed as possible, so long as it 
answers all the purposes necessary. To constitute good slings, all 
that is required is a piece of sacking or sailcloth to pass under 
and support the body, fastened round two stout rods, one at each 
end, with eyes attached to them, a cross bar to connect these, 
two leather bands fastened by straps to the sailcloth, one to 
pass round the front of the chest, the other round the hind- 
quarters ; also two straps passing up from these, one over the 
withers, the other over the hips to keep the bands in position, 
and pulley apparatus to support the whole. 
The sailcloth or supporting girth should be about five feet 
ten inches long, and two feet nine inches wide ; that which is 
represented in the drawing is a trifle too narrow. A wooden 
rod, about two inches in diameter, should be sewn in at each 
end of the girth, and to the centre of this an iron-guarded rope- 
eye should be fastened, so as to attach it to the hooks of the 
cross-bar, which bar should be made of a stout piece of round 
iron, slightly bowed upwards, and flattened at the centre. 
