668 
STOMACH STAGGERS IN A MARK 
of bleeding, \ have found that these symptoms counter-indicated 
venesection. Too much lias been already abstracted — the animal 
was partially destroyed — the blood was hurried through its ves- 
sels by an extra effort of nature — the abdominal muscles were 
called upon for an extra exercise of their powers, amounting 
sometimes to spasmodic action, and all this the effect of animal 
weakness, and not strength. For instance, you will have all 
these symptoms occurring from internal haemorrhage. I recol- 
lect once bleeding a horse that had been hunted the day before 
with these appearances strong upon him, and in whom the 
case proved to be haemorrhage from the liver. He died before I 
had abstracted a quart of blood. Another mistaken notion I 
have to notice is, that fat horses require more bleeding than 
others — no fat horse can stand so much bleeding as the horse in 
good working condition. This is an error which has caused the 
death of hundreds of horses from Lincoln, Horncastle, and the 
other large fairs to which horses are brought as fat as farmers 
can generally make them, and which are then erroneously called 
in high condition. Thus, one error begets another. The mistake 
of their being in high condition leads to the mistake that they 
can bear a greater abstraction of blood than one with less flesh, 
and, as I said before, the consequence is too often fatal. I am 
quite aware that the prejudice in favour of so much bleeding has 
been produced by remarks from high authority; but 1 hope that 
this, too, will pass away, with other absurdities in treatment too 
hastily and unreflectingly adopted. 
A CASE OF STOMACH STAGGERS IN A MARE. 
By Mr. John Kent, F.S., Bristol . 
Having ascertained the particulars respecting the manner in 
which the rnare, whose history I am about to relate, and from which 
the stomach and portion of liver was taken which I forwarded 
to you about a week ago, had been treated during life, I will now 
briefly narrate the same. 
She was about ten years old, and had been in the same hands 
during a great portion of her life. Her food during the whole 
time had been almost restricted to hay, with occasionally a feed 
of corn when going on a journey. Her work was usually in a 
light cart a few times in a week. She seldom worked all day, 
and sometimes, but not often, was used for the saddle, and I 
believe her groom was her owner. She had only worked once, 
and that a ride for pleasure, for some days prior to her death. 
