DRUGS USED IN HOUSE DISEASES, THEIR, MEDICINAL 

 QUALITIES, DOSES, &c. 



To enumerate and characterise all the drugs used for the horse in 

 veterinary practice would require much more space than is at our present 

 command, and after all might prove more confusing than useful to those 

 for whom I write. These medicinal substances are arrange! into groups 

 according to their prophylactic, or preservative and therapeutic or curative 

 properties, such, for instance, as cathartics, purgatives, and aperients, all 

 of which act on the system so as to cause an increased discharge of faces, 

 and include a great number of substances, a3 aloes, olive oil, castor oil, 

 croton oil, calomel, &c, and astringents, which, given internally, have an 

 opposite effect, checking purgation, and when applied externally diminish 

 discharges from wounds, such as alum, catechu, preparations of zinc, 

 nutgalls, <£o. I have therefore selected those of each class in highest 

 repute, and most likely to be of practical use to those who consult these 

 pages, and for convenience follow up the alphabetical order adopted in 

 treating of the diseases for which these drugs are used as remedies. 



Acetic Acid. — This drug is the same in character as common vinegar, 

 but it is seven times stronger ; and as vinegar is kept in every house, I 

 would not have noticed acetic acid, only that it enters into the composition 

 of the Concentrated Cooling Lotion, which I recommend to be kept at hand 

 ready for use in any sudden emergency : it is also used as a solvent for 

 camphor and other essential oils, in which combination it is used as a 

 rubefacient— that is, to create redness of the skin without actually 

 blistering — and cantharides digested in it in its diluted form, that is, of 

 the same strength of vinegar is used as a blister. Eecipe for Concentrated 

 Cooling