THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 557 



increasing the natural secretions. But in this case a 

 disease is impHed, and of course such things may be 

 necessary and proper. Thus, antimony in its different 

 preparations, mercury, sulphur, aloes, and salts, are 

 alternative remedies. 



The former of these, especially the coarser kind, are 

 generally given too frequently, in too great quantities, 

 and in too gross a state, which sometimes brings on 

 great sickness or violent purging ; and in some con- 

 stitutions, instead of promoting the secretions by the 

 skin, they occasion a great heat and dryness, which is 

 frequently succeeded by the appearance of hard lumps 

 or blotches on different parts of the body. 



Mr. Clarke says, " that sulphur not only opens the 

 body, but readily makes its way through the pores 

 of the skin, and therefore should be used with caution, 

 as horses are very apt to catch cold on too liberal an 

 use of it." 



Aloes given in small quantities, by way of an alter- 

 native, and too frequently repeated, weakens the sto- 

 mach and bowels so as to bring on a lax, or what is 

 called a washy habit of body ; it ought, therefore, to 

 be given only to horses of a robust constitution and 

 newly taken from late grass, or that have been accus- 

 tomed to foul feeding, as grains, chafi', &c. 



The neutral salts, especially nitre or common salt, 

 are the best and safest alternatives that can be given to 

 horses. They seem to agree with the constitution, 

 and have this advantage, that they require no clothing 

 or confinement, nor is the free use of them attended 

 with disadvantage. 



But it would be absurd to prescribe even these 

 without some apparent cause. 



Nitre is of great service in all inflammatory com- 

 plaints ; it not only allays the great heat of the blood, 



