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respectively by a yoke of Hungarian oxen, which in a great measure perform all the heavy draught work both in and without the capital.

In the regiments of Cavalry and Artillary the slaughter of troop horses has at length been authorized by the Government in cases of bone fractures; but little less apathy than heretofore is shown in this respect with regard to glandered troop horses, and those with farcy and other incurable maladies; for they are utilized as long as they keep some show of flesh upon them; but as soon as marasmus sets in they are subjected to the same lot as the horses of private individuals already described.

Some few books, written in Arabic under the reign of Sultan Selim, on veterinary matters, are still extant. From these, probably in the past, the Turks derived what knowledge of the subject they possess, or it has been transmitted to them by their stable-grooms, Arabs, for the most part, and who make pretension to the treatment and cure of sick horses. These books describe the diseases, the colours, and the parti cular marks of horses: indicating those which bring good fortune, or which are ominous of ill-luck to self and rider! This is followed by a chapter upon bleeding, firing, or cautery, injections, glisterings, and the administration of drinks or potions by the nostrils. As a sample by which to judge of the value of these books, the following citation, furnished by our correspondent's friend at Pera, will suffice: "What is given to an animal that cannot sleep, that bites, is subject to fits of passion, or runs away with his rider? How are diseases of the heart to be known?"

Medicaments perform but a secondary part among the Turks: superstitious practices take the lead of all, and these appertain to the functions of the Iman, or any other old Moslem devotee. Among these are the throwing of blown-egg shells, over which prayers have been recited, against the forehead of the sick horse; or in other cases the animal is made to swallow the shell after it has been covered with verses from the Coran. These, or other verses, are again inscribed upon the horse's hoofs, and, as the case may be, the animal is walked round the tomb of a Mussulman or the grave of a Giaour. Exorcisms are especially resorted to when sickness has befallen a horse of noble race or an animal highly-valued by its owner: in such cases it is generally believed that the animal is suffering from the malignant influence of an evil eye that has been cast on him. The affection resulting therefrom is called nasar by the Turks; and the symptoms by which it is recognized are shivering fits and the frequent gaping of the animals. Should all the juggleries of exorcism effect no relief, recourse is had to quacks of another sort, who administer the greatest variety of substances.

Bleeding is obligatory in the cure of all diseases and ailments: it is performed, according to the seat of the malady, on a determinate part. In cholic, the tail and the abdomen have the preference; for lameness of the shoulder or the hip, the veins below the shoulders, and of the canons; and when a horse refuses his feed, blood-letting at the mouth. To cure opthalmia they let blood from the nasal mucous membrane, and at the ears; in farcy, at the flat of the thighs. From horses that are thin, and have the hair of the coat ill-conditioned and standing on end, they extirpate a portion of the nictitating membrane;

in certain maladies they open the jugular vein. The quantity of blood they take varies from a few drachms to some ounces. The instrument the Turks use is of a rough make, resembling the common fleam. The blade is fixed, with several other instruments, into one handle: all are used for blood-letting. Observable among them are besides some sharp curved implements, which serve to scrape the pituitary glands, &c.

The Turks admit of no copious blood-lettings: they have no idea of successively-repeated bleedings. A Polish veterinary was one day reproached for having caused the death of a horse affected with acute enteritis, because he had taken fourteen pounds of blood from him in a few hours. The following fact will demonstrate how far prejudices obtain even among the highest classes of Turkish society. The same practitioner, treating the sick horses of a Pacha, administered to them. some medicaments in the form of an electuary: a mortality broke out among the poultry belonging to the Pasha. On inquiring of his servants and stable-men the reason of these losses, they informed him that the electuary (haps) given by the Usta, Veterinary, was discharged with the horse-droppings, and that the fowls died from eating them. The Turks know of no other drinks but what are administered by the nostrils: the electuary (haps) is for them synonymous with poison.

Lamenesses are very frequent. When by chance they find the seat, the part is covered with restrictives, emollients, or essential oils. The Turks have not the least notion of the succession of these diverse medications they are satisfied with following the traditions of their ancestors. Sometimes cold-water lotions are applied upon the seat of an old lameness, and upon recent ones volatile oils are rubbed-in; when neither of these means succeed, firing becomes the last remely. Notwithstanding the savage roughness with which they apply it, it must be admitted that the Turks handle the actual cautery in a masterly manner. The figures or designs traced on the shoulder and the hip represent the brands upon Arab horses, and it is not uncommon for them to succeed in passing off Bosnian horses thus marked for animals of Arabian stock.

