ANASARCA, SWELLED LEGS, ETC. 235 



be employed, two or three drachms will be a sufficiently strong 

 dose. Carrots or green food will form a useful addition to the 

 diet. The buds should be opened with a lancet, and when the 

 matter is evacuated a caustic should be applied to the ulcers. 

 The lunar caustic will form a useful application, but other 

 caustics may be employed. An ointment composed of hydrio- 

 date of potash 2 drachms, lard or palm oil 2 ounces, mercurial 

 ointment 2 ounces *, should be rubbed daily in the course of the 

 enlarged lymphatics. The horse should be exercised daily, and 

 properly groomed, and the above treatment continued until all 

 symptoms of farcy entirely disappear. It must be confessed 

 that the most favourable symptoms often prove delusive ; for 

 often when the disease appears to be conquered, it will break 

 out again and again, and sometimes the morbid poison has 

 lurked insidiously for many months in the system, and fatal 

 farcy or glanders has again appeared. The probability of 

 eradicating the disease will depend on the circumstance as to 

 whether it be local or constitutional ; and if constitutional, on 

 how far the system is affected. — Ed.] 



CHAP. XLIII. 



ANASARCA. SWELLED LEGS. WEED. CHAPPED HEELS. 



GREASE. — BURSAUTEE. 



Anasarca in the horse is of two kinds ; one depending on 

 general debility, and the other on a high degree of inflamma- 

 tion. The former most commonly occurs in old horses, when 

 turned out into poor pasture, particularly in cold marshy 

 situations. It is known by considerable swellings of the belly, 

 chest, and hind legs, attended with great debility ; of this they 

 generally die, unless relieved by a strong diuretic, sudorific, and 

 cordial; these are combined in the celebrated old drench of 

 Markham, which has cured a great number of horses of this 

 disorder, and is considered in the low country, about Glas- 

 tonbury and Wedmoor, where this disease is prevalent, an 

 invaluable medicine. It consists of a decoction of wormwood 

 in a gallon of ale, which is boiled down to two quarts and 

 skimmed. In this 1 oz. of Castile soap is to be dissolved, and 

 then there is to be stirred in 6 drachms of grains of paradise, 

 powdered, and the same quantity of long pepper. The whole 

 of this mixture is to be given at once, fasting. The horse is to 

 be clothed, and rode about until he sweats and stales profusely, 



* A better form for this ointment will be found in the Materia Medica, in 

 which the mercury and the iodine are chemically combined. — Ed. 



