MATCH COCK
.—A cock intended to fight in a MATCH, must not be less in weight than three pounds six ounces, or exceed four pounds eight: if either less than the first, or more than the latter, he cannot be shewn or brought to the SCALE. See Main of Cocks.
MATCH in RACING
—is a BET made between the OWNERS where only two horses are concerned, one of which must become the winner. For explanatory particulars, see Horse Racing. Horses are said to MATCH (for a carriage) when they correspond, and constitute a similitude in height, marks, action, and color. A HUNTING MATCH (generally termed a steeple chase) is made by parties, to ride their own horses across a country to some point agreed on, encountering all difficulties, and taking the LEAPS in stroke: this kind of match is, upon most occasions, run with a few couple of hounds; a person going forward with a DRAG to the spot appointed where the match is to be decided.
MATCHEM
—was a horse the most eminent of his time as a RACER, and for many years was the most esteemed STALLION in the kingdom. He was bred by Mr. Fenwick, foaled in 1748; got by Cade, dam by Partner, grand-dam by Makeless, great grand-dam by Brimmer, &c. &c. He produced an annual succession of winners (many of them excellent runners) too long for enumeration.
MERCURY
—is become an article of so much medical utility with HORSES, as well as with the human species, that it seems entitled to some mention here, being a specific much talked of, but not universally understood. Mercury (alias quicksilver) is an opaque silver-colored mineral fluid, appearing to the eye like melted TIN or LEAD; it is heavier than any other fluid, and does not congeal in the greatest degree of natural cold ever yet known. This mineral is met with in its fluid form in the earth, or extracted by art from certain metallic ores. There are considerable mines of it in Hungary and Spain; but the greatest quantities are brought from the East Indies. The use of mercury was but little known till within the last century; and its more subtle preparations, with their efficacious properties, of a much later date. The ancients looked upon it as a confirmed corrosive poison, though perfectly void of acrimony, taste, and smell. Experiments have been made, and instances proved, of its having been lodged for years in cavities of both bones and fleshy parts, without the least injury, or smallest sensible or perceptible effect. Taken into the human body in its crude and undivided state, it passes through the intestinal canal unchanged, and has not been found to produce the least inconvenience.
Notwithstanding the mildness and inactivity of QUICKSILVER in its crude and undivided state, yet, when resolved by FIRE into FUME, or otherwise divided into very minute particles, and prevented from re-uniting by the interposition of proper substances, or combined with mineral acids, it has very powerful effects, affording the most violent POISONS, and yielding the most excellent and salutary remedies, of any with which the medical world are acquainted. There are now (introduced upon the broad basis of experimental practice) a variety of mercurial preparations, some of which are given internally; others are introduced (or rather insinuated) into the habit by external application, either in a liquid solution, or in an unctuous form: in whatever way it be administered internally, or applied externally, it evidently possesses the power of solving all stagnant fluids, liquifying the viscid juices which obstruct the finer vessels, and most minute passages; and has been known, by patient perseverance, to obliterate cancerous affections, and schirrosities of dangerous magnitude. The fundamental effects of mercury (or rather mercurial preparations) do not depend upon the increase of the sensible evacuations; as its gradual introduction into the habit (or system) of either man, or beast, may be so managed, by judicious proportions, as to promote excretion through the different emunctories, without perceptibly deranging the frame of one or the other.
Thus much being introduced upon the properties of mercury and its preparations, as applicable to the convenience of those who may not have entered into medical disquisition, it becomes necessary to advert to its use, now become so evidently efficacious in many of the disquietudes and disorders to which horses (as well as ourselves) are so constantly liable. The only modes by which it can be with prudence and safety administered to a horse, is either in a course of PURGATIVES, in the form of CALOMEL incorporated with the cathartic ingredients, or introduced as an ALTERATIVE, by throwing daily very small quantities of that article into the system; or the better alternative (if meant as an alterative) of giving the ÆTHIOP'S MINERAL, in doses of two drachms each, every morning, mixed up with a cordial ball. Much DANGER, and many LOSSES, having recently occurred with individuals from a too free use of calomel in PURGING BALLS, where horses, from a certain degree of constitutional irritability, or a want of proper care and attention during their physic, have died in the most excruciating agonies, with only two or three drachms (unless erroneously weighed in the shops) of calomel; it certainly will be the most PRUDENT, evidently the most SAFE, to adopt the three gradational quantities of a drachm, a drachm and a half, or two drachms, according to the size, strength, and constitution, of the horse, taking care never to exceed that quantity even with the strongest.