furdities of his veterinary predeceffors, excepting one folitary inftance, where his philosophy and good sense suffering a momentary fufpenfion, he incautiously recommends the ftupid and cruel practice of attempting to dilate narrow heels, an inch or two, by the infertion of a splint of iron in the frush, which was to be previously cut open with a fleam, in order to the reception of the iron; as though it were equally practicable to force nature from her destined course, as, experience teaches us, it is, to affift her in it by gentle and legitimate means. But it is indeed wonderful that they stopped where they did, and that Markham, or fome other conjuror of the enlightened days of yore, did not recommend an attempt to increase the longitudinal dimensions of a horse's neck, by virtue of an operation of the mechanic powers. Of this abfurdity, however, as well as of feveral others of minor confequence, the judicious Gibson has purged his writings in the last edition. Indeed he enjoyed, in the interim, the advantage of confulting the invaluable work of Dr. Bracken, of whofe remarks (made, it is true, with here and there a fpice of the usual petulance of that eccentric writer) he has numerically taken the advantage, but without acknowledging the obligation, which he surely might have done without fhame, confidering the great learning and medical

medical ability, as well as equestrian knowledge, of his competitor.

The chief merit of Gibson, is, as a writer on veterinary medicine and furgery; in those lights, his works are above all price, for they are the productions of a judicious and wellqualified profeffional man, who defcribed his own extensive practice. As an equestrian or sportsman, he had no pretenfions; but had nevertheless formed, and apparently from his own observations, the juftest ideas of the nature and true conformation of Horfes, as well as of their defects. In fine, this author muft ever be efteemed as the father of veterinary fcience, to whom all fucceeding authors, as well as all true lovers of the Horfe, are under infinite obligation; and when fome wealthy and ge, nerous fportfman fhall hereafter have erected a ftately and comfortable mansion, for the accommodation of the nobleft and beft of all brute animals, let him alfo rear a monument of his own good fenfe, tafle and gratitude, by adorning the edifice with a ftatute of William Gibson.

Between the firft publication of Gibfon's, and the appearance of Bracken's books, came out a Treatife on Farriery, dedicated to Sir Robert Walpole, by M. Allen; who appears to have been one of the better kind of farriers, and to have seen much practice; but whofe

book

book I mention, merely because the perusal of it confirmed me in an old opinion, namely, of the incompetency of illiterate men, whatever may have been the extent of their practice, to judge in cafes of philofophy or phyfics. Science refides in the records of the practice and experience of many men, during many ages; and can only be obtained by reading and study.

The juftly celebrated Dr. Bracken, whose name is familiar to the ear of every sportsman, ftands next in order of time. As a writer, he is perhaps as fingular a character as ever appealed to the judgment of the public. Highly refpectable for his erudition, of a judgment most profound on all fubjects which he undertakes to difcufs, poffeffing a most penetrating power of mind to detect fophiftry and discover truth (the characteristic of fterling ability) he yet failed in decorum of character as an author, and in the art of delivering himself with propriety in compofition; although ever perfpicuous, his flyle is generally mean, and his arrangement and manner loofe, defultory, and incoherent; occafionally, his vulgarity, and even infipidity, exceed all bounds. Who would fuppofe, after this, that he could poffibly have had a relish for the beauties of com

pofition? and yet that indubitably appears to have been the cafe, from the obvious warmth

of

of his mind, when he quotes that sublime and inimitable description of the Horfe from the book of Job, and from the partiality which he fo frequently expreffes for fome of the most polished writers.

Bracken was a pupil of that great medical luminary, Profeffor Boerhaave, and afterwards went through regular courses of anatomy and midwifery at Paris. On return to his own country, he acted in the double capacity of physician and practitioner in midwifery. His principle works were-Notes on Captain Burdon's Pocket Farrier, published in 1735.—The Midwife's Companion, 1737.-A Treatise on Farriery, 2 vol. 1731.-Lithiafis Anglicana, a pamphlet; and a translation from the French of Maitre-jan, on the eye.

This author lived at a period of time when the true principles of phyfic had already been discovered, and the modus operande of medicines was well known; and he seems to have obtained a very ample share of such knowledge, both from theory and experience. It is agreed, I understand, that, fince that time, no new difcoveries have been made in fundamentals at leaft; unless we are to reckon as fuch the chymical principles of M. Lavoifier; the medicinal ufe of factitious airs, being by no means as yet fully established. He was very fevere upon pretenders of all kinds; and his judgment

judgment respecting the efficacy of certain pretended fpecifics, in particular Mrs. Stephens' folvent for the stone, and the Ormskirk remedy for canine madness, has been fully confirmed by fubfequent experience.

The Doctor was himself a sportsman, well known upon the turf, and in the habit of training several horses annually. His two volumes of farriery comprehend the whole of the subject of the Horfe, excepting the military manége, which he profeffes not to understand; indeed upon the art of shoeing he fays little, but that little ferves to convince us that he entertained the justest ideas upon the matter, and fuch as are, at this instant, prevalent with our practitioners of best repute. His books are generally, in all matters of importance, as applicable to the occafions of the present time, as if written but yesterday; and the errors in them fo few and infignificant, that they are unworthy the trouble of enumeration. Confidering his great judgment in Horfes, as well as medical knowledge, I shall not fcruple to place Dr. Bracken at the head of all veterinary writers, ancient or modern; an opinion in which I am fupported by the judgment of the public, his Treatife on Farriery having paffed through a greater number of real editions, than that of any writer on Horfes fince; notwithstanding

the