12^ ALTERATIVE MEDICINES. 



remove diseases, and often also to restore the 

 animal after having been reduced by disease ; but 

 in these cases they should not be given until the 

 violence of the symptoms are abated. The great 

 advantage of alteratives is, that the horse may 

 perform his accustomed labour, and likewise re- 

 quires no change in his diet while under their 

 influence. Most alterative medicines gently relax 

 the bowels, rather increase the flow of urine, also 

 act by the skin, and produce other salutary changes 

 of the system. 



(RECIPE, No. 86.) 



Alterative Balls. 



Take — Crocus of antimony, finely levigated ; Castile 



soap, sliced ; and nitre, in powder ; of each 



two ounces ; 

 Flour of sulphur, four ounces ; 

 Soccotrine aloes, in powder, two ounces; 

 Tartarized antimony (emetic tartar), half an 



ounce : 

 To be beaten into a mass for balls, with honey 



or treacle. Each ball to weigh one ounce and 



a half. 



These balls are calculated for horses of a gross 

 habit of body, particularly such as are inclined to 

 swell or grease at the heels ; and are also proper 

 for such horses as, being full fed, and standing 

 much la the stable, have little or no exercise; 



