262 PURGATION. 



fuch genuine idiophatic infanity. I refer gouty 

 patients to the Zoonomia ; or rather to the liv- 

 ing Zoonomia ; fenfible however that mofl: of 

 them will be better fatisfied with the fage advice 

 of that forenfic orator, who lately pronounced, 

 that God and Nature had decreed the gout 

 fhould never be cured : it ought to be remem- 

 bered, that it is the profeffion, and invariable 

 habit of thofe gentlemen, to think, aft, and 

 fpeak, in all things, and all cafes, by precedent. 



According to the conftant tenor of my ob- 

 fervation, it is fafe and good pra6lice occafion- 

 ally to purge horfes of all dcfcriptions, confined 

 to the diet of the ftable, not only for the pur- 

 pofe of promoting their condition of wind and 

 fpeed, but alfo with the intent of obviating thofe 

 mifchlefs, w^hich never fail to fucceed overladen 

 inteflines and obftru8ed humours. Whether it 

 be from peculiar conformation of the inteftines, 

 or his horizontal pofture, the horfe is univerfally 

 liable to retain accumulated excrement ; and 

 many inflances of the fudden death of horfes 

 have happened from no vifible caufe, until upon 

 difleftion, balls of very large fize, and of nearly 

 the hardneis of marble, have been found in 

 their bodies. Dried and hardened balls of dung 

 will be often feen to fall from a horfe, notwith- 

 ftanding he may have had a diarrhoea upon him 

 for fome time, nor will the fpontaneous loofe- 

 nefs always clear him from the indurated and 



obftrufted 



