predictions will be realized. In the way of interludes, the author indulges in a few lively "skits," touching our mania for extraordinary feats and betting. Thus he says a Woolwich lieutenant offers to play a game at tennis against all England for £50. "A singular accomplishment for an artillery officer." "One individual announces that for £5 he will throw himself from the top of Waterloo Bridge; while another engages not to touch any food for ten days." He might have added, "or to make himself a brute by eating sundry loaves, and drinking sundry gallons."

We

After horses, greyhounds, stags, hares, foxes, pigeons, bulldogs, bipeds, and gluttons, the subject of boxing is discussed; and here we give our continental friend's views upon that subject:-"In these combats everything is opprobrious and repulsive; aye, everything, from the teethless mouth and the savage looks of those degraded beings, to the preparations and precautions destined to prolong the combat. Each second brings his champion a pail of water, a sponge, and a bottle of brandy or wine: the heroes are stripped to their waists, and, at first, totter as much from fear as drunkenness." Fear and drunkenness ! Shades of Gregson, Mendoza, and Pearce, arise and annihilate the French author with a look; surely Shaw, the life-guardsman, with whom our continental neighbours got personally acquainted at the greatest "mill," of our days-Waterloo, was neither a coward nor a drunkard. Censure the sport, but libel not its professors. proceed:- "The murmurs of the spectators soon warn the combatants that they have not come to witness childish play. Vanity then prevails over fear, and the combat becomes serious. At every tooth that drops, at every rib that breaks, at every eye that falls out, there are voices that shout, Bravo! and hands that applaud. The struggle has already lasted an hour: the boxers are exhausted; they can scarcely stand; their faces are bruised, and covered with blood; their bodies present but a huge sore. But they have not fought more than fifty rounds, and a good fight (so we translate beau combat), must be renewed at least sixty or seventy. Their seconds apply the sponge to the flowing blood, wash their eyes, noses, and ears, pour wine or brandy down their throats; and the blows resound again, until one of them, exhausted, panting, almost dead, falls down, never to rise again. And yet the crowd is often dissatisfied, and often cries out that there has been cowardice or treachery. Instead of one corpse it would have two. This is the dark side of sport in England, for it is not only the lower classes that are addicted to these loathsome spectacles, the most distinguished men blush not to witness them, and to speculate upon the fists of a boxer with as much sang froid as they would upon the legs of a racer."

The above is rather an exaggerated description, and yet there is a great deal of truth in it. We hate prize-fighting, which is open to every species of roguery and rascality; and yet prefer the good old English system, among the humbler classes, of settling a difference with the fists, to the knife. In one instance, they fight and shake hands; in the other the survivor, if he escapes the hands of justice, wanders a second Cain, loathed and despised by his fellow creatures.

In the following remarks we entirely concur with our French author: "In this department of sport (boxing) we shall never be on a level with the English, and we can but congratulate ourselves upon it. Let us learn from them to breed and train our horses; let us borrow their racing regulations; let us turn to account their experience and knowledge; let us even be English in the denominations of our races; but when their manners stray into cruelty, let us remain of our own country. Let us leave them in possession of their bull-dog fights, but let the taste for hunting be encouraged amongst us, and that taste will yield us horses and riders. We are still far from having their numerous hunting equipages; but already are our riders numerous and bold. The Prince de Wagram, M. Henri Griffuthe, the Duke d'Aremberg, the Marquis de Vogue, and the Prince de Challais, are inferior to none in science and spirit. The bright deeds of the Marquis de Macmahon, the boldest rider in France, have perhaps no rival even in England. Respecting racing, Chantilly is our Epsom, and our Derby the prize given by the Jockey Club, which amounts to 25,000 francs, and can often boast of a field of more than six-andtwenty horses. The Société d'Encouragement bestows its largess, and awards its prizes, in the months of May and June, at the Champ de Mars, Versailles, &c. ; whilst in September, the government patronize racing, by giving plates to be run for." In conclusion, the author calls upon the provincial owners of race-horses to come to Paris, and engage in a contest which "may some day be rewarded with triumphant success. s." We, too, call upon our continental neighbours Parisian as well as provincial-to enter the arena with us at Newmarket, and in his own words to remind him, that " exaggerated modesty, or consciousness of inferiority, stifles the very principle of emulation, without which everything declines and goes to ruin."

