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

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ver the cracks a ftrong mercurial ointment fpread on tow,
with which they ftiould be dreffed, night and morning,
till all the fcabs fall off: if this Ihould not fucceed, a-
noint them night and morning with a little of the follow¬
ing, and apply the above ointment over it.
Take hogs lard, two ounces ; fublimate mercury, two
drams.
Or,
Take hogs lard, two ounces; oil of vitriol, two
drams.
Take the next from Gibfon, which is to be depend¬
ed on:
^Ethiops mineral, half an ounce ; white vitriol, one
dram ; foft green foap, fix ounces.
Anoint with this often ; but firft clip away the hair, and
■clear the fcabs. On their drying up, it may be proper
to give a gentle purge or two ; or the nitre balls may be
taken advantageoufly, for a fortnight or three weeks. •
0/Lampas, Barbs, Wolves Teeth.
The la?7tpas\s an excrefcence in the roof of thehorfe’s
mouth, which is fometimes fo luxuriant, that it grows a-
bove the teeth, and hinders his feeding. The cure is in
lightly cauterifing the flelh with a hot iron, taking care
that it does not penetrate too deep, fo as to fcale off the
thin bone that lies under the upper bars; the part may
be anointed with burnt alum and honey, which is proper
for moll: fores in the mouth.
This operation is by feme thought to be entirely unne-
-ceffary; it being a general obfervation with them, that
all young borfes have their mouths more or lefs full of
what are called lampas ; and that fometimes they rife
higher than the fore teeth; but they further obferve, in
proportion as a horfe grows older, the roof flattens of it-
felf, and the teeth then appear to rife. We are obliged
to the ingenious M. La Foffe for this remark, and hope it
will be the means of abolifliing this cruel and unnecefia-
ry operation.
Barbs are fmall excrefcences under the tongue, which
may be difcovered by drawing it afide, and are cured by
cutting clofe off, and walking with brandy or fait and
water.
A horfe is faid to have ivolves-teeth, when the teeth
grow in fuch a manner, that their points prick, or wound
either the tongue, or gums, in eating. Old horfes are
moll liable to this infirmity, and whofe upper overflioot
the under teeth in a great degree.
To remedy this evil, you may either chop off the fu-
perfluous parts of the teeth with a chizzel and mallet,
or file them down, which is the better way, till you have
fufliciently walled them.
Of the Grease.
In order to treat this diforder with Tome propriety;
we lhall confider it as arifing from two different caufes ;
a fault or relaxation in the veffels, or a bad di'fpofition in
the blood and juices. We mull here cbferve, that
The blood and juices (or humours, for there are always
dome in the bell Hate of blood) are brought to the ex¬
treme parts by the arteries, and returned by the veins ;
I E R Y.
in which latter, the blood is to rife in perpendicular co*
lumns, to return the circulating fluids from the extremi¬
ties : hence fwellings in the legs of horfes may eafily be
accounted for, from a partial llagnation of the blood and
juices in the finer velfels, where the circulation is molt
languid; and efpecially when there is want of due exer-
cife, and a proper mufcular compreffion on the veffels, to
pulh forward the returning blood, and propel the inert
and half llagnating fluids through their veffels; in Ihort,
the blood in fuch cafes cannot fo readily afcend as de^
fcend, or a greater quantity is brought by the arteries
than can be returned by the veins.
The greafe then, confidered in this light, mull be
treated as a local complaint, where the parts affedled are
alone concerned, the blood and juices being yet untaint¬
ed, and in good condition; or as a diforder where they
are both complicated : but when it is an attendant on
fome other dillemper, as the farcy, yellows, dropfy, be.
fuch difeafes mull firlt be cured before the greafe can be
removed. In the former cafe, moderate exercife, pro¬
per drefling, cleanlinefs, and external application, will
anfwer the purpofe; in the latter, internals mull be cal¬
led in to our aflillance, with proper evacuations.
When a horfe’s heels are firll obferVed to fwell in the
liable, and fubfide or go down on exercife; let care be
taken to walh them very clean every time he comes in,
with foap-fuds, chamber-lye, or vinegar and water, which,
with proper rubbing, will frequently prevent, or remove
this complaint: or let them be well bathed twice a-day
with old verjuice, or the following mixture, which will
brace up the relaxed veffels; and if rags dipped in the
fame are rolled on, with a proper bandage, for a few
days, it is moll likely the fw,ellings will foon be removed
by this method only, as the bandage will fupport the vef¬
fels, till they have recovered their tone. To anfwer this
end alfo, a laced (locking made of Itrong canvas or
coarfe cloth, neatly fitted to the part, would be found
extremely ferviceable, and mighyeafily be contrived by
an ingenious mechanic.
Take redlified fpirit of wine, four ounces; diffolve
in it half an ounce of camphor;which add wine-
vinegar, or old verjuice, fix ounces; white vitriol,
diffolved in a gill of water, one ounce; mix toge¬
ther, and (hake the phial when ufed.
But if cracks or fcratches are obferved, which ouze
and run, let the hair be clipped away, as well to pre¬
vent a lodgment (which becomes flinking and offenfive by
its (lay) as to give room for walking out dirt or gravel,
which, if fuffered to remain there, would greatly aggra¬
vate the diforder.
When this is the cafe, or the heels are full of hard
fcabs, it is neceffary to begin the cure with poultices,
■made either of boiled turnips and lard, with a handful
of linfeed powdered; or oatmeal and rye flour, with a
little common turpentine and hogs lard, boiled up with
ftrong-beer grounds or red-wine lees. The digedive
ointment being applied to the fores for two or three days,
with either of thefe poultices over it, will, by foftening
them, promote a difeharge, unload the veffels, and take
down the fwelling; when they may be dried up with the
following :
Take