CHAPTER XXIII. 



A. LIST OF THE MEDICINES USED IIS THE TREATMENT OF 

 THE DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



He will rarely consult his own interest, who, not having had the 

 advantage of a veterinary education, undertakes the treatment of 

 any of the serious diseases of his horses. Many of the maladies 

 of the horse nearly resemble each other. They are continually 

 varying their character, and require, in their different stages, a 

 very different treatment, and in the plainest case not only the 

 characteristic symptoms of disease are obscure, but even the in- 

 dications of returning health, or increasing danger, are often 

 scarcely ascertainable, conseqently the sick horse, as well as the 

 human being, needs the care of one whom study and experience 

 have qualified for the task. A list of the drugs generally em- 

 ployed, with a slight account of their history, adulterations, and 

 medicinal effects, will be interesting to the horse-proprietor as 

 M^ell as to the veterinary surgeon ; and may occasionally be use- 

 ful when professional aid cannot be obtained.* 



Frequent reference will be made to Professor Morton'? most 

 valuable Manual of Pharmacy. This work will be found to be 

 a treasure to every veterinary surgeon. Mr. W. C. Spooner's 

 Materia Medica, in his recent compendium of White's account 

 of the horse, will occasionally be laid under contribution. 



Acacia Gummi, Gum Arabic. — Many varieties of gujii arabic 

 are procured from Egypt, Arabia, and the East Indies. It is 

 employed in the form of a mucilage, made by dissolving it in 

 water, in the proportion of one part of the gum to three or 

 four of water. Various insoluble powders may be thus suspended, 

 or oils rendered miscible, or emulsions formed. Emulsions 

 composed of gum arabic are supposed to be useful in urinary 

 affections, 



AciDUM AcETicTJM, AcETic AciD, ViNEGAR. — Vinegar is a very 



* Note hy Mr. Spooner. — We have little to add under this division of 

 the work. The Pharmacopoeia in the text was cautiously written, and is for 

 the most oart correct. 



