214: HORSE AND CATTLE MEDICINES. 



divine metal, no less surely may aconite be considered a 

 divine vegetable; for without it, or sometliing as good, 

 what can be so successful in curing lung fever, founder, 

 inflammation of any part of the body, colic from eating 

 green food, fever accompanying cattle diseases of what- 

 ever kind, nothing controls the circulation and action of 

 the heart so promptly as aconite. The nervous centres 

 of the body are no less ready to obey its action Hence, 

 its value in allaying fever, irritation, excitement and pain, 

 from whatever cause. 



How to use it. — Aconite should never be carried too 

 far, or prostration and weakness will follow. Never 

 give more than eight doses, when twenty drops are the 

 dose, nor six doses when twenty-five drops are the dose. 

 Or, in other words, never, in any disease, give more than 

 two drachms, or one hundred and twenty drops, whether 

 the dose has been ten, twenty or twenty-five drops. In 

 pleuro-pneumonia and other diseases, iron and the mine- 

 ral acids should follow aconite. 



Alcohol. — Spirits of wine entirely free from water, 

 and is used for making tinctures of the various plants, 

 and is the excipient or foundation to many lotions and 

 liniments. Alcohol may be given to horses having a 

 chill, in half pint doses, mixed with a little warm water, 

 not too hot. 



AloeS' — This is the expressed juice of several plants, 

 of the name. Aloes are of several varieties : — Barbadoes, 

 Socotorine, Cape, and Hepatic ; all of which difi"er in co- 

 lor, and some of them in strength. Barbadoes, and the 

 Socotorine, are the varieties kept in the drug stores. 



Use. — Aloes is used as a purgative, or cathartic, for 

 horses only. Cattle do not respond to aloes, nor is it a 

 proper internal medicine for those animals. 



