TREATMENT OF DISEASE. 



51 



ral — at least when given in the form of ball — an operation 

 readily performed : a man has nothing to do but to carry 

 the ball between his forefingers to the back of the tongue, 

 by the retraction of which it will be drawn so far within the 

 pharynx, that the animal is compelled to swallow it : added 

 to which, if the ball be of a proper shape, it will be swal- 

 lowed as it was delivered, without change of direction. A 

 very useful mechanical contrivance for giving balls was put 

 into my hands twenty years ago, by Farrier Major Thomas, 

 then of the Artillery. It is called a hall-gun^ I suppose 

 from its resemblance to the child^s popgun. 



ABC represents the ball-gun complete, with ramrod (c) 

 drawn out, in order to leave the bowl or cup (a) unoccupied, 

 and ready for the reception of the ball, d e f represents 

 the ramrod, supposing it to be drawn out from the barrel of 

 the gun (a b), which is readily done by unscrewing the nut 

 (r) from the male screw (e). At the other end of the rod 

 (d) is fixed a circular plate of iron, which plays backwards 

 and forwards within the bowl, pushing out the ball, or any- 

 thing that may happen to be lodged inside. 



Mr. Goodwin, sen., has evinced much ingenuity in attempts 

 to improve on this homely contrivance. He has constructed 

 an instrument, which, instead of having an internal move- 

 able rammer, is so contrived that the bowl itself moves; 

 thus instead of the ball being thrust forward, it is left upon 

 that place in the mouth just before occupied by the bowl of 

 the instrument. There is much ingenuity displayed in this 

 contrivance ; but it is a costly one \ and, after all, is not so 

 sure in its operation as the common ball-gun. Drenches 



