258 TREATMENT OF DISEASES. 



nion, that the cause lies in a constitutional pre- 

 disposition, which cannot be discovered till the 

 complaint appears, and the only likely safeguard, 

 against its breaking out severely, being a dry 

 climate, I shall proceed to recommend a trial 

 of that which in most cases will be found to 

 expedite the cure. On the first appearance of 

 the disease give a mild, warm drench of physic, * 

 consisting of aloes and Epsom salts, with a 

 drachm of ginger, in rice congee. Three days 

 after the physic has set, give half of a common 

 masallah ball daily, for three days, then omit 

 one day, and commence with two grains of can- 

 tharides, one drachm of ginger, one drachm of 

 gentian, or chrecate, and one drachm of anise-seed, 

 in a ball ; this to be given every evening, after 

 the last seven o'clock feed. After six days 

 increase the cantharides to four grains, and after 

 twelve days, to six grains. After eighteen days, 

 if the appetite improves, increase the cantharides 

 to eight grains. After twenty-four days, discon- 

 tinue the ball altogether for three days, and then 

 commence again with the first quantity of only 

 two grains, increasing to the second, as before, 

 and so on through the whole monsoon. The 

 food during this time, whether the horse is fat 

 or thin, is to be boiled sago, boiled barley, 



* See '' Physicking/' p. 89. 



