PHOSPHORUS. 383 



Pepper. — A plant, and fruit, of the genus Piper. 



(1.) Black Pepper. — Piper Nigrum. Occasionally 

 given to horses affected with colic. 



(2.) Jamaica Pepp£:r. — Pimento — Allspice. This is a 

 valuable medicine for horses and cattle affected witli lever, 

 loss of appetite and indigestion. 



Doses. From three to five drachms, and given in com- 

 bination with ammonia. 



(3.) Capsicu.m. — Cayenne Pepper. This is also used for 

 the same purpose as the above, and given in from twenty 

 to thirty grain doses. 



Pepsin. — The active principle of the gastric juice of 

 animals. Its cost prevents its use in calves having diar- 

 rhoea, when the discharges are like miliv. A good sub- 

 stitute for pepsin is rennet, which farmers should have about 

 them, not only for cheese-making purposes, but for use in 

 looseness, or scours in calves. It assists the stomach to 

 digest the milk, which, in diarrhoea, lays upon the stomach, 

 without being digested or changed. Hence, the white 

 diarrhoea, so often seen in calves. 



Petroleum. — Rock-oil. This substance was formerly 

 highly recommended in chest diseases, but it has been 

 succeeded by more certain and successful drugs for this 

 purpose. However, it is still occasionally used as an 

 external application for sores, and for the destruction of 

 lice, etc., in the skin. It is apt to leave a blemish by 

 causing the hair to fall off, and in some cases, in which I 

 have seen it used too extensively, the hair did not come 

 again. The better way to use coal-oil is to mix equal 

 parts with some other oil having no acrid principle. 



Phosphorus. — An elementary substance resembling 

 wax. There is, however, another resembling brick dust, 



