generally from down-leaps, false | received. In gentle exercise the steps, or sudden attempts at reco-coffin joint is excited to little or no vering the feet from a slip. There action; but in a quick pace a tenare frequently hard lumps remain-derness and slight lameness will be ing after the inflammation abates and observable. Unless remedies be apthe strain is recovered, which arise plied in proper time, strains in the from the coagulable lymph being coffin joint are the most difficult to thrown out in the accident and ulti- cure. The animal should be bled mately becoming callous. These freely, his bowels kept cool by molumps are early felt; they are not of derate purgatives, and the foot, from very great consequence, but in ge- the fetlock joint down, should be neral a slight lameness accompanies well poulticed every morning and them, which goes off when the ani- night with Goulard water and linmal trots a little and becomes warm; seed meal. He should be kept quiet, but, if the horse be much worked, and the poultice continued for a the lameness returns from the con- week or ten days, and longer if the stant action upon the parts. The case require it. After this he may treatment will be in the first in- be turned out to grass until the joint stance nearly the same as in other is restored to its original strength strains; next bleeding, purging, and and flexibility. cold applications to the injured limb, STRAIN OF THE FETLOCK JOINT. The with a moist diet. Cold poultices symptoms of this injury are similar should be applied every morning to those of strain in the back sinews; and night, which should enwrap the the fetlock joint appears swollen and limb from above the knee joint down- inflamed, attended by lameness. The wards. The best poultice is-lin- horse must be copiously bled, and seed cake six ounces, bran (suffi- kept tranquil in a roomy stall; in ciently wetted) three pints; mixed. slight cases this will be sufficient. It will be more beneficial to look to A few emollient poultices, in bad the horse's constitution, and lessen cases, will be necessary, and the the action of the blood vessels ac- body should be kept cool by modecording to the strength and irritabi- rate aperients. Firing the limb is lity of the animal, than to depend frequently practised by veterinarians on local remedies. When the in- as a sure preventive against the reflammatory stage has gone by it will currence of the injury; this operabe then right to use rubbing with tion also tends to strengthen the liniments and oils, such as cam-joint. After a rest of about a fortphorated liniment, soap, spirits, &c. and to bandage the limb. If this plan do not quite remove the swelling in a fortnight, a blister must be applied; and, when healed, the horse turned out to grass. It may be a long time before a perfect cure can be established, and the only hope is in repeated blisters at the interval of a month between each. When, however, full trial be given to this, firing may be resorted to.

STRAIN OF THE COFFIN JOINT. Those accidents are more difficult to ascertain at first than strains in any other part of the horse, as the lameness is hardly perceptible for some time after the injury has been

night, in the stable, he may be turned out to grass in an enclosed field, when he will gradually recover.

STRAIN OF THE HIP-JOINT, FEMUR, HURDLE-BONE, WHIRL-BONE, or ROUND-BONE. Injuries of this kind are frequently brought on by negligence in riding or driving, and sometimes from a sudden slip of the animal's hind feet on a bad road or pavement, whereby he is thrown upon his side: in some cases the head of the bone or cup of the joint may be affected; in other cases the thigh and hip joint are so severely injured, that violent inflammation and lameness of the parts ensue.

When the strain has been

curb should not be entirely removed, the blistering spirit should be again resorted to.

STRAIN OF THE KNEE-JOINT. There is a correspondence between the knee-joint of the horse and the human wrist, and the stifle-joint with the human knee. When the knee

of a slight nature, it may not be perceptible at first, further than a tenderness in leaning on the limb affected when in exercise; but, if he has been left to stand for a short time in the stable, and be taken out, the lameness will be obvious. In this case the horse must be kept quiet in stable for some time after-joint is strained it is mostly accomwards, until by repose he gradually panied by that common accident recovers his strength. In severe called broken knees, and is in constrains a strong blister should be sequence distinguished with diffiapplied to the part, and if necessary culty. Bleeding and rest must, it would be expedient also to fire however, be employed here, as the limb injured, and of course bleed should the case turn out to be simand purge. ply a broken knee, bleeding will be found extremely serviceable.

