ROWELLING. 275 



where a rowel is, or can be supposed to 

 become at all adequate to the task it is 

 assigned. For instance, in cases arising from 

 causes threatening inflammation, or such 

 gross impurities as are evidently the effect of 

 a crude and viscid state of the blood, (it 

 being first properly ascertained) they have 

 most certainly much in their favour upon 

 the well-founded maxim before quoted, 

 *' if they do no good, they may do no 

 harm/' It is certainly no bad plan in sport-^ 

 ing to obtain as many points as possible in 

 your favour ; but as I will by no means re« 

 commend to the practice of others, what 

 I would cautiously avoid in my own ; I 

 must confess thev should never be brought 

 into immediate use in stables under my 

 superintendance, till the more rational and 

 mild methods of Evacuanfs and Diuretics (ac- 

 cording to the nature, duration, and seve- 

 rity of the case) had been tried without pro- 

 bability or indications of success. And 

 this idea of procrastination is held forth 

 only upon what I term a very sufficient 

 foundation ; for what man living, in pos- 

 session of free agency, and the happy power 

 of reflection, would, after proper delibera- 



T 2 



