LAWRENCE, Richard.
The complete Farrier and British Sportsman, containing a systematic Enquiry into the Structure and animal Economy of the Horse, the Causes, Symptoms, and most-approved Methods of Prevention and Cure of all the Diseases to which he is liable, a Detection and Exposure of the erroneous and dangerous Methods of Treatment too generally adopted, with some select and approved original Recipes for various Diseases, the whole rendered easy and familiar, with a View to general Utility, and founded on the latest Discoveries and experimental Facts, to which the Progress of Improvement for the last twenty Years in the veterinary Art has led, including a faithful Delineation of the various Dogs used in the Sports of the Field, with canine Pathology, interspersed with sporting Anecdotes, and an Account of the most celebrated Horses, Dogs, &c. &c. &c., equally important and interesting to the British Sportsman, as to Inn-Keepers, Coach-Masters, licensed Horse-Dealers, Farmers, Owners of Stage-Waggons, &c., embellished with a Series of Engravings executed by eminent Artists, from original Drawings in the Possession of Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Turf … with an Appendix, containing a minute anatomical Description of the bony Structure, or Skeleton of the Horse, the moving Powers or Muscles of that noble Animal, and the different Viscera or internal Parts scientifically explained and illustrated, together with an Abstract of the Game Act of 1831, &c. &c.
London, W. Clowes for Thomas Kelly, [c. 1816].
4to, pp. iv, [5]-518, [6], with engraved title and 13 plates; printing flaw to p. 323; a little toned, small damp-stain to early leaves and occasional spotting, a few creases and marginal tears, tear to 5R2; contemporary English calf, borders roll-tooled in gilt; boards rubbed, sympathetically recornered and rebacked with gilt morocco lettering-piece, endpapers replaced.
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The complete Farrier and British Sportsman, containing a systematic Enquiry into the Structure and animal Economy of the Horse, the Causes, Symptoms, and most-approved Methods of Prevention and Cure of all the Diseases to which he is liable, a Detection and Exposure of the erroneous and dangerous Methods of Treatment too generally adopted, with some select and approved original Recipes for various Diseases, the whole rendered easy and familiar, with a View to general Utility, and founded on the latest Discoveries and experimental Facts, to which the Progress of Improvement for the last twenty Years in the veterinary Art has led, including a faithful Delineation of the various Dogs used in the Sports of the Field, with canine Pathology, interspersed with sporting Anecdotes, and an Account of the most celebrated Horses, Dogs, &c. &c. &c., equally important and interesting to the British Sportsman, as to Inn-Keepers, Coach-Masters, licensed Horse-Dealers, Farmers, Owners of Stage-Waggons, &c., embellished with a Series of Engravings executed by eminent Artists, from original Drawings in the Possession of Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Turf … with an Appendix, containing a minute anatomical Description of the bony Structure, or Skeleton of the Horse, the moving Powers or Muscles of that noble Animal, and the different Viscera or internal Parts scientifically explained and illustrated, together with an Abstract of the Game Act of 1831, &c. &c.
Likely first edition, dedicated ‘to the noblemen and gentlemen of the Quorn Hunt’. Much unlike his earlier scholarly work on veterinary science, Lawrence’s Complete Farrier and British Sportsman is written for gentlemen and noblemen with an interest not in farriery but in fox-hunting, discussing both horses and hounds. The text is illustrated by plates, the majority decorative rather than diagrammatic, and accompanied by amusing anecdotes, including those relating to Philip Astley. Having begun his career a well educated advocate of the academic approach to the veterinary art, it is not known what drove Lawrence to write a work of popular farriery for huntsmen.
Several editions, for the mostpart undated, were issued around 1816, with no established precedence. The most common edition, however, has plates dated 1817 and is printed on paper watermarked ‘1818’ (Mellon), suggesting it is most likely later.
Not in Dingley; cf. Mellon 103 (another undated edition, c. 1818).
