Scientific and Medij:<l
Books, and Minerals.
A. E. FOOTE.M. D.,
4116 Elm Ave.
Philadelphia, Pa.
|  SURGEON GENERAL'S  OFFICE  I
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THE
PRACTICAL
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OR,
T\\e T xav eWe? 's T oeket C om^anion.

               SHEWING

THE BEST METHOD TO PRESERVE THE HORSE
             IN HEALTH;

              A^D, LIKEWISE,
THE CURE OF THE MOST PROMINENT DISEASES
  TO WHICH THIS NOBLE ANIMAL IS SUBJECT,
    IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

THE WHOLE BEING THE RESULT OF NEARLY FORTY YEARS'
    EXPERIENCE, WITH AN EXTENSIVE PRACTICE.
To assist great Nature in her wond'rous plan,
Should be the study and pursuit of man.
BY WILLIAM CARVER, FARRIER;
         OF NEW-rORK.
       NORRISTOWN, Pa.
PUBLISHED BY DAVID SOJVER\j&}


            181R.
 
EASTERN DISTRICT OF  PENNSYLVANIA, to wit:
  Be it Remembered, That on the twelfth day of December, in
             the  forty-third year of the Independence of the
 *************  United States  of America, A. D. 1818,  M'Carty
 t  V  S  31  ^ Davis, of the said district, have deposited in
 *   ''  '  %  this office the title of a book, the right whereof
 *************  they claim as proprietors, in the words following,
             to wit:
  " The Practical Horse Farrier ; or, The Traveller's Pocket
" Companion : Shewing the  best  method to preserve the  Horse
" in  health—and,  likewise, the cure of the most prominent
" diseases  to which  this  noble  animal  is subject, in  the
" United States of America.  The whole being the result of
" nearly forty years' experience, with an extensive practice.—
" To assist great Nature in her wond'rous  plan, should be the
" study and  pursuit of man.  By  William Carver, farrier,  of
" New-York"
  In conformity to the  act of the  Congress of the United States,
cutituled, " An act  for the  encouragement of learning,  by se-
curing the copies of maps, charts and books, to the authors and
proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned."
And also to  the  act,  entitled,   " An Act supplementary to an
act,  entitled, An  Act  for the encouragement of learning, by
securing the copies  of maps, charts, and books to the authors
and proprietors of such copies,  duruig the times therein men-
tioned,  and  extending the benefits thereof to the arts of  de-
signing, engraving, and etching  historical and other prints."
                                     D.  CALDWELL,
              Clerk of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 
CONTENTS.
                                        Page
Preface,     -     -----     7
               CHAPTER I.
Some  general directions, in regard to the
    management and care of horses,     -    17
               CHAPTER  II.
On bleeding, purging, &c.    -    -    -    21
              CHAPTER III.
Of Colds,......27
               CHAPTER IV.
On Fevers,   -.....31
               CHAPTER  V.
Of the Pleurisy, and  inflammation of the
    lungs,    ------    33
               CHAPTER VI.
Of a Cough, and Asthma,                  35 
IV          ,      CONTENTS.
              CHAPTER VII.
 Of an Apoplexy, or Staggers,
              CHAPTER VIII.
 Of the Strangles,   -

               CHAPTER IX.
 Of the diseases of the eyes,
               CHAPTER X.
 Of the Farcin, or Farcy,

               CHAPTER XI.
 Of the Yellows, or Jaundice,
              CHAPTER XII.
 Of the Colic, or Gripes,

             CHAPTER XIII.
 Of Worms and Bots,

              CHAPTER XIV.
 Of Wounds in general,  -
              CHAPTER XV.
Of the Locked Jaw,
             CHAPTER XVI.
Of Strains, in various parts, 
CONTENTS.	v
CHAPTER XVII.	Page
Of Bone and Blood Spavin,	75
CHAPTER XVIII.	
Of the Pole Evil, and Fistula,	79
CHAPTER XIX.	
	83
CHAPTER XX.	
Of Founder, -	93
CHAPTER XXI.	
Of Splents, - - - -	97
CHAPTER XXII.	
Of a Curb and Ring Bone,	99
CHAPTER XXIII.	
Of the Grease, -	101
CHAPTER XXIV.	
Of Scratches, _ - -	105
	107
A valuable proved Receipt, for the Human
    Being,   -    -    -     -             111
                     A2 
 
PREFACE.
   The author of the following small treatise, is
aware that his work will meet with objections, on
account of there having been many large volumes
published on  farriery, by men of science,  who
were  acquainted with the  dead languages.   It
was on that ground that he thought the under-
taking more necessary, as the greater  part of
those that are owners of the noble animal, the
horse, are, like  himself, unacquainted with the
Greek or Latin.   And he believes that the ana-
tomy  of the horse,  as well as the human body,
can be  as  well understood and defined, by the
language of our  own mother tongue, as by the
dead  languages : Yes,  and  that those languages 
 Viii                PREFACE.
 only serve the purpose of those who wish to keep
 the world in ignorance,  and profit by the credu-
 lity of others.  For my part, I believe that neither
 the Greeks or Latins taught their pupils the lan-
 guages  of any other  nations : at least  I  never
 saw  an  author,  that  informed  me  that  they
 did so.
  It is  probable,  by this  time,  the reader may
think that I am an enemy to science, and a friend
 to ignorance—but the case is otherwise.  I should
 feel myself happy to  see science flourish,  strip-
ped of her garb of mystery and quackery : and
if the Veterinary  College of London had pur-
sued this laudable method,  Mr. Blaine, and hi.s
cotemporaries in that college, would have de-
 served  immortal praise :  But their books  are at
too high a price for the common reader to pur-
chase—and too voluminous to be read—and too
obscure to be understood, but by those who have
had a classical education.
  I have been an eye witness to the dreadful ef-
fects of the ignorance of those who have under-
taken to doctor the horse, both in this country
and  England.  A  coachman who lived with a
 gentieman in this city, undertook to bleed one of 
PREFACE.
IX
 his employer's horses in the mouth, and, as there
 is a large artery that comes from the heart into
 the mouth, the man had cut that artery  asunder,
 and could not stop the blood j and the horse had
 continued to bleed for two hours,  before he was
 brought to me, and it was with great  difficulty
 that  I  stopped it : and believe that the horse
 could not have lived ten minutes longer, if the
 blood had not stopped—as the poor animal was
 struck all over with a cold sweat, and trembled
 like a-leaf.
   One more  instance  I  will relate, which is,
 that a groom  belonging to a gentleman in this
 city,  also, undertook to clean the yard of his
 master's horse—in doing which, he drew down
 the yard  beyond  its  natural  extremity, which
 overstrained the leading  tendons, or nerves of
 the  yard, like a violin  string that  is overdrawn,
 and has lost its elasticity, so that the animal had
 not power to draw it back to its place.  When
 the man brought the horse to me, he said, Mr.
 Carver, what  is the matter with this horse ?  I
 told him immediately,  that he had forced down
the yard with his hand, beyond its natural posi-
tion : He  at first denied the fact—but on my in 
X                 PREFACE.
sisting on its being the case, he confessed, and
begged that I would not inform his master how
it had happened :  by applying restringent medi-
cines, I brought the yard to perform its natural
functions.  It was a judicious  remark of  Lord
Pembroke, when he said—" Any gentleman who
permitted his  groom to administer any  thing
more to his horses, than messes or warm gruel,
would soon find himself on foot."
   I  am  certain that there are persons in this
city, who  undertake to  doctor the horse, that
cannot either read or write  their own names—
and consequently know nothing of the quality or
power of medicine ; and I have seen them apply
a restringent, when they should have applied a
relaxative : In  consequence of this  ignorance,
they cannot consult the state of the blood  of the
 horse, which is the first thing  to be considered,
 in all kinds of fevers.   And I furthermore be-
 lieve, that they know not where to find the pulse
 veins—or  how many times the pulse beats in a
 minute,  in order to judge  of the state of the
 animal, they pretend to cure.
   I have  read a great number of authors, who
 have  attempted  to describe the method, or best 
                  PREFACE.                 XI
manner of shoeing the  horse ;  and they have
given what was, in their opinions, the form and
the shape of the shoe, that should be placed on
the foot; but  I have found by long experience,
that the}-, for  want of practice,  have been, al-
most all  of them, very  erroneous : the author
that comes nearest to the point, so as to preserve
the foot,  is  Clark.   As  shoeing  the  horse is a
most essential point to be considered, I have at-
tempted to describe the best method that I have
discovered, in thirty years' practice, in the chapter
on shoeing :  and this  I think the more necessary,
as I have witnessed the dreadful, and the most
evil consequences, of horses being placed in the
hands of unexperienced  shoers, in this city.  I
have known smiths to open shops, and undertake
to shoe horses, who never had shod a horse  in
their lives; and the result has been, that the feet
have  been ruined, and  the horses have been
obliged to be turned to pasture, in order that na-
ture  might replace the injured foot.  The most
celebrated authors, and judges of horses, have
considered the  knowledge of the  foot, and the
manner  of shoeing,  as  very essential points :
Bracken has said—no foot, no horse ; and Mr 
Xll
PREFACE.
Blaine,  of  the  Veterinary College of London,
says—that  he would not trust many of the pre-
tended  shoers,  to drive a single nail in the foot
of his horse.  And, for  ray  own part, I would
not permit three fourths  of  the smiths, of this
city, to take off a  single shoe from my horse's
foot, was I not present at the time.
  I presume  the public will consider, that I have
not written this small treatise, from a view of de-
riving any pecuniary advantage, as I am now ar-
rived at an advanced period of life ; but that my
only object is that  of being useful to those who
are in possession of that useful animal, the horse.
And as there are thousands in this city,  and in
the United States, whose  whole dependence for
the support of themselves and families, is on the
health,  and labour that  they  derive from the
horse :  and gentlemen who travel,  are often re-
tarded on their journey, owing to the misconduct
of those that take charge of their horses—or by
the smiths that shoe them : I therefore believe,
that this small pocket companion, will enable the
traveller to  set  both the groom and the smith
right, when they have committed errors^ or pre-
vent their committing any. 
PREFACE.               Xllt
  It is probable that  this publication will be
criticised  on,  and in a measure condemned, by
those that profess themselves judges of ortho-
graphy and grammar, but, the only apology that
I shall make, is, that the common reader in
general will understand my meaning, or ideas,
and  this is  grammar and orthography sufficient
for  them.  I  know  that Bailey, Sheridan, and
Johnson, have told us that each syllable must be
spelt  with such  and such letters and vowels j
and  that they must be pronounced in such and
such a manner,  with such a tone of voice ; but
I find, that what is  called grammar in one cen-
tury, is condemned  in an other—as a proof of
this, let  any one refer to books  that were pub-
lished  one or  two centuries past—let them read
Sidney on Government, or Fox's Martyrs, or
any  old  authors,  and  they will finH,  that  the
language or grammar materially differs from that
of the present day :  a  word spoken that can be
understood, is  far better than ten thousand words
spoken in a language that cannot be understood.
Had I been acquainted with the  Greek or Latin
languages, or  terms  of art and obscurity of ex-
pression, I  should  have avoided them as much 
XIV
PREFACE.
as possible.   I am more desirous of being intel-
ligible to the meanest capacity, than ambitious
of writing in what is called a polished style, to
which I make no pretensions—on this account I
expect indulgence from the candid reader.   It
will be found that I have given but few receipts,
and those that  are  given  have been proved by
experience.   I have been always opposed to giv-
ing a variety,  or complication of  medicines,
either to  man  or beast;  for,  should not  few
medicines be found  to relieve  the patient in a
short  time, it is better to leave nature to strug-
gle with  infirmities, as she  at times performs
wonders : this I  have proved  by the  horse—
likewise  by  my own family, as  I am my own
family physician,  and have been  for more than
twenty years  past, and, during that time, I have
not paid five dollars to any one  of the faculty to
attend them, although they  (as  is common to
mankind) have had their share of sickness.   If
man  would  but take the trouble  to examine
and think for himself, he might then be  his own
physician, and save himself a great deal of  ex-
pense. I would recommend every father of a fa-
mily to provide himself with Buchan's Domestic 
PREFACE.
XV
Medicine,  and the Edinburgh Dispensatory.—
The assistance of these  books, and study, will,
in most  cases, supersede the necessity of em-
ploying a physician.
  Although there are a great number of horses
kept in this city, I  do not find one citizen that
makes the economy or welfare  of the  horse so
much their study that they  might examine this
work, or to whom I might dedicate it.  I there-
fore dedicate  it  to the  public at large, leaving
it to judge of  its merits, and my experience or
veracity.   I have given in the appendix a most
valuable receipt for the pleurisy, pain in the back
or side,  for the human species.   This receipt I
have  communicated to  many gentlemen of the
faculty, which they have proved to have the de-
dired effect.
                   WILLIAM  CARVER.
  Nexv Tori, November 3d, 1818. 
 
CHAPTER I.
Some general directions, in regard to the manage-
            ment and care of Horses.

