STOMACH STAGGERS. 159 



should be changed. I would advise, also, a dose of warm or 

 stomachic physic being given to the other horses, to improve 

 the state or condition of the digestive system. Some relief may 

 be afforded in stomach staggers by placing a cask with a little 

 straw upon it, for the horse to rest his head upon. 



Drench for the Staggers. 



No. 1. 



Barbadoes aloes 6 dr. to 1 oz. 



Calomel 2 dr. 



Oil of peppermint 20 drops. 



Warm water 1 pint. 



Tincture of cardamoms , 2 oz. 



Mix for one dose. 



No. 2. 



Common salt 4 oz- 



Ginger 2 dr. or 2 tea-spoonfuls. 



Carbonate of soda 1 oz. 



Water 1 quart. 



Mix for one dose. 



About a quart of water may be given every now and then with 

 a horn ; and if a tea-spoonful or two of compound spirit of am- 

 monia (sal volatile) be added to it, the effect will be promoted. 

 A table-spoonful or two of common salt may also be added 

 three or four times a day. The horse should be drenched and 

 clystered during the night as well as the day ; in short, without 

 unremitting attention success must not be expected. 



[This disease has become considerably less frequent than when 

 the previous account was written by the author, although then 

 he states it was not so common as formerly. The cause of 

 this must be attributed to the better system adopted in feeding 

 horses at the present day. Formerly it was customary for agri- 

 cultural horses to go from six in the morning till four in the after- 

 noon without either food or water, and then to be allowed a large 

 quantity of food without water. Now their daily work is either 

 divided into two periods, or otherwise they are allowed a little 

 food in the middle of the day. Thus their stomachs never being 

 so empty, they no longer gorge themselves to the same extent, 

 and the disease is therefore much less frequent. When the dis- 

 ease occurs at grass, and particularly if a number are attacked 

 together, it is owing, in my opinion, to some poisonous vege- 

 table, and I do not think the idea that the ragwort had much to 

 do in causing the disease in Wales, is by any means destitute of 

 foundation. 



In a farm ia Hampshire, about two years since, in the course 



