50 



oiled, muft now be taken in the fingers of the right 

 hand, lengthways, when the hand, being fqneezed 

 into as fmall a fpace as polTible, muft be paffed up 

 the mouth clofe to the roof, by which injury from 

 the teeth will be avoided : having placed the ball on 

 the root of the tongue, the hand fhould be with- 

 drawn, and the tongue liberated, but not the head ; 

 when the ball pafles down. The head fhould, dur- 

 ing the whole, be but moderately elevated : when it 

 is held too high, there is frequently danger of choak- 

 ing the horfe. As the operation of giving balls, 

 and even drenches, is a very forcible one, and pro- 

 duces great refiftance on the part of the horfe, fo it 

 is impolTible to give them (except in cafes of con- 

 iiderable emergency) more than twice a day ; and 

 yet fome veterinarians, who write from theory, and 

 not from practice, are found in common cafes di- 

 reding balls and drinks every three or four hours. 



Balls fhould be prepared with very great care : 

 the dry ingredients fliould be very finely powdered, 

 and the moift molt intimately mixed. In preparing 

 them, an accurate knowledge of chemiftry is necef- 

 fary, or one fubftance may have fuch an effect on 

 another as to convert it into a poifon. When in- 

 tended to be kept, great care is requifite to prefervo 

 them from fpoiling : this is bell done by compound- 

 ing them in fuch a way as neither to harden, moulder, 

 or ferment. The balls entering into my ready pre- 