  The  Horse, by nature,  is doomed to roam at
large in the woods or fields,  and,  while remaining
in this state, his wants are easily supplied, and his
diseases are few ;  but,  when brought into a do-
mesticated  state, his diseases are many, and his
wants are great, and he requires the fostering hand
of care and diligence, to keep and preserve  him in
health.   It should be observed to give horses as
few  medicines as possible,  and not follow the ri-
diculous custom of  frequently bleeding and purg-
ing,  when the horse is in perfect health.
  Proper dressing, feeding, and exercise, will alone
cure  many disorders, and prevent most.   Proper
care  should be  taken to procure  good sweet hay
and  cats, for, should either of these articles be either
musty or  foul,  they will  affect his lungs,  and at
times cause him to be broken winded ;  and, what
is commonly called shorts  or bran, is frequently in
a state  of fermentation before it is given to the
horse, and this is what I apprehend to be the cause
of so many horses dying with the worms, or bots.
If a  small portion of  clean cut  straw be given,
                      B 2 
18
The Pocket Farrier.
 either with oats or bran, it will have a tendency to
 eradicate those insects.
   All stables should be ventilated, so as to admit a
 free and constant circulation of fresh air; for with-
 out this,  the horse is constantly breathing,  or tak-
 ing into  his stomach or lungs, the foul air that
 arises from the dung,  urine, or the perspiration that
 flies  from the body of the horse;  and, when the
 stable is  crowded with horses,  the effluvia must
 arise to a high degree, which, of course, will give
 rise to the most malignant fevers, and also chronick
 complaints.
   Having visited many  stables in this city,  I have
 found many stalls where horses have  stood, in their
 dung, to  the  thickness  of six  or  seven inches,
 which I could attribute to nothing,  but  the indo-
 lence of those that had the  care of horses com-
 mitted to them.   And  I have likewise observed
 that horses,  standing  in  this  situation, have fallen
 back  in their  stalls as far as their  halters  would
 permit;  and this was done, in order that the poor
 animal might escape  the fume that was constantly
 arising and flying into his nostrils, every time that
 he  drew his breath.   I  have given this hint,  in
 order that the owners and lovers of horses  might
attend to this, and have the neglect remedied.
  All stables should admit of a sufficient quantity
of light, as nature has  provided this for the benefit
of both man and beast.   All  horses, standing  in
dark stables, are liable to have their sight affected > 
The Pocket Farrier.            19
 as a sudden transition,  from a state of total dark-
 ness, to the brilliancy  of that of the sun, at noon-
 day, will have a powerful effect upon the optics of
 the  eye, and will cause excessive pain, and proba-
 bly,  in  time,  the  total loss of sight.  As to the
 custom  that  is prevailing in this city, in regard to
 the  blanketing of  horses, and  driving them with
 the  blankets on their bodies through rain and snow,
 must certainly be  pernicious to the health of the
 animal—as the labour that they perform will cause
 a perspiration, and consequently  the pores of the
 skin are more open than they  are while remaining
 in a state of inactivity ;  therefore, the water that is
 contained in the blanket must be absorbed into the
 system  of the  horse, which,  according to reason,
 must make the horse  liable to colds, and stiff" limbs,
 or what is commonly called  founder.  If nature,
 that is  complete in  her works, had destined the
 horse to  wear blankets, she would  have sent him
 covered with them.   When  the horse is standing
 in the stable, if he must have a blanket, it should
 be  a light  one,  and not two or three at one time,
 with a broad roller girted tight, as grooms  will tell
 us  in order to take  up the belly, as they call  it,
 which  prevents the  expansion of the lungs, and
 causes  the  animal to  breathe  with difficulty.—
 Blankets  should be taken along with the traveller,
 and thrown on when the horse stops on the road.
   Common  observation teaches us that nature,  at
' proper  seasons of  the  year,  designed the pasture 
20
The Pocket Farrier.
     for the horse, and the horse for the pasture ; there-
     fore, if the  horse could possibly be spared for two
     or three weeks, in the months of May or June, he
*    ought of course to be turned out to roam at large.
       A proper degree of exercise  is of the utmost
     consequence, to  keep the  horse in  perfect health
     and vigour ; but a horse should never be rode hard,
     or put on violent exercise, when his belly is full of
     feed or water—move him  gently  at  first,  and he
     will naturally mend his pace.   Many diseases are
     brought on  for want of proper exercise.   I have
     seen horses  that have stood in their stalls for two
     or  three months,  without  being exercised  at all,
     and, by this  neglect, they have fell victims  to the
     lock-jaw, and farcy.  Nature  demands exercise,
     as well for the animal as the human species, in order
     to keep the blood and fluids in circulation.
      It must certainly  be  obvious to every one of
     common understanding, that great care should be
    taken,  that after a  horse  has had violent  exer-
    cise, or  come off a hard journey, that he  cools
    not too fast—that he  drinks no cold  water, and that
    he is not washed with cold water, which is too often
    practised in  this  country,  by  those that have the
    care  of horses, in order to save the  labour of rub-
    bing and cleaning of  them ;  and it should likewise
    be observed, that their feet should not be permitted
    to stand in a damp or wet stall, which will have a
    tendency to bring on a founder. 
CHAPTER  II.
           On Bleeding, Purging, &c.

   Those horses that have been standing long in
 the stable, and have beentfull fed, require at times
 to be  bled and physicked, especially when their
 eyes look heavy, dull, and  inflamed, as also when
 they feel hotter than usual, and mangle or waste
 their hay.  But the cases that chiefly require bleed-
 ing, are, colds, fevers of most kinds, falls, bruises,
 hurts of the eyes, and all inflammatory disorders.
 All horses should be bled by measure, in order to
 know the quantity that is taken away—two or three
 quarts is always enough at one time, but must be
 repeated  in case of  the pleurisy, which may be
 known by the  blackness of the blood, which should
 be carefully examined,  when cold,  to see whether
 black, florid, sizy, &c.  The neck is the safest place
 to bleed, or in what is commonly called the jugular
 vein : and it  should be observed to bleed near the
 head,  and not, as is frequently done, down  the
 middle of the neck,  which will often cause a swelled
 neck,  if not a mortification  in the vein.  During
 the course of my practice,  I have  been obliged to
take off a part of the jugular vein of the neck of
two horses, owing to their having been struck too 
*2
The Pocket Farrier.
low  down  the  neck, when bled by unexperienced
hands ;  and  to perform what  is commonly called
netting  the  vein, which is  done by tying the vein
with  a  silk  thread, at a certain distance,  in two
places, so as to admit of the cutting away, between
the two threads, that part of the vein that was in a
state of mortification ; and, by this method, I saved
the lives of both  the horses.  All blood should be
drawn from  the part where there  is  least  danger)
which is the vein I have described, and not on the
thigh vein, or the corinett of the foot, or the mouth.
All blood flows from the heart, let it be taken from
what part of the body it may ; but, in case of a
shoulder sprain, I have found it beneficial to bleed
in what is  called the plate vein, which is a large
vein  on the inside of the fore legs ;  and, in case of
a founder, I have drawn blood from the toes of the
fore  feet.
  The first purge that is given to a horse should be
mild, in order to know his constitution.   It is a
mistake, that if a purge, properly prepared, does
not work, according to expectation, the  horse will
be injured  by  it.   Although  it may not pass  by
stool, it may operate, and be more efficacious as an
alterative, to purify the blood :  and it often passes
by urine, or other secretions.   Horses that fail of
their stomach, whether it proceeds  from too full
feeding, or  engendered crudities,  and  indigested
matter, should have a mild purge or two. It should
be remembered, that a horsq  is purged with diffi- 
The Pocket Farrier.
23
culty—that all physick generally lies twenty-four
hours in the guts, before it begins to work off; and,
that the tract of bowels  it has to pass through, is
about thirty yards, which lay horizontally. If mer-
curial physick is given, care should be taken that it
be well prepared,  and warm  clothing and great
circumspection  are then required.    All purges
should be given in the morning ;  but the horse
should have a warm mess  or two the day before,
in order to relax his bowels ; and, if he has a mess
in the morning,  before the ball is given, it will be
so much  the better—and,  about three hours after
taking the ball, he should have another mess given
him,  of scalded bran or shorts.  Early the next
morning give him another mess—and let his water
be warm,  with a handful of bran or shorts squeezed
in it; but if he refuses  warm water, he must be
indulged  to have it cold.  He should be properly
clothed, and rode gently about; and this should be
done  two  or  three times  in  the  day, unless he
purges violently, then once or twice will be suf-
ficient—at night give him a feed of dry oats.  But,
should the physick continue  to operate too long,
give him the following drink : Take half a pint of
brandy, one once of liquid laudanum, and one ounce
of aniseeds, finely powdered, to be put in one pint
of good ale.   If he refuses all kinds of food, of an
ordinary nature,  let him be tried with two  quarts
of wheat: this I have tried with good effect.   By
this means I once  saved the  life of a nobleman's 
24       '     The Pocket Farrier.
 horse  in  England, that had been over purged by
 his coachman, and  had not eat one mouthful for
 three  days,  I  shall omit  giving a variety of re-
 ceipts for purging balls, and only give one that I have
 proved .to answer all the purposes to which it was
 intended, as a common physick, and which I have
 continued to administer for thirty years past.  And
 when the rules that I have laid down were attended
 to, in  regard to giving the messes and water, not
 five balls, out of one hundred, have failed to purge
 the horse sufficiently.

 To make what is commonly called a Coarse Physic,
           or Three Balls for a  Horse.
   Take four ounces of succotrine aloes, two ounces
 of fresh  jalap, two  ounces of  powdered  ginger,
 two ounces of cream of tartar, and add thirty drops
 of oil of aniseed, with  as much buckthorn syrup,
 or molasses, as  will  form  it into a paste—divide,
 and let each bail weigh three ounces and a half.—
 When  only one ball is wanted, take only the third
part of all the above named  ingredients.
   Observe, that when the  horse is  to undergo a
coarse  physick, or take three balls, that six or eight
days interval of time, should be given between each
 dose, or  it will injure what is generally called the
mucus, or lining of the guts.
   When  a horse loses his  appetite for some days,
 after purging, it will be necessary to give  a warm
 stomach drink, made  of an infusion of chamomile 
              The Pocket Farrier.            25

flowers, aniseeds and saffron, and half an ounce of
asafoetida.  This infusion may be made in one quart
of ale, with a small quantity of honey, in order to
make it palatable.
  When balls are  given, they should be of an oval
shape, and  not exceed the  size of a pullet's egg j
and, when the dose is  large, it should be divided
ipto two, and they should  be dipt in oil, to make
them slip down the easier.
   As  I have given my experience, in regard to
purging the horse, I will now proceed in regard to
clysters, with a few remarks and cautions.
   Let it be observed, that before the administering
of  emollient clysters, in costive disorders, a small
hand, well oiled,  should be passed up the funda-
ment, in order  to bring away  the hardened dung,
that would be an obstacle to the clyster's passage.
 Author's have differed, with regard to the apparatus
 to  give the clysters with :  some have preferred a
 pipe and bladder, to  the syringe ; but I have for
 many years used the syringe.  It  should be ob-
 served not to give more than two quarts of a clyster
 at one time, as an overcharge will cause it to return
 too quick ; but it should  be  often repeated, and
 more  particularly when a quick passage is wanted^
          To prepare an Opening Clyster.
   Take two quarts of water, and stir into it a hand-
 ful of wheat flour or oatmeal, let it be boiled, then
 add half a pint of molasses, half a  pint of That's
 ;"oot oil, and a handful of common salt. 
26
The Pocket Farrier.
           For a Restringent  Clyster.
  Take of oak hark two ounces, boil it in two quarts
of water, till one is nearly consumed, pour off, and
dissolve in it four ounces of diascordium, to which
add one ounce of liquid laudanum,  and a  pint of
port wine. 
CHAPTER III.
                    Of Colds.

   The source of the generality of fevers, coughs,
 and many other disorders, arise from taking cold^
 both  in men and horses.  When this is the case,
 the pores and outlets of the skin, which, in a state
 of health,  is constantly breating out a fine fluid,
 like steam arising from hot water; but, when the
 horse has taken cold, these steams and perspirable
 matter are deprived of a free passage through them,
 and are hindered from going  off in their usual
 course, and, in consequence,  are recoiling on the
 blood and overfill the vessels, and affect the head,
 glands, or kernels of the neck and throat, the lungs,
 and other principal parts.
   To enumerate all the causes  of colds, would be
 both  endless and useless.  The usual, are, riding
 horses or driving of them till they are hot, and letting
 them stand in the cold air:  and, by not being care-
 fully rubbed  down when they come in hot, off long
journeys.   The signs of a horse having a cold, are,
 a cough, heaviness  and dulness, in proportion to
 the severity of it,  and he rattles in his breathing—
 his flanks work, and he will loath his meat, and re-
 fuse his water—his mouth will be slimy—his ears 
 28            The Pocket Farrier.

 and feet will be cold:  in this case there is danger
 of a fever, and  the pulse should be consulted : in
 small  horses  the pulse is generally from 50 to 55,
 but in large horses, from 45 to 50 : two pulse veins
 are  to  be found, one  on  the inside of the  jaw
 bone,  the  other  on the inside of the  fore leg,  be-
 tween the point of the shoulder and the knee joint.
 If the  disorder  should increase, bleed  him  two
 quarts ;  and,  if his  lungs are affected,  repeat the
 bleeding the next day.   If the  horse  be costive.
 give him a mild purging ball, or drink.  The balls
 that I haVe recommended for a purge, may be  dis-
 solved  in warm water or ale.
   Particular notice should be taken, to see that the
 horse waters or stales freely—if not, his yard should
 be examined.  This should be done, by the operator
 oiling  his  hand  before it  is introduced into  the
 sheath—but the yard  should not be strained down,
 which  is  often practised,  as both the  yard  and
 sheath can be cleaned, without stretching down the
yard.  In performing this operation, I have found
 hard substances round the point of the yard, like
stones,  about  the size of an Indian corn; and at
other times I have  found a cap over the pcint of
the yard,  of  a  substance  similar to a  skin,  or
 isinglass, but both these obstructions are easily re-
moved without straining down the yard,  or the in-
ternal part of the  sheath. All horses' yards should
be examined every three or  four months.   I have
 attributed those stones, that I  have described, to 
The Pocket Farrier.
29
the horses'  drinking the hard pump water in this
city,  as  the stones  appear to be of  the same con-
sistency  as the fir on the inside of our tea kettles.
I have known it to be the case, through neglect of
examining the yard in time, that the horse's water
has been stopped for a great length  of time—that
the bladder has burst,  and the horse has died.
After I  have removed those obstructions, I have
given the following diuretick ball.
   Take one ounce nitre, finely powdered, one ounce
of juniper berries,  half  an  ounce of white  rosin,
with  as much Venice turpentine as would make it
into a ball.  This I have proved to be effectual, as
it will generally pass through, by urine, in three or
four hours.
   Should the cold continue, give the followingbaU,
from  Dr. Bracken :
   Take  aniseed, and  greater  cardamomum,  and
caraway seeds, finely powdered, of each, one ounce ;
flour  of brimstone, two  ounces; turmeric, in fine
powder, one ounce and a half; saffron, two drachms;
Spanish juice  dissolved in water, two ounces ; li-
quorice powder, one ounce and a half; oil of  ani-
seed, half an ounce ; wheat flour sufficient to make it
into a stiff paste : beating all the ingredients well,
in a mortar.  These balls consist of warm, opening
ingredients ; and  given  in small quantities,  about
the size  of a pullet's egg, will encourage a free
perspiration  ; but, in case of a fever, should be
cautiously continued.   This simple  method,  with
                      c 2 
HO            The Pocket Farrier.
good nursing and warm messes,  and gentle  exer-
cise every day, will hasten recovery.  The manger
should be kept clean, by filling it with clean straw.
His feeds should be given in small quantities :  his
hay well shook, and sprinkled with water. 
CHAPTER IV.
                   On Fevers.

