On the Use and Abuse of Purgatives, 9 



Now although it be indeed true, that the actual death of Horses, 

 from mismanagement under Physic, is not extremely common, yet 

 it very often happens that they are left in a state of the utmost debi- 

 lity, for several days, and sometimes weeks, from this cause alone. 

 The debilitating effects which I have described, are indeed sometimes 

 produced by the improper quantity or quality of the Purgative em- 

 ployed, yet it is nevertheless true, that judgment and care in tho 

 subsequent treatment of the animal would, in all such instances, 

 mitigate, and, in many, prevent the deplorable consequences which 

 must result from the employment of these injudicious materials under 

 the ordinary mode of treatment. 



For the great and capital error which commonly prevails uport 

 this subject, and particularly amongst those who esteem themselves 

 the most competent judges of it, is, that the Physic has not done its 

 duty, unless its operation be so severe as to produce, inevitablvj 

 some of the ill effects which I have deprecated, as a consequence 

 of the great number of evacuations, which they ever make it a 

 point to solicit. I have known many people who are not satisfied 

 unless a Horse be purged from twenty to thirty, or even forty times, 

 whereas it is the safest and prudentest plan to desist from giving- the ' 

 Horse exercise, and from all other means calculated to excite further 

 evacuations, as soon as he has been purged eight or ten, or at most 

 a dozen times. Commonly it will happen that walking the Horse^ 

 or, at most, gentle trotting, will be sufficient to promote the ope- 

 ration of the Physic, especially if due attention have been paid to 

 ensure a loose state of the bowels, previously to its administration, 

 Now and then however it may be necessary to give a Horse smart 

 trotting for a few minutes at a time, in order to effect this purpose ; 



G 



