BLINDWORM. 
BLINDWORM. A species of angwis or snake, 
BLISTER. 453 
cess. The blindworm is a very harmless crea- 
—the Anguis fragilis of Linnzeus, and probably the | ture, but, like many other innocuous snakes, par- 
A. eryx of Pennant. It is sometimes designated 
the slow-worm, or the deaf adder. The common 
blindworm is described as being greyish-brown 
above, bluish-black beneath, with several parallel 
rows of small dark spots along the back, and a 
dusky band on each side; and the variety, or 
supposed species, named Hryz, is said by Pennant 
to have the belly of a bluish lead-colour, marked 
with small white spots irregularly disposed; the 
rest of the body greyish-brown; with three lon- 
gitudinal dusky lines, one extending from the 
head along the back to the point of the tail, the 
others broader, and extending the whole length 
of the sides. Mr. Ryland says: “Such varia- 
tions cannot be considered as specific. Some- 
times the slow-worm has the upper parts without 
lines at all, sometimes with a single line, and 
sometimes with seven lines; the lower parts 
either uniformly bluish-black, or with a broad 
band of the same colour as the back, and on each 
side a central dark band. The number of lines 
is, ] think, fourteen on each side, twenty-eight 
in all, that being the number of series of scales. 
Some specimens are destitute of white spots on 
the lower part of the abdomen and tail, but in 
most individuals they are more or less apparent. 
Young, or at least small individuals, generally 
have the lines more distinct.” Mr. Ryland con- 
tinues: “I am led to suppose, from Mr. Salmon’s 
remarks, that a prejudice against these inof- 
fensive reptiles exists in his neighbourhood, 
similar to the belief prevalent in Lancashire. 
The notion of the lower orders here respecting 
_ this snake is curious, and will be best shown by 
a conversation I once had with a turf-cutter :— 
‘Well, my man, you have other kinds of snakes 
here (Woolston Moss) besides the viper?’ ‘Ay, 
Sir, we sometimes light on blindworms and ed- 
ders. ‘Indeed!’ ‘Ay: but the blindworms are 
the worst, and desperate hard to kill. Whoy, if 
you were to cut one into half a dozen pieces, they 
‘ud jom again!’ A medical friend informs me 
that a belief in the power of separated parts of 
this snake reuniting is prevalent amongst the 
lower classes in Scotland. How ean it have ori- 
ginated?” In Scotland, the lower classes ima- 
gine the blindworm to be as poisonous as the 
viper or adder, and generally do not distinguish 
the one species from the other. Knowing that 
serpents have often bitten, or, as they think, 
stung persons, as well as cattle, and as they are 
thus dangerous, they naturally on falling in with 
one kill it, and to make sure work, usually cut 
it into pieces with a knife, it being a prevalent 
belief among them, that a serpent, if merely 
bruised, will or may come alive again. Their ab- 
horrence of the animal, and their apprehension 
of the possibility of reviving, even leads them to 
separate the pieces to a distance; but the be- 
lief of a reunion of the parts, if left in prox- 
imity, is merely the result of fear carried to ex- 
ticipates in the bad character of those which are 
venomous. <A very slight blow with a stick. is 
sufficient to disrupt this animal, and individuals 
are often seen with part of the tail wanting, in 
which respect it resembles the lizards. 
BLINKERS. Teather plates permanently at- 
tached to the sides of a bridle, and so adjusted 
as to prevent a horse from seeing objects on 
either side, without obstructing his vision in 
front. 
BLISTER. A medicinal preparation for in- 
flaming the skin, and producing vesicles filled 
with a watery or serous liquid. It is one of the 
most effective appliances of the healing art, and 
constitutes the chief remedy in the case of a 
considerable number of diseases. The main prin- 
ciple on which it acts is that of counter-irrita- 
tion, or of reducing inflammatory action in an 
interior organ of the animal system by exciting 
a stronger local inflammation on the nearest ex- 
terior part of the system ; and a subordinate prin- 
ciple is the accelerating of the action of the near- 
est vessels, or the rousing of the local absorbents 
to a temporary condition of unusual energy. 
Blisters are eminently efficacious in dispersing 
such callous swellings as arise from strains, 
bruises, and other similar causes. They are of 
great service in reducing the inflammation of 
parts remote from the surface: thus inflamma- 
tion of the internal parts of the foot is reduced 
by blistering the pastern; inflammation of the 
bowels, by blistering the abdomen; and inflam- 
mation of the lungs, by blistering the sides. 
Blisters are also the best remedies for curbs, 
windgalls, spavins, and various other disorders. 
When properly made and free from any such 
caustic ingredients as sulphuric acid and corro- 
sive sublimate, they inflict no permanent damage 
on the skin, and do not prevent the hair from 
growing; and when they are not successful in 
the first application, they can with all safety. be 
repeated. But a blister ought never to be ap- 
plied to a part which is irritated or tender, for 
it might then produce extensive and virulent 
ulcer; nor ought it ever to be applied where 
there is a tendency to grease, for it will probably 
aggravate the disorder ; and whenever it requires 
to be applied during winter, thorough care ought 
to be used to protect the animal from cold or 
from a current of air about the legs. 
When a blister is to be applied, the part should 
previously be cleared as much as possible from 
hair, a quantity of the blistering ointment 
should be well rubbed into it, and a thin coat of 
the ointment afterwards spread over it with a 
moderately warm knife. A horse on beginning 
to feel the action of the blister, is very apt to bite 
the part, and, in consequence, both to do serious 
mischief to the part and to blister his mouth; 
and to prevent this, he ought either to be tied . 
up to the rack, or to have what is called a cradle 