   The symptoms which denote a fever, are the fol-
lowing :   The  horse  is  restless, his  flanks  work
quick, his eyes are red and inflamed, his tongue
parched  and dry—his breath  is hot, and  smells
strong; his appetite is lost, and he nibbles his hay,
and  is frequently smelling  to the  ground—-his
whole body is  hotter than ordinary, and he dungs
often, and  little at a time—his urine is high co-
loured—he appears to crave water, but drinks little:
his pulse beats full, and hard  to fifty strokes, or
more, in a minute.
  The first thing necessary to be done, is to bleed two
or three  quarts, if the horse is strong and in good
condition; then give him a  pint of the following
drink, four times a day.
   Take nitre, one ounce ; of balm, sage, and camo-
mile  flowers, each,  an  handful;  liquorice  root,
sliced, half an ounce : infuse in three pints of boil-
ing water—strain off, and add to it the juice of two
or three limes, and sweeten with honey or molasses.
The chief article to  be depended on, is the nitre :
in a high  fever, I have  given  as much as half a
pound of  nitre per day, with good effect. 
 32            The Pocket Farrier.

   Should the horse be costive, give the following
 clyster :
   Take two full hands of marshmallows, and one of
 chamomile  flowers ; fennel seed, an ounce—boll in
 three quarts of water to two—strain off—add four
 ounces of molasses, and a pint of linseed or neat?s
 foot oil.
   His diet  should be as recommended before, for
 colds  : to consist of warm messes, given in small
 quantities—should he  refuse warm food or water,
he should be indulged with cold,   A small  portion
of picked hay should be put into his rack at a time,
as his breath will taint all manner of food.   Mode-
rate exercise, fresh air, and a clean stable, will have
a. tendency to restore the horse to health.
<v 
CHAPTER V.
 Of the Pleurisy, and Inflammation of the Lungs.

  This is a disorder that horses are much subject
to in this country.  I  have frequently found, by
examining the  carcases of  dead horses,  different
kinds of inflammations on the pleura, or membrane
that lines the chest internally. The whole substance
of the lungs were  black, and  full of a gangrened
water; and, in short, inflammations in every bowel.
The blood  vessels were so overloaded,  that the
blood has  burst out of the smaller vessels, and
gushed out, as from a fountain,  filling all the cavi-
ties of the  body.   At other times I  have found
large clots of blood, resembling liver, adhering or
sticking to the sides of the body.  A pleurisy, then,
is generally termed an inflammation of the lungs.
In this disorder a horse shews great uneasiness;
shifts about from place to place.  In the beginning,
he often strives, to lie  down, but starts up imme-
diately, and frequently turns his head towards the
affected side; and this has caused many to mistake
the  pleurisy for the gripes.   The cure of this dis-
order depends,  in  a  great  measure, on  plentiful
bleeding.   If the  horse is  strong, three or four
ju^rts of blood  should be immediately taken j and, 
34            The Pocket Farrier.

if the symptoms do not abate, the bleeding should
be repeated.   I have taken away as much as eight
or ten quarts in twenty-four hours.  But the dis-
order may, in a great measure, be discovered by
the  blood,  which  appears black and thick, nearly
like  molasses.   A blistering  ointment should be
rubbed all over his brisket, upon the foremost ribs.
The diet and medicine should  be both cooling, re-
laxing, and diluting—warm messes, and plenty of
water or gruel.
  The following balls should be given, thrice a day :
  Take of spermaceti and nitre, one ounce ;  oil of
aniseed, thirty drops ;  with honey enough to  make
a ball.
  A purging clyster should likewise be given.
  Take senna, two ounces ; fennel seed and bay-
berries, of each,  one ounce :  boil in  five pints of
water,  to two quarts—pour off the clear,  and add
four ounces of purging salts ; half a pint of mo-
lasses, and half a pint of linseed oil.   If the  horse
should be  costive, give a purging ball; and he
should be gradually exercised in the  open air.  I
have found a rowel,  placed between the fore legs,
to be of great service. 
CHAPTER  VI.
            Of a Cough, and Asthma.

   I have  seen  old  practitioners more perplexed',,
to remove  a  settled  cough,  than many other com-
plaints ; which,  perhaps, has been  owing to their
want of attention to the different symptoms, which
distinguish one  cough from another : therefore it
was impossible for them to find out the true method
of cure.
   If a horse's cough is of long standing, attended
with the loss of appetite, and  wasting of flesh, it
denotes a consumption, and that the lungs are full
of knotty, hard substances, called tubercles, which
are commonly discovered on dissection.
   The following signs  denote when  the cough pro-
ceeds from phlegm, and slimy matter, that stop up
the vessels  of the lungs :  The horse's flanks have a
quick motion, but not with his nostrils open, like in
a fever, or that  is broken winded :  his cough is at
times dry and husky, and sometimes moist:  he  rat-
tles in the throat, and at times throws out of  his
nose and mouth, a quantity of white phlegm, espe-
'. ially after drinking or exercise—which discharge
gives great relief. 
36            The Pocket Farrier.
  Asthmatic cases are to be distinguished in theii
symptoms, from pursiness, and thick windedness;
and is occasioned by too full, or foul feeding, aria
want of proper exercise.
  As soon as a horse is discovered to have a cough,
he should be moderately bled, and have a  purging
ball; which will, generally, give relief.  But, should
the cough continue for a  week or ten  days, after
bleeding and  purging, give him two drachms  of
calomel, mixed up with an ounce of diapente,  for
two nights, and the next morning give him a purg-
ing ball:  keep him well clothed and littered, and
fed with warm messes.  Once, in eight or ten days,
a purge may be repeated, with one mercurial ball
given over night: the mercurial ball may be mixed
up with wheat flour and honey.  Should the cough
continue,  and the horse be valuable, the following
balls should be continued to be  given, every day,
for two  or three weeks,  or longer, to be of real
service.
  Take of cinabar of antimony, half a pound ; gum
guiacum, four ounces ; myrrh, and gum ammoniac,
of each, two ounces ;  Venice soap, half a pound :
the cinabar must be finely levigated, and the whole
mixed up with honey.  But, after all that has been
done, if the horse should prove broken winded, he
then must be kept on wet feed, as no certain cure,
in that case, has as yet been discovered. 
CHAPTER VII.
          Of an Apoplexy,  or Staggers.

   I shall in  the present chapter omit, as I have
done in the preceding chapters, to give a variety of
different opinions, of  different authors, as  to the
cause of this disorder;  and only go to shew the
practice that I have pursued, and the means by
which I have effected a cure.
   The previous symptoms, that I have discovered,
are a drowsiness, with  watery eyes,  full and in-
flamed, and a disposition to stagger, or reel; feeble-
ness, and the head constantly hanging or resting on
the manger ; with but little fever, and but little al-
teration in the  dung, or urine : at times the horse
is inclined to rear up  and fall back, when handled
by the  head.  Besides  the above symptons, the
horse will be frantic at times.  I have seen them
when let loose, run,  with open mouth, at any  per-
son that stood before them ; and, at other times, I
have seen them run  direct against a wall or fence:
they having,  apparently, lost  their sight.  This is
what is  generally termed the blind, or mad stag-
gers.   I recollect, a  few years past, to have been
called by a respectable  Dutchman in this city,  to
see his horse, that had the mad staggers.  He  siid
                       D 
38
The Pocket Farrier.
  to me, Mr. Carver, mine horse is bewitched—I
  suspect the person  that has done it—I have some
  very bad neighbours.  I laughed at the ignorance
  of the man, and his belief in  ancient superstition.
  For my own part, I  have long since discarded from
  my mind, witches,  hobgoblins, and ghosts of all
  kinds : having  swept them away from my brains,
  with the besom of thought.  I drove the old lady,
  the witch, out of my employer's  horse—but the
  poor animal lost the sight of one eye.  This I did
 not  attribute to my friend's old witch, but to the
 malignity  of the disorder.
   When it is discovered that a horse has the stag-
 gers, the first thing that should  be done is to empty
 the vessels, by  purging and bleeding.  If the horse
 is  strong,  four or five  quarts of blood should be
 taken ; and two or three rowels should be intro-
 duced, to  cause a plentiful  discharge.  Opening
 clysters should  be given.  If a small portion of
 Spanish flies, be mixed  with  a small quantity of
 Venice turpentine  and  hog's  lard, to make the
 rowel of, it will cause a quick suppuration.  By
 pursuing this method, and giving  the  following
 balls, I have performed cures in the worst of cases.
  Take of  asafoetida, half an ounce ;  Russia castor,
 powdered,  two drachms ;  valerian root, powdered,'
 one ounce :  make into a ball, with honey and oil of
 amber.  This ball should be given twice a day, at
first, for two or three days, until the horse is  found 
The Pocket Farrier.
39
to be mending ; and, after that, one ball should be
continued, until the cure is performed.
  The following ointment should  be rubbed into
the cheeks, temples, neck, spines of the back, and
wherever there are contractions and stiffness :
  Take marshmallow ointment, four  ounces ; oil
of amber, two ounces, and a sufficient quantity of
camphorated spirit of wine to make a liniment. 
m
V 
CHAPTER VIII.
                Of the Strangles.

   The strangles is a distemper to which colts and
 young horses are very subject.   It begins with a
 swelling between  the jaw bones, which, at times,
 extends to the muscles of the tongue, and is at-
 tended with great heat,  pain, and inflammation :
 so that, till matter is formed,  it is difficult for the
 horse  to  swallow.  I  have known horses, in this
 country,  that  have  been  eight  or  nine  years
 old, to have  this disorder, which I never saw in
 England.   This disease is critical.  But the most
 approved  method is, to assist nature in bringing the
 swellings  to  maturity,  by keeping  the jaws  and
 throat constantly moist, with ointment of marsh-
 mallows,  and covering  the head  and neck with a
 warm hood: but all swellings, in glandular parts,
 suppurate  slowly.  The following poultice should
 be applied twice a day, hot, to the throat:
  Take half a peck of turnips, and  half a peck of
 onions—boil them until they  are quite soft;  and
 white lily root, half a pound;  and add  half  a
 pound of ointment of marshmallows.   By this  me-
thod, the  swellings on the inside of the jaw bones
will  break^ or it  will cause a discharge from the
                       d2 
42
The Pocket Farrier.
 nostrils.  I have known the throat so affected, that
 the horse could not eat a mouthful for several days.
 In this case I have given him, twice a day, a cordial
 drink to support his system ; and have, every two
 hours, gargled his throat with vinegar and honey:
 and, by doing this,  the ulcer has broke, and a pow-
 erful discharge has followed; without which, the
 horse must have died.   Great care should be taken
 that the horse be not costive ; and, to that end, a
 purging  drink  should be given, and two quarts of
 blood  should be  taken, from the jugular or neck
 vein.  But should a costiveness continue, relaxative
 clysters  should be  administered: warm  messes
 should be given, as soon  as the horse can eat, in
 which  a small portion  of  nitre should be put.__
 Should the running at the  nose continue too long,
 which  will greatly  weaken the  horse,  give  him,
 every day, an ounce of Jesuits' bark,  or a strong
decoction of guiacum shavings.
  If a hardness remain, after the sores are healed
up, anoint with mercurial ointment. 
CHAPTER IX.
           Of the Diseases of the Eyes.

