40 2 
WEED IN HORSES. 
ON THE WEED IN HORSES. 
By a Country Blacksmith. 
Messieurs Editors, 
Being a constant reader of The Veterinarian, and also, 
when the fancy strikes me, an occasional contributor, I am often 
amused at the various views, treatment, and claims to being the 
first who have pointed out the characteristic symptoms of cer- 
tain diseases. On perusing a late number of your Journal, I find 
a paper on Weed, by Mr. Anderson, of Leicester, wherein he 
states that the disease is not described in any prior number of Th e 
Veterinarian. Why, thinks I, this at least, must be a new 
discovery, as that work now treats upon all diseases ; but as I am 
not in the practice of pinning my faith on any man’s sleeve, I must 
look as I proceed. Accordingly, the volumes of The Veterina- 
rian are unshelved, and carefully examined ; and after an hour or 
two’s search, Mr. Anderson appears to be right. What does this 
mean, thinks I. A common disease, known to every blacksmith 
and farrier in Scotland these hundred years and more, never 
published before ! I must examine the old authors. After half a 
day’s search, the case was bad as ever; the more modern and post 
rate— the inestimable Blaine and Percivall , and “ The Horse ?” — 
worse and worse ; not such a thing as Weed in them all ! At last 
I stumbled upon an insignificant volume of about 300 pages, by 
Robt. Thomson, of Auchterarder, nowofBeith, published eight 
or nine years ago, where I find Weed, inflammation of the Ab- 
sorbents. I read the Essay, and was astonished at the coincidence 
of the two, “ Aha, aha ! Mr. Anderson, ’’exclaimed I, “ You have 
been pirating;” and I strongly suspect Mr. Thomson has been 
pirating also, from the Lectures of Professor Dick. However, 
as it is the common established doctrine of the country black- 
smiths of Scotland, I will copy it verbatim for the amusement 
of your readers. 
“ Inflammation of the A bsorbents( TVeed.) — The absorbent vessels 
are of a thin pellucid appearance; they are, perhaps, as numerous 
as the bloodvessels, and, like the veins, are furnished with valves. 
They exist in all the vascular parts of the system, their office being 
to take up lymph from the cavities, the chyle from the intestines, 
and Substances that are applied to the surface of the body. Ab- 
sorbents are divided into two classes, lacteals and lymphatics; 
the mouths of the first being placed upon the internal coat of the 
intestines, and whose office is to absorb the nutritious parts of 
the food ; the last being to absorb lymph and serum from the 
different parts of the system; and both to be mixed with the blood 
for the support and renovation of the body. They prevent drop- 