STRAIN OF THE HOCK, or CURB. This disease was formerly considered as STRAIN IN THE LOINS. The sympa kind of exostosis, but now it is toms of this strain are either a parproperly admitted under the head tial stiffness of the back, and an of strains. The back part of the involuntary yielding of the horse to hind leg is the seat of this disease, any weight placed upon him, or, in arising from the articulation of the very bad cases, general lameness same bones which are affected in ensues. The animal should, as soon spavin, and is succeeded by the as possible after the accident, be formation of a considerable tumour freely bled, which, together with a little below the hock. It is gene- rest, may be sufficient in slight inrally the consequence of a strain, juries; but, if otherwise, in addition accompanied with inflammation; the to bleeding, even to faintness, the coagulable lymph which is thrown following embrocation should be apout is often left, and causes a hard-plied to the loins, viz.:-Liquid If the affection be ammonia, two ounces; oil of turness to remain. observed in its early stage, those pentine, one ounce; olive oil, three applications which are used in ounces. A fresh sheepskin, with strains of the back sinews will ge- the fleshy side in, should be laid nerally effect a cure. Should the across the strained parts. pain and substance, however, continue ten or twelve days, after having had recourse to this treatment, a more powerful plan must be pursued. When this is the case, cut the hair close, and use the following blistering spirit:-Take euphorbium, Spanish flies powdered, of each two drachms; oil of thyme, spirit of turpentine, pure ammonia water, of each one ounce; vinegar, egyptiaticum, of each two ounces. Let them be put into a bottle, and well shaken before they are used. Let the part affected be well rubbed with the hand for six or seven mornings following; after which turn the animal out to grass for five or six weeks. If at this period the

STRAIN OF THE SHOULDER. Strains of the shoulder appear trifling in some cases at first, and lameness is not observable until the horse cools. In strains of a severe or desperate nature the animal can hardly lay his foot to the ground, and stands upon three legs. In all slight cases copious bleeding, and confinement to the stable, in a spacious stall, so that he can move about, will be sufficient; but in severe strains it will be necessary, besides bleeding, to introduce a rowel to the chest; and if that be not effectual in removing the strain, the shoulder must be blistered, or the same embrocation as prescribed for strain of the loins should be well rubbed into

STRANGURY. A disease whose characteristic symptom is a partial suppression of urine, but at the same time unaccompanied by fever or other general symptoms. It is the effect of irritation, occasioning a spasmodic contraction about the neck of the bladder.

STRIGIL, or STRIGILES. An in

The string

the chest and shoulder. Send him | tinue the poultice for a day or two. out to graze in a well enclosed field, See VIVES. and he will gradually recover. STRANGLES. A disease affecting the kernels and other glands of the neck, general fever, swelling of glands under and within the lower jaw, cough, drought, and loss of appetite; sometimes there is very little general fever, and the glands swell, suppurate, and burst, without much notice; generally, how-strument to scrape off the sweat ever, the disease is mistaken for the during the gymnastic exercises of distemper. It is distinguished from the ancients, and in their baths. this by the swellings, which are hot, Something of this kind is used at more tender, and larger, than in the the present day to remove the foam distemper. A similar case, in each and sweat on a horse's body after treatment, is proper; but it is ad- a race, and from stage-coach horses vantageous to bring the swellings at their mid stages. to a head in strangles as soon as possible; for this purpose use strong, hot, stimulating poultices. In the distemper, we must use a liniment of hartshorn, vinegar, and oil: if we are in doubt, therefore, we must use only warm fomentations; this removes tightness and irritability, without occasioning suppuration. Sometimes, in strangles, there is a discharge from the nose, before the kernels come to a head: this is called the bastard strangles. When the fever is considerable, we must not bleed, unless upon a great emergency; that is, when the pulse is hard and quick, the flanks heave, the legs cold, the cough painful, and the nostrils red: if the throat be sore, stimulate it, but do not blister; apply constantly a nosebag, with a warm mash in it, frequently changed; rub the swellings with an ointment, made of equal parts of suet and turpentine; do this twice a day, and keep on a warm poultice; if necessary, shave the hair off the kernels. When the swellings burst internally, nature must effect the cure: the horse must have light food, and mild exercise. When there is a proper point to the abscess, open it with a lancet, and press out the matter gently; then keep the wound open with a piece of lint, covered with lard, and con

STRING-HALT. halt, Mr. White observes, has been properly enough named blind spavin. It is thought by the French to be of the same nature as bone spavin, the bony excrescence being concealed, or on the outside of the small tarsal bones, and out of sight. If any remedy is thought necessary for this, firing should be preferred; but this will generally be found to fail. A few years ago, says Mr. White, I had the pleasure of spending a day with the late Dr. Jenner, at Berkeley, when he informed me that string-halt depended upon a disease of the spine, and showed me several vertebræ, which afforded a proof of it. From what I have since observed, I am satisfied that this is the case. Firing and all other operations must therefore be useless.

STUBBED. There are few cases of mechanical injury to which the horses of fox-hunters are more liable than thorns in their legs, or stubs in their frogs or fetlocks. These subjects have been very little noticed by veterinary writers; but there is a field for a display of their knowledge in the art of extracting, and healing. With thorns, of course the first point to be desired is extraction; but then it is often difficult to find the seat of them: also, when found, they are not always easy to

be got at. Sometimes we are com- ner of doing any thing. Ex.gr. When pelled to wait for suppuration, which a man rides his horse full speed at must be encouraged as much as pos-double posts and rails, with a "squire

sible.

trap" on the other side (a moderate ditch of about two yards wide, cut on purpose to break gentlemen's necks), he is then reckoned at Melton to have rode it in style.-Notes to Billesdon Coplow.