ON TRAINING THE RACE-HORSE.

BY COTHERSTONE.

PHYSIC.

By this term an aloetic purge is to be understood, without the exhibition of which no horse can be put to work with any degree of safety or probability of success. Some few persons, but those few such as have had but little experience in the treatment of horses, express opinions that physic is unnecessary; indeed, perhaps go so as to assert that it is injurious: the latter impression has arisen because they have been in the habit of administering it in too strong doses, or the animal has been otherwise improperly treated. The

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first consideration in evidence of the necessity for a purgative, before any horse should be called upon to perform laborious exertions, is the fact of the bowels being over-loaded with food, in which state it must be conceded by the most strenuous opponents to the salutary remedy that no animal can be safely put to work. The next is the no less important one of the purifying effects of physic upon the blood, which without its aid cannot be expected to flow through the smaller vessels with that freedom which is necessary to promote the general economy of the system; this languid circulation permits the superfluous portions of the blood which are destined to be taken up by the absorbent vessels, or to pass off in perspiration, to lie in an inactive state, especially in the extremities, and those parts such as the lungs, where the vessels are most minute: thus arise those dangerous cases of inflammation in the eyes and lungs, as well as troublesome effusions in the legs. It is here necessary to point out the frequency of swelled legs arising from debility, which is very commonly established by strong doses of physic. Nothing is more usual than a groom, after having given a horse a powerful dose of medicine, to remark that his legs have swelled, ascribing the cause to what he supposes the gross condition of the animal, supposing that the medicine has excited the humours, and that another equally strong dose succeeded by a third are required to clear the system. It is true with horses of tolerably strong constitutions, assisted with the restorative efforts of good keep and moderate exercise, that a restorative may be anticipated; but much loss of time and considerable danger is encountered, which mild doses would not only have averted, but they would have produced general results much more favourable in every respect.

Intimately as the treatment of horses during the operation of physic is professed to be understood, even by every hunting groom, and constantly as they are in the habit of administering it, very few of them manage their horses properly; in the first place, they do not prepare them sufficiently, and, in consequence, they give doses which are too powerful. The day before a purgative is to be given, three or four bran-mashes should be offered, and but little hay; at night none at all. A plentiful supply of bran-mash being substituted at eight o'clock, will afford quite as much, or even more nourishment than hay; at the same time that it will relax the bowels, and render them in a fit state for the action of the aloes. The accumulation of hay in the bowels is the frequent cause of gripes, and also its presence instead of that of mashes demands a more powerful dose of medicine these must surely be reasons sufficiently obvious to establish the advantages of preparing horses in a proper manner, and substituting mild for strong doses of physic. Such horses as are gluttonous feeders, who will, if deprived of their quantum of hay, consume the litter from under them, should be muzzled the night before they have the ball, as the consequence of their devouring straw will be more injurious than eating hay. On the morning of giving the physic, the horse should have walking exercise at the usual hour; and when he returns, and has had his water, the ball is to be given to him. This is another circumstance deserving notice:

