Book: Mayhew's Illustrated Horse Doctor

Overview
Mayhew's Illustrated Horse Doctor, published in 1860, is a compact, practical manual aimed at those responsible for the daily care of horses: grooms, coachmen, farmers and smallholders. It combines clear descriptions of symptoms with step-by-step directions for treatment, presented in plain language and reinforced by illustrative woodcuts. The emphasis is on rapid diagnosis, simple remedies and hands-on procedures that could be carried out where a professional veterinary surgeon was not available.
The tone is pragmatic rather than academic. The book assumes a working familiarity with horses and concentrates on what to look for, how to act quickly and how to avoid common mistakes that might worsen an animal's condition. It reflects mid-Victorian veterinary knowledge and practice, bridging traditional remedies and the emerging professionalization of animal care.

Practical guidance and structure
Chapters are organized around common emergencies and everyday problems, beginning with general rules for housing, feeding and grooming before moving to specific diseases and injuries. Instructions on taking the pulse, observing respiration, examining the mouth and checking the feet aim to equip a caretaker to form an immediate opinion about a horse's state. Illustrations show how to apply bandages, position a horse for treatment and identify key external signs of trouble.
A strong practical thread runs through advice on shoeing, blistering, poultices, bleeding and the use of stimulants and sedatives. Procedures are described in concise, procedural language: how to prepare a poultice, where to apply leeches or bloodletting, when to alter feed, and which simple medicines to administer. The manual's economy of words and diagrams makes it a quick-reference guide for urgent situations.

Common ailments and treatments
Detailed entries cover lameness, founder, navicular troubles, thrush and other hoof complaints, and the many causes of a horse's cough or nasal discharge. Colic receives particular attention, with guidance on distinguishing types of abdominal pain, the use of gentle exercise, warming and draughts, and when forcible measures or a more radical operation might be needed. Skin diseases, sores, wounds and eye afflictions are treated with localized remedies, cleansing, poultices, topical ointments and careful protection of the injured part.
Contagious diseases that threatened stables and towns, strangles, glanders and influenza, are described with advice on isolation, hygiene and symptomatic care. While some prescriptions reflect dated medical theories, the book's practical emphasis on cleanliness, early detection and limiting contact demonstrates an intuitive grasp of containment and prevention.

Preventive care and everyday management
Mayhew stresses that prevention saves more horses than cure. Sections on proper feeding, timely shoeing, regular grooming and sensible exercise underline the economic as well as humane reasons for attentive management. He highlights the value of well-ventilated stables, dry bedding and avoiding sudden changes in diet or work that often precipitate illness.
Advice on the selection and steady conditioning of young and working horses reinforces the manual's audience: people who depended on animals for transport, haulage or farm labour. Recommendations about rest after exertion, gradual training and seasonal adjustments in care are rooted in long experience and commonsense observation.

Tone, limitations and historical value
The book is a practical snapshot of mid-19th-century equine medicine, combining folk remedies, empirical techniques and the developing knowledge of veterinarians of the era. Some suggested treatments now seem harsh or obsolete, yet the focus on observation, timely intervention and owner responsibility offers enduring lessons. The illustrations and concise instructions make it a useful historical source for understanding how horses were kept and treated during a period when they were central to daily life and industry.
For modern readers, the manual is best read as a piece of practical history: informative about period practice and valuable for appreciating the skills and challenges faced by those who cared for working horses before the advent of modern veterinary science.