NOTITIA VENATICA. <S0 



even years, eating tlic same food, and following in every way the same 

 line of existence, become so much alike in their natures and constitutions, 

 that medicine, during a general and periodical physicking, will have, ex- 

 cepting in a very few instances, exactly the same effect upon each indi- 

 vidual ; it may vary in the degree, hut the nature of the effect will he 

 the same, or nearly the same, in all. For this reason, the system of 

 physicking in the trough is always pursued by good judges. Some per- 

 sons may exclaim, " The greedy feeders will get a stronger dose than 

 the rest ;" but that is the very reason why the system is recommended: 

 the hard feeders are always the foulest in their constitutions, and there- 

 fore require the most. Nothing is easier than to regulate that part of 

 the business ; and the shy and delicate may generally be coaxed into 

 eating a sufficiency for the purpose. Occasionally old hounds are met 

 with of so cunning and suspicious a nature, that nothing can induce 

 them to eat that meat in Avhich physic may have been mixed. I have 

 known instances of them going Avithout food for two days, rather than 

 be thus cheated. In such cases, the best plan is to give it to them in 

 the shape of balls, taking care to tie their heads up to a staple for an 

 horn* afterwards, to prevent their throwing them off. If the weather is 

 warm, they may be coupled up in the drawing court ; if it is in winter, 

 let them be tied up against the wall in the boiling-house. 



Amongst the many minerals, drugs, and other medicines used amongst 

 dogs, sulphur is the principal ; and if it were ten times its price, I have 

 no doubt it would be held in far higher esteem than it is, not only by ca- 

 nine practitioners, but also by those gentlemen who exercise their talents 

 amongst the lords of the creation. Dr. Henry, in his " Elements of 

 Chemistry," tells us that the best sulphur comes from Sicily ; and that 

 Avhich is procured in our own island is of an inferior quality, and con- 

 tains a portion of the metal from combination with wliich it has been se- 

 parated. I am convinced that it is the best and most efficacious physic, 

 when followed by mild doses of salts, that has ever been recommended 

 for hounds. Some persons prefer syrup of buckthorn and jalap, but as 

 they cannot influence nor act upon the blood-vessels and secretions, as 

 sulphur does, nor affect the liver in any Avay, I am at a loss to discover 

 why they are preferable. In cases of extreme foulness, and in liver 

 complaints, calomel and tartarised antimony are undoubtedly indispen- 

 sable ; but where merely relieving the stomach of its load is the object, 

 I should conceive that the method by which it was effected in the mildest 

 and quickest form would be the best. For this reason, salts are the 

 very best purgative which can be given. The practice of giving salts in 

 human beings, is objected to on account of constipation almost invariably 

 following the operation of the medicine ; but with dogs it has quite a 

 contrary eflfect ; and I never knew one single instance of hounds being 

 confined in their bodies, even after the strongest dose. 



The more general practice of administering sulphur, is to give a good 

 large dose of it one morning in every week during the summer months, 

 as an alterative ; but if huntsmen would adopt the following plan in- 

 stead, they would find the result far more salutary, and that the quantity 

 of sulphur consumed would go twice as far. About four or five day§ 



