PREPARATION FOR FAST WORK. 313 



some other bad effects of physic, arise either from giving too 

 much physic at one time, or from giving it too often. 



In hunting and racing, and even in coaching stables, horses 

 often die under physic. The blame seldom falls upon the 

 medicine, nor upon the man who gives it. The fault is all 

 in the horse's constitution ; instead of saying the physic was 

 too strong, the man declares the horse was too weak, as if it 

 were not possible to make the physic strong or weak accord- 

 ing to the state of the horse. When the horse dies, however, 

 it is always from an over-dose. He gets too much at once 

 or he gets it too often, or that which he gets is made to work 

 too strongly, for it is possible to make a small dose produce a 

 great effect. 



In the stables it is often asserted that physic is dangerous 

 when it does not purge the horse. When not strong enough 

 to purge the horse, the groom says it goes through the body; 

 does not work off, but requires another, to make it work off. 

 This is nonsense. I must have given several thousand half- 

 doses of physic, not intended to produce any purgation, or 

 very little. If any one of these ever did any ill, a full dose 

 would have done a great deal more. But when the groom 

 finds his first dose does not purge any, or not so much as he 

 desires, he is in a hurry to give a second, which, operating 

 with the first, is a pretty sure way to destroy the horse. If 

 one dose do not purge, no second should be given till after four 

 clear days. 



Physic in full dose always produces temporary debility, 

 even before purgation begins. It increases as the purging 

 proceeds, and its duration is influenced by many circumstan- 

 ces. The horse is dull, sick, and sometimes a little uneasy 

 while he is purging. He is generally sick before it begins, 

 and while it lasts, but very often he becomes lively and desires 

 food so soon as purgation is established. 



After severe purgation the horse is weak for several days ; 

 he sweats soon and is easily fatigued. Some recover much 

 sooner than others. To the temporary debility there often 

 succee.ls an immediate increase of energy, greater than the 

 horse possessed before, and not altogether dependant upon the 

 loss of superfluous flesh, nor the removal of any apparent evil. 

 Hence physic is frequently given to racers and to hunters, in 

 the middle of their working season, for the purpose as it is 

 termed, of refreshing them. 



A Course of Physic consists of three doses, given at inter- 

 vals of from 8 to 14 days Hunters, racers, some carriage, 



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