4«6 A LIST OF TUE MEDICINES USED IN 



Digestives are applications to recent or old wounds, as mild stimulants, 

 in order to produce a liealtliy appearance and action in them, and to cause 

 them more speedily to heal. A weak solution of blue vitriol is an excel- 

 lent digestive ; so is the tincture of aloes, and the tincture of myrrh. The 

 best digestive ointment is one composed of three parts of calamine ointment 

 (Turner's cerate) and one of common turpentine. 



Digitalis. — The leaves of the digitalis purpurea, or common foxglove, 

 gathered about the flowering time, dried carefully in a dark place, and 

 powdered, and kept in a close black bottle, form one of the most valuable 

 medicines in veterinary practice. It is a direct and powerful sedative, 

 diminishing the frequency of the pulse, and the general irritability of the 

 system, and acting also as a mild diuretic ; it is therefore useful in every 

 inflammatory and febrile complaint, and particularly in inflammation of 

 the chest. It is usually given in combination with emetic tartar and nitre. 

 The average dose is one drachm of digitalis, one and a half of emetic tartar, 

 and three of nitre, repeated twice or thrice in the day. 



Digitalis seems to have an immediate efifect on the heart, lessening the 

 number of its pulsations ; but efiecting this in a singular manner — not by 

 causing the heart to beat more slowly, but producing cei'tain intermissions 

 or pauses in its action. When these become marked — when at every sixth 

 or seventh beat, the pulsations are suspended while two or three can be 

 slowly counted, this is precisely the effect that is intended to be produced, 

 and however ill the horse may appear to be, or however alarming this 

 intermittent pulse may seem to the standers-by, from that moment the 

 animal will frequently begin to amend. The dose must then be diminished 

 one-half, and in a few days it may be omitted altogether : but the emetic 

 tartar and the nitre should be continued during some days after the prac- 

 titioner has deemed it pradent to try the effect of mild vegetable tonics. 



There is no danger in the intermittent pulse thus produced ; but there 

 is much when the digitalis fails to produce any effect on the circulation. 

 The disease is then too powerful to be arrested by medicine. Digitalis 

 requires watching ; but the only consequence to be apprehended from an 

 over-dose is, that the patient may be reduced a httle too low, and his con- 

 valescence retarded for a day or two. 



In the form of infusion or tincture, digitalis is very useful in inflamma- 

 tion of the eyes. It is almost equal in its sedative influence to opium, and 

 it may vpith great advantage be alternated with it, when opium begins to 

 lose its power. The infusion is made by pouring a quart of boiling water 

 on an ounce of the leaves. When it is become cold, a portion of the liquid 

 may be introduced into the eye. One or two drops of the tincture may be 

 introduced with good effect. This may be obtained by macerating three 

 ounces of the digitahs in a quart of spirit. 



The infusion has been serviceable in mange ; but there are better appli- 

 cations. 



Diuretics constitute a useful but miTch abused class of medicines. They 

 stimulate the kidneys to secrete more than the usual quantity of urine, or 

 to separate a greater than ordinary proportion of the watery parts of the 

 blood. The deflciency of water in the blood, thus occasioned, must be 

 speedily supplied, or the healthy circulation cannot be carried on, and it is 

 generally supphed by the absorbents taking up the watery fluid in some 

 part of the frame, and carrying it into the circulation. Hence the evident 

 use of diuretics in dropsical aflcctions, in swelled legs, and also in inflam- 

 mation and fever, by lessening the quantity of the circvilating fluid, and, 

 consequently, that which is sent to the inflamed parts. 



All this is effected by the kidneys being stimulated to increased action ; 

 but if this stimulus is too often or too violently applied, the energy of the 



