Mediciin^es. 



189 



as an antiseptic, being made into 

 a poultice with linseed meal, and 

 applied to foul and offensive ul- 

 cers, and to cracked heels. 



Verdigris is x-.sefully applied 

 externally as a mild caustic. 

 Either alone, in the form of fine 

 powder, or mixed with an equal 

 quantity of the sua:ar of lead, it 

 eats down proud fiesh, or stimu- 

 lates old ulcers to healthy action. 

 When boiled with honey and 

 vinegar, it constitutes the far- 

 rier's Egyptiacimi, certainly of 

 benefit in cankered or ulcerated 

 mouth, and no bad application 

 for thrushes. 



Blue Vitriol. — It is a favorite 

 tonic with many practitioners. 

 It is principally valuable as an 

 external application, dissolved in 

 water in the proportion of two 

 drachms to a pint, and acting as 

 a gentle stimulant. If an ounce 

 is dissolved in the same quanti- 

 ty of water, it becomes a mild 

 caustic. In the former propor- 

 tion, it rouses old ulcers to a 

 healthy action, and disposes even 

 recent wounds to heal more 

 quickly than they otherwise 

 would do; and in the latter it 

 removes fungous granulations or 

 proud flesh. It is also a good 

 application for canker in the foot. 



Creosote — is much valued on 

 account of its antiseptic proper- 

 ties and 8toi)ping hemorrhages. 

 It is both a stimulant and a ton- 

 ic. In an undiluted state, it acts 

 as a caustic. In the form of a 

 lotion, a liniment, or an ointment, 

 it has been useful in farcy and 

 glanders, also in foot-rot, canker 

 and thrush. As a caustic, it acts 

 as a powerful stimulant 



Digitalis — Fox-Glove. — The 

 leaves of the common fox-glove, 



gathered about the flowering 

 time, dried carefully in a dark 

 place, and powdered, and kept 

 in a close black bottle, form one 

 of the most valuable medicines 

 in veterinary practice. It is a 

 direct and powerful sedative, di- 

 minishing the frequency of the 

 pulse, and the geneial irritabil- 

 ty of the system, and acting also 

 as a mild diuretic : it is, there- 

 fore, useful in every inflamma- 

 tory and febrile complaint, and 

 particularly in inflammation of 

 the chest. It is usually given in 

 combination with emetic tartar 

 and nitre. The average dose is 

 one drachm of digitalis, one and 

 a half of emetic tartar, and three 

 of nitre, repeated twice or thrice 

 in a day. 



Diuretics — constitute a useful 

 class of medicines. They stimu- 

 late the kidneys to secrete more 

 than the usual quantity of urine, 

 or to separate a greater than or- 

 dinar}^ proportion of the watery 

 parts of the blood. 



In swelled legs, cracks, grease, 

 or accumulation of fluid in any 

 part,and in those superficial erup- 

 tions and inflammations which 

 are said to be produced by hu- 

 mors floating in the blood, diuret 

 ics are evidently beneficial ; but 

 tliey should be as mild as possi- 

 ble, and not oftener given or con- 

 tinued longer than the case re- 

 quires. 



Gentian stands at the head of 

 the vegetable tonics, and is a 

 stomacliic, as well as a tonic. — 

 Four drachms of gentian, two of 

 chamomile, one of carbonate of 

 iron, and one of ginger, will 

 make an excellent tonic ball. An 

 infusion of gentian is one of the 

 best applications to putrid ulcers. 



