270 THE HORSE. 
it is scarcely safe to recommend the young hand to attempt the task. At 
all events, if he does, he must be guided by the directions given in another 
part of this book ; and I shall merely direct my attention to the effects of 
physic—firstly, in getting rid of injurious food ; secondly, in cooling the 
stomach and general system, and thus enabling the latter to bear the 
increased stimulus afforded by extra food; and thirdly, to get rid of 
internal fat and humours in conjunction with sweating. 
To THE EFFECTS OF PHYSIC IN GETTING RID OF INJURIOUS FOOD, I have 
already alluded; but I may here mention two or three circumstances 
which will serve to modify the dose, or to forbid it altogether. Curiously 
enough, when a horse comes in from grass, his bowels being in the usual 
loose state which accompanies that kind of feeding, he will generally 
require more aloes than when fed upon dry food. The reason of this 
seeming paradox is simple enough: his bowels have become accustomed 
to the stimulus presented by grass to their liming membrane, and are not 
easily roused to action by aloes, which is only a vegetable, still more 
stimulating, it is true, but simply in degree. A man accustomed to drink, 
will not be so much affected by swallowing a pint of*brandy, even if he is 
already half drunk, as a perfectly sober man would be, if he had not pre- 
viously been inured by long usage to its effects. The groom must not, 
therefore, fancy that a physic-ball of three drachms, or even sometimes 
four drachms, will be sure to act on a horse of average size and constitu- 
tion, just up from grass ; for he will find from four and a half to five and 
a half drachms more likely to serve his purpose. Unless he knows the 
constitution of the animal, he had better content himself with the former ; 
but generally this quantity will not have much appreciable effect beyond 
a very gentle clearing out of the bowels. No mash is necessary, because 
the grass has already prepared the bowels quite sufficiently. Of course, 
if the horse is already too low in flesh, no physic should be given at 
this time. 
THE COOLING POWERS OF PHysIc are those which render it particularly 
valuable in aiding the preparation of the horse for fast work. If at any 
time the legs become hot, a dose will carry off the plethoric condition 
which shows itself in this way, and the rest which must be given after it 
will assist in relieving them. At this time, a mash should always precede 
the physic ; and a second on the following night will often be necessary 
before the dose can safely be given. ‘The same effect would be produced 
by permanently taking away some of the corn; but this would put an end 
to the preparation altogether, and it is to avoid this alternative that the 
physic is given. The old plan was in all cases to give a course of three 
doses, at intervals of nine days, to every horse when first taken into 
work; but if plenty of walking exercise is used, and the corn is gradually 
increased, with an ounce of nitre in the mash every Saturday night, this 
routine is quite unnecessary, and a couple of doses at the intervals I have 
fixed will suffice. Very gross, lusty horses will, perhaps, require one, or 
even two additional doses; and, on the contrary, light herring-gutted 
animals will do without any. The art of the groom consists in fixing 
upon the proper guantwm, beyond or below which he ought not to go. 
THE THIRD OBJECT OF PHYSIC is that which is superseded by the use of 
the Turkish bath, with much less injury to the system. Both act by 
removing superfluous fluids from the body, through the agency of the 
blood-vessels, absorbents, and secreting organs; all of which must co- 
operate in either case. The fluids lie stored up in the meshes of the 
cellular membrane, either in the shape of oily or watery matters, Te 
