ACTUAL CAUTERY AND BETON. 
117 
Mr. Fryer, the V. S. residing near Bedale, in Yorkshire, and of 
whom I before had occasion to speak, and in testimony of his 
professional skill, came to his lordship’s seat near Glasgow, for 
the purpose of firing one of his race-horses—Retainer, by Jerry— 
who had been stopped in his work the preceding year, in con¬ 
sequence of a damaged leg. On examination of the injury, 
however, Mr. Fryer paused, and thus addressed his lordship:— 
If I fire this leg,” said he, I must fire it very deeply; and 
I candidly tell your lordship, I should be doubtful of his being 
again in any thing like his old form, as a race-horse, if I do 
and, much to his credit, after completing his annual inspection of 
the stud, he departed for Yorkshire, without using his firing-irons 
at all. Now, I heard not a word of the seton in this case. Would 
it not, then, very much tend to a favourable issue to this disputed 
point, as well as be a great public benefit, if some of your profession, 
whose practice lies among race horses, would give the result of their 
experience of the seton, as applied to them ; particularizing the 
nature and extent of the injury which it may have cured or not 
cured ? May I also hope, with the same view to utility, and in ray 
regard for the welfare of horses, that Mr. Turner’s promised work 
on the effect of cautery lesions will be followed by one on that of 
the seton, either by Professor Sewell himself, or by one fully com¬ 
petent to the task. I am quite certain that such works would 
be most eagerly sought after by the sporting part of the British 
public. 
Mr. Cheetham (p. 153) is decided in his preference of the 
firing-iron over the cautery, although admitting to the latter its 
use in certain cases. He likewise corroborates, in part, Mr. Tur¬ 
ner’s assertion, that horses become sound immediately after having 
been deeply fired for certain diseases; but not satisfactorily so, 
because he doubts the immediate destruction of the causa causae, 
by the mere agency of the fire, being more disposed to attribute 
the diversion of pain to the new seat of torture—the deep lesions. 
If the nerve be at once destroyed, no doubt the horse would 
remain at ease; otherwise rest, and the ordinary results of firing 
would, I think, be necessary to effect a permanent cure, where 
the injury has been severe. In fact, rest has much to do with 
all cures, but especially with the one in question. This vis medi- 
catrix naturae was observed by the father of medicine, and has 
been acknowledged by all candid and discerning practitioners*. 
• The effect of time in the cure of disorders is thus beautifully illus¬ 
trated by Dr. John Moore. The vk medicatrix naturae** says he, is that 
inherent bias observable in the animal economy to restore health ; for as the 
surface of a lake which clearly reflects the sky, and hills, and verdant scenes 
around its borders, when disturbed by tlie falling' of a stone, immediately 
