- ON COLIC. 475 



gulatlng the quantum of the dofe. He pre- 

 tends, that fhould the opiate be too weak, the 

 pains will be enraged; if too powerful, that it 

 will haften death. Bracken determines the 

 proper time for the ufe of opiates to be, after 

 the caufe of the difeafe fliall have been remov- 

 ed by lenient purgatives and clyfters ; when 

 the former are requifite to complete the cure,, 

 by appealing pain, allaying the tumult of the 

 bowels, and obviating fuperpurgation or flux. 

 Proper forms will be found after the next 

 fpecies of colic, fince they may be necefTary in 

 both. ' 



The Inflammatory or Red Colic, is 

 fuppofed to originate in fome internal injury; 

 it is that fpecies with which race-horfes are 

 fometimes afflitled, as St. Bell aflerts, from the 

 immoderate ufe of purgatives, which aft as 

 cauftics upon the nervous fibres of the ftomach 

 and inteftmes, and even irritate the extremities 

 of the fmall blood veffels to that degree, as to 

 eaufe them to contract, and thereby impede 

 the courfe of the blood. How far that writer 

 is correft in his aetiology of this difeafe, I am 

 unable to afcertain, but I have often enough 

 feen the cohcs of race-horfes, a double exam- 

 ple of which I recolleft in one day, and both 

 horfes were cured by an ignorant country fel- 

 low ; that is to (ay, the man cut their mouths, 

 poured feme llufF; which fmelt very hot and* 



Itrong, 



