BIG HEAD. 143 



skin, and the porous bone of the face which extends 

 as far as the seat of the disease, or the influence of the 

 arsenic on the affected part; this circular develop- 

 ment extends as far as the affected part only, and is 

 quite callous and nearly detached from the sound skin, 

 leaving the wholesome flesh in its natural state. In a 

 month or six weeks longer, this circular part becomes 

 entirely detached on its periphery from the sound 

 skin, and adheres to the side of the face by a few 

 slight integuments about its centre, which soon decays, 

 (or it may be cut off,) and the diseased parts drop out 

 in a mass, leaving a hideous wound ; then may be 

 seen the porous bone of the face, resembling honey- 

 comb, which soon becomes covered with sound flesh 

 and skin : the wound may be soon healed by using 

 common applications, though I have made use of what 

 we farmers in the country call pot liquor, as a wash, 

 and anointing the place with an ointment made by 

 bruising the leaves of the common poke-weed, {Phy- 

 tolacca decandra) and extracting the juice by pressure, 

 and stewing it in hog's lard, or of the Jamestown 

 weed, or thorn apple, (datura stramonium) prepared 

 in the same way. These applications may be made 

 use of with advantage as soon as it is discovered that 

 the parts begin to separate. If the weather be warm 

 it may be necessary to anoint the parts with a mixture 

 of common tar and hog's lard, or the juice of elder 

 stewed in hog's lard, in order to keep away the blow 

 fly, which will be attracted to the parts by the offen- 

 siveness of the scent emitted. It cannot be expected 

 that a horse which has thus been operated upon, will 

 regain the beauty of his head, particularly if he be an 

 old horse, or has been affected on both sides of the 

 face, or the disease has been suffered to run too long 



