major’s BRITISH REMEDY. 
241 
of Rum, half an ounce of carbonate of soda, and half a pint 
of urine” If it should happen, however, that there should 
be no (C sloughing,” then the rum and goose-grease only are 
needed. I am sure any groom would prefer the non-slough- 
ing lotion, otherwise he would be a rum goose. Fallacies, 
however, are apparently most marketable commodities to 
Mr. Major, inasmuch as he professes to cure spavins, and at 
the same time entertains the most preposterous ideas as to 
their nature and effect! He states “ spavins, as is well 
known, paralyses the whole of the muscles of the hinder ex- 
tremities.” For those, however, who it is necessary should 
understand, it is sufficient only to say, that the muscles 
being paralysed is plainly shown by the withered thigh and 
buttocks, the contraction of the limbs, and the general want 
“ of condition in the animal. Remove that cause, and the 
effect ceases.” The absurdity of the assertion of a paralytic 
state of the muscles existing in a case of spavin speaks for 
itself, and requires no comment further than, who would not 
laugh at the idea of anchylosis of a finger-joint causing 
paralysis of the muscles of the arm 1 or an anchylosis of the 
knee-joint causing paralysis of the muscles of the thigh ! ! 
Certainly, there has been some little practical observation on 
the part of Mr. Major. The muscles of the quarters, some- 
times, in very extreme and chronic cases, are atrophied in 
the same proportion as Mr. Major’s arm would be if placed in a 
sling for a year, and was then compared with the other, which 
had been in active use; the effect being attributable to a 
well-known cause. Mr. Major, proceeding, states that his 
motto is “ common-sense and simplicity.” I ask, in com- 
mon-sense and simplicity, why prostitute the terms, and 
employ them to his acts, stating, as he does, that his 
“ synolitic lotion” is particularly worthy of the attention 
of trainers of race-horses, as a preventive ! ! ! ! of breaking 
down ! or, in other words, rupture of the fibres of the back, 
tendons, or laceration of their sheaths? Is Mr. Major so 
simple as to conceive that the present age could possibly 
credit so absurd an assertion, or that which is a parallel, 
conceive a lotion that could prevent a ballet-dancer straining 
her ankles , or rupturing her tendon- Achillis, whilst figuring and 
pirouetting in c Griselle,’ or some other popular ballet. Mr. 
Major, surely, can be only assuming a logician’s science, 
arguing on false premises, to make absurdities doubly more 
absurd. 
Fearing that my observations on Mr. Major’s pamphlet have 
already taken up too much space in your valuable Journal, I 
shall not enter into any further remarks on the ridiculous 
