PHYSICKING. 91 



horses, again, will purge in twelve hours ;* others 

 not for thirty-six. The best and safest purge 

 for a novice to give is a drench, and that 

 drench composed of aloes and Epsom salts, or 

 oil and Epsom salts : thus, if you think five 

 drachms of aloes is required to purge, give three 

 drachms, and five ounces of Epsom salts (two 

 and a half ounces of salts for one drachm of 

 aloes), dissolved in three quarters of a pint of 

 warm water, adding one ounce of salad-oil and 

 a quarter of a drachm of ginger ; or, if oil is to 

 be given, a pint of linseed-oil and five ounces 

 of the salts. These aloetic balls prove occa- 

 sionally most raking to the bowels of an Arab 

 horse, and a large dose of them is always at- 

 tended with risk. The above drench may be 

 safely given, even when bran mashes are refused, 

 provided the horse has been muzzled at night 

 and the other directions duly attended to ; and, 

 with a clyster of salt and water on the same day, 

 it will, with proper exercise, purge effectually, 

 and rarely disagree. The following directions 

 will guide you how to treat a horse under physic. 

 Suppose it is to be given on Wednesday morn- 

 ing :— 



* A little Arab I once had charge of used to purge in ten 

 hours, though the physic was given in a ball ; and in fifteen 

 hours it had generally set. 



