PERSPIRABLE MATTER. t5 



• he inside, is most concerned in this secretion and effusion, is not worth the 

 trouble of inquiry here. But, in addition to what is said in the last section 

 respecting tlie colour of the lacteal duct, as it passes along the mesentery in 

 cases of hide-bound. 1 may be allowed to observe, that we may daily witness, 

 the sensible perspiration from young and healthy horses tocontain more of wa- 

 ter than is found in feverish, old, or generally unhealthy animals; and i^ at 

 with these the sweat is more frothy, or becomes so much sooner, his mouth 

 gets clammy, and his tongue dry and hot underneath, with less work than 

 they; and that horses so affected are always found insatiably craving after 

 water. Moreover, as regards the connexion that subsists between one part 

 of the animal and another, 1 have many times found purging physic, given in 

 the usual doses fail of the effect intended, and come off in the shape of profuse 

 perspiration. Not only in those large and decided doses that are intended to 

 produce much effect, but even milder ones, as alterative-laxatives often turn 

 out of their course, and, as well as diuretics, not unfrequently disappoint us in 

 the same way, the latter also coming off by the skin instead of urine.* It fol- 

 lows, of course, that the less sweating a horse has got, the more he must stale, 

 and accounts for the profusion of the latter kind of evacuation in winter, when 

 he scarcely ever sweats, and perspires, but little, comparatively speaking. As 

 a farther proof of this connexion between the secretions and evacuations, let 

 any one notice a horse when he first stales in consequence of taking a diuretic, 

 anil he will find a transparent water hanging in little globules at the end of each 

 particular hair ot his coat all over his carcase. 



23. We come now to speak of glands, nerves, membranes, absorbents, (be- 

 ing 1st, lymphatic, 2d, lacteal,) and muscles, which are the names writers and 

 practitioners of eminence have agreed upon to speak of those numerous minor 

 organs that are employed throughout in carrying on the functions of animal 

 life, and the uses whereof I shall come shortly to explain. The reader is al- 

 ready aware of the sinews, of three kinds, that more immediately cover the 

 bones and keep them in their places (sect. 16, 17), to which if we add the bare 

 mention of the muscular, or fleshy parts, and refer to the "circulation of the 

 blood" (sect. 37 — 44), for a description of the veins and arteries, he will have 

 before him the names of all the integuments of a horse's body beneath the 

 skin. Detailed particulars respecting all these follow next in their order; the 

 larger organs of the inside being reserved to the subsequent sections of this 

 chapter. By this course of proceeding he will be better enabled to comprehend, 

 as we study those things together, why and wherefore these were given to the 

 animal, anil what functions each has to perform in health ; or these ceasing, or 

 being obstructed, we shall be led to consider in the next place, what species 

 of remedy is proper to be applied for removing such obstruction, and thereby 

 of restoring health; for he may rest assured, that not the least atomy of mat- 

 ter has been conferred upon the animal form without intending that some good 

 and demonstrable end should be answered by its creation. In addition to all 

 which, there are many causes, incessantly operating towards the simply grand 

 purpose of prolonging life, and of providing for the waste which is constantly 

 going on in the animal system, that are far removed from our sight, and others 

 almost surpassing our comprehension, but which are nevertheless known to 

 exist by their effects; but, of all these several matters, more in their proper 

 places; one instance of the insufficiency of human knowledge having been 

 already adduced in the preceding section, as regards the unknown mode in 

 which the watery secretions penetrate from one part of the body to another. 



* Tears or any other evacuation of the water that moistens the animal system, are liable to tb« 

 tarp.e kind of compai alive remark. In man, when excessive salivary secretion attends (he 

 loothach, the glands of the mouth and jaws cany off so much water as to affect the quantity ol 

 urine vo^ided, and we may infer that a diuretic would reduce the inflanuTiation of the jawa So 

 inudi for the compiar-uivs practice: but not woiihy of rejection on that atcouiit atoiis. 

 4* 