   The disorders of the eyes arise from different
 causes: such as colds, bruises, and inflammation of
 the blood.  Some authors have supposed it to be here-
 ditary.  But, from whatever cause it may originate,
 in the first place the horse should be physicked and
 bled, in order to cool his blood.  All internal ap-
 plications, before this, will only increase the inflam-
 mation : such as blowing into the  eye burnt alum,
 white vitriol, powdered sugar, &c.   Should the eye
 be  swelled, attended with a running, it  should be
 spunged with cold spring  water and vinegar ; or
 the following wash  :
  Take of white vitriol, half an ounce ; sugar of
 lead,  two  drachms :  dissolve in a pint of spring
 water.  Let the eye be bathed with this wash three
 or four times a day.
  When the inflammation has been very great, I
 have  found that a rowel, placed between the fore-
 brows, to  be of great service.  Likewise, bleeding
 in the large vein under the eye, will  at times give
 great  relief.  If,  after the heat is  abated, and the
swelling gone down, there should remain a film on
the globe, or any  internal part of the eye, there 
44
The Pocket Farrier.
should be a little  white  vitriol, finely powdered,
and  sugar candy blown into the  eye,  which will
take off the film.   During the time, the  horse
should be fed on messes, and an ounce of nitre put
in his feed,  once a day.   I  have  seen horses that
have had a speck on the eye, occasioned by a
stroke  from the lash of  a  whip, which  I have
completely removed,  by  touching the speck with
luna caustic. But this should not be done every day,
but once in two days, for fear of inflaming the eye;
and, at the  same time, the eye should be bathed
with the aforenamed wash.   I  have  seen  prac-
titioners  attempt to cure moon blindness and cata-
racts, but I never saw one of them succeed.   They
are complaints that I  never attempted, through my
thirty years' practice.  But  considered it  like at-
tempting to  cure the glanders.  And, whenever I
have been applied to for that purpose, I have re-
commended  the owner  immediately to give the
horse a leaden ball through his heart or brains; and
I always  looked on it as  folly for an author even
to write on it,  or prescribe any cure.    <_ 
CHAPTER X.
             Of the Farcin, or Farcy.

   This  is also a distemper to which horses  are
much  subject to in this country ;  and which per-
haps has called forth as much, or more of my prac-
tice, than any other disorder; and in which I have
been  as  much successful in curing: as I  do  not
recollect but one horse to have died under my care,
with  this distemper.  The said horse was taken
care of by a negro, who did not follow my direc-
tions, in  regard of exercise and diet; and the horse
was a few miles in the country.  The practitioner,
in this particular, labours under a great disadvan-
tage ; as proper regimen, exercise, and good nursing,
are very essential in performing a cure.  The prac-
titioner also has other evils to encounter,  as he is
seldom applied to until a variety of nostrums have
been  given  the  horse, which he has to encounter,
and counteract, as well as the disease.   Therefore,
let  his knowledge of the anatomy or ceconomy of
the horse, be what  it may, he gets but little  ap-
plause.   These observations I know to be  correct.
Besides, it is expected that he be almost possessed
of supernatural  powers, so  as to raise the  dead to
life—or  perform an instantaneous cure.   And  his 
46
The Pocket Farrier.
employer  is  not  acquainted  with  the danger  to
which he is exposed, at the time he is practising on
this  powerful animal.  Neither  is he  acquainted
with  the quantity of medicine that the horse re-
quires, or the expense of those medicines.   I have
given balls that have cost me one dollar, before it
was  put down the horse's throat.   Therefore, on
account of the high price of drugs, and for fear  of
offence  being given,  in  regard of  charge, I have
been  obliged to  substitute  medicine  of a. cheap
quality, and to omit those that would have had a far
better effect: for gentlemen in this country do not
pay that respect to a valuable horse, that the gen-
tlemen in England do.   I beg pardon of my read-
ers for thus digressing from the subject; but they
were ideas that struck my mind at the time, and a
man  cannot; help his thoughts.   But to the point,
as regards the farcy ; on  which I mean to be  as
explicit, or plain and concise as possible. Different
authors have given tiheir different opinions, in re-
gard to the  origin  of the  farcy.   Some  having
viewed it as a distemper  of the  blood  vessels,
while others have considered it as local, by which
the constitution is not tainted—the poison being ar-
rested, or seated, only in the glands.   Be this as it
may, in the  beginning  of the disease, it  will at
length, however, insinuate itself into the circulation
of the blood, and poison the whole mass.  There
are,  therefore, two kinds of farcy—the one called
the  button,  and  the  other  the  water farcy.  The 
The Pocket Farrier.
47
button farcy at first, makes its appearance in small
round buds, like grapes or berries, that spring out
over the veins, and all parts of the body, from the
head almost down to the hoofs.   In the beginning
they are hard, but soon turn into soft blisters ;  and
when broke, discharge an oily or bloody ichor, and
turn into very foul  ulcers,  that yield  a great and
offensive discharge.  I have seen them constantly
continue to drip from all parts of the body, on the
floor of the stall in which the horse has stood, like
the dripping of meat that was roasting before a fire :
in this  case the  cure  is difficult-—but in which I
have  performed perfect  cure.  But at times  this
kind of farcy will turn to seated glanders; when
this is the case,  the horse should be dispatched  as
quick as possible, for fear of the contagion spread-
ing :  besides,  no other horse should be permitted
to stand in  the same stable  with a horse in this
situation.
   I now proceed to describe what is called the
water farcy : it  is a species of one and the same
distemper,  but makes its appearance in a different
way or form.  I believe this disorder to be what is
generally called the yellow water,  by  farmers and
others in the interior parts of the country ; and  by
which they  loose a great number  of horses, for
want  of knowing a  remedy to perform a cure.—
The water farcy begins generally with large swel-
lings  in different parts of the bod)';  such as the
cheeks, neck,  and hind legs, and at times the fore 
48
The Pocket Farrier.
legs also—with two large swellings that run along
both sides of the belly, from the flank to the fore
leg, which swellings  are  generally  as  large as a
man's  arm,  and  are  full of yellow water :  the
sheath js also greatly swelled—and at times there
will be a running at the nostrils—These  symptoms
will be attended with a high fever and a costiveness.
  Both kinds of this distemper being of an inflam-
matory nature, and particularly affecting the blood
vessels, must of course require large bleeding; and
more so, if the horse should be fat and full of blood
—this I have always found to check the farcy :  but
if the  horse is  low in flesh,  the loss of too much
blood proves injurious.   Care should be taken to
examine his yard and sheath immediately ; and that
a passage be obtained as quick as possible, both by
dung  and urine ; and one or more  rowels are al-
ways necessary.   Give one of the purging balls, as
recommended in chapter the  second; and likewise
give, in a day or two, the diuretick balls, as recom-
mended in chapter the third.  Should the distem-
per prove obstinate, and be found not to give way
to these means, give a drachm of corrosive sublimate,
night  and morning, two or  three times,  in a ball
made of wheat flour and honey; observing, at the
same  time,  to give the horse, now and  then, an
ounce  of nitre—that is,  refined saltpetre, in  his
messes.  I  have many times observed the good
effect  by giving the corrosive  sublimate, as it would
alter the colour of the matter that discharged from 
The Pocket Farrier.            49
the rowels, in twelve hours, from a yellow hue to
that as  black as a coal; and by these means, and
proper exercise in open air, I always effected a cure.
But it should be observed not to give the sublimate
too often, as it will salivate the horse, or cause his
mouth to be sore.  After the cure is performed, it
would be well to give a purging ball, and take a
small quantity of blood, in order to prevent a return
of the distemper. 
 
CHAPTER XI.
          Of the Yellows, or Jaundice.

   Horses are frequently subject to this disorder ;
which is easily discovered by a dusky yellowness of
the eyes—the inside  of the mouth  and lips—the
tongue, and the bars of the roof of the mouth, also
look yellow ; the horse is dull and feeble, and refuses
food ; the  fever is slow—but both the yellowness
and fever will increase, provided no remedy be ap-
plied to check it.   The dung is generally hard and
dry, of  a pale colour; his urine is of a dark dirty
brown colour ; and when it has stood some time
on a pavement, or the floor of the stall in which he
stands, looks red, like blood.—He stales with diffi-
culty; and if the  disorder is not quickly checked,
the horse will grow frantic : but if proper means
are taken, there is but little doubt of a cure.   The
following directions should be observed: First bleed
plentifully ;  and, as horses are apt to be costive with
this disorder, the next morning give a purging ball,
as before recommended ; but add to it two drachms
of saffron :  his  feed should be  messes—and he
should have gentle exercise in open air.  The fol-
lowing balls, which are opening, may be given in a
few days after the physic has done working: 
52  ■
The Pocket Farrier.
  Take of Dethop's mineral, half an ounce ; mille-
pedes, half an ounce;  and Castile soap, one ounce.
Give one of these balls every day, for four or five
days ; and, should the horse be full of flesh, it will
be proper to put in a rowel. 
CHAPTER XII.
             Of the Colick or Gripes.

   This disorder has, perhaps, perplexed the far-
rier or practitioner more  than many other com-
plaints ; as the internal parts, or bowels of the horse,
cannot be seen, and  he has not, like Balam's ass,
been  endowed with the faculty of speech; and I
presume never will, as  nature's laws are like their
great Author, immutable.  The best authors have
described the  gripes into three different species—
the flatulent or windy—the bilious or inflamma-
tory—and the dry gripes ;  each of which must be
known by their different symptoms.  The flatulent
or windy colick is thus known : The horse is often
lying down, and suddenly rising again with a spring,
and strikes  his belly with his hind feet ; stamps
with his fore feet;  refuses food;  stretches out his
limbs, as if dying;  his ears and feet are alternately
hot and cold ; he falls into profuse  sweats, and then
into cold damps ;  and  often  strives  to  stale,  but
cannot.   This proceeds from a stoppage of urine,
by a load of dung pressing on the neck of the blad-
der, which should be removed, with a hand dipt in
oil, which will make way for the confined wind to
discharge itself, bv  easing the neek of the bladder.
                      F. 2 
54
The Pocket Farrier.
 The following  ball should be given  as  quick a«
 possible :
    Take  Venice turpentine,  and juniper  berries
 pounded, of each one ounce ;  nitre, one ounce ; oil
 of juniper, qne drachm; salt of tartar, two drachms:
 make  into a ball, with honey or molasses : wash
 down  with a horn or two of warm gruel.
   I have given the following drink, and have found
 it effectual:
   Take one ounce of nitre ; one ounce of juniper
 berries powdered ;  one ounce of aniseeds ; half  a
 gill of spirits of turpentine ;  and half a gill of
 liquid laudanum:  mix in three half pints of warm
 ale, and sweeten with molasses:  at the same time
 give warm opening clysters.   I have seen prac-
 titioners bleed in the mouth for this disorder, which
 seems  to be of little or no use—the neck vein being
 more eligible.  If,  in an  hour or two,  the horse
 neither stales, dungs, or breaks wind, give  another
 ball, or drink—walk or trot him  about gently,  but
 not to jade him.
   The next species of colick is termed the bilious,
 or inflammatory, and is attended  with  most of  the
preceding symptoms—But a high fever soon comes
on, with  a panting and dryness of the  mouth;  the
horse continues  to throw  out a little hot dung,
which  appears blackish, or of a red colour, and is
of a foetid smell: this denotes an approaching mor-
tification.   In this case the horse  should be imme-
diately bled, as much as three or four quarts;  and 
The Pocket Farrier.
55
it should be repeated in three or four hours, if the
symptoms do not abate ; an emolient clyster should
be given, with two ounces of nitre dissolved in it,
two  or three times a day.  The following cooling
drink  should  be given every two dr three  hours,
till several stools are produced ; afterwards to be
only given night and morning :
   Take of senna, three ounces ; salt of tartar, half
an ounce ; infuse in a quart of boiling water : in an
hour or two add four ounces of  glauber salts, with
two  ounces of  honey.   If  the  symptoms do not
abate, the only thing to be depended on is a strong
decoction of Jesuit's bark, given to the quantity of
a pint every three hours, with  half a pint of port
wine.
   If the horse is not of much value,  give the fol-
lowing alterative ball:
   Take of diapente, one ounce ; diascordium, half
an ounce—make into a ball, with  two drachms of
myrrh, and two drachms of oil of amber :  give it
two or three times a day.
   The last to be described is the dry gripes ;  which
arises from costiveness; and is to be discovered by
the  horse's frequent and fruitless motion to dung,
and the quick motion of his tail; the hardness and
blackness of the dung,  and  the high  colour of his
urine—and his  great uneasiness.   In this case the
strait gut should be emptied, by a  hand dipt in oil;
and an oily opening clyster, and a purge, should be
given as quick   as  possible.  The diet should be 
56
The Pocket Farrier.
warm messes—warm  water; and four ounces  of
gum Arabic  should be  dissolved  in  a  quart  of
water—a little of which should be given every time
the horse drinks. 
CHAPTER XIII.
              Of Worms and Bots.

