Bo The Art of Farriery 



vice than if it had been made ftronger ; and that the 

 G reat Feats greateft Feats are performed by what we call Alte- 

 ^^^a'i""'^ ratives, or fuch Medicines as have not any immedi- 

 tive Mcdi- ^^^ fenfible Operation, but gradually gain upon the 

 cines, Conllitution, by changing the Humours from a State 



of Diflemperature to Health. And it is now found 

 very ferviceable to give fuch Medicines as are pro- 

 perly Cathartic, by way of Alteratives,, in llubborn 

 chronical Cafes. Thus the Tin^uraSacra, or Tinc- 

 ture of Hiera Picra^ for Inftance ( in Human Bo- 

 dies, ) given in the Quantity of half a Spoonful for 

 a Dofe, has no immediate EfFe^l upon the Inteftines, 

 fo as to difcharg-e their Contents, but pafTes on to 

 the farther Stages of Circulation,, and often does 

 more Service by this Way of operating, than if ad- 

 miniftred in a larger Dofe. But moll People are fo 

 defirous to gratify the outward Senfes, that they are 

 never eafy, unlefs they fee fomething before their 

 Eyes, which is eje£led out of the Body,, and appears 

 excrementitious : Therefore, to fuch impatient Crea- 

 tures, Alterative Medicines are not agreeable ; tho* 

 People of this Temper often meet with their De- 

 fert, and are made to believe that they Vomit yel- 

 low nally Phlegm and llimy Matter, when it is only 

 the juices of the Stomach (tinged by the Medicine 

 they have taken,) which are thrown up by Vomit. 

 And, of all other Purgatives, I think the Gamboge- 

 Pill bell fuits fuch Folks ; for this generally begins 

 its Operation v/ith a Puke of yellow jlimy Matter, 

 v/hich the poor deluded Patients think mull be ex- 

 ceeding beneficial to them, as it looks fo yellow and 

 Daily ; whereas it is no other than the Gamboge 

 which tinftures the Juices of the Stomach, and 

 caufes them to appear in the Mimner I am fpeaking 

 of. 



From hence it will be evident, that greater Ser- 

 vice may be done in obllinate chronic Cafes by Al- 

 terative Medicines given to Horfes, than to Human 

 Bodies ; for we can venture on much larger Dofes, 

 even in Proportion to the Bignefs of thefe two Sub- 



jeas. 



