DIURETICS. 607 



observed as with a purgative : to keep warm, but not hot ; 

 sweating would impede the process of the diuretic ; to 

 avoid over-exertion ; but, above all, to allow a large quan- 

 tity of tepid water, which greatly increases the effect, and 

 renders the action less hurtful : indeed, a large quantity of 

 water will of itself prove a diuretic, particularly if the horse 

 have previously abstained from drinking. When a horse 

 has long fasted from water, his other secretions must have 

 lessened the watery parts of the blood so much that it 

 would seem to occasion an imperative call for dilution ; and 

 in such case it would be supposed, that whatever fluid 

 aliment was taken, however large the quantity, would be 

 received into the system to repair the waste. But it is 

 not so ; on the contrary, whatever may be the wants of the 

 constitution by long deprivation from liquid aliments, a full 

 dilution, instead of being at once taken up to repair the 

 waste, greatly increases the urinary flow by constitutional 

 sympathy not absorption. It is, therefore, clear, that when- 

 ever we deprive horses of water during the action of diu- 

 retics, under a supposition that we thereby increase the 

 absorption of the extravasated fluids, we err greatly. Diu- 

 retics are given in the form of balls or of powders, a formula 

 of each of which is added : — 



DIURETIC BALLS. 



Resin, yellow four pounds. 



Nitre, in powder two pounds. 



Horse turpentine two pounds. 



Yellow soap one pound. 



Melt the resin, soap, and turpentine over a slow fire ; and 

 when cooling add the nitre. Strong dose, one ounce to 

 ten drachms. Mild dose, five or six drachms. 



DIURETIC POWDERS. 



Yellow resin, powdered two pounds. 



Nitre, powdered four pounds. 



Cream of tartar, powdered two pounds. 



Dose, six to eight or ten drachms. 



