PURGING. 105 



water being given in any quantity he will drink. In the 

 summer, grasses may be allowed during the operation of 

 physic. In the winter, the animal will require extra warm 

 clothing. By a judicious regulation of the exercise and the 

 watering, we may mostly produce either a brisk or a tardy 

 purgative effect. On the third day, commonly, " the physic 

 sets;" that is, the dung grows consistent. So that three 

 days are occupied by the operation of a dose of physic : on 

 the first, it is administered ; on the second, it works ; on the 

 third, it sets. 



A singular fact — at least what I have had declared to 

 me to be such by persons in constant attendance on young 

 horses, some two, three, or four of which are every now and 

 then put under physic, to the exclusion of the others — is, 

 that a horse not having taken aloes, but standing next to 

 one that is under pbysic, becomes likely to be purged. 

 What kind of sympathy is this ? or is it the operation of 

 some subtle agent too fine for our senses to detect ? 



The TARDY Action of Aloes seems to be a common com- 

 plaint ; and it is, in some instances, one of serious moment. 

 In a general way, we never look for their operation under 

 four-and-twenty hours ; before which time our patient, 

 suffering from some acute affection, may be dead. Hence it 

 happens, that bleeding, which at once takes effect, possesses 

 such advantages over purgation at the outset. There is 

 frequently very great difference, however, in the length of 

 time aloes require to operate ; sometimes a horse will purge 

 the evening of the same day on which the ball is given, 

 while cases do occur where two or three days are necessary 

 to produce any effect. I have known a dose of physic sixty 

 hours before it operated, and to keep the horse nearly the 

 whole time in a state of nausea. This shows the impolicy 

 of administering a second dose at an interval less than four 

 days after the first : nothing would warrant such practice 

 but urgent disease. In cases where a speedy purgative is of 

 very great moment, an aloetic drink in lieu of the ball 

 may be given, and its operation promoted by frequent 

 injections. 



