OF SCOTLAND.

211

oxen are employed, and exempting the horses kept on everyform that employed oxen in a certain proportion.

SECT. III.

OF THE DISTEMPERS OF HORSES.

I he knowledge that has been acquired in other places, inthis branch of the Veterinary Art, has made but little pro-gress among the agricultural population of Scotland ; Innone of the county reports is there any enumeration of thedistempers of horses; and in most of them, this division ofthe plan prescribed by the Board of Agriculture, is passedover in silence. It is a subject indeed, upon which it is im-possible to write with advantage, without the benefit of a re-gular course of study, and a considerable range of practice.These qualifications are not to be expected in farmers, andcountry farriers are seldom possessed of them in any con-siderable degree. There is much more knowledge respect-ing the distempers of cattle and sheep, than of horses, diffus-ed over the rural parts of Scotland , because the formerkinds of live-stock are kept in much greater numbers, andmany of their diseases originate in the soil and climate oftheir pastures, which are the constant subjects of observation,and the effects of winch are uniform and perceptible. I lorses,on the other hand, at least such of them as are employed incultivation, are subjected to all the evils which complete do-mestication superinduces, on what may be called natural dis-tempers; and the causes of the most prevalent, must be foundin excessive exertion, in an improper regimen, and but toooften, in the culpable mismanagement of the persons to^'hose charge they are intrusted. It is only necessary in