526 
REVIEW : THE VILLAGE FARRIER. 
liable to swell if physicked without being prepared ; this is dan¬ 
gerous, and requires a diuretic drink, as follows :— 
“ Take yellow resin_-—. two ounces(!) 
Prepared kali........---.... half an ounce 
Oil of junipers...-. three drachms 
Caraway seeds and ginger-powder, of each one ounce (!) 
Mix, and give in a pint and a half of warm gruel.” 
A pretty tolerable dose, we think, both of the diuretic and 
the spice. In many instances, we should imagine, that the horse 
would never “ swell” again. 
In page 19 we were a little puzzled. When a horse is recovering 
from inflammation of the lungs, we are told to give him caraway- 
seeds, anise-seeds, liquorice-powder, and squires in powder. The 
only interpretation we can give of which is, that, in the estima¬ 
tion even of this writer, every Esquire who will use this precious 
farrago of drugs deserves to be brayed in a mortar, and the pow¬ 
der given to the poor beast he would torment and poison. 
In page 40 we have a ball recommended for surfeit and mange, 
to be given every day, or every second day, containing, with 
various other ingredients, more than two drachms of socotrine 
aloes, and more than half a drachm of Spanish flies. For canker 
in the foot we have as dangerous a course recommended:—Oi*e 
drachm of calomel, and a scruple of red nitrate of quicksilver 
(a precious compound), with a little ginger, are to be given every 
third day, and worked off on the following morning with a com¬ 
mon purging ball. A common purging ball every third day, and 
the red precipitate and the calomel on one of the intermediate 
days. Verily, the horse that could survive this deserves to live for 
ever. 
In farcy we are to begin with a scruple of corrosive sublimate, 
and increase the dose to two scruples daily. 
Really, Mr. Ephraim Blaine, “ this is too bad.” You may 
write as much nonsense as you please, but you have not yet been 
licensed to murder the best horses in his Majesty’s dominions. 
On the subject of botts, Mr. Bracy Clark is fairly beaten out of 
the field, both as it regards the origin and the effect of the bott. 
The oestrus equi has nothing to do with it;—no: but “ botts make 
their appearance in the months of May, June, or July, and this 
has been attributed to the green and juicy food on which they 
feed at these times, as well as to the frequent scarcity of water, 
and irritation produced by the great increase of temperature.” 
“ In addition to these causes, horses are frequently attacked by 
being suffered to drink of water remaining in ponds nearly dried 
by the heat of the sun, mudded by frequent visits of cattle, and 
