DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE 0RGAM3. 203 



enemeta, composed of soap-stids, to which add a little ginger or 

 lobelia. If the weather is not too cold, cloths wet with warm water 

 may be applied to the abdomen, over which throw a blanket, so 

 as to previ'nt evaporation and chill. The outrageous treatment 

 recommended by some authors is a disgrace to the profession. 

 The) recommend bleeding until the horse faints or foils ; then to 

 scorch the sides with ammonia and cantharides; and, lastly, to 

 emjiolson what little blood he may have left in his system, so that 

 death may occui secundum artem. 



Should the subject of inflammation of the intestines sufler much 

 pain, a drench of half a [)int or more of infusion of hops, or pop- 

 pies, may be given occasionally; or one ounce of the fluid extract 

 of one of these agents may be substituted, to be given two or three 

 times during twenty-four hours. 



The treatment of inflammation of the intestines, as well as in- 

 flammation of any other part of the body, consists in using those 

 means and agents which ward off or remove any ogcut whicli, ia 

 its efi'ects, does, or tends to, deprive any of the organs or tissue.' 

 of the living body of their vital action. The remedial meant 

 used to accomplish this object must be such, and such only, ai 

 sustain the weakened or increase the reduced vital action in any 

 of the organs or tissues. This is the doctrine which the author 

 attempts to teach in this work. And is the doctrine not ])lain? 

 Could any thing accord more directly with reason, ur commend 

 itself more clearly to the common sense and unbiased judgment 

 of intelligent people? If the vital action of any of the organs or 

 tissues become weakened or enfeebled, should they not be strength- 

 ened ? Can tliis be done by any other agent and means than those 

 which increase and strengthen this very vital action? If this ac- 

 tion, in any of the organs or tissues of the animal body, becomea 

 reduced or impaired, must it not be increased by agents and meaiic 

 which cooperate with the vital power? Then, how can agents an.i 

 means which always impair vital action (poisons) cure di.-case? 



Different remedial means have different eflccts upon the organs 

 and tissues of the system ; but all poisons and agencies which im- 

 pair the integrity of the organism of a well animal must have a 

 disastroius effect on one that is sick and suffering. Unhealtliv and 

 poisonous agents impair and reduce the vital action of certiiin 

 organs and tissues according to the nature and tendency to affect 

 various parts of the living structures. 



