AND PHARMACOPCEIA. 531 



bran and malt, gruel of wheaten flour, or boiled barley. In India 

 strong broths, or soup, thickened with barley or some other o-vain, 

 and rendered stimulating by spices, ai'e frequently o-iven as 

 restoratives to horses when worked hard; perhaps good mild 

 beer or ale, mixed with good gruel made of groats or oatmeal, 

 or, what is still better, fine wheaten flour, would be found on some 

 occasions equally effectual. But it will be found, that, when a 

 horse has for some time been worked hard and fed high, there 

 is nothing that will so completely restore him as rest in a large 

 box, or well ventilated stall, with a diet of bran mashes, and 

 only a moderate quantity of hay for two or three days. This 

 will empty the large bowels, and afford that rest to the stomach 

 and bowels, which, in such cases, they always require. Three 

 or four drachms of aloes, with a little ginger and soap, may some- 

 times be useful in such cases. 



RHUBARB ; the Root. — Rheum palmatum. This is a native 

 of China and Tartary. Turkey or Russian rhubarb is obtained 

 from the last-mentioned place, besides which a great quantity is 

 sent to this country from the East Indies, but it is not prepared 

 with the same care as that imported from Turkey, which has a 

 peculiar aromatic odour, and a bitter, slightly astringent, and 

 subacid taste ; is easily pulverised, and produces a powder of a 

 light yellow colour. Rhubarb is stomachic, astringent, and pur- 

 gative, according to the dose in which it is exhibited. It is not, 

 however, employed for the latter purpose as a horse medicine, 

 but is not unfrequently administered as a stomachic, in doses 

 from half an ounce to an ounce, combined with aloes and 

 ginger. 



ROSEMARY. — Rosmarinus officinalis. This plant is cul- 

 tivated in Britain, but is a native of the South of Europe, 

 Greece, and Earbary. It flowers in April and May in this coun- 

 try, and the leaves and flowers yield an essential oil, which appears 

 to contain camphor, and which is frequently used as an embroca- 

 tion for strains and bruises, mixed with rectified spirit and soap. 

 This mixture is nearly the same as the celebrated Opodeldoc ; and 

 by the addition of camphor it becomes the same thing. 



ROWELLING. An operation often performed in veterinary 

 practice. It consists in making an incision in the skin, about 

 an inch in length, Avith a pair of short and strong-bladed scissoi's. 

 The finger is then introduced, in order to separate the skin 

 from the subjacent parts all round the incision, that the cavity 

 may contain a circular piece of leather about an inch and a half 

 or two inches in breadth. Before this leather is introduced, a 

 hole is made in the centre about half an inch in diameter ; it is 

 then covered with tow [the hole being left open],^ and smeared 

 with digestive ointment : when the rowel is put in, the hole in 

 the middle of the leather is plugged up with a little tow. 



