DENTITION AND DIET. 141 



or less, completes the destruction of organization, and better pre- 

 pares them for the action of weak solvents. 



Changes in diet will sometimes work wonders in the restoration 

 of a dyspeptic ; yet he will require, also, suitable medicinal agents, 

 in view of augmenting the digestive function, for which purpose 

 the following is recommended : 



No. 17. Fluid extract of chamomile 4 oz. 



Fluid extract of ginger 3 oz. 



Powdered hyposulphite of soda 2 oz. 



Water 5 oz. 



Mix. 



Dose, a wine-glassful night and morning. 



Changes in Diet. 



Sudden changes in diet are not recommended. For example, 

 should an animal have been previously fed on corn, meal, or oats, 

 le should not be turned out to shift for himself, as the saying is, 

 and depend entirely on grass for a living. Grass acts on horses 

 unaccustomed to it as an aperient — scours them — which is a de- 

 bilitating process. Grass may improve the health of a fat, lazy, or 

 hnm^ry horse — reduce flesh and purify his blood; but the emaci- 

 ated horse requires, in addition, a daily feed of oats or cracked 

 corn, to make up for the deficiency of carbon in the former. For 

 these, and other reasons that we might urge, the reader will per- 

 ceive that changes in diet can only be made valuable in proportion 

 to our knowledge of the wants of the animal economy. 



A great proportion of our horses are too well fed, obtaining more 

 food than they require. In this land of plenty, most of our valu- 

 able horses are overfed; and more especially does this happen 

 among animals owned by wealthy and liberal individuals. The 

 impression we wish to convey to the mind of the reader is, that 

 Hie food of such is not proportioned to labor; in other words, 

 there exists a disproportion between the amount of carbon taken ; 

 in the form of food, and the oxygen received, in the process of 

 respiration. Now, to illustrate this, we will suppose that a man 

 engaged in mercantile pursuits owns one or more horses. lie has 

 not the time nor inclination to give the one or the other the neces- 

 sary amount of exercise. They stand up to a full crib, from day 

 to day, enjoying or, rather, gorging themselves with, a certain 