   It would be  both needless and useless to insert
all  the nostrums that have  been recommended to
destroy worms and bots, that reside in the stomach
of the horse ; and likewise to give the opinions of
different  authors as to their origin, and the manner
by which they are introduced into the stomach.   It
is sufficient then to know that there are three kinds
of worms found in horses :  the  most mischievous
are called bots—They are of a reddish colour, and
seldom exceed three quarters of an inch in length;
at one extremity  they have two small hooks,  by
which they attach  themselves to the maw, or the
insensible coat of the stomach,  and  then  they  do
not appear to cause any great uneasiness ; but, when
they attach themselves to the sensible part, they  do
great injury,  by  keeping  up a constant irritation,
and occasioning emaciation, a rough standing coat,
hide bound, and a cough, and  often destroys the
horse.  In opening horses  after they have been
dead, I have found as many bots as would half  fill
the crown of  a hat; and have known them to live
a fortnight after the horse has been dead.  Bots are 
58
The Pocket Farrier.
very tenacious of life :  on this account it is almost
impossible to drive them from their hold—It ap-
pears that all strong medicines, such as mercurials,
only serve to make them stick faster ; as they work
themselves  into  the maw,  like bees  into a honey-
comb.   To  attempt therefore  the destruction of
bots, is probably useless :  but La Fosse, a French
author,  highly recommends soot; and powdered
savine  has  been known to cause them to evacuate.
But they appear to be fond of any thing sweet:  I
therefore have given to horses that have been troubled
with them, one pint of  sweet milk, and half a pint
of molasses  for  three mornings running; and the
next morning given a purging ball, to which I have
added a drachm of calomel—and in some cases with
good effect.
  The next worm that  I shall describe is  very
slender, of a blackish colour, and seldom exceeds
two inches  in length ;  but they are never found in
the stomach—the largest parts  of the  canal is the
place of  their residence.
  The third kind of worm is of a whitish colour,
being from  six  to eight inches in length, and are
generally found in the lower parts of the intestines :
both of these kind of worms are common to horses
in this country.   They appear  to consume a great
quantity of chyle, or the nutritious part of the food
that the  horse eats, so that he is always poor and
lean, and at  times hide bound.   But  they are easy
to get rid of, by giving two or three  purging balls, 
The Pocket Farrier.
59
with a drachm of calomel in each ball; always ob-
serving to wait eight or ten days, between giving
each dose.  Any observer may be satisfied of worms
in the intestines, by raising the horse's tail, and he
will  discover a whitish or straw coloured powder,
sticking below the anus or fundament. 
 
CHAPTER XIV.
             Of Wounds in general.

  All fresh wounds made by cutting instruments,
should,  in  the  first place, be brought together as
much as possible, either by sewing or bandage; but
not so as to prevent a suppuration, or a discharge
of matter.   But, provided the wounded part will
neither admit of sewing or bandage, and the blood
should flow in a copious manner, the  first thing, in
this case,  to be attended  to, is to stop the blood ;
and this I  have effected by applying  a  quantity of
lint, or soft flax, dipt in a  tincture made in  the fol-
lowing manner, (which tincture ought to be alwavs
ready at hand, for the practitioner)—
  Take half a pint of spirits of wine ;  half a pint
of brandy ; and one ounce of succotorine aloes, finely
powdered :  mix them together in a bottle.  If the
wound should be in such a part as not to admit of a
bandage, so as to bind on  the lint or flax, thus dipt
in the tincture, it must be continued to be held on
by the hand until there is an eschar formed ; other-
wise it  will elude the expectation, and frequentlv
cause alarm with  fresh  bleeding.   By the applica-
tion of this tincture, in the manner above described,
                       F 
62
The Pocket Farrier.
 I have never failed to stop the flow of blood, occa-
 sioned by the worst of wounds.
   I recollect that, a few years ago, a horse belong-
 ing to  Mr. Charles Ludlow, of this city, had  the
 boom or shaft of a cartman's cart drove through
 his sheath,  which came out at the hind part of  his
 thigh; the wound was so large that a hand could be
 passed through  it, and the blood gushed out, as
 from the spout of  a pump ;  but  by holding on the
 flax to the wound, for the spate of four hours, dipt
 in the  tincture,  an eschar was formed.   The next
 morning I proceeded to inject the wound with warm
 tincture of myrrh, which quickly brought on a sup-
 puration, or a plentiful  discharge of thick white
 matter; anointing, at  the same  time,  the swollen
 parts, with the London ointment of marshmallows—
 and frequently giving the horse cordial balls of the
 following description :  One ounce of aniseeds, and
 one ounce of carraway ;  one ounce of nitre, finely
 powdered—mixed  up with liquid  laudanum.  By
 these balls the horse was kept from starving : and
 every  time  I gave  him  water, an ounce of nitre,
 powdered,  was mixed with it—In one month the
cure was completed, and scarcely a scar to be seen
on the outer part of the thigh.  I  have never known
the forenamed tincture to fail in stopping of blood,
either on man or horse, when closely applied.
  A friend  and  countryman  of  mine, that resides
about twelve miles from the city, was one day going
up on a hay stack ;  and there  was  a  large, old 
The Pocket Farrier.
63
 fashioned hay cutter, that fell down, by the shake
 of the ladder,  right across the instep of his foot—
 and  so far severed the foot, that the fore part of it
 dropt down, so that it formed a square.  The whole
 family was greatly  alarmed—expecting  the  man
 quickly to bleed to death—But, on recollecting that
 there was some of my tincture in the house, it Was
 immediately  applied ;  the foot bound up; and the
 blood  stopped.   The  next day a man was sent to
 town for more of the tincture ; and by continuing
 to apply  it, and anointing the swelling with the oint-
 ment of  marshmallows, the cure was  completed,
 without being attended with any lameness.
   By the following mixture I have likewise stopped
 profuse bleeding:
   Take one ounce of spirits of turpentine, and one
 ounce  of oil of vitriol—mix  them  together  in a
 bottle ; leaving out the  cork until the inflammation
 has  subsided, or  it will burst the bottle.   But the
 former mixture is preferable, as it will both stop the
 blood and cure the wound.
   All  deep wounds should be injected with tinc-
 ture  of myrrh, to bring  a speedy discharge ; and
 the injecter should have a long tube, in order that
 the  tincture  may be applied to the bottom of the
 wound.—And no wound should be so closed at the
 mouth, or front, as to prevent a free discharge.
  Some  time past I was called on by a gentleman,
to attend a horse a  few miles in the country, that
had  had a shaft  of a  chair run into one  of his 
64
The Pocket Farrier.
shoulders.   An  ignorant  blacksmith, of this tit)-,
had previously attended the horse, and filled up the
wound with salt; and so closed the wound, that no
suppuration could take place.  I directly found,
that  both an  inflammation and mortification had
taken place, in consequence of this treatment: I
therefore pronounced  that the horse would die in
twelve hours,  and he did so.
             Of Wounds in the feet.

   Wounds in the feet arise from different causes :
such as cuts by hard substances—as glass, stones,
and pricks from nails, by shoeing, or by taking up
nails by travelling;  and when a nail  is taken up,
at, or near, the point of the frog, it is oftentimes
attended with difficulty to cure, as it often penetrates
the joint of the coffin bone.   As soon as it is dis-
covered that a nail has thus entered the foot, the first
thing to be done is to remove the nail ; afterwards
the top of the hole should  be enlarged, by a knife
or razeing iron, so as to admit of medicine going
to the bottom of the wound.  But the ridiculous
custom, as practised  by smiths in general, should
never be adopted  ; which  is to pour into the hole
spirits  of turpentine—oil of vitriol—or burn the
wound with a hot iron, as either of these will harden
the top of the  wound,  by  forming  a  hard crust,
which will prevent a suppuration, and  bring an in- 
The Pocket Farrier.
65
 flammation into the foot.  After the wound is thus
 opened, the hollow in the bottom of the foot should
 be  stopped up, with equal parts of Venice turpen-
 tine, tar, and  hog's lard ; the stopping being con-
 fined in with splints put across the foot, under the
 shoe ; and the  horse should be suffered to stand
 still for twelve hours, at least.  After this the foot
 should  be examined again, to see whether an inflam-
 mation has taken place or not; if an inflammation
 should  have taken place, and the wound be found
 not to discharge or suppurate, there should be some
 tincture of myrrh poured hot into the hole, and
 the  foot stopped as  before.   But after all this pre-
 caution has been taken, if there should still remain
 a violent heat in the foot, and the horse appears to
 he  in  great pain, the sole of the foot should be
 pared away, round the wound, with  a butteri6, and
 the hole more opened ;  but not entirely to take off
 the sole, which is both a cruel and barbarous prac-
 tice,  and mostly causes the  hoof  to come entirely
 off.   After the  wound  is thus opened, as before
 described, there should be a little tincture of myrrh
 poured  boiling hot into it, and a small piece of co-
 rosive sublimate pushed  down to  the bottom of the
 wound,  with.a probe made of whale bone—as that
 will  not break, so as to  leave any part of it in the
foot.  After this  has  been done, the foot should
be stopped with  the aforenamed ointment; and a
small portion of verdigris addtd to the. Oininient—
 The foot likewise should be ti^d up  in a bag, filled
                        i- 2 
.66
The Pocket Farrier.
with fresh cow  dung—The horse should also be
physicked and bled ; and have nitre given, in both
his feed and water.  By following up these obser-
vations, I  never failed to perform a cure, even in
the worst  of cases.   After the wound  has  been
properly cleansed out, and the danger subsided, the
foot should be continued to be dressed, but with a
more  mild ointment—such as marshmallows ;  or
an ointment made of beeswax and hog's lard, and
a small portion of Venice turpentine.  And when
the horse has so far  recovered, as to be able to
work, there should  be a bar welded on the shoe,
about two inches wide, to come opposite the wound
in the foot, in  order that no hard substance  shall
press on the tender part; and this is  far preferable
to a plate placed all over the shoe—as the foot can
be washed, or cleaned out and dressed, without re-
moving  the shoe. 
CHAPTER XV.
              Of the Locked Jaw.

  This is a disorder, that has hitherto baffled the
art of the physycian,  and also the  power of medi-
cine  to cure, either on  man or beast:  although it
must  be acknowledged, that there have been  in-
stances  of  cures being  performed—but, perhaps,
more  by chance, than any other  cause.   In the
course of my practice, I have had a great number
of horses under my care,  that, have had, what is
generally called the stag evil, or lockjaw—but per-
formed a cure on  two only : and I believe, that
nineteen out of twenty,  that  are  seized  with this
complaint, die.   I recollect to have kept a very fine
horse  alive  fourteen  days, with  this disorder on
him, merely  by giving him clysters, and pouring
cordial drinks  down his  nostrils ;  but he  died,
after all the pains that had been taken.   As for  my
part, I have consulted a great many authors on  the
subject,  and  tried  a  variety of inventions of  my
own—being determined, if possible, to  find out a
perfect cure :  I have bled, till the horse has almost
dropt by the loss of blood ; and have thrown them
into the most profuse perspiration ;  plunged them
in the  river ; and even  electrified them—but to no 
68
The Pocket Farrier.
 good  effect.—By the  last two  operations, the jaw
 appeared for a short time to drop—but immediately
 closed as fast as ever.   The  celebrated  Mr. Gib-
 son, has, in my opinion, given  the  best, and most
 lively description of the lock-jaw,  of any author
 that has written on the subject: which I quote in
 his own words—who says,  "  As soon as the horse
 is seized, his head is raised, with his nose towards
 the rack ; his ears pricked up, and his tail cocked,
 looking  with eagerness, as an hungry horse, when
 hay, is put  down to him—or like  a high spirited
 horse, when he  is put upon his mettle :  insomuch,
 that those who are strangers  to such things, when
 they  see a  horse stand in this manner, will scarce
 believe any thing of consequence ails him, but they
 are soon convinced, when they see other symptoms
 come on apace; and that his neck grows stiff, cramped,
 and almost immoveable : and if a horse lives a few
 days, several knots will arise on the tendinous parts
 thereof; and all the muscles, both before and be-
 hind, will be so much pulled  and cramped, and so
 stretched, that he looks as  if he was nailed to the
 pavement, with  his  legs stiff and straddling : his
skin is drawn so  tight, on all parts of his  body, that
 it is almost  impossible to move it;  and, if trial be
made to make him walk,  he is  ready to fall at every
step, unless he be carefully supported : his eyes are
so fixed with the inaction of his muscles, as gives
him a deadness in his looks ; he snorts and sneezes
often;  pants continually, with shortness of breath ; 
The Pocket Farrier.
69
and this symptom increases continually, till he drops
down dead, which generally happens in a few  days,
unless some sudden and very effectual turn can be
given to the distemper."  This I know to be as cor-
rect  a description as can be  given.   But I have
wondered to see almost all the authors that I have
read on the subject, and they are not a few, recom-
mend giving to horses,  in this situation, balls of
various prescriptions.  I would ask  those gentle-
men, how a  single ball is to be given, when not so
much as  a  shilling piece can be put between his
teeth ; and his jaw cannot be pried open, even with
an iron bar.
   In  the  cases wherein I have succeeded, the fol-
lowing remedies were applied—Firstto bleed plen-
tifully, and anoint the jaws and head with ointment
of marshmallows—and holding a large hot iron bar
to the neck and jaws, to force in  the ointment: af-
terwards  I  have rubbed in strong blistering oint-
ment—from the withers to the tail ; and also ap-
plied a blister plaster, beginning at the withers, and
continuing it the whole length of the spine, to the
tail ; and, instead of  attempting to give a ball, I
have poured the following drink  down the nostrils :
composed of—
   Half an ounce of asafoetida ; Russia castor,  three
drachms ; valerian root, powdered, one ounce; oil
of amber, one ounce—put into a pint of warm ale,
sweetened w ith honey.  Two or three of these drinks 
70            The Pocket Farrier.
should be given in a day, with warm gruel: but it
requires the assistance of two or three men to give it.
  The following clyster should be given once a day :
  Take rue, pennyroyal, and chamomile flowers, of
each, a handful ; and asafoetida,  one ounce—boil in
three quarts of  water, to two—strain off, and add
half a pint of neat's foot oil—The horse must like-
wise be supported by nourishing clysters,  made of
milk pottage, which must be given to the quantity
of three or four quarts a  day.   These medicines
being given, will warm, invigorate, and attenuate
the blood :  and  by using these means,  I have suc-
< eedf d, in a few cases, in performing a cure. 
CHAPTER XVI.
           Of Strains in various parts.

