32S niYSJCKlXG. 



PHYSICKING. 



This would seem to be the proper place to speak of physicking horses— 

 a mode of treatment necessary under various diseases, often useful for 

 the augmentation of health, and yet which has often injured the constitu- 

 tion and absolutely destroyed thousands of animals. When a horse comes 

 from grass to hard meat, or from the cool open aii" to a heated stable, a 

 dose or even two doses of physic may be useful to prevent the tendency to 

 inflammation which is the necessary consequence of so sudden and great a 

 change. To a horse that is becoming too fat, or has surfeit, or grease, or 

 mange, or that is out of condition from inacti^'ity of the digestive organs, 

 a dose of physic is often most serviceable ; but the reflecting man will 

 enter his protest against the periodical physicking of all horses in the 

 spring and the autumn, and more particularly against that severe system 

 which is thought to be necessary in order to train them for work, and also 

 the absurd method of treating the animal when under the operation of 

 physic. 



A horse should be carefully prepared for the action of physic. Two or 

 three bran mashes given on that or the preceding day are far from suffi- 

 cient when a horse is about to be physicked, whether to promote his 

 condition or in obedience to custom. Mashes should be given until the 

 dung becomes softened. A less quantity of physic will then suffice, and 

 it will more quickly pass through the intestines, and be more readily 

 diffused over them. Four drachms of aloes, given when the dung has thus 

 been softened, Avill act much more eflfectually and much more safely than 

 seven drachms, when the lower intestines are obstructed by hardened fa3ces. 

 The best time to give physic is about eleven o'clock in the morning, as it 

 then usually begins to operate early on the folloAving day, and an oppor- 

 tunity is better afforded of watcliing the animal, in case he should be 

 griped, than in the night. On the day after the physic is given, the hoi'se 

 should have walking exercise for a quarter of an hour, two or three times 

 in the day ; but after the physic begins to operate freely he should not be 

 moved from liis stall. Exercise would then produce gripes, irritation, and 

 possibly dangerous inflammation. As much mash should be given as the 

 horse will eat, and as much water, -with the coldness of it taken off", as he 

 will drink. If, however, he obstinately refuses to drink warm water, it 

 is better that he should have it cold, than to continue without taking any 

 fluid. 



Eight or ten tolerably copious motions will be perfectly sufficient to 

 answer every good purpose, although the groom or the carter may not bo 

 satij»fled unless double the quantity are procured. The consequence of too 

 strong purgation will be, that weakness will hang about the animal for 

 several days or weeks, and inflammation will often ensue from the over- 

 irritation of the intestinal canal. 



Long-continued custom has made aloes the almost invariable purgative 

 of the horse, and very properly so ; for there is no other at once so sure 

 and so safe. The Barbadoes aloes, although sometimes very dear, should 

 alone be used. The dose, with a horse properly prepared, -will vary from 

 four to six drachms. The preposterous doses of nine, ten, or even twelve 

 drachms, are now, happily for the horse, generally abandoned. Custom 

 has assigned the form of a ball to physic, and very properly, for it can be 

 so given with certainty, and without annoyance to the animal, while ui 

 the form of a draught there is both annoyance to the horse and a waste of 

 the medicine ; but there is good sense in having recourse to the solution 

 of aloes, as acting more speedily, effectually, and safely in cases of sickness, 

 when it has to be given in small doses and frequently repeated. 