if the water be given previously to the medicine, the horse will drink his accustomed quantity; but if it be delayed till afterwards, when nausea is established, perhaps by the partial breaking of the paper which envelopes the ball, or even by the effluvia of the aloes penetrating through it, the horse will not drink at all; and in the afternoon, when the medicine is beginning to affect the bowels, he will be sick from that cause; consequently, from want of a sufficiency of fluid to co-operate with the aloes, they do not produce the desired effect. An hour after the ball has been given, a bran mash should be offered; and unless the former has, from clumsiness in giving it, been broken in the mouth, there is no doubt of his eating it: in all the bran-mashes a double handful of oats should be mixed. During the preparation for and operation of medicine, it is by no means desirable to reduce the quantity of nourishment which the animal requires; but the object should be to change it to that of an emollient and laxative quality, which will assist in the action sought for. During the first day, supplies of bran-mashes are to be given according to the appetite, as also a liberal quantity of fluid, than which nothing is equal to linseed gruel; indeed, at almost all times that may be given with great benefit. A very small quantity of hay is to be given during the day or succeeding night, and that which is given should be at considerable intervals of time, and must not amount to more than just enough for a horse to draw through his teeth on each occasion. At night, the use of the muzzle will be determined by the apparent desire of the horse to consume the litter; but in all probability the sickness will have come on by this period, which will on most occasions prove a sufficient preventive. Early on the succeeding morning, the medicine may be expected to have produced the "desired effect;" and as soon after breakfast as the elements will permit, the patient having the accustomed quantity of clothing on, must go out to walking exercise; the term of which will depend upon the action of the medicine; if it works copiously, half an hour will be sufficient; but, if it shows symptoms of inactivity, he must be kept out until it commences, or, which will rarely happen, it is ascertained that it will not operate at all: if it is very tardy, the horse may return to the stable after having walked an hour, when, if he can be induced to drink, in all probability a favourable result will be produced, especially if he be again walked out. On his final return to the stable, a small quantity of bran-mash may be given, but it is doubtful whether he will touch it; or a few oats, with a handful of dry bran, if the medicine is not required to continue to work. When in physic, it is not necessary to strip a horse for the purpose of dressing him; all that should be done is to wisp the head and neck, which, for obvious reasons must be done with that part towards the manger; indeed, during the whole time the medicine is working, the ordinary custom of turning the horse round in the box or stall, for the purpose of putting on the bridle, hood, &c., is to be dispensed with. The legs and feet are not usually washed, and although I should not wet the legs upon such occasions, I see no impropriety in washing the feet if they require it. The quarters, thighs, and hocks may be well wisped, and any stains and moisture to which they are exposed are to be rubbed dry. The legs

demand particular attention: they should be well brushed and handrubbed, and, if cold, bandaged. During the day, after the physic has worked, the horse is not to be taken out of the stable at all; it ought by this time to cease in its operations, therefore motion would excite it to recommence. The usual course of feeding is now adopted, unless the dose prove too powerful, in which case gruel made with wheat flour will generally be found to have a good effect, otherwise starch gruel may be tried, to either of which half an ounce of laudanum must be called in aid if the case prove obstinate. The succeeding day-that is, the day after the physic has set-the horse may take walking exercise, and gradually increase his work.

Various methods have been adopted of preparing physic, each of which has its advocates: some boil the aloes; others add prepared natron, potash, and such like alkalies, to assist in the solution of the acting drug, none of which are essential. As regards the boiling process, its principal effect is that of reducing the power of the aloes, and rendering five drachms not quite equivalent to four, dependant in a great degree upon the length of time the boiling is continued. There is a resinous combination in the aloe, which in point of fact is the principal purgative quality; the act of boiling disengages a quantity of vapour or steam, which carries off a great portion of the resinous particles, and thus the true strength of the aloe prepared in this manner is unknown, till its proportion is tested by administering the dose. In making up physic for horses, I always employ a considerable quantity of soap, never using less than two drachms, an equal proportion of ginger, with from three to four and a half drachms of aloes the smaller quantity of the latter ten times to one more frequently than the larger. I invariably make them up myself, and am very particular in powdering the aloes very fine; neither are they ever broken from the mass till they are to be used. It is this circumstance in some measure which renders the action of this drug uncertain: when balls are procured from druggists, who, for the sake of saving themselves trouble, have a large quantity of aloes pounded at a time, by which a great and indefinite portion of the active principle is lost, the operation cannot be relied on. Some horses have a great antipathy to mashes, and are equally reluctant in drinking, when in physic; however, if their hay be withheld, and they have plenty of fluid presented to them before any sickness is occasioned, these difficulties will be in a great measure defeated; but if they should not, by giving six or eight drachms of lard in the evening before the ball is given, no danger need to be apprehended; it is easily administered by keeping it in a cold situation, and cutting it in pieces, the size of ordinary balls, which being wrapped in paper produces no sickly taste.

When the system of a horse appears to be suffering under considerable derangement, the introduction of calomel, in doses of from half a drachm to a drachm is frequently succeeded by a wonderful change in the condition. Many disorders arise from an inactive state of the liver, when calomel combined with aloes will stimulate that organ to perform its proper functions, and a visible improvement may be anticipated.