  It is to be observed that in all strains, the mus-
cular or tendinous fibres are over stretched ; like a
piece  of catgut that is  overdrawn,  so as to  de-
stroy  its  springiness or elasticity :  therefore it is
easy to see, that by soaking or bathing  the affected
part in oil, must of course be erroneous, as this will
serve   more to  extend the fibres, that are already
over stretched.   But I  have seen instances where
the muscle or fibre has been shrunk, occasioned by
a stroke or a kick on the  leg of the horse, which
has caused him to  stand  altogether on the toe of
the foot,  for a length of time, until the muscle or
fibre has  so much shrunk up, that the heel of  the
foot could not be brought  to the ground.  In cases
of this kind, I have  continued to soak the affected
part with neat's foot  oil, and rolled up the leg in  a
flannel  roller, until the fibre has been relaxed, and
the horse has  been perfectly cured.   But it is a dif-
ficult task to convince the  illiterate and unthinking,
of the  absurdity  of applying restringents : or to
persuade those that are owners of valuable horses,
not to  let them be  tampered with, by those who
have never thought or studied for their own benefit, 
72
The Pocket Farrier.
and much less for the horse ;  for common observa-
tion proves, that two thirds of the human race think
but very little—neither can they think.  When it is
clearly proved that a horse is lame in the shoulder,
he should be rowelled a little below the point of the
shoulder,  and  likewise be bled and physicked.—
When a horse's shoulder  is overstrained, he does
not put out that leg as the other, but, to prevent
pain,  sets the sound foot  firmly on the ground,  to
save the other, even though he be turned short on
the lame side,  which motion tries him more than
any other.  When trotted in hand, instead of  put-
ting his leg forward in a right line, he forms a circle
with the lame  leg ; and, when he stands in the sta-
ble, that leg is put forward before the other.  If the
shoulder is much swelled, it should be fomented,
by woolen cloths  dipt in a strong decoction  of
wormwood, tansy,  and  chamomile  flowers—to
which may be added, half a pint of spirits of wine.
  Strains of the back sinews are very common, and
are easy  to be discovered by the swelling, which
extends, at times, from the back side of the knee,
down to the pastern joint.   These strains likewise,
in the first instance, should be fomented—and after-
wards treated in the  following manner, and the oils
here prescribed applied :
  Take of the best  vinegar, one quart; spirits of
turpentine, half a gill; bole ammoniac, one ounce ;
common salt, a teacup full—mix in a bottle—shake
up—and rub in well with the  hand ;  place a  flannel 
The Pocket Farrier.
73
 roller round the leg, and draw it moderately tight:
 the roller should be about two yards long, and four
 or five inches wide.
   Or take the following receipt for strain oil, which
 can be recommended, and will  recommend itself:
   Take of spirits of wine, two ounces;  camphire,
.half an ounce; linseed  oil,  half a  pint;  vinegar,
 one pint.
   When  a  horse is  lame in the  stifle,  he always
 treads on the toe,  and cannot set the heel to the
 ground; if  a  large swelling  ensues, foment it well
 with the aforenamed decoction, till it disperses, and
 then  bathe  the part  with either of the above  me-
 dicines.
   A lameness in the whirlebone and hip, is to be dis-
 tovered  by the  horse  dragging his leg after him,
 and dropping backward on his  heel when he trots.
 If the muscles of the  hip,  only, are injured, the
 cure is easy;  but when the  ligaments of the joint
 are affected, the cure is difficult.  In either case, at
 first the parts should be bathed or fomented: should
 neither of these succeed, a strong blister should be
 applied over  the hip or whirlebone, and  the horse
 be turned out to pasture, at least for three months,
 as rest and time only can restore the injured parts
 to their proper tone ; and this  must be observed in
 all kinds of strains.  The following blister should
 be applied :
   Take  of marshmallow ointment, four ounces ;
 Venice turpentine,  two ounces ;  tar, two ounces ;
                         G 
74
The Pocket Farrier.
mustard, two ounces ; Spanish flies, powdered, two
drachms ; oil of origanum, two drachms.  The blis-
ter may be kept on, by applying pitch, or any thing
of a sticking nature, round the edge of the plaster. 
CHAPTER XVII.
           Of Bone and Blood Spavin.

  It would be altogether needless to enter into the
cause of this disorder.  Let it suffice then, that I
describe both the bone and blood spavin; and the
method that I have pursued,  whereby cures have
been effected.
  That which is generally termed a bone spavin, is
a hard bony excrescence, or hard swelling, growing
on the  inside of the hock of the horse's hind leg.
A spavin that begins on the lower part of the hock,
is not  so dangerous or difficult to cure, as when it
puts out higher—between  the two round processes
of the leg bone :  And a  spavin near the edge,  is
not so  hard  to  cure  as when it is more inward,
towards  the middle, as it does not so much affect
the bending of the hock joint.  For my own part,
I am convinced that  it  is impossible to cure the
bone spavin, if it has been of long standing.  Some
years past, a gentleman that owned a valuable horse,
that had got the bone spavin,  persuaded me to at-
tempt to take it off: I therefore fixed the horse in
stocks, and laid open  the  part; and, by the use of
knives and chissels, took off all the hard substance
from the bone ; and afterwards applied caustic, and 
76
The Pocket Farrier.
powerful digestive ointment.  The wound at length
was cured, and the horse turned out to pasture for
some months: but after all that had been done, the
horse continued lame—owing, I presume, to a de-
fect in the joint.   I have many times since been ap-
plied  to, for to cure the bone spavin, but declined
the attempt.   But on hearing of a  Mr. Clements,
a farrier in this city, who, it is said,  is in possession
of a diploma from the Veterinary College of Lon-
don, and  that he  could cure the  bone spavin,  I
advised those who applied  to me, to  take their
horses to  him:  although I confess, that I did not
place  any more  confidence in  the  talents of  Mr.
Clements, on account of his diploma, or his know-
ledge of the dead languages—as neither of these
can give experience.  During the course of my life,
I have  conversed  with  many college-bred gentle-
men, who, in my opinion, were colleg'd idiots—as
the schools had taught them science, and the Greek
and Latin, before they had taught them common
sense.   But my opinion was, that as nature has di-
versified her gifts, that Mr. Clements might have
discovered something new,  that might perform a
cure ; but, by seeing several of the  horses after he
had operated on them, I found that  he had exactly
pursued the former methods, that  myself and old
practitioners  have pursued  for a number of years
past, and that the horses still remained lame.  If I
myself,  am  in possession of  any diploma, it is a
grant from the college of nature, and the credentials 
The Pocket Farrier.
77
 are, experience, reason, and common sense.   But
 to return to the spavin—as soon as it is discovered
 thaf there is a swelling on the horse's hock, and the
 appearance of a bone spavin is coming on, it should
 be  immediately fired, and a strong blister applied
 to the part, which should be repeated two or three
 times, leaving a space of two or three days between
 each application—And the horse must be permitted
 to rest, or, if it is convenient, he should be turned
 out  to pasture  for two  or three months—and this
 will perform  a  cure.  Every  time the blisters are
 taken off, the part should be anointed with elder or
 marshmallow ointment.
   A blood spavin, is a  swelling and dilutation of
 the vein  that runs along the inside of the hock of
 the hind leg, which will rise and fall like a cushion,
 by  the pressure of the  finger. But this is easily
 cured, by repeated blisters,  and resting the horse.
 The blistering ointment that I have applied for the
 purpose, is the following  :
  Take of marshmallow ointment, three ounces;
 Venice turpentine, two  ounces ;  Spanish flies, a
 drachm and a half;  sublimate, one drachm ;  and
 oil of origanum, two drachms.
  The hair should be cut off as close as possible, be-
fore  the blister  is applied—this should be done in
the morning; and the horse's head tied up to the
rack all day, so as  to prevent his getting off the
blister.  Care must be taken to bind the blister fast
on, with a broad tape or  list.   After the blister has
                      G2 
78
The Pocket Farrier.
done running, and the scabs peal off,  it should be
repeated a second time, and, if required, a third
time, in the same manner. These applications will,
generally, perform a cure. 
CHAPTER XVIII.
          Of the Pole Evil and Fistula.

   It is my intention to treat of these two diseases
under one head, or chapter, as they appear to be of
a similar nature, and require almost the same treat-
ment.  The pole evil is an abscess near the pole of
the horse, formed in the senuses, between the pole
bone and the uppermost vertebrae, or what is com-
monly called the whitleather of the neck.  It often
proceeds from blows, bruises,  or some  external
violence.  It should, in the first place, be attempted
to be dispersed, by bathing the part with hot vine-
gar  or train oil: but if an oozing, or matter of a
hot, ichory kind, should make its way through the
skin, the best way is to poultice, with any kind of a
strong drawing poultice.  But should the swelling
have been of  long standing, and  it has become a
foul ulcer, and the matter  flows in great quantities,
resembling melted glue, and is of an oily consistence,
it will then require to be opened with a knife ; and
the depth of the  cavities should be discovered, by
the finger or a probe—and should  there be found a
quantity of mortified or rotten flesh, it should be
taken out: and this I have often found, when the
swelling  has been neglected for a length  of  time. 
80
The Pocket Farrier.
Care should be taken not to cut away or injure the
tendinous ligament, that runs along the neck under
the mane.  When the matter is on both sides, an
opening must be made on each side, and the liga-
ment remain undivided.  This being done, and the
horse fixed fast in a pair of stocks, the  following
scald or mixture should be applied, boiling hot, to
the cavities, after they have been well washed out
with a sponge dipt in vinegar :
  Take of train oil, half a pint; honey, two ounces ;
spirits of wine, four ounces ;  sublimate and white
vitriol, of each, two drachms ; verdigris, half an
ounce;  oil of turpentine, two ounces:  mix  to-
gether in a bottle—then  put  a sufficient quantity
into a ladle with a spout.   Care must be taken that
it  does not take fire, while making  it hot.  It will
be well to close the wound with one or two stitches,
after the scald has been poured into the abscess.
  This should remain untouched for several days,
and, if a good matter appears, it will do well with-
out any farther dressing ; but if the matter flows in
abundance, and of a thin consistence, the scalding
must  be repeated,  until  the   matter lessens  and
thickens, and the cure is performed.   I have seve-
ral times succeeded with only scalding once.

                    A Fistula

Is a sore disease—a hollow, winding ulcer, and fre-
quently arises on  the  withers of a horse; and is 
The Pocket Farrier.
81
 occasioned  by bruises, or pinches of the saddle ;
 and in the  first  place  should be treated  with re-
 pellers.  The tumour  should be bathed  three or
 four times a day  with hot vinegar ; or an ounce of
 the oil of vitriol  may be put to a quart of  vinegar.
 But when these swellings are critical, the repelling
 medicine must be avoided ; and assist in bringing
 the  swelling to  matter, by  means of suppurating
 poultices.   The  tumours should never  be opened
 before they are  ripe—if they are, the sore will be
 spungy, and discharge a bloody ichor.  But if the
 fistula has been of long standing, and appears to be
 a foul ulcer, it must then be opened : and if  both
 sides of the wither  are  swelled, of course  they
 must both be opened.   Care should be taken to en-
 large the openings, by  paring away the lips down-
 wards, so that the dressings  may be applied easily :
 and care must be  taken to avoid the ligament which
 runs along the neck, to the  shoulders or withers :
 the openings should decline downwards, so that the
 medicines are sure to go to the bottom of the ulcer.
 The following scalding  mixture should be applied :
  Take of mutton suet, one pound ;  tar and train
oil, of each, half a pint ;  white vitriol and corro-
sive sublimate, of each, one ounce.   The tar and
suet should  be melted  over a slow fire ;  and the
sublimate and vitriol should be finely powdered,
and  stirred  into  the  ladle,  with  the tar and suet,
after it is taken off the fire. 
82
The Pocket Farrier.
  The dressing  should remain untouched for ten
days ; and should the running be stopped, it should
only be bathed with train oil:  but should the dis-
charge continue, the scalding must be repeated. 
CHAPTER XIX.
                   On Shoeing.

