18 On the Use and Abuse of Purgatives* 



every four or six boars, made of starch, which ou^ht to be boiled 

 pretty thick, the quantity of the Glyster should not exceed a quart, 

 and the warmth of it should be rather under that of the blood. — 

 The utmost care and gentleness should be attended to in its adminis- 

 tration, especially with regard both to the introduction and with- 

 drawing of the pipe ; for, if the latter especially, be done in a rude 

 ajnd hasty manner, it will frequently prove the means of preventing 

 the retention of the Glyster. 



In case there bo no abatement of the urgency of the symptoms^ 

 after two starch injections have been used, it may be proper to add 

 to each successive Glyster, orte drachm of solid Opium, which 

 should be carefully rubbed down in the composition. The limbs of 

 the animal should be examined, and, if they prove to be cold, strong- 

 frictions with the hand should be applied to them, until they come 

 to be of a comfortable warmth ; and in this state they should be judi- 

 ciously covered with hay bands. The Horse may be carefully 

 drenched twice or thrice a day with warm thick gruel or rice milk ; 

 but this operation of drenching should be performed with the utmost 

 caution and tenderness, for (as I have elsewhere observed) it too 

 often happens that Horses are injured when in a state of great 

 weakness, in consequence of the over-solicitude of the attendants 

 on the subject of nourishment, which is poured down their throats 

 at the expence of infinite resistance and struggling of the animals ; 

 and thus, too frequently, the small remains of their strength being 

 in this way exhausted, they may be said to die of the drenching horn. 

 In many cases it will be found that Horses which have been brought 

 into a state of excessive weakness from injudicious Physicking, will eat 

 grass altho' they refuse every thing else that can be offered to them. 



