838 
ANCIENT VETERINARY PRACTICE. 
my intention to condemn in toto everything recommended 
by its author. To confess the truth, the author must have 
been a man of no ordinary capacity to have produced such 
a work. Further, I do not hesitate to assert that much of 
what he has written proves him to have been a man of 
deep thought, and that his experience must have been 
ample and varied. Moreover, many of his instructions 
might with advantage be attended to in the present day. 
With all the respect, however, I hold towards the memory of 
such a man as Markham—for it cannot be denied he was a 
great man in his day—I cannot avoid finding fault with some 
of his theories' and practices. When declaiming against his 
method of treating acute founder, I did so in all sincerity, 
because I believed there was much unnecessary cruelty prac¬ 
tised. With a view to put myself in a proper position, in 
regard to my sarcasm,” I will, with your permission, make a 
few extracts from the work, that the readers of your Journal 
may judge for themselves. 
Acute founder .— The horse goeth crouching, and 
drawing all his four feet within the compass of a peck 
almost, and will stand so fearfully as though he stood upon 
needles. 
Cure .—When a charge for which a prescription has been 
given has been placed upon the loins, the author directs that 
another charge should be employed as follows :—You shall 
take two long linen rags dipped in the same charge, with 
which, so dipped, you shall garter the horse above the knees 
of his fore legs somewhat hard; and likewise with two other 
rags, so dipped, you shall garter him hard above both his 
hinder hoofs also; that done, cause him to be walked upon 
the hardest ground you can for the space of two or three hours. 
If he be loath to go, as commonly he will be, let one follow 
him, and beat him with a stick, or wand to force him to go ; 
then, after his walking, let him be set up and tied to the 
rack, that he lie not down, and there let him rest two or three 
hours, which done, let him be walked again two or three 
hours more as aforesaid; then set him up and let him feed, 
and when you give him drink, which you may do within two 
or three hours after his feeding, let it be a warm mash of 
malt and water ; then let him feed a little after it; then ride 
him a little; and if you let him stand an hour or two in a 
pool or standing water up to the belly, and one upon his 
back, it is good also, and after that ride him again a little; 
then let him be set up, well dressed and covered, so by little 
and little ride him a day or two, and then you may boldly 
journey him; for it is riding that brings the horse to the 
