Encyclopaedia Britannica; or, A dictionary of arts and sciences, compiled upon a new plan … > Volume 2, C-L

S'69 'FARR
ftretched mnfjlcs and tendons, fall as prepoflerous, when
you bathe or foak them in oily medicines, at a time that
they want reftringents to brace them up? Yet cuftom has
fo eftabliflied this praftice, and fallacious experience feem-
ingly fo confirmed it, that it would be a difficult talk to
convince the illiterate and prejudiced of the abfurdity,
who, by atributting effedts to wrong caufes, are led into
this error, and the oils ufurp the reputation that is due
only to rell and quiet: they feem, however, to be
aware of the ill confequences, by their adding the hot
oils, as fpike, turpentine, and origanum ; which, though
they in fome measure guard againlt the too fuppling
quality of the other oils, yet the treatment is ftill too re¬
laxing to be of real fervice.
And indeed, in all violent drains of either tendons or
mufcles, whatever opinion we may entertain of bathing and
anointing with favourite noftrums, which often fucceed in
flight cafes, where perhaps bandage alone would have
done; yet it is the latter, with proper reding the relaxed
fibres, till they have thoroughly recovered their tone, that
are the chief things to be depended on; and frequently
fome months are necedary for effe&ing the cure.
All violent drains of the ligaments, which conneft the
bones together, efpecialiy thofe of the thigh, require
time, and turning out to grafs, to a perfedt recovery.
External applications can avail but little here, the parts
affedted lying'too deep, and fo furrounded with mufcles
that medicine cannot penetrate to them. The fooner, in
thefe cafes, a horfe is turned out to grafs, the better; as
the gentle motion in the field will prevent the ligaments
and joint oil from thickening, and of courfe the joint it-
felf from growing diflf.
When a horfe’s dioulder is overdrained, he does not
put out that leg as the other; but to prevent pain, fets
the found foot hardily on the ground to fave the other;
even though he be turned fliort on the lame fide, which
motion tries him the mod of any. When trotted in hand,
indead of putting his leg forward in a right line, he
forms a circle with the lame leg’; and when he dands in
the dable, that leg is advanced before the other.
In order to cure this lamenefs, fird bleed him, and let
the whole fhoulder be well bathed three times a day with
hot verjuice or vinegar, in which may be didblved a piece
of foap ; but if the lamenefs continues without fwelling,
or inflammation, aftgr reding two or three days, let the
mufcles be well rubbed for a confiderable time, to make
them penetrate, with good opodeldoch, or either of the
following mixtures:
Take camphorated fpirit of wine, two ounces; oil of
turpentine, one ounce; this proportion will prevent
the hair coming off.
Or,
Take the bed vinegar, half a pint; fpirit of vitriol,
and camphorated fpirit of wine, of each two ounces.
When the (boulder is very much fwelled, it (hould be
fomented with woollen cloths (large enough to cover the
whole) wrung out of bot verjuice and fpirit of wine ; or
a. fomentation prepared with a drong deco&ion of worm¬
wood, bay-leaves, and rofemary, to a quart of which
;-may be added half a pint of fpirit of wine.
,A .rowel in the point of the fhoulder in this cafe often
I E R Y.
does great fervice;. efpecially if the drain has been very
violent, and the fwelling very large : but as to boring
up the (boulder with a hot iron, and afterwards inflating
it, is both a cruel and abfurd treatment; and the pegging
up the found foot, or fetting on a pattendhoe, to bring
the lame fhoulder on a dretch, is a mod prepoderous
practice, and dire&ly calculated to render a horfe in¬
curably lame; for it can only be necedary in cafes the
very oppofite to this, where the mufcles have been long
contracted, and we want to dretch them out.
Where poultices can be applied, they are at fird un¬
doubtedly very effectual, after bathing with hot vinegar or
verjuice, and are to be preferred greatlyvto cold charges,
which, by drying fo foon on the part, keep it diff and un-
eafy: let them be prepared with oat meal, rye flour, or
bran boiled up in vinegar, drong beer or red-wine lees,
with lard enough to prevent their growing diff; and when
by thefe means the inflammation and fwelling is brought
down, bathe the part twice a-day with either of the above
mixtures, opodeldoeh,. or camphorated' fpirit of wine;
and roll the part three or four inches,'both? above and be¬
low, with a drong linen roller, of about two fingers
width ; which contributes not a little to the recovery, by
bracing up the relaxed tendon ; and perhaps is more to
be depended on than the applications themfelves.
In drains ofthecoffin joint, that have not been difccfvered
in time, there will grow fuch a diffnds in the joint, that
the horfe will only touch the ground with his toe; and
the joint cannot be played with the hand; the only me¬
thod here is repeated blidering, and then firing fuperfi-
cialiy.
Strains of the hick Jtneivs are very common, and are
eafily difcovered by the fwelling, which extends fome-
times from the back-fide of the knee down to the heel,
but for the mod part the horfe fets that leg before the o-
ther. The tendon fhould be well bathed three or four
times a-day with hot vinegar; and if much fwelled, ap¬
ply the poultices above recommended; and when the
fwelling is down, bathe with the mixtures above, or with
camphorated fpirit of wine and oil of amber, in which
is diffolved as much camphor as the fpirits will take up,
and roll up the tendon with a proper bandage, or laced
docking; which lad, properly fitted to the limb, might be
wore to great advantage, not only in thefe fort of in¬
juries, but in mod others, where there is a difpofition to
the greafe, or other fwellings of the limbs, from weak
and relaxed fibres. Curriers (havings wetted with vine¬
gar have been found ufeful for this purpofe: as has aifo
tar and fpirit of wine: but where the tendons have differed
by repeated injuries of this kind, the cafe will demand
blidering, firing, and proper red.
Strains of the knees and pajlerns arife frequently from
kicks or blows ; if they are much fweiled, apply fird the
poultices; and when the fwelling is abated, bathe with
the above, or the following.
Take vinegar, one^pint; camphorated fpirits of wine,
four ounces ; white vitriol, difiblved in a little wa¬
ter, two drams.
Or,
Take the white of three or four eggs, beat them in¬
to a froth with a fpoon; to which add an ounce of
rock