266 , PURGATION. 



DiEURETics fland fo nearly in the fame pre- 

 dicament, that it is unneceflary to enlarge. 

 They cannot have the beneficial efFeds of a 

 purge, but the latter will, in general, perform 

 all the bufin^fs of dieuretics. 



The danger of purging horfes, fubfifts only 

 in the imaginations of the inexperienced, in the 

 ill choice of drugs, or in their injudicious ad- 

 miniflration. The draftic, or rough and violent 

 purges (and fuch, on account of their cheap- 

 nefs, are generally in ufe for horfes) of courfe 

 make them fick, irritate and convulfe then* bow- 

 els, and occafion frequent violent flrainings, 

 after voiding the fliower of excrement ; ftrong 

 mercurials have ever thefe effefts. Such ap- 

 pearances lead to the erroneous conclufion, that 

 a horfe cannot be purged with fafety ; but the 

 mild or eccoprotic purges have no fuch ill ef- 

 fefts, on the contrary, they give a horfe the 

 lead poflible difturbance, his only punifhment 

 being the mere fwallowing the ball or drink, 

 and the temporary deprivation of folid meat ; 

 and yet thefe confer much more lafting benefit 

 than the Former ; an opinion of Gibfon, which 

 in fcores of inftances I have feen verified. The 

 chief of thefe innocent, and at the fame time 

 efficacious cathartics, equally adapted to the 

 falutary purpofe of cleanfing, exhilarating and 

 invigorating the human and brute body, are^ 



ALOES SUCCOTRINE, TURKEY RHUBARB, and 



the 



