Bibliothèque mondiale du cheval

« It was not till this day, June 10 1854, that accident threw in my way this publication, which, as it appears to contain matters derogatory to the interests of the public in the use of these beneficial and delightful animals, and entailing an increase of suffering to them, so I feel called upon to make on this work a few passing remarks.
Charles Clark and myself often wondered, in attending sick horses with inflamed lungs (a not very unfrequent complaint), how it could be that before our arrival they had been dosed with an enormous quantity of common linseed oil by the common farriers; and as it was a perfectly indigestible body in the Stomach, and most inveterately nauseous and disgusting to the animal, and, also, as no medicine given afterwards was of any avail upon such a mass, so they uniformly died. (Calling it sometimes castor oil, which also, we know from actual trial, is not an effective, purgative with the horse.) We said one to another, how comes it they have got into this vile practice, seeing that no man we know of, or any author whatever, has ever recommended such a course ? But what was my astonishment when yesterday, stumbling upon this publication, I found in it this very recommendation, at page 212, and which determined me to a further scrutiny of its contents; and found much other objectionable matter, which I thought worthy of public attention, and especially by the veterinarian and the possessor of horses. Youatt appears, indeed, to have been a man of some natural talent or gift of freely expressing himself, of which this book affords demonstrative proof. His later publications in the Lancet were, however, in much better language, in which it would appear he must have received help.[…] » Présentation de l’éditeur (1854)