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When all remedies have failed in tetanus, the Turks resort again to fire. I have seen a tetanic horse the whole surface of whose body had been cauterized, and after that operation, several woollen coverings were spread over the animal. But the treatment did not end with that. After having removed the nictitating membranes, sal-ammoniac was blown into his eyes: the horse sunk under it." They say that they do succeed in saving horses by this barbarous treatment, but with the loss of one or both eyes! and it becomes soon obvious to a perspicuous practitioner that their pretended cures of tetanus were performed rather on animals affected with rheumatic stiffness of the limbs and neck.

(To be concluded in our next)

New Year's

Day.

"There's no want of meat, sir;

Portly and curious viands are prepared,
To please all appetites."

Massinger.

"Let your charity begin at home-but do not let it stop there."

Henry Martyn.

It would be labour lost to seek through the mazes of remote antiquity for the first observance of this festival. Prominently standing forth mid-way amongst the "Twelve daies of Christmas," it nevertheless becomes impracticable to isolate it, as it partakes of many of the attributes belonging to them, and concedes others of its own.

The duration of Christmas has varied; "King Arthur kept with his nobles at York a very prophane Christmas for thirteen days;" by a law of Canute it was ordained that no man should fast from Christmas-Day till after the Octave of the Epiphany, making a period of twenty days, but subsequently the season was extended to forty, Candlemas-day or that of the Purification being embraced. The twelve days, however, have been more generally accepted.

Let us glance round at some things most noticeable. Our forefathers when the devotions of the Eve were over used to light candles of large size, and then drag forth from its receptacle where it had lain months past, a huge log called the Yule clog, which was placed upon the fire in the principal apartment, and sending forth its blazing flames, the night by this double illumination was turned into day, from symbolic significances Christmas being called the "Feast of Lights.'

The Christmas Carol was really, in primitive meaning, an imitation of the hymn the angels sang when announcing the nativity, and however corrupted and travestied, it has remained a song of joy. The Waits or wakes are supposed to commemorate the harmonious sounds which pervaded the spheres with their heavenly melody, when the birth of our Saviour was announced to the shepherds.

The adornment of houses with ivy, holly, and other ever-greens existed in Britain long before the introduction of Christianity, dwellings in the time of Druidism being so decked, that the sylvan spirits might find shelter, and unnipped by cruel frosts and piercing winds there stay until spring renewed the foliage of the woods.

The decoration of churches arose from the typical and figurative allusions to plants in Scripture, these being rendered visible revivals, and Gay's lines will here recur to the reader :

"Now with bright holly all the Temple strow
With laurel green and sacred misseltoe."

Though while admitting the laurel and bay as being appropriate emblems of victory and peace, we must take exception to misseltoe, the Druids, whose Pagan rites were of the most iniquitous nature, sedulously cultivating it in their groves.

The Christmas-box is said to have originated from the priests col

lecting in a box sums against the season of rioting soon to commence, so that masses might be made by them to the saint's for their intercession to obtain pardon on account of the licentious dissipation the people might commit.

The interchange of Gifts as tokens of mutual affection, good will, or friendship, is to be discerned far beyond the Christian era.

The Wassail-bowl various authorities affirm appertained strictly to New Year's Eve, not that we have met with any satisfactory reason adduced to support this assertion, nor is it material, for Christmas-tide throughout, it seems to have been in vogue, and we find it dwelt upon as a specialty on Twelfth-day. On New Year's Eve it was customary to carry the wassail-bowl from house to house accompanied by music, a song being sung, the burthen of which was the wishing of a "Happy New Year," returns being made to the bearers and attendant retinue, generally in money; and here again we perceive another origia for the nocturnal perambulators who make night hideous with their ministrelsy in these our own times.

Was-heil in the Saxon signifies "your health." Rowena, daughter of Hengist, on her first interview with Vortigern, knelt before him, offering a cup of wine, exclaiming "Hlaford Kyning waes-heil" (Lord King, health be to you), and Vortigern with a befitting reply, pledged the Princess, and then kissed her.

