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ALTERATIVES. 



Alteratives are medicines that act on the body in a 

 slow and nearly ijiiperceptible manner, thereby cor- 

 recting any latent evil. It is an improper custom to 

 give alteratives when an animal is in health, under the 

 idea of increasing it, or keeping him so ; for it is evi- 

 dent that, when an animal is in health, any alter- 

 ation must be for the worse. 



The substances used as alteratives are of different 

 kinds, and act in dift'erent ways ; but they may prin- 

 cipally be referred to such as act on the skin, called 

 sudorificsy or sweats, as sulphur, antimony, mercury^ 

 warm cloathing, &c. 



Sulphur has not much effect taken inwardly; it is, 

 however, an assistant to compounded alteratives, and 

 may be given in doses of half an ounce. Antimony is 

 a very excellent alterative. Its most common form is 

 that of crude black antimony, of which two, four, or 

 six drams are given once or twice a dav. Antimonial 

 powder is a very useful alterative, though not much 

 in use, one dram of which is a proper dose. Tartar 

 emetic is another form of antimony, but the virtues of 

 which are very little understood among the generality 

 of veterinarians. It is one of the most valuable me- 

 dicines, particularly as an alterative, in the whole ma- 

 teria medica. In some particular cases of want of 

 condition it is highly beneficial, and in coughs it has no 

 competitor. Poor Taplin, whose limited information 

 was extraordinary, wrote to prove the cruelty of 

 giving more than twenty grains of this substance, 

 because two grains were a sutBcient dose in the hu- 

 man sr.hject. Such is theory without practice, 

 and so long did this unblushing pretender gull and 



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