THE MODEKN HORSE DOCTOR. 153 



an irritant of no ordinary character ; the restlessness of the ani- 

 mal, his efforts to " get at the part," and the tumefaction that fol- 

 lows, all denote the pain he suffers. 



An article of this kind, therefore, to say the least, is not a 

 suitable one to introduce within the digestive canal, the surface 

 of which may be considered equally susceptible to irritation. 

 Neither are we compelled to resort to its use in view of curing 

 colic, when the arcana of nature teem with an untold number of 

 valuable carminatives and antispasmodics. A few drops of the 

 oil of peppermint, or anise-seed, dissolved in a small quantity of 

 alcohol, and given as a drench in thin gruel or warm water, are 

 worth all the spirits of turpentine in the world for the cure of colic. 



The author is in possession of uncontrovertible facts, which 

 show that turpentine administered without the precaution adopted 

 by those who know its properties, and are still in favor of its use, 

 — which is, to mix it with mucilage, — that a vast number of 

 valuable horses have peen suddenly destroyed, and many others 

 have lingered for several days before death, from an aggravated 

 form of intestinal inflammation. 



Lest the reader should suppose us singular in our opinion 

 regarding the effects of oil of turpentine, we will just quote one 

 case to the point. A veterinary surgeon says (p. 432, vol. xxv. 

 Veterinarian) that he was called to attend a horse with apparently 

 colicky pains. " The village smith was summoned, who prescribed 

 a large dose of oil of turpentine, which was repeated ; but the 

 symptoms increasing rather than abating, I was sent for. But, 

 alas ! ere my arrival the medicine had done its work, death havino- 

 relieved the animal from further maltreatment. I at once pro- 

 ceeded to make a post mortem examination, and never saw more 

 widely diffused inflammation. The whole of the intestines were 

 highly inflamed, and there was, besides, sufficient evidence of the 

 kidneys not having escaped intact, as also some of the other vis- 

 cera. No cause being assigned, it is impossible to say whether 

 the inflammation existed previously to, or was the result of, the 

 administration of the turpentine. Even if the former were the 

 case, it is certain the latter exacerbated the disease." 



