10 On the Use and Abuse of Purgatives. 



but i^allopiiig or very hard trotting' ought, in all cases, to be 

 avoided. If a Horse obstinately refuse to take warm water, ^yhicll 

 is always preferable to cold, he may be permitted to take the latter, 

 provided he get only two or three quarts at a time, with gentle ex- 

 ercise between the intervals of drinking. But it is worth while 

 remarking here, that Horses will sometimes refuse to drink water, 

 solely on account of its being too warm, whereas merely taking the 

 extreme cold off it, is all that is necessary to be done on such occa- 

 sions. By this mode of managing Physic, not only all fatal conse- 

 quences may be certainly avoided, but the usual distressing symptoms 

 of extreme langour, violent debility, and long-continued sickness^ 

 will be either totally prevented, or mitig-ated in a very great degree. 

 This mode of treatment too will be found to recommend itself in 

 an especial manner to those who are advocates for the practice of 

 giving several doses of Physic, as the Horse will be found able to 

 bear the repetition of the Purgative, at shorter and more frequent 

 intervals. I have laid the greater stress upon the mode of managing 

 Horses under the operation of Physic, because I have long been 

 convinced that more mischief has resulted from mal-treatment in this 

 particular, than from want of judgment either as to the quantity or 

 quality, of the Purgative composition that has been employed. As 

 soon as the proper number of evacuations have been promoted by 

 gentle exercise, continued at intervals for fifteen or twenty minutes 

 at a time, the Horse may be allowed a handful or two of corn, or a 

 lock of sweet fresh Hay, which should be removed immediately if 

 he refuse to eat, and be offered to him again at the expiration of an 

 hour or two ; and in this way his appetite ought to be tickled, until 

 it return to its ordinary state. For it is the height^of absurdity to 