   The shoeing of a horse  is an operation of far
greater importance than is generally imagined:  as
the expectations of the owners of fine horses are
often blasted,  owing to the  badness of their feet;
which is frequently occasioned by being badly shod:
This  mechanical  art being  solely committed  to
smiths, who, generally speaking, are altogether un-
acquainted  with the anatomical structure  of  the
foot of the horse ; and consequently cannot judge
correctly, the  manner  in which the shoe ought to
be placed on the foot, in order to cause the horse to
travel sound.  I am well aware, that what I shall
here  advance will meet with opposition, from the
ignorant and  prejudiced shoers of horses : and it is
a notorious fact, that  three fourths of  them are as
ignorant of the nature and structure of the foot, as
the horse is of them.   But I shall appeal to the un-
derstanding and judgment of the experienced few,
both  in this  city and elsewhere, for the justness of
the statement that  I have given ;  and I mean to be
as plain and explicit as possible ; as it must be con-
sidered, that  the  preservation of the  foot  of the
horse, is a most essential point; and that the owners 
84            The Pocket Farrier.
 of them should be aware, into whose hands they
 commit them to be shod.  A most pernicious cus-
 tom  is practised in  this city, by many pretended
 shoers, which is to  make presents to gentlemen's
 coachmen, grooms, or negroes, in order to obtain
 horses to shoe : and some of them have gone so far,
 as to pay  them two shillings per horse, for every
 horse that they brought to their shops.  And, dur-
 ing the time  that I continued shoeing of horses, I
 have  had coachmen come to me, and inform me that
 they  were going to drive for such and such gentle-
 men,  and asked what I would give them, provided
 they  continued the horses to be shod by me : my
 reply  was, that I should give  nothing ; and asked
 them  if the gentlemen did not pay them wages—:
 They then told  me,  that  there was no call to put
 new shoes on the horses, every time they were shod,
 but only to remove them, and charge them as new :
 by my not complying with these demands, many
 horses were  removed that I  had shod for years.
 But it was plain to me, that gentlemen had by this
 custom  been  imposed on ;  and some  of them had
discovered  the  fraud, and told me that they be-
lieved there  were  more horses  shod for bribes
and grog, than by experienced workmen : and when
they  discovered the  fraud, they immediately or-
dered  the  horses  back to  my shop.   I think it
proper to make these remarks or facts known,  in
order  that gentlemen may not be imposed on; and
that their horses may not be removed  bv their ser- 
The Pocket Farrier.
85
vants, out of the  hands of experienced workmen,
into the hands  of those that know  but  little of
the  important art of shoeing.  I shall, in the first
place, proceed to give an anatomical description of
the foot of the horse, as far as it is requisite to be
known  by those that undertake to shoe them.
   The  external covering of the  foot  is called the
hoof; it is of a horny substance, without  sense or
feeling, and serves as a box or covering for  the foot,
to defend  the blood  vessels,  nerves, tendons, &c.
from external injuries,  and support the weight of
the  body of the horse.  The external parts of the
hoof may be divided  into four parts—1st, the crust
or wall of the hoot; 2d, the sole; 3d, the frog or heels;
4th, the bars or binders.  1st, The circular part, into
which the nails are drove when the horse is shod,
is called the crust, or wall of the foot:  it is  a tough,
hard substance, and thick or strong at the  front or
toe,  but thinner towards the heels ; and  more so in
the fore feet than in the hind ones, as it often hap-
pens that  the  crust  or wall  of  the  hind feet, is
strongest  or thickest  at  the heels.  2d, The sole
fills  up the inner and under part of the crust, and
is composed of scaly layers, which, when grown
too luxuriant, become dry,  and  fall off in scales ;
but  when top/ much pared away with the butteris,
the internal parts of the foot are exposed to bruises,
from stones and  other  hard substances.  And  I
have known, at times,  the outer sole of the foot
to become  so hard,  by the horse's continuing to
                        h 
86
The Pocket Farrier,
 stand in the stable, or travelling on hot sandy roads,
 that it has  bound tight on the internal part of  the
 foot, so as to cause lameness;  but by stopping  the
 foot with tar and grease, or even  fresh cow-dung,
 the sole  has been relaxed, and in a few days  the
 horse has travelled  sound.   3d, The frog is of a
 soft, spongy substance,  shaped like a dart, and
 reaches from the extremity of the heel, to the mid-
 dle of the sole : in the middle of the frog is a cleft,
 or opening, by which the heels have a small degree
 of contraction, and expansion, every time the horse
 sets his foot on the ground.   At times the frog is
 affected by a disease called  the running thrush,
 which will  frequently destroy almost the whole of
 it: when this is the case, the heels have lost their
 support, and the  horse  will go  lame.   The  only
 thing to be done, is to place a bar shoe on the  foot,
 which will  prevent the heels from  contracting and
 expanding, and guard the decayed part from stones,
 or other hard substances.  After the shoe is placed
 on the foot, there  should be a little of the tincture,
 as  recommended  in chapter xiv.  poured into the
 affected frog, two or three times a day: at the same
 time, it will be well to bleed and physic the horse ;
 and afterwards  to give  him one or two diuretick
 balls.  The frog composes a great part of the heel
 of the horse; but the extremities of the crust,  on
 each side of  the frog, are called the heels, and'are
 distinguished by the names of outside and inside.
4th, What are called  the  bars, or binders of the 
The Pocket Farrier.            87
foot, are hard pieces of the hoof,  growing on each
side of  the frog, which serve in  a measure to ex-
tend and guard the heels :  and these, like the  frog,
should never be too much  cut away—as nature has
placed them as  a covering, to defend the internal
parts, and bones of  the foot.
  The  bones of the foot are distinguished by the
following names :  the coffin bone—the shuttle bone
—and the coronary bone : these  bones are all in
contact  with each other, and require the frog and
the binders to be strong, to prevent them from being
injured  by hard substances.   It is requisite that all
shoeing smiths should be acquainted with the ex-
ternal and internal  parts of a horse's foot: if this
was  the case,  they would not cut down the heels,
or pare  away the sole and frog, as they generally do.
I would recommend to them the plan that I set for
my apprentice boys—which was, to cut off the foot
of a dead horse,  and fix it in a vice, and continue
to pare it away by shavings, with a butteris, until
the whole structure of  the foot is discovered.  By
this plan, and  giving proper directions as to par-
ing the foot and fitting the shoe, the young men
have become accomplished workmen.
  I shall now proceed to describe, as clear as lan-
guage  can convey my ideas, the form of a shoe,
and the  manner in which it should be fitted, before
it is nailed on the foot.   A shoe  then, for the fore
foot of  a horse, should be made thinner on the in-
side rim,  than on the outside, in  order to clear the 
88
The Pocket Farrier.
 sole of the foot, and to let the bearing rest entirely
 on the crust, or wall of the toot.  By the shoe being
 made in this form,  it will not require to be set so
 concave, or hollow, as if the shoe was made in all
 places of a thickness ; besides, the surface of the
 shoe will be nearly flat, so that when the foot comes
 to  the ground,  it will be more even and steadfast.
 But to describe the weight of a shoe, is impossible
 —it must be left to the judgment of the shoer; but
 it must be  so proportioned, as to completely  bear
 the weight of the horse, without yielding or spread-
 ing out: and it  should be observed,  not to let the
 web of the  shoe be too narrow at the heels, which
 is an error that almost all the smiths in this country
 are guilty of, as many of their shoes are not more
 than  half an inch  wide  at each point of the  heel,
 whereas  they should be never less than one inch,
 and  more for large horses, as it  is the heels  that
 want covering or guarding, and not the toe of the
 foot; for it is almost impossible to make the horse
 go lame  at  the toe, without driving a nail into the
 quick—but at times it is attended with difficulty, to
 make the horse go sound at the heels  of the fore
 feet: the heels of the shoe should neither be too
 long or too short—if they extend too far beyond the
 heels, they act as a lever; and if too short, they sink
into  the  heels,  and produce corns.   Many horses'
feet may be said to  resemble a wedge, that is, their
heels are  low or thin, whilst the toe is deep or thick ;
there being a far greater distance from the corinet, 
The Pocket Farrier.
89
or setting on of the foot,  to the point, or front of
the bottom of the toe, than there is from the coro-
net, or bottom of  the heel; and when the foot is
thus formed, the  horse is said to be low heeled.—
When this  is the case, great care should be taken
not to pare away the frogs, binders, or heels;  but
pare down the toe, and shorten it as much as it will
admit of—leaving a sufficient quantity of the crust,
or wall, to contain the nails : but the nails should
never be  placed  too far back towards the  heels of
the shoe.   From the first or second heel nail holes,
or what is called (of the shoe) the  quarters, it
should be strong and wide, as it is the heels which
want protecting  er  guarding,  and not the toe of
the foot: and the  heels of  the shoe should be
placed over the edge of the anvil, and set off with
the hammer, about  an inch  from the point of  the
heels, in order that they may not rest on the point
of the heels of the foot; so that when the shoe is
nailed on, there may be a  space between the heels
of the feet, and  the shoes, nearly sufficient to con-
tain  the thickness of a dollar—and  some feet will
require more, as, by  the horse's travelling, the heels
of shoes will naturally  sink down to the  heels of
the feet.  By following this plan, I could always
make the horse travel sound; and in a few months
the heels  would  expand and  grow  up—and  the
weight of the horse would be taken off the heels,
and thrown on the toes ;  or, what is called the cen-
tre of gravity,  would  fall  on  a point that can re-
                        h2 
90
The Pocket Farrier.
ceive no injury ; and  care should  be taken to let
the heels of the shoe stand full, and not curved in,
as is too often done. It is a mistaken idea of many
smiths, who suppose that a horse will cut at the heels,
provided the heels  of  his shoe extend beyond the
crust of the foot :  but a horse, to cut at the heels,
must have his feet in  the position that a lady has
her's, whilst her feet  are placed in the  stocks in a
dancing school, with her toes turned outwards ; but
not one  horse in a hundred travels  in this form.
When a horse cuts with his heels,  he  strikes his
legs a little below the  knee joint, and is said to trot
high—and this is called a speedy cut:  but almost
all  horses  that interfere,  or cut, strike their legs
about the pastern joint—and then they strike with
what is generally called the quarter, or side of the
foot;  in this case, the  inside of the shoe should be
brought straight, and fitted a little within the crust,
or wall of  the foot: and at times, the nails should
be left out  at the quarters, and be placed round the
toes : and  some  horses require the inside of the
shoe  to  be raised  higher than the outside,  with
what  is called a feather edged shoe.   But it is im-
possible to prevent some horses from cutting—na-
ture having formed them narrow in the chest, and
at the buttocks ; and  at times they get weary, and
are not able to carry their feet in a straight line.—
Many smiths  commit  an error, by  making  what is
called the inside quarter of  the shoe,  weaker than
the outside, whereas it should be stronger ; as the 
               The Pocket Farrier.            91

inside of the foot and heel are generally the weak-
est, and consequently require  more  support and
cover.   And a  shoe should never be fullered too
fine, or near the outside edge or rim, as this will
have a tendency to leave the wall, or crust of the
foot thin.   Likewise, the foot should never be
rasped above the clinches, as nature has formed the
outside crust tough and hard, and the inside of the
hoof soft and flexible, the rasping away the outside
crust of the hoof, may  be  compared to cutting
away the outside bark of a tree : and  there are but
very few  people but know that the  inner bark is
soft and tender.
   As to shoeing the hind feet, it is not, in general,
attended with  so much  difficulty as shoeing the
fore ones ;  but should the horse  interfere or cut,
the same precaution must be taken,  as I have re-
commended  for the  fore feet.    Care should be
taken that the clinches of  the nails are well let into
the hoof, and  more  particularly  on  the inside of
the foot; for should the clinches raise, or pro-
ject out beyond the hoof, it will cause the horse
to cut.
   There is  one omission  that I have observed in
almost all the shoeing smiths in this country, which
is,  that they do not what is practised in England,
that is to redraw the clinches of the nails, which is
to place the pinchers  under the nails the second
time, and drive  them  up tight with  the hammer,
and rivet them down again : by  this method the 
92
The Pocket Farrier.
clinches will never raise, but continue close in the
hoof,  so that the  horse will not cut his legs with
the  clinches.  But if this practice is not pursued,
by the  horse's stamping, or setting his foot on the
ground, the nails  will  be  drove farther into the
holes of the shoe, and  the clinches will of course
raise.   I appeal to the understanding of the ex-
perienced  few, shoeing smiths,  for the justness of
these remarks, and  likewise for fitting and placing
the shoes on the feet, and more particularly on the
fore ones, which  require by far the greatest skill,
as there is  much  more weight borne on the fore
feet  than on the hind ones :  as it must be observed,
that the weight of  the  horse's head and neck, and
also  the rider, are  principally  thrown on the fore
legs  or  feet; and this is what causes corns in the
fore  feet, and not in the hind ones :  this also is the
cause why  corns are frequently found in the heels
of horses'  fore feet, and not in the hind ones.—
When it is discovered  that there are corns,  they
should be razed off with a drawing knife, and a lit-
tle oil of vitriol poured on them ; or an equal portion
of spirits of turpentine and  oil of  vitriol  mixed
together in  a  bottle, applied for a few days:  By
doing  this, and not letting the heels of  the shoes
bear on them, they will get well. 
CHAPTER XX.
                  Of Founder.

  This is found  to  be a destructive disease,  and
is generally brought on by the inattention or neglect
of the owner or rider of the horse,  by letting  him
cool too fast, after coming off a hard journey, or
violent exercise—and by letting him stand with his
feet in a cold damp place : and at other times horses
have  been foundered,  by letting them eat corn or
oats, or drink cold water, before they had properly
got cool,  after they  had been at hard labour.—
This disease  is often  supposed to be an affectation
of the loins  or chest—and  farriers have applied
medicines to this effect  ; whereas the principal seat
of the disease is  in the feet, and has often termi-
nated in the death of the horse.  The  feet will be
found to be  violent hot, and the animal will draw
his hind  feet as close as possible towards his  fore
ones, which will cause some persons to suppose that
he  is strained in the loins:  but when the hind feet
are most affected,  the fore feet will be placed under
the belly,  as far  as  possible, in order to bear the
weight of the carcase, but this is not often the case.
The  disease generally  comes on very rapidly, and 
94
The Pocket Farrier.
appears in a few hours, after hard riding and per-
mitting the  horse to stand in  the  snow ; or may
take place  in consequence of putting the horse
into a hot stable, the vessels of the feet not being
able to bear  the sudden change, and of course will
bring on an inflammation; and I  have,  as above
stated,  seen  it brought on, by giving  cold water
before the horse had got cool.
  This disease is easily discovered, by the inability
of the animal to move, and by the  position of his
legs—-the whole of them being affected:  The horse
will lay down and be unable to rise, and at times
the fetlocks  will swell, and there will be  a violent
fever in the  feet, and the pain will be intense ;  the
coffin bone of the foot will be thrown out of its
natural position ;  the  crust will fall in ; and there
will be rings and circles formed round the hoofs :
it sometimes happens that  the  horny sole loses its
concavity, and becomes convex—or what is gene-
rally called  pummiced : this is frequently the case
in a severe founder.
  When a horse  is  found to be  foundered,  the
shoes should be taken off immediately—and  the
feet should be well pared down at the toe, so as to
draw  blood,  with a  razing iron ;  and  he  should
likewise be  bled in the jugular vein of  the neck—
and his feet  should be put into bags of fresh cow
dung,  or any cooling poultice—and the following-
medicines should be given twice a day : 
The Pocket Farrier.
95
  Take of cream of tartar and nitre, of each,, one
ounce ;  tartarised antimony, one  drachm : make
into  a ball, with  wheat flower and molasses.   If
costive, give a purging ball and clyster. 
 
