MR. SEWELUS INTRODUCTORY LECTURE, 182?. 39 
toms appear. These cutters become very expert operators from 
pure dexterity and practice, without possessing any science : 
they often geti great credit by the skill they acquire from prac¬ 
tice, and are frequently employed to the exclusion of the vete¬ 
rinarian, being from their dexterity and expertness considered 
by their employers to be in possession of the science as w^ell. 
These practitioners will probably continue to cross the Veteri¬ 
narian for years to come. 
Those who have not been accustomed to horses will frequent¬ 
ly find themselves very much at a loss for that practical tact, 
called horse-knowledge, and in consequence may lose the con¬ 
fidence of their employers : it is therefore advisable that such 
should acquire this knowledge, to such a degree as to surpass 
those who are already in possession of it, and may employ 
them; for such practitioners generally succeed the best. The 
world will give you credit for knowing the medical part, when 
you show them that you are familiar with this. Books will 
serve you but little way ; you must study the book of nature; 
observe the animal from colthood to decrepid old age : and also 
attend to the foaling process. 
As far as the professional part is concerned, you should make 
yourself familiar with the pulse, so as at once to fix in your 
minds decisive and undeviating rules concerning it. Mr. S. 
is greatly mistaken if the pulse has not been over-rated by all 
who have hitherto written on the subject. Go and count the 
pulse and respiration of any horse in health; during sleep 
perhaps is the most favourable time : and you will find the 
average pulse 32; it rarely rises as high as 36, or sinks 
below 28. It is set higher by most others : how it has happen¬ 
ed Mr. S. does not know. The respiration also is set much 
higher than he has found it to be. In ordinary breathing the 
respirations are six per minute ; during sleep not more than four. 
This is very important to know ; because disordered respiration 
forms one very important part of our practice : for in judging of 
wind, gallop a horse out of breath—agitate his respiration, and 
then let him rest quiet, and his disturbed heaving at the flanks 
will speedily subside, though it may have been violently excit¬ 
ed ; whereas, if the horse’s lungs are diseased, the breathing will 
require several minutes for its subsidence and tranquilliza- 
tion. Mr. S. considers a pulse above 40 as indicating dis¬ 
ease. If it mount up to 100, and continue so for three or four 
days together, the animal seldom survives. In some diseases 
the pulse remains unaffected : this is the case in pure spasm of 
the bowels—the pulse is not increased. All this goes to show 
