FArvMERS REGISTER— PHYSICKING HORSES. 



403 



sures which impair tlie rights of property. Those who 

 urge such measures with any success, foioiy that all 

 classes, and the poor not less than tlie rich, are inte- 

 rested in preserving the rights of property: but the of- 

 fice seeking demagogue also knows that his own inte- 

 rest may be served by his country's loss, and his own 

 interest is all he seeks. Whatever may be his rank in 

 the despicable roll— whether his ambition aims at the 

 highest or the lowest ofiice in the people's gift, the ge- 

 neral course of the demagogue is the same. When he 

 talks about "honor and patriotism, pure disinterested- 

 ness, and devotion to the popular will," tlicre is most 

 reason for the people to expect an attack upoii their 

 political riglits, and property. 



Labor is the only source of all property. There is 

 nothing that helps to constitute wealth which has not 

 been created by, or received the whole of its value fi-om 

 labor alone. God has given to man in abundance the 

 materials for wealth— but these materials require to be 

 worked up, and brought into a useful and productive 

 state by labor, and without it they are utterly worth- 

 less. The property of the richest farmer in Virginia, 

 to the last cent, was acquired by his labor of body or 

 mind — or by the labor of his forefathers, or of whom- 

 soever he received his property by the course prescri- 

 bed by law. Every man, from nature, derives the pow- 

 to labor, and by its exercise, the ability to accumulate 

 property — and in this happy country, there are few 

 citizens having nothing but their labor, who might not 

 pass from tins class, to that which holds property ac- 

 cumulated by the previous exercise of labor. The 

 preservation of the rights of property is as indispensa- 

 ble to aid the first conversion of labor to wealth, as to 

 secure the possession afterwards — and every man is 

 personally and deeply interested in preserving the 

 sanctity which has generally been attached in Virgi- 

 nia to the rights of property. Without these rights, 

 all would be as poor as the most destitute now are — 

 and every violation permitted to exist, serves not only 

 to lessen the security and value of accumulated pro- 

 perty, but also to obstruct its accumulation. 



From tlie Library of Useful Knowledge — Fanner's Scries. 

 PHYSICKING HORSES. 



This would seem to be the most convenient 

 place to speak of" physicking horses, a mode of 

 treatment necessary under various diseases, but 

 which has injured the constitution of more horses, 

 and in fact absolutely destroyed more of them, 

 than any other thing that can be mentioned. 

 When a horse comes ti-om grass to hard meat, or 

 li'om the cool open air to a heated stable, a dose of 

 physic or even two doses may be useful to prevent 

 the tendency to innammation which must be the 

 necessary consequence of so sudden and great a 

 change." To a horse that is becoming too iai, or 

 has surfeit, or grease, or mange, or that is out of 

 condition from inactivity of the digestive organs, 

 a dose of physic is oiten most serviceable; but we 



and the absurd method of treating the horse when 

 under the operation of |)hysic. 



A Iiorse should l)e rarefuliy prepared for the ac- 

 tion of phj^sic. Two or three bran-mashes given 

 on that or' the preceding day are far from sufficient, 

 when a horse is about to be physicked, whether 

 to promote his condition or in obedience to custom. 

 Mashes should be gi\"en until the dung becomes 

 softened; a less quantity of physic will then suffice, 

 and it will more quickly pass through the intes- 

 tines, and be more equally diffused over them. 

 Five drachms of aloes, given when the dung has 

 thus been softened, will act much more eflectualiy, 

 and much more safely than seven drachms, when 

 the lower intestines are obstructed by hardened 

 fteces. 



On the day on which the physic is given, the 

 horse should have walking exercise, or may be 

 gently trotted for u quarter of an hour twice in the 

 day; but after the physic begins to work, he should 

 not be moved from his stall. Exercise then would 

 produce gripes, irritation, and possibly dangerous 

 inflammation. The common and absurd practice 

 is to give the horse most exercise after the physic 

 has begun to operate. 



A little hay may be put into the rack; as much 

 mash may be given as tlie horse will eat, and as 

 nmch water, with the coldness of it taken off, as 

 he will drink. If, however, he obstinately refuses 

 to drink w^arm water, it is better that he should 

 have it cold, than to continue without taking any 

 l^uid; but he should not be suffered to take more 

 than a quart at a time, with an interval of at least 

 an hour between each portion. 



When the purging has ceased, or ihs physic is 

 set, a mash should be given once or twice every 

 day until the next dose is taken, between which 

 anil the setting of the first there should be an in- 

 terval of a Aveek. The horse should recover fi-om 

 the languor and debility occasioned by the first 

 dose, before he is harassed by a second. 



Eight or ten tolerably copious motions will be 

 perfectly sufficient to answer every good purpose, 

 although the groom or the carter may not be satis- 

 fied unless double the quantity are procured. The 

 consequence of too strong purgation will be, that a 

 lowness and weakness vvill hang about the horse 

 for many days or weeks, and inflammation will 

 often ensue from the over-irritation of the intestinal 

 canal. 



Long continued custom has made aloes the 

 almost^ invariable purgative of the horse, and very 

 properly so; for there "is no other at once so sure 

 and saffe. The Barbadoes aloes, although some- 

 times verj^ dear, should alone be used. The dose, 

 with a horse properly prepared, will vary from_ 

 five to seven drachms. The preposterous doses of 

 nine, ten, or even twelve drachms are, happily for 

 the horse, generally abandoned. Custom has as- 

 sifjned the form of a ball to physic, but good sense 

 wTu in due time introduce the solution of aloes, as 

 actincT more speedilv, effectually, and safely. 



The only other purgative on which dependence 

 can be placed is the croton. The farina or meal 

 of the nut is used; but from its acrimony it should 

 be given in the form of ball, with linseed meal. 

 The dose varies from a serujile to half a drachm. 

 It ads more speedily than the aloes, without the 



do enter our |)rotest against the periodical physic 



ing of all horses in the spring and the autumn, and 1 nausea which they produce; but it causes more 

 more particularly against that severe system which Avatery stools, and consequently more debility, 

 is thought to be necessary to train them lor work, | Linseed oil is an uncertain but safe purgative, 



