the vulgarity of his style, and the total want of attraction in his manner. A number of editions of the works of a new writer, haftily puffed off, form no fatisfactory proof of his merit; but the ultimate judgment of the public is ever infallible.

To Gibson and Bracken, fucceeded Bartlet and Ofmer, both regular bred furgeons. Bartlet may be looked upon as the commentator of Gibson and Bracken, whofe redundancies he judicioufly pruned, and whose systems he reduced to a compass more convenient to the generality of readers. He also contributed confiderably to public information, from his own genuine flock of veterinary knowledge; but in no respect was his book of greater fervice to the country, than by the communication of the celebrated M. la Foffe's Theory of Shoeing, and management of the feet; from which (although by no means perfect, or indeed often practicable) the hint was first taken of improving our wretched and unnatural system of shoeing, or rather of cramping and clogging the feet of our Horfes. Bartlet's Preface to the Gentleman's Farriery is particularly excellent, and to the purpofe; and I have no doubt, has acted as a ftimulus to many gentlemen of the faculty to undertake veterinary practice. I have fome obfcure recollec

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tion of " A Compendium of Farriery," written by Bartlet, but am uncertain as to the fact, and have at the inftant no means of enquiry.

Olmer bequeathed to his country a Treatife on the Lameness and Diseases of Horses, which, notwithstanding certain errors and excentricities, and his attempt to fupport the vain and unphilofophic notion of the inelafticity of the tendons (whilst he allows elasticity to the fibres of which thofe tendons are composed) is generally excellent, replete with practical utility, and the apparent refult of much experience. His obfervations on epidemics in cattle, commonly called diftemper, are well worth the attention of the veterinary surgeon;. but his system of horse-shoeing, and treatment of the feet, forms the most valuable part of his work; on that branch of the veterinary art he may indeed be efteemed our original writer, from whose ideas our present improved practice has originated. This facetious and good-natured writer (such Ofmer feems to have been) also published a whimsical pamphlet, under the title of, " A Differtation on Horfes," in which he affects to be diffatisfied at our diftinguishing that particular fpecies of the Horse, destined to the course, by the ufual denomination of blood; contending, that we ought rather to ftile them fine, or foreign horses. In this fpecies he had great skill, accompanied by no small prejudice

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in their favour. His pamphlet affords good information on the origin of the racing breed in this country; and had fome of his remarks been attended to, many a thousand, which has been groundlessly lavished away in the ftuds, might have been spared. He has written with confiderable skill on the mechanic powers of motion in those living engines called Horses; and, on all the above-recited topics, if he has not abfolutely hit the exact medium of truth, he has at least made a very near approach, and has faid enough at once to animate and affift fucceeding enquirers.

To this fhort, but meritorious lift of writers on Horses, during the prefent century; which, by general confent, are esteemed our English veterinary claffics; I think in juftice ought to be added the respectable names of Berenger, and Lord Pembroke. The work of the former is a Treatife on the Military Manége, ancient and modern; a fubject on which I poffefs no information from experience. My Lord Pembroke's book ought to be consulted by every gentleman who keeps a horse, and who wishes to have that most important part of him, the foot, in a state of preservation.

Mr. Clarke fills the respectable office of his Majesty's farrier for Scotland. He has publifhed two treatifes; on fhoeing, and on the prevention of difcafes in horfes; and has ac

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quitted himself with that ability, which we had a right to expect from a master of his profeffion, and, at the fame time, a man of found understanding, and good judgment. If my memory serve me faithfully, he was the first of our writers who taught that unctuous and greafy applications, by closing up the pores, and preventing the neceffary emiffion of the perspirable fluid, really impeded, in place of promoting, the growth of ungular and horny fubftances; and who recommended, in lieu thereof, that Horfes hoofs fhould be stopped with clay, and washed with water. Without being intirely convinced of the truth of the propofition, respecting unctuous applications (on which I fhall explain myfelf in proper place) I can very fafely recommend the water in all cafes, and in moft the clay, from my own experience.

Over and above the writers already adverted to, a number of gentlemen of the profession of furgery, fince the days of Gibson and Bracken, whofe names I cannot immediately recollect, have published treatises on farriery; with very laudable intentions, no doubt, for the promotion of veterinary knowledge; but although their feveral works contain now and then a useful remark of their own, yet their obligations to the original writers are so extensive, as to render farther obfervation unneceffary. That justice

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justice, however, which we owe to departed merit, to the reputation of defunct, as well as of living authors, requires that the merits of Mr. Taplin's pretended original work should be fairly and candidly difcuffed; the reader will find, bye and by, that I have indispensible bufinefs with the Gentleman's Stable-Directory.

Of the mere compilers, authors of Sportsmens' and Farriers' Dictionaries, and Difpenfaries, retailers of infallible noftrums, hereditary receipts, and fo forth; we have had many more than quant. fuff. in the courfe of the prefent - century. Thefe worthy labourers in the vinyard may be characterised as follows; fome of them had, perhaps, a fuperficial knowledge of Horses, but none at all, either of phyfic or furgery; others, had a fmattering of medicine, without any knowledge of Horses; but the greater part of them, feem to have known nothing at all, of either the one or the other. The irrevocable fentence of public opinion has long fince paffed upon these books; their very titles have been long forgotten.

There are yet one or two compilations, which I by no means intend to include in this general censure. Mr. Topham's Book, I have not yet had an opportunity to peruse. Mr. Mill's Treatife on Cattle, is in fome respects a useful compilation; particularly as a

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