CHAPTER  XXI.
                   Of Splents.

   These are hard substances that grow  on the
shank bone, and are of different shapes and sizes :
young horses are more subject  to them than old
ones—in young horses they  often disappear and
wear off: very few horses put out splents after they
are seven or eight years old.  A splent that arises
in the middle of the shank bone, is not so danger-
ous as those which  arise on the back part of this
bone :  when they grow large,  and press against the
back sinew, they always cause lameness or stiffness,
by rubbing sgainst it; but the others,  except they
are situated near the joints, seldom cause lameness.
As to splents, I judge it best not to meddle with
them, unless they are of such a size as  to disfigure
the horse, or cause him to  go  lame.  When a
splent first makes its appearance, it should be bathed
with vinegar, to which may be added a small piece
of camphire, and  this will often put a stop to their
growth.
  A variety of remedies are prescribed  for  this
disorder:  Some  have  recommended,  to  rub the
splent with a round stick, or a hammer handle, until
it  is almost raw, and  then to touch it with oil of 
98
The Pocket Farrier.
origanum: others  have laid on  a pitch  plaster,
with a  little  sublimate ; but  I  have  always suc-
ceeded, by firing,  and blistering with the blister
that is  recommended  in the  chapter on the blood
spavin : the blister should be repeated two  or three
times, observing to wait three or four days between
each application : during this time, the splent should
be anointed with the ointment of marshmallows. 
CHAPTER XXII.
             Of a Curb and Ring Bone.

    What is generally called a curb, is a hard bony
 substance, situated a little below the back part of
 the hock  of the hind leg ; and at times, when it
 has been neglected, will  cause a stiffness,  and the
 horse will, at first starting, go lame:  and when the
 bone  is affected,  it proves that the callous or hard
 substance  is  fixed  fast  to  the bone of the leg.__
 When this is the case,  the most sure way to per-
 form a cure, is to fire with a thin iron, drawing some
 strait lines, about half an inch apart, and then cross-
 bar them ;  but this  operation should be performed
 by a person of judgment—and the horse should be
 confined in a  pair of stocks.   After the firing is
 thus judiciously performed, the blister that is re-
 commended in the chapter on the spavin, should be
 applied,  and repeated three times, and there will be
 no doubt of a cure being  performed.

                  Ring Bone.

   This is  a swelling that grows  on the  pastern
bone,  and  runs round the coronet of the foot, and
appears like a ring, from which it derives its name 
100           The Pocket Farrier.
—and it  generally produces lameness : a  cure 1 •■,
generally  performed by  firing  and blistering.   I
once saw a cure of a ring  worm effected, by flawing
off the  skin round the worm,  and then placing a
thin piece of copper around on the top of the worm,
bringing the  skin  over the copper, and  binding
the copper fast to the affected part—by this method
verdigris was produced, and the worm finally eaten
off: the copper  was taken off every two or three
days,  and wiped clean and replaced again.  But by
whatever means the cure  is attempted, or  per-
formed, it will require that the horse rests for six
months—and he should be turned to pasture, if the
season of the year  will permit. 
CHAPTER XXIII.
                  Of the Grease.

   The grease may be considered as a disc <
the vessels, as well as the blood.  Swelling*.
legs of horses may be accounted for, from a p. .
stagnation of  the blood and juices in the finer ves-
sels,  where the  circulation is  most languid—and
when  there is a want of proper exercise, and  a
proper muscular  compression  on the vessels,  to
push forward the returning blood,  and propel the
inert and half stagnated fluids through their ves-
sels : the blood in such cases cannot so easily ascend
as descend,  as a greater quantity is brought by the
arteries, than  can be returned by the veins.  Con-
sidering the grease  in this point of view, it may
be looked on as  a local disorder, and is often an at-
tendant of some distemper—such as the farcy, yel-
lows, or dropsy : and  should the horse be afflicted
with either  of these  disorders,  they must be first
cured, before the grease  can  be  removed; but
proper care  should be taken to cut off the hair close
round  the legs and fetlock joints, and to keep them
properly clean.
  When it  is first discovered that a horse's heels
swell in the stable, and go down on his being exer-
                       i 2 
102
The Pocket Farrier.
cised, care should be taken to wash them clean, every
time he comes in, with Castile soap suds, chamber
lye,  or vinegar and water, which,  with good rub-
bing, will bring down the swelling :  this method of
treatment \\ ill  often remove the complaint.   But
should the  legs  continue  to swell,  they should be
bathed  two or  three times a day, with good old
vinegar—and a bandage of linen or flannel should
be bound round the legs, about the  width of three
or four fing-rs—and if rags dipped in the vinegar
are placed  under the bandage for a  few  days, they
will be of great service ;  by this method the bandage
will  support the vessels of the legs, till they have
recovered their proper tone.  When I have found
it difficult to remove the swelling of the legs, which
often happens, I have had a pair of stockings made,
of strong canvas or leather, and laced  them tight
around the  legs—and washed the legs two or three
times a clay with the following wash :
  Rectified spirits of wine, four ounces—dissolve
in it half an ounce of camphire, and add one quart
of the best vinegar.
  This complaint is looked on as trifling, by those
who are unacquainted with the disorder; but I have
many times found it difficult to conquer: and  was
I to  go through the whole of the  practice that I
have pursued in this disorder, it would tire  the pa-
tience of the reader, and probably  be of little use
to him.  I therefore shall  conclude, by  recom- 
The Pocket Farrier.
103
mending the following diuretick balls, to be given
one every  morning, for three or four weeks suc-
cessively :
  Take of yellow rosin, four ounces ; salt of tartar,
and sal prunella, of each, two ounces ; Venice soap,
half a pound ; oil of juniper, half  an ounce—make
into balls of two ounces weight. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV.
                   Of Scratches.

   The disorder that is commonly called scratches,
 and is found in the heels of horses, has much af-
 finity with the grease,  and is often a concomitant
 of the same distemper.   When a horse  is found to
 have cracks or scratches in his heels, the  best me-
 thod in the first place  to be pursued,  is to apply
 poultices made of turnips and linseeds, with a little
 common  turpentine  and hog's lard, to  bring on a
 discharge: this being  done, and  a suppuration
 brought on for a short time, the cracks may then be
 dried up, with the wash that is recommended in the
 preceding chapter.  It is best after this to keep the
 heels supple, and softened with currier's dubbing,
 or neat's  foot  oil: this will soften, or prevent the
 skin from cracking, in the same manner  that it pre-
 serves leather.  When  the sores are  deep,  and
 prove obstinate, use the following ointment—for no
 foundation for a cure can be laid, until the wounds
 are cleansed at the bottom :
  Venice turpentine, four ounces ; quicksilver, one
 ounce—incorporated  well  together, by  rubbing it
 some time ; add to it sheep's suet and honey, of
each, two ounces. 
106
The Pocket Farrier.
  If the heels are anointed with mercurial oint-
ment, after the wounds are thoroughly cleansed,
this will often make a final cure.  Great care should
be taken to wash the legs clean with soap suds, after
the horse has come in from a journey.  During this
treatment,  the horse should have two or three di-
uretick balls given him in a week. 
APPENDIX.
   I  shall  now proceed to recommend what are
called  alteratives, or altering medicines—such as
have no immediate operation, but gradually gain
upon the constitution of the horse, by changing the
humours, or juices, from a state of distemperature,
to health, and accelerate the blood.   The best, and
principal medicines for this purpose, are, nitre, sul-
phur, and crude antimony, finely powdered : for
this  purpose—
   Take half a pound of nitre, powdered fine, and
half a pound of sulphur ; two ounces of crude an-
timony,  powdered—mix  together,  and  give two
ounces a day, for three or four days together—after
which, omit for a clay or two, and then repeat again,
giving or mixing it in the horse's  feed.

               An Alterative Ball.
   Take cinnabar of antimony, gum guaiacum, and
Castile soap, of each, half a pound ;  salt of tartar,
four ounces ; and an ounce and a  half of camphire
_-give a ball about the size of a pullet's egg, two
or three times a week. 
108                Appendix.
        A Gentle Purge for a Thick Wind.
   Galbanum, ammoniacum, and asafoetida, of each,
 two drachms; succotorine aloes, six drachms ; saf-
 ron, one drachm ; honey sufficient to make a ball.
   Give this ball—and when worked off, I have
 given the following balls, by which the horse has
 been finally restored to his perfect wind :
   Tar, one  ounce ; aniseeds,  powdered, one ounce;
 nitre, one ounce ; and honey, one ounce.  It should
 be remembered, that medicines of this kind should
 be continued a considerable time, in obstinate cases.
   What is called a sanderack, is a cleft in the hoof,
 and is mostly found on or near the inside heels of
 the fore feet, beginning at the coronet, and running
 down  to  the  bottom of the foot, in a straight line
 downwards, and generally causes lameness ;  and at
 times will bring on a quittor, or false quarter, which
 is dangerous.   When a sanderack is  formed, the
 hoof mostly raises  up on each  side  of the crack,
 which should be rasped down, and the crack opened
 on each side, with  a knife or razing iron : and the
 best method is to fire, by drawing a  stroke at the
 coronet, or top of the crack ; and afterwards apply
 wound ointment, made of  Venice turpentine, hog's
lard, and a little tar, with a small portion of verdi-
gris, finely powdered,  stirred into it.  This must
be continued for some  days—and a bar shoe should
be put on  the foot, so as not to rest  on the affected
part, or heel of the foot; and the foot should like- 
                   Appendix.                1°9

wise be continued to be stopped at the bottom, with
fresh cow dung.  When the dressing is left off, and
the horse does not go lame, the foot should be oiled
round  the coronet, every day, with neat's foot oil:
this will cause the foot to grow down faster, and in
a few  months  the  crack  will grow out,  and dis-
appear.
   Nicking, docking, and cropping, are surgical ope-
rations, and require both care and judgment in the
performance.   Nicking is performed, by cutting
asunder the sinews that  are on  each side  of the
bottom of the horse's tail, in three or four places,
leaving  a  space of about two or three inches be-
4ween each cut: but it should be observed, not  to
make the first cut too nigh the fundament, as there
is most danger after the nicking has been performed,
and the blood stopped for eight or ten hours.  The
wounds should be dressed with drawing ointment,
such  as basilicon, &c. in order to bring on a dis-
charge or suppuration, of good thick white matter ;
but all horses should be physicked and bled before
 nicking, to bring their blood  into a good state. It is
 not attended with much difficulty to nick a horse,
 but it is often attended  with trouble to cure him.
 The operator should always have the  horse un-
 der his own immediate care, and not suffer any one
 to meddle with the tail—as many horses have died
 by the  operation, although  they  have  been com-
 mitted to the  most experienced surgeons and far-
 riers.  When the tail is put to the pulleys, the
                         K 
110
Appendix.
weights should not be too heavy—and the tail should
be let down about twice a day, and examined, to
see if it discharges properly ; and, at the same time,
it  should be washed with cold water,  or sugar of
lead water.   The horse should be kept on low diet,
and exercised once a day, and have nitre given him
in  his messes or water.
   Docking, is taking  off  part  of a horse's tail ;
which at times is performed, by  laying the tail on a
block of wood, and striking it off  with a chissel—
or by placing an axe  on a block,  and laying the tail
on the edge of the axe, and striking the tail with a
mallet—but this must both bruise  and  cut the tail
at  the same time : but the best  instrument for th«
purpose, is somewhat  like a  pair of shears, with
long handles, only the rivet is at one end, and the
knife falls  into a groove.   When the amputation
is performed, the tail should be well held up, before
the burning  iron is  applied, which  at times  will
cause the horse to carry a good, or  high tail, so that
he will not require nicking: it will be best to keep
the tail washed, a few days after  docking, with cold
water.  If it should be  found difficult to stop the
blood, although  the  tail has been seared with the
hot iron; with a little powdered rosin melted on
with the burning iron, there may be strong twine
thread tied round tight, about an  inch from the end,
but this must be taken off in a few  hours, or it will
cause the tail to swell, and be inflamed. 
                   Appendix.                Ill

  Cropping, is best performed with a pair of irons,
called  cropping  irons, as they will best cause the
ears to represent nature.   Young practitioners who
have cropped horses, have been alarmed to observe
the outside skin of the  ear  drop away from the
gristle, and likewise by the flowing of blood; but
nature has constituted the blood as a balsam, so
that nothing should  be  applied after the ears are
taken off, and the skin  will return to  its proper
place, without any further trouble.


A valuable proved Receipt for the  Human Being,
   for the Pleurisy, or pain in the back or side.
  Take half an ounce of liquid laudanum ; half an
ounce  of balsam capivi  ; half an  ounce of spirits
of turpentine ; and half an ounce  of sweet spirits
of nitre :  the whole to be mixed together in a bot-
tle, and  thirty or forty drops to be taken at any
time, on  a  little sugar.  A little  warm  gin and
water should be  drank, just after taking the drops.


  It is customary to give  a motto with a work,
taken  from some celebrated author:  I therefore
consulted several, but could find  none to suit my
own mind : in consequence of which, I composed
one myself—how far it will be found to answer the
work, I shall leave the public to judge.
FINIS. 
                  ERRATUM.
  In the Copy-Right, second line, read eleventh for
" twelfth." 
 
 
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