CATTLE, AND BOGS 447 



horses, which were in the country, it will be noted that two 

 drachms of aloin operated several hours earlier, without 

 impairment of appetite or spirits, and with the certainty 

 and effect usually following six drachms of Barbados 

 aloes. 



F. Smith and C. Rutherford made several experiments 

 with aloin on healthy horses. Five grains were given 

 hypodermieally to one subject, and eight grains were 

 injected into the right jugular of another. Neither case 

 exhibited any evidence of gastro-intestinal disturbance. 

 In a third case twelve grains were injected hypodermieally ; 

 in three hours the animal lay down, apparently pained, 

 and the bowels were moved. During the next four hours 

 were noted dulness, uneasiness, scraping, circling round the 

 box, bowels repeatedly moved, but the droppings were hard 

 and dark, and the effects gradually wore off. A fourth 

 case received twenty-four grains injected hypodermieally. 

 In an hour and a half rumbling in the intestines was heard, 

 and hard pellets were passed. To these symptoms were 

 shortly added dulness, scraping, circling round the box, 

 pain, exhaustion, and further passage of hard faeces. These 

 effects continued for nine hours from the exhibition of the 

 drug, but gradually passed away without the bowels being 

 notably relaxed. 



A strong shorthorn cow received by the mouth two 

 drachms dissolved in hot water, with an ounce of ginger ; 

 the bowels were only slightly relaxed ; but three drachms 

 operated tolerably freely in twenty hours. Two drachms, 

 with half a pound Epsom salt, acted as rapidly and effectually 

 as one and a quarter pounds Epsom salt. English terriers, 

 twenty pounds weight, are little affected by doses of twenty 

 grains given in bolus ; even drachm doses have scarcely any 

 effect on pointers and setters ; but when two or three grains 

 of calomel, or twenty to thirty grains of jalap are added, 

 full effects occur in six or eight hours. 



Old horses, familiar with the smell of aloes, and induced 

 to swallow it with difficulty, show much less antipathy to 

 the inodorous aloin. Definite and uniform in composition, 

 concentrated in form, aloin should come into more general 

 use as a cathartic for horses. 