SUMPTER-HORSE.

A horse

that carries provisions and necessaries for a journey.

More hunters are ruined by stubs or splinters of wood running into their legs and feet, than by thorns. Indeed, when we reflect on the many hundred times in the course of a season that hunters, ridden in close woodland countries, alight, from high banks, on ground nearly covered with sharp-pointed stubs, from which faggots, stakes, &c. have been cut, we must confess our surprise that accidents do not oftener happen. Many good horses, how-more pliable. ever, are annually lamed by being stubbed, many of which are so far injured as to be destroyed.

In the first place there is no judging of wounds but from appearance and locality; therefore a description of them is useless. Add to this, it often happens that ligaments, tendons, or nerves become wounded, the treatment of which (fatal consequences being always so near at hand) requires all the skill of the regularly bred veterinarian, who alone is fit to direct it, and observe the attempts of nature in their progress. Contused and lacerated as the parts are from accidents of this nature, we cannot be surprised at the violent inflammation which too often ensues.

STUB-NETS. Used far taking carp and trout when they lie close in under the banks.

STUD. A place where stallions and mares are kept to propagate the kind, or else the word signifies the stallions and breeding mares themselves.

STUMBLING, says Mr. White, is frequently caused by an undue determination of blood to the frog, in consequence of compression of the sensible foot from contraction of the heels, which occasions the horse to go upon his toes, in order to avoid the pain felt on touching the ground with the frog.

STYLE. The best possible man

SUPPLE. To supple a horse in the manège, is to make him bend his neck, shoulders, and sides, and to render all the parts of his body

SURBATING. The old term for inflammation of the foot, or rather foot founder; to which dogs and horses are liable ftom overwork.

SURFEIT. This word, derived from super, over and above, or excess, and fio, to be made, applies to the notion which was entertained that the malady arose out of a superabundance of humours produced by over feeding. There are different causes which produce surfeits, but they mostly arise from bad food. When the coat of a horse is of a dirty colour, and stares, he is said to labour under a surfeit. The skin is covered with scurf and scabs; these return although rubbed off. Sometimes the surfeit appears on the skin of the horse in small lumps, like peas or beans: this is often occasioned by his drinking much cold water when unusually heated. This kind of surfeit will be cured effectually by a gentle purge and bleeding. In some cases the scabs appear covering the whole of the body and limbs; at times moist, and at others dry. The irritation is generally so great, as to cause the horse to chafe himself, producing rawness in many parts, and degenerating into mange. In the first instance, it will be requisite to give him a dose or two of mercurial physic. Should his condition be good, and able to bear it, he may subsequently take the fol

lowing balls, which will produce a gentle purging and perspiration on the skin, and lead to beneficial results:-Take crocus of antimony, flour of sulphur, nitre, Venice soap, Barbadoes aloes, of each in fine powder, four ounces: precipitated sulphur of antimony, one ounce. Let them be mixed, add a sufficient quantity of honey or treacle, and liquorice powder, and make them into a mass fit for balls. The weight of each ball should be one ounce and a half.

SWAN, WILD, or WHISTLING HOOPER (Anas cygnus ferus). This large and very beautiful bird is an

much larger; secondly, by the bill, which is red, and the tip and sides black; a black callous knob projects over the base of the upper mandible. No bird, perhaps, makes so inelegant a figure out of the water, or has the command of such beautiful attitudes on that element as the swan, when "it proudly rows its state," Milton's words, "with arched neck between its white wings mantling." The male and female assist in forming their nest, composed of long grass, aquatic plants, and sticks; the number of eggs deposited not exceeding eight, white, and considerably larger than those of the goose. It sits nearly two months before its young are excluded, which do not reach their proper size until they are a twelvemonth old: indeed all the stages of this bird's approach to maturity are slow, and seem to mark its longevity.

occasional visiter of our shores, particularly in hard winters; they are gregarious and difficult of approach. This species is less than the tame swan. The lower part of the bill is black; the base and the space between it and the eyes is covered with a naked yellow skin; the eyeIn such high estimation were lids are bare and yellow; the entire swans held, that by an act of parplumage, in old birds, of a pure liament passed in the twenty-second white; the down, soft and thick; year of the reign of Edward IV. no the legs, dusky. The cry of the person, except the king's son or a wild swan is shrill, loud, and harsh, freeholder of five marks a year, was and may be heard at a great dis-allowed to keep a swan: and by an tance: this may be attributed to act of James I. to take or destroy the peculiar formation of the wind-their eggs, subjects the offender to pipe, which falls into the chest, then a fine of twenty shillings for each turns back like a trumpet, and afterwards makes a second bend to join the lungs.

egg, or imprisonment for three months. It is felony to steal any swan lawfully marked or domesticated in private motes, ponds, or rivers.