The following tells us of the ceremonial to be observed on presenting the wassail-bowl in Henry VII.'s reign: "When the steward cometh in at the doore with the wassel he must crie three times wassel, wassel, wassel,' and then the chaplain must answer with a good songe."

The chief ingredient of the bowl seems to have been spiced ale, crab-apples toast and other things being added according to the taste fancy or fashion, at different periods.

To prevent excess in drinking from the wassail bowl, pegs at equal distances, the one below the other, were placed, each pull at it enabling the person quaffing to imbibe about half a pint, and from this it will readily be understood what "taking a fellow down a peg or two" had its meaning from, as the lower the peg was put, the less of the stimulating beverage a vapouring toper would get.

Drinking healths was prevalent amongst the Greeks and Romans, and for so many letters in a lady's name, so many glasses were filled in her honour. Thus Martial says:

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"Six cups to Navia's health go quickly round,

And be with seven the fair Tustina's crown'd."

During winter, fresh provisions were rarely to be had in the "olden tyme." From some cause or other it was deemed lucky to kill oxen and swine at Martinmas for salting down (superstitious ideas marking nearly every act of our ancestors), and it is by no means improbable that the roast beef of old England became noted because tenantry and dependants had a beast slain and roasted whole for distribution amongst them at Christmas, the prime part perhaps being reserved for the Baron, and hence let us suggest the "baron of beef."

The Boar's head was the principal dish at Christmas, and we are de lighted to behold this relic of the past annually holding its own under some roofs. It was invariably brought into the banqueting hall with

befitting solemnity, nor is this omitted where such and similar reminiscences are in some counties and places kept up.

The turkey evidently deposed the peacock, though in this country it is comparatively modern. The capon was the Christmas bird. When rent was paid in kind or partially so, the landlord received "fishe at Lent, fowle at Midsummer, goose at Michaelmas, capon at Christmass."

Pastry was paramount, and its fabrication employed the pretty dimpled fingers of woman-kind for many a generation, and there are not wanting even in these days "ladyes of high degree" who priding themselves on their powers in the art, could have competed with their great great grand-dams in the preparation of mince-pies, yule dough, puddings, and cakes, at Christmas tide.

Twelfth-day was termed the "grand day" of the Christmas holidays, being kept with extraordinary jovialty. It was called the "Festival of Kings," in commemoration of the Eastern Magi, or Kings, who brought their gifts and offerings to the infant Jesus.

Very little conception can be formed of the gorgeous pageantry and stately parade of the festivities indulged in by our progenitors, the displays of the high and mighty affording an infinite amount of gratification to their humbler brethren.

A Lord of misrule or "master of merrie disportes" used to be appointed in the palace of the King, the castles or mansions of the nobles and gentry, and the residences of the abbots, these spiritual peers vying in the splendour of their hospitality and entertainments with the sovereign. In the city of London the mayor and sheriff each had one, whose duty it was to contrive the rarest pastimes to delight beholders, these being on the most costly and magnificent scale. The lords of misrule beginning their rule at Allhallows Eve continued the same till the morrow after the Feast of the Purification.

The grave and sedate Lord Bacon cannot refrain from yielding his advice upon maskings, mummings, and such matters. "Dancing to song is a thing of great state and pleasure" he observes, but adds that "turning dances into figure is a childish curiosity;""and generally let it be noted," he continues "that those things which I here set down, are such as do naturally take the sense and not respect petty wonderments." "Let the songs be loud and cheerful, and not chirpings or pulings; let the music likewise be sharp and loud, and well placed. Alluding to the propriety of "fools, satyrs, baboons, wild men, antics, beasts, spirits, witches, æthiopes, pygmies, turquets, nymphs, rustics, cupids, statues moving, and the like," he yet objects to devils and giants as too horrible, and "therefore unfit." Angels are to be omitted; "as for angels it is not comical enough to put them in antimasks."

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The restoration of some customs fallen into disuse we do not desire, but the neglect of others we lament. On these we cannot now descant, and shall conclude our brief say with that ancient salutation which we hope may ever cheerily circulate amongst us at this season, by wishing our readers

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"A Merrie Christmas and a Happy New Yeare."

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