FJERMERS DEPflRTMEuVT.

Farricry.-—There is no creature, per- haps, so much to be pitied as a sic]: horse. We mean in this country—for in Europe there are Veterinary Departments attach- ed to the Medical schools, where the struc- ture and diseases of the horse are scientiai- cally studied ; where the treatment is tiaught 0n rational principles ; and where the practice is honorable, because it is based upon knowledge. But here nothing isknOWn of farriery, except what is picked up mostly by accident—and may be right, or may be wrong. But the latter is most probable, because the practice of the art is generally confined to the most ignorant part of the population. These circumstan- ces have rendered the practice degrading ; and that which is quite as honorable in its nature as the treatment of human diseases, and much better paid for, is wholly in the hands of quacks——a set of men who would confer disgrace upon any calling. Let the subject he attended to in a scientific man- ner, let there be veterinary departments, and let only well educated men attempt the practici- ot't'arriery, and a doctor of horses will be accounted as respectable as a doctor ofhuman beings : and he who relieves the sufferings and saves the life of that noble animal, will be accounted no less a bene- factor, than he who performs the same ser- vice for that often less worthy animal, man.

But, as we have said above, there is no creature more to be .pitied, than a sick horse. We will suppose the lot of the four-footed patient to be cast—not alone, and far from humun aid, for then nature might effect a cure—but in the midst of an abundant population, where a crowd will soon gather round him. There will be great diversity of opinion as to the nature of the disease. One calls it the botts, a- nother the cholic, a third a founder, a fourth sonnething different from all the rest, --in short, each one claims the privilege of forming and maintaining his own opini- on. and each one considers his reputation for judgment concerned in supporting his can views to the last.

As they differ respecting the nature of the disease, so they differ in regard to the mode of cure. Even those who chance to agree as to the nature of the disease, are apt to disagree about the treatment. Of those who pronounce the co'nplaint to be botts, one recommends milk and molasses;

another, red precipitate and spirits of tur- pentine ; another, aloes and beef brine; and afvurth, (O, monstrous !) a fowl cut open alive, and the entrails thrust down the poor horse’s throat. Think of that, ye hu- man patients—did you ever swallow a live toad ? if so, you will have some idea of a miserable sick horse swallowing the warm entrailhof a murdered hen. Of those who will have the disease to be cholic, one‘ re- commends gin—and a horse who never

THE BRITISH AMERICAN

drank any thing in his life but cold water, has a quart of ardent spirits poured down his throat ; another prescribes castor oil, and forthwith a bottle of that is sent after the gin in the horse’s stomach ; another thinks he has a remedy worth both the o- thers, and aipound ofground mustard seed mixed with cayenne pepper, is sent to keep company with the rest, For it generally happens, that whatever is recommended is carried, with as little delay as possible into practice ,' for where all are equally good authority, it would be unfair to follow the advice of one, and reject that of the other -—besides, the owner is exceedingly anxi- ous for the life of his horse, and is willing to give him at least a chance of recovery, by making use of all known methods for ef- fecting so desirable an end.

Consider now the condition of the poor animal. He has, (according to all ac- counts,) not less than halfa dozen of dif- ferent diseases ; and for each disease he is compelled to swallow something like a do- zen different remedies ! The consequence is, that the poor horse has not less than halfa barrel of the most various nastrums down his throat at the same time—enough to kill any well horse in Christendom— Judge then, whether a sick One has any chance of recovery! As might be expect- ed, the animal generally dies—and with his dying breath gives evidence that the maxim of Solomon—

In the multitude of counsellors, there is safety, in this instance, at least, has not proved true—Berk. dine.

Dutch Dairies—For the sake of clean- liness, the tails of the cows are tied to the roof ofthe cow house with acord during the time of milking. The cow houses both in Flanders and Holland are kept remark- able clean and warm ; so much so that a gentleman ‘spoke’ to Redcliff ‘ of having drank coffee with a cow keeper iu the ge- neral stable in winter, without the annoy- ance of cold, dirt, or any offensive smell.’ The Dutch are particularly averse in un- folding the secrets of their dairy manage- ment, and notwithstanding the pointed que- ries of Sir John Sinclair on the subject, no satisfactory idea was given him of their mode of manufacturing butter or cheese—- London.

Cow Keeping—In Holland the food for one cow in winter for twentyfour hours, is straw, eighteen pounds ; turnips, sixty pounds. Some farmers boil the turnips for them ; others give them raw, chopping them with the spade ; one or other opera- tion is necessary to obviate the risk of the animal being choked, where the turnips, which is usually the case in Flanders, are of too small a size. In lieu of turnips, po- tatoes, carrots, and grains, are occasionally

disc, in which the human heart can so rt-

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given ; bean straw likewise, and uniforme a white drink, prepared both for cows and horses, and consisting of water in which some oilcake has been dissolved, and whi, tened with rye meal, oat meal, or the flow.. er of buckwheat.

Scratches in H)t'388.-—-This disorder oi- (litficulty is too well known to all who own these noble animals, or deal in them, to need a particular description ofit. The remedy is simple, safe, and certain, in all cases which have come to my knowledge, however inveterate. It is only to mix white lead and linseed oil in such pr0por. tions as will render the application conve- nient, and I never have known more than two or three applications necessary, to ef. fect a common cure.-— Tur Reg, SUPPRESSION OF INTEMPERANCE.

AN ESSAY 0n the means necessary to accomplish a total abolition of the practice of drinking flrdent Spirits. By S. W. Pomeroy.

It has been said that whoever plants a single oak, confers a favor on generations not then in existence; but how much more exalted a benefactor is he who shall bestow lasting obligations on the present as well as future generatiOns. And such are those who exert their best faculties to promote the total abolition of the use of ardent spi- rits. We cannot imagine an earthly para-

tionally luxuriate. And where is the indi- vidual who feels ‘ a divinity stir within him that points to an hereafter,’ and hence a desire to alleviate the miseries, and aug- ment the comforts of his fellow beings, that does not exult, when he reflects upon the powerful moral force now abroad, and in active operation for the suppression of temperance ! We here propose to excite attention to physical efforts ; as from the apparent neglect ofthem, we are ledto believe, that the community are;notsufli- ciently aware of their importance. Pioui exhortatious, eloquent argumentative ha- rangues, and the praiseworthy exertionsoi the medical faculty have been producmt of results highly auspicious, and that have exceeded the expectations of many ofthe most sanguine. They have Scotched the serpent, but will they crush him-43 the" no danger that he may ‘ return to wall?! in the mire’--will they have that abuts effect as when united with efiicientprafm measures ? It is believed not ;-—av1go ous combination seems indispensable, accomplish the Herculean labor. In present state of the world, how far can in general, rely on the convictions of men understanding ?

'They know the right. and they approve ittoo; Condoms the wrong, and yet the wrong pumic-