452 
THK BLISTER AND THE CAUTERY. 
evidence of distress. This horse was a brilliant hunter and in the 
prime of life, but he could not go more than ten minutes at a good 
pace over a country. On the other hand, and in the same season, 
I rode a horse called Swing, belonging to Lord Segrave, whose 
loud roaring did not much affect him. The country was deep and 
strong, and the pace good, for nearly half an hour. All I have to 
say of him is, that the further he went the louder he roared, but no 
whistling. I am, however, assured by an old sportsman, that the 
Avhistling sound is occasionally heard from roarers when greatly 
distressed for wind. But, after all, what matters it whether a 
roarer whistles or not] The grand questions are,—What is the 
preventive ] and if no preventive, Where is the cure ] Mr. Per- 
civall enumerates eight predisposing causes, but, with a modesty 
that always accompanies acknowledged ability, does not profess to 
find the remedy. “ Our art,” says he, “ is not sufficiently ad¬ 
vanced to connect the sound, in many cases, with the seat and na¬ 
ture of the cause.” All we have to hope for, then, is, that as the 
art progresses important discoveries may be made, and especially 
as to the fact, that horses do become roarers without any apparent 
cause, as in the several instances now stated by me. That, as 
Mr. P. says, “ the causes are many and various,” cannot be denied; 
and that, consequently, the remedies cannot but be something like 
proportionate in number, and oftentimes extremely dissimilar. 
How thankful would owners of valuable horses be if both cause 
and cure could be at once announced! 
Speaking of the “ incurables” reminds me that, a short time 
back, a prospectus was sent to me of an establishment on Mitcham 
Common for the cure of glandered horses. I wish it success; but 
the question is—Do they not manage these matters better in France ] 
Almost four months back glanders broke out in some public sta¬ 
bles in Calais. The police went to work, and had every diseased 
horse shot. Nine were shot one evening on a common half a mile 
from my house. 
To return to my observations on the studs of the present year. 
Amongst all the crack grooms at Melton and other places, I could 
hear nothing of the use of the seton, except in a few hock cases, 
in most of which they were successful. The mercurial charge 
remains in high favour; but the main dependence is on the iron. 
Blisters are quite out of favour, and deservedly so, in my opinion; 
for, as I have more than once said of them, they often rouse the 
sleeping lion, and it is found difficult to lay him. For curbs they 
care but little. They have an embrocation that checks them for 
the present, so as to continue the horse in his work, and after the 
season the iron is generally had recourse to. 
In the summer season the very best effects are found by con- 
