The farrier's new guide: containing first, the anatomy of a horse ... Secondly, an account of all the diseases incident to horses, with their signs, causes, and methods of cure / [W. Gibson].

  • Gibson, W. (William), 1680?-1750.
Date:
1731
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The farrier's new guide: containing first, the anatomy of a horse ... Secondly, an account of all the diseases incident to horses, with their signs, causes, and methods of cure / [W. Gibson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The 9 RE FAC E. was not only himfelf an excellent Horfeman, But the bell Judge that ever wrote upon the Subjed. But all this while it does not appear, that there has been any Provision made for the Cure of the Infirmi¬ ties and Accidents to which that noble and generous Creature is expofed, fuitable to what his Services really deferve. For albeit the fame Perfons, who were the firli Improvers of Horfemanfhip, were no lefs ilu- dious of their Difeafes, and were alfo the firft of all the Modems, who feem to have writ profeffedly of them ; yet it mud be owned, their Writings are more like Syftems of old Aftrology, than as if they had been compofed for the Cure of Horfes : Neither can this be thought very ftrange, if it be confidered, that thefe Authors had no other Means of arriving at their Skill, but by adding from Books of Phyfick and Sur¬ gery, what they judged neceffary to perfeft the com¬ mon and received Pradice of Farriers, which in thofe Times was of a very mafculine Kind, and had been handed down thro5 many ignorant Ages, without any other Regulation, than what had obtain'd by Rote and Cuftom. Now it is very eafy to conceive, how thofe who are uninflruded in the Principles of any particular Art, may be milled in what they copy and borrow from it; for as they are not Judges themfelves, they will neither be apt to make Choice of the bell Au¬ thor ; nor can it be fuppofed, if they did, that they ihould mend the Matter very much, in a Science fo much complicated as that of Phyfick, i3c. and which, by the Ignorance of thofe and the preceeding Times, was itfelf embarraffed with many idle and whimileal Dreams, not to be met with, or at lead depended on by ancient Writers, and which have been abfolutely rejc&ed fmce the modern Difcoveries have cleared the Way to true Knowledge. And that this wa s the Cafe of thefe Gentlemen, who firft put Pen to Paper, on the Difeafes of Horfes, is evident from their injudicious Collections; tor in them we