185 
THE VETERINARY ART AMONG THE HINDOOS. 
The Bengal Sporting Magazine for May 1839 contains a trans¬ 
lation, or rather an attempted one, of the only work in the Hin- 
doostanee language that is extant on the diseases and manage¬ 
ment of horses. It is entitled ‘'Furs NamuF but what is the 
meaning of this he does not condescend to inform us. The name 
of the author is unknown. It was composed in rhyme, at the sug¬ 
gestion of Mahommed Buksh, of Lucknow. The reader must not 
expect any thing peculiarly new or valuable in such a book, but 
it will be interesting to know what the Hindoostanees think of the 
horse, his diseases, and the mode of treating them. There is, how¬ 
ever, one irreparable defect, the non-translation of many words, 
which might with the greatest ease have been given. 
The early portion of the work is divided into sections, the first of 
which refers to the conclusions which may be drawn from certain 
marks or tufts of hair growing on different parts of the animal. 
This section is far too imaginative for us—we therefore pass it over. 
The second section promises something a little more practical. 
It treats of the nature and effects of spavins, splents, &c. 
“ If the veins inside the hocks swell, the swelling is termed 
' Mooturu if small, they are no harm; if large, they are hurtful. 
“ Examine well near those veins; if other bones protrude be¬ 
yond the joint bones, doubtless know that is a spavin. Listen not 
to the hukbuk of the dealer : if the swelling be pointed, it causes 
lameness; and if you buy the horse, you will be disgusted with 
him; but if it be flattish, ‘ chupta,' you may w^ork him hard without 
harm : the wise, however, have agreed that to judge well of spavins 
is difficult. 
“ When a bone protrudes on the shank bone, the dulal calls it a 
splent, ‘ Ber-huddee' They reckon it a trifle, for it soon gets well: 
but the English call it bad, for, in their opinion, one is apt to suc¬ 
ceed to another. 
“ If the coronets of the fore-hoofs be thickened, you may keep 
another horse as an assistant; for if not lame, he will become so. 
“ If above the knee and hock-joints there be swellings of the 
size of an egg, they matter not essentially, although outwardly a 
blemish. Their name is ‘Buezu.' ” 
The third section treats of other and minor blemishes. There is 
nothing very erudite in it, yet few horsemen will object to the de¬ 
cisions of the author. 
“ 1 will now tell thee how a bad horse may be found out, pro¬ 
vided a man of judgment look at him. 
“ A horse whose teeth are longer than ordinarv is called camel¬ 
toothed, ‘ Shootur dundan' 
“ ‘ Purnshan rjosfC (lob-cared) horses are reckoned by the north- 
