S30 MODEEN FARRlEll. 



Mr. Clarlve, of Edinburgh, also makes some very 

 judicious observations on the abuse of purging me- 

 dicines. Speaking on this subject, he says, ' It may- 

 be of use to the young practitioner to explain what 

 is meant by the phrase of the humours falling doun ; 

 but, at the same time, I must inform him, that this 

 phrase is so generally in use, that when a horse's 

 eyes are affected, the humours are said to fall down 

 into them, although they are situated nearly in the 

 most elevated parts of the body. But to explain 

 their falling down to the extremities, I shall take a 

 case that frequently occurs. When a horse tliat is 

 in the highest state of health, but is too fat and full 

 of juices, and accustomed to stand much at rest, is 

 suddenly put to violent and long continued exercise, 

 his legs will be apt to swell soon after; the}^ v\ill 

 perhaps continue in that state for some time ; they 

 may at last break out in running sores about his 

 heels, and form cracks, &c. ; when in this situation, 

 it is said that the humours are fallen down into the 

 legs. Here a question naturally occurs, where. were 

 those humours before the horse underwent this se- 

 vere exercise, and how came they to fall down on 

 this occasion only ? Unless a horse has been gra- 

 dually habituated to exercise, previous to the under- 

 going tliat which is violent or long continued, his 

 vessels wall be too full of fluids ; and these, especially 

 the finer capillaries, from the force and rapidity of 

 the circulation during the exercise, will admit the 

 grosser fluids that do not usually circulate in them. 

 They are likewise liable in these cases to be rup- 

 tured ; hence the fluids they contain escape into the 

 cellular membrane, where they stagnate, and being 

 then out of the course of circulation, occasion a 

 swelling. If this happen in the legs, as the most 

 dependent part of the body, the humours are then 

 said to have fallen down ; the swelling causes a dis- 

 tension of the skin; the cuticular pores are then 

 enlarged, and admit through then;i the thinner parts 



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