Complete Treatise on the mare and foal at the time of delivery, with illustrations. Also on cows and calves, with stallion and mare, when diseased by Gonorrhea (clap) or — Reading Companion

Biblical Authority and Practical Observation

Mitchell's introduction draws heavily on scripture—the horse's role in the Bible, Solomon's importation from Egypt, and the Queen of Sheba's admiration—to establish the animal's dignity. Yet the excerpts show no sustained theological argument; the biblical references serve as a rhetorical prelude to his own empirical work. The catalog subjects list 'Horses—Diseases' and 'Veterinary obstetrics,' but the actual text devotes far more space to venereal diseases than to foaling. The title promises 'illustrations,' but none appear in the provided excerpts. Mitchell's authority rests on his claim to have consulted an 'eminent human Physician' and to have saved all but two mares under his care.

Gonorrhea and Pox: Diagnosis by Sight and Smell

Mitchell describes the disease in precise, sensory terms: 'small white blotches' on the stallion's penis that grow from a pin's head to a pea in days, emitting 'a very disagreeable odor.' In mares, 'blotches will appear on the shape, of a deep red color, apparently eaten through the surface of the skin,' followed by tumors 'varying from that of a pea to that of a half gallon crock.' He distinguishes gonorrhea from pox by the discharge's color and consistency—'a thin, whitish fluid, resembling bluish milk' that turns 'mattery' if pregnancy is delayed. The treatment involves chloride of lime and nitrate of silver, applied after the stallion is aroused by a mare placed 'on the other side of the fence, distant about one rod.'

Causes Rooted in Breeding Practice

Mitchell attributes the disease to overuse: a stallion covering 'five, twelve and fifteen mares a day' develops a tender, transparent penis prone to infection. He also warns against covering a mare 'on the ninth day after she has undergone the process of foaling,' when a 'discharge of bloody matter' remains. The catalog subjects include 'Horses—Breeding,' and the excerpts confirm that Mitchell's advice is inseparable from management routines. He notes that a horse covering only once every few days 'will escape unharmed.' The cause is not miasma or contagion in the modern sense but a combination of timing, frequency, and the mare's seasonal cycle.

Readers should note that the excerpts represent only the first portion of the treatise; the full work likely includes sections on cows, calves, and colt diarrhea as promised in the title. Mitchell's voice is that of a practitioner who trusts his own eyes over book learning, yet he leans on biblical and historical framing to lend weight to his observations. The text rewards attention to its concrete details—the size of ulcers, the smell at a distance, the exact mixture of lime and water—rather than its broader claims.

It’s strange what stays with you from an old text. Mitchell’s manual had this raw, clinical tenderness—him writing about sick mares as if they mattered personally. I keep thinking about that while slowly reading The genuine works of Hippocrates, Vol. 1 (of 2) — A Closer Reading. Same quiet feeling: observing bodies in distress with such earnest, careful attention. Not moralizing, just watching. It left me gentle, somehow.