PURGING. 101 



speaking, with salutary cousequences. Of such value is 

 this operation in veterinary medicine, that, had we no means 

 of purging the animal, our art would be almost lost. 



A Purge acts, first, by causing an expulsion of the ab- 

 dominal contents; secondly, by determining blood to the 

 intestines ; and, thirdly, by withdrawing more or less of that 

 fluid from the system. The medicine we are iu the habit of 

 administering to purge horses, is aloes ; and the mode in 

 which it acts, is the following : — in the stomach, the ball 

 undergoes solution, and, on accouot of its obnoxious quality, 

 it probably becomes gradually diffused over the intestinal 

 canal, mingUng with the alimentary matters therein : in this 

 form it stimulates the lining membrane, whose surface is, as 

 we know, everywhere pervaded by capillary vessels. The 

 effects of this stimulant are threefold. It causes a deter- 

 mination of blood to the bowels, whereby a plethoric state 

 of their lining membrane is produced. It is followed by an 

 augmented flow of their secretions ; which accounts for the 

 liquid nature of the evacuations. At the same time, the 

 peristaltic action is increased, and this accounts for the 

 frequent evacuations. 



Purging relieves Inflammation by drawing blood to 

 the multitudinous capillaries of the bowels ; by lessening the 

 actual quantity circulating, consequently diminishing the 

 amount in the inflamed part ; and, by ridding the bowels of 

 their contents, from the insalubrity of which the inflamma- 

 tion may be sustained, or may owe its origin. There is 

 another way in which purging tends to abate inflammation. It 

 hurries the alimentary matters through the canal, and creates 

 the nausea which disposes the animal to loathe its food : in 

 both of which ways a purge depresses the vascular system, 

 and benefits the organ in a state of inflammation. 



Purges in Disease. — With two or three notable excep- 

 tions, purges are proper in constitutional inflammations and 

 in such local inflammatory diseases as affect the constitution. 

 One of the exceptions is inflammation of the lungs : in that 

 disorder experience shows that purging is highly dangerous. 

 Another case in which purging is contra-indicated, is 



