MEDICINES. 461 



few portable articles that contribute to the health and 

 comfort of a travelling sportsman. 



A medicine chest is sometimes out of the question ; 

 otherwise, a chemist would direct him better than I 

 could presume to do ; but, as I speak solely by ex- 

 perience, I can, of course, speak with some confidence, 

 on the very few things of no bulk, which may be here 

 noted down, as likely to render him essential service. 

 But, before I name a single article, I must take up in 

 my own defence, one observation, lest that observation 

 may be left as a powerful weapon against me in the 

 hands of those who are versed in this subject, in which 

 I do not presume to have the slightest pretensions, 

 further than personal experience. In short, I must 

 premise with saying, that, what would be an effectual 

 remedy in one constitution might not answer with 

 another. And though the philosopher tells you, that 

 every man, before he attains the age of forty, must be 

 either a fool or his own physician ; yet the doctor, in 

 answer, affirms, that he who knows a little of physic, 

 knows a great deal too much ! This point I leave for 

 the philosopher and the doctor to settle between them- 

 selves ; but I trust they will both agree with me, that 

 there can be no more impropriety in suggesting a few 

 common medicines, with which proper directions would 

 be given by the person who sells them, than in entering 

 any other kind of inventory of what might be useful to 

 a young sportsman, or young traveller. All our sport- 

 ing authors have boldly taken the field, so far as amply 

 to prescribe for the dog ; while I am left exposed, under 

 jEsculapian batteries, by having to prescribe for the 

 master. 



