Tilt: HOUSE. 41 



have a certain distention, or, in other words, the fluids 

 and sohds must bear a relative proportion to one 

 another. Nitre diminishes fluid, and in what way is 

 it proposed to recruit this expenditure of the animal 

 juices ] Does not the increased thirst of the horse 

 indicate as plainly as nature possibly can, the cure 

 of fever ? Crive the ^liraal as much water as he will 

 drink, when he lias fever upon him : it is better than 

 nitre ; the fluids v/ill become thinner and the end 

 desired answered. But will it act upon the bowels 

 and purge the horse 1 Yes, and upon the kidneys 

 also, and will most likely carry away all traces of 

 fever. Good, but purging weakens the horse. This 

 is a mistake. While there is fever the horse must 

 be weak; remove the fever, and he becomes again 

 strong ; or to be more explicit, any deviation in the 

 pulse from the natural standard must cause weak- 

 ness; restore the pulse to the natural standard, and 

 the horse, or the man, no matter which, will become 

 well. The water, therefore, in the sense in which 

 we are speaking, acts particularly as a tonic, reco- 

 vering the strength of the horse, by reducing his 

 pulse to its proper state. Water, regarded in any 

 respect, is a tonic. Let a bountiful supply of it 

 consequently not be deemed adverse to the health 

 or constitution of the horse. It completely drives 

 away fever, not allowing this insidious disease to 

 work about the frame until it permanently settles 

 in the feet or attacks the lungs. Neither with a due 

 supply of water need a horse be sent to grass to 

 prevent his hecommg groggjj. Give him plenty of 

 this element, and not over-drive him, with ordinary 

 care in other respects, and he will be almost certain 

 to preserve his feet and body cool, his coat good, 

 and his eyes perfect ; in short, he will be sound and 

 healthy. 



