COSTIVENESS. 179 



should b>^, by being fed for two days at least, entirely on 

 maslies, wLicli will cause a small dose to have a beneficial 

 effect, equal to double the quantity administered to a 

 horse not duly prepared for it. The immense doses of 

 eio-ht, nine, ten and even twelve drachms, which were 

 formerly in vogue, and which are still favored b}^ grooms, 

 ostlers and carters, are utterly exploded ; and it is well 

 known that eight or nine good fluid evacuations are all 

 that can be desired, and far safer than twice' the number. 



Four and a half drachms of Barbadoes aloes, with olive 

 or linseed oil and molasses sufficient to form a mass in the 

 proportion of eight of the aloes to one of the oil and three 

 of the molasses, is the best general ball, though often four 

 drachms given after a sufficiency of mashes or green food 

 will accomplish all that is needed or desirable. Castor oil 

 is a most dangerous and uncertain medicine. Linseed oil 

 is not much better. Olive oil is safe, but weak. Epsom 

 salts is inefficient, except in enormous doses, and is then 

 dangerous. It is, however, excellent, given in clysters 

 of weak gruel; which, by the way, except where very 

 searching and- thorough purging is required, as in cases of 

 mange or grease, is by far the safest, most agreeable and 

 mildest way of purging the horse, and evacuating his 

 bowels. Where, however, his intestines are over-loaded 

 with fat, Avhere he shows signs of surfeit, or where it is 

 necessary to prepare him to undergo some great change of 

 system, as from a long run at grass to a hot stable, or vice 

 versa, a mild course of two or three doses of physic, with a 

 •clear interval of a week between the setting of one dose 

 and the giving of another, is necessary, and cannot be prop- 

 erly dispensed with. 



CosTiVENESS. — Ordinary cases can generally be con- 

 quered without medicine, by diet, such as hop or bran 

 mashes, gre^n meat and carrots ; but where it is obstinate, 



