108 ON PHYSIC. 



I shall further explain the benefit to be derived by 

 giving physic at various other periods, to such of them 

 as may require it, when in a healthy state, to bring 

 them into racing form. 



The frequent necessity of purging race-horses, and 

 the usual quantity of aloes prescribed in each dose by 

 training grooms, do not appear to be approved by 

 several of those who have published on the veterinary 

 art. They appear to be of opinion, that the physicking 

 system is altogether carried to too great an extent in 

 race-horse stables. They may have been led to form 

 this opinion, by observing that all horses in common 

 use, when in health, do their work extremely well 

 without being so repeatedly purged ; and they also 

 find in their private practice, that when it is necessary 

 to purge horses of this description, a much less quan- 

 tity of aloes will answer the purpose, than is generally 

 given by training grooms to race-horses. As far as my 

 experience has gone in the physicking of horses in the 

 cavalry, I think those authors are perfectly right : they 

 have therefore, very judiciously, recommended in their 

 diflferent publications, light doses of physic, to prevent 

 the very bad effects of horses being over-purged ; and 

 since the establishment of that valuable institution, the 

 Veterinary College, and the distribution of its pupils 

 into different parts of the country, I have no doubt 

 but the lives of some hundreds of horses, or perhaps 

 thousands, may have been saved by the moderate doses 

 of physic which have long since been prescribed, by 

 veterinary surgeons, for horses in general use. I 



