On the Use and Abuse of Purgatives. 5 



I have been applied to^ in order to account for the death of Horses, 

 which happened in consequence of Physicking- them. 



No man, in short, but he who has had a regular education fitting 

 him for the investigation of such subjects, can have a conception of 

 the mischiefs resulting from the injudicious purging- of horses. No 

 argument however, drawn from the abuse of a thing, can apply to 

 its use, and therefore let it not be inferred from these remarks, that 

 I consider the Purging of Horses attended with danger, at all times, 

 or as improper on most occasions ; my only intention being to cau- 

 tion my readers against having recourse to the practice indiscrimi- 

 nately, and to impress on their minds the necessity of attending 

 to several minutiae respecting the management of physic, which 

 books (as far as I know) are either totally silent upon, or concerning 

 which they give but very inadequate and imperfect directions. 



The seasons of the year which have been considered most proper 

 for Physicking Horses, are the Spring and Autumn. And there may 

 be, perhaps, good reasons for continuing the practice with modera- 

 tion. Certain it is that the practice of Piirging Horses in very hot 

 weather is alvrays attended with risque, and frequently with danger, 

 on account of the vehement rapidity with which inflammation is 

 carried on and propagated in all the organs of the Horse that are- 

 essential to life, but more especially in every part of the alimentary 

 xanal, during the heat of summer. 



Hence when that morbid action is once set up in the body of a 

 Horse labouring under debility, arising from severe exercise in very 

 sultry \> eather (especially if the heat have come on suddenly) it not 

 uncommonly ends in death in the course of a few houi's. And it ife 

 A fact sufficient! v famihar to every one, that Mail and Stage-Coach 



B 



