6 On the Use and Abuse of Purgatives, 



Horses which have started in good healthy have been known to drop 

 down dead suddenly^ after a few hours hard driving in extremely hot 

 weather. 



Now if it be true^ (and no one competent to decide upon it will 

 deny the fact) that Aloes^, the chief ingredient of Purging Physic, 

 has at all times a tendency to excite inflammation in the stomach and 

 bowels^ how much more readily must that property be exerted at a 

 time when the powers of life are considerably exhausted by the debi- 

 litating effects of the atmosphere^ during the hottest weather of our 

 summers. 



If it were only on this account therefore, there would be good 

 policy in refraining from giving Physic to Horses during the preva*^ 

 lence of very hot weather. 



Some stress has been laid heretofore, on the number of dosesr 

 which ought to be given, and one finds many persons still strongly 

 attached, through prejudice, to the number three. 



No good reason, however, can be given for adhering to this cus- 

 tom, though it is^ extremely difficult to satisfy Grooms on this head, 

 without permitting them to exhibit their favourite number. 



A Veterinary Surgeon of my acquaintance finding a Groom very 

 importunate on this subject, requested him to give his reasons for 

 being so urgent to exhibit three doses, and received for answer, that 

 the first dose merely stirred up the humours, the second sat them 

 afloat, and the third carried them all off". 



No Student of the Mathematics (I dare say) was^ ever better satis- 

 fied of the truth, of any proposition in Euclid, than was this man. of 

 the propriety of his own mode of reasoning. 



