142 THE NATURE AND TREATMENT OF 



subject be fed on oats, the same would be found, after travers- 

 ing tlie alimentary canal, unmasticated. The principal remedy 

 for indigestion, is change in (Iret : sometimes it may be proper 

 to allow scalded oats, although cooking does not add to their 

 nutritive quality, yet, more or less, completes the destruction 

 of organization, and better prepares them for the action of 

 weak solvents. 



Changes in diet will sometimes work wonders in the restora- 

 tion of a dyspeptic; yet he will require also, medicines, pos- 

 sessing stimulating, tonic, and antiseptic properties, such as 

 gentian, ginger, and salt. In the following proportions : — 



Powdered Ctentian, , 2 ounces. 



'' Ginger, 3 ounces. 



" Salt, 3 ounces. 



Mix. Divide the mass into eleven parts, and mix one with 

 the food daily. 



AS REGARDS CHANGES IN DIET, 



I do not recommend sudden changes. For example : should 

 an animal have been previously fed on corn, meal, or oats, 

 I am not in favor of his being turned out to pasture to 

 shift for himself as the saying is, and depend entirely on 

 grass for a living. Grass acts on animals unaccustomed to it 

 as an aperient — scours them ; and such is a debilitating process. 

 Grass may improve the health of a fat, lazy, or humory animal 

 — reduce flesh and purify his blood ; but the emaciated one 

 requires, in addition, a daily feed of oats or cracked corn, to 

 make up for the deficiency of carbon in the former. For these 

 and other reasons, that we might urge, the reader will perceive 

 that changes in diet can only be made valuable in proportion to 

 our knowledge of the wants of the animal economy. 



A great proportion of our animals are too well fed, — obtain 

 more food than they require. In this land of plenty, most of 

 our valuable stock are overfed, and more especially does this 

 happen among animals owned by wealthy and liberal individ- 

 uals. The impression I wish to convey to the mind of the 

 reader is, that the food of such is not proportioned to labor ; 



