264 PURGATION. 



ercife which is neceffary for his perFe6lion. It is 

 polTible, no doubt, to train horfes without phy- 

 fic ; but we always find their legs and finews 

 complain firft, and the befl grounded experi- 

 ence is on the fide of the purging fyftem ; from 

 w^hich, moreover, when judicioufly conduced, 

 no fmifler effe6ls are ever known to refult. I 

 have heard of colts put into training without 

 being previoufly purged, which, after the firfl 

 fweat, loft their appetites, and in a fliort time 

 * became covered with eruption : they were im- 

 mediately got through a courfe of phyfic, and 

 afterwards refumed their exercife without far^ 

 ther difficulty or danger. 



Alteratives, or thofe medicines which 

 relax and attenuate by flow degrees, and which 

 muft be continued for a confiderable length of 

 time, are by no means to be preferred in the 

 prefent intention, but ought rather to be con- 

 fined to cafes of a depraved or morbid ftate of 

 the humours. I well know that Bartlet was a 

 warm advocate for the alterative plan ; but how 

 high foever that author may defervedly rank 

 as a veterinary writer, it muft be obferved that 

 his knowledge was confined merely to the me- 

 dical and furgical branches, and that in theequef- 

 trian, or that which relates to the exercife and 

 management of horfes, for fport or expeditious 

 fervice, he appears to have had little or no ex- 

 perience ; a remark which I have already made 



of 



