ON PHYSIC. 1 !:> 



out a little longer than usual at walking exercise, so 

 that he may be more empty when he comes in; and 

 instead of giving him the whole dose of physic at one 

 time, let the ball be divided ; — give one half immediate- 

 ly on his coming into the stable, and the other half at 

 six o'clock in the evening. This method of giving the 

 physic, with the strength of it a little increased, will 

 be found to answer the purpose of purging almost any 

 horse. The quantity of Barbadoes aloes used in each 

 dose of physic for craving horses, prepared as I have 

 here directed, should average from five to seven drachms. 

 It was usual to give ten drachms to these horses, and 

 the same portion was sometimes given to lusty ciaving 

 colts ; but there is risk in giving this quantity to horses 

 thus prepared. When a groom has not a thorough 

 knowledge of a horse's constitution, it would be advisa- 

 ble for him first to make trial of one or the other of 

 the first mentioned portions of aloes, in preference to 

 administering either of the two last, to a horse which 

 he may not have physicked before. There is another 

 method practised by training grooms in the purging of 

 their horses, with a view not only to get the medicine 

 to operate on horses difficult to purge, but also with a 

 view to lighten them of their superfluous flesh ; and as 

 it was one by which they almost invariably succeeded, 

 I have no doubt that many occasionally adhere to this 

 old practice, when they find horses putting up flesh so 

 very rapidly as some of them will do notwithstan- 

 ding the strong work which is generally given 

 them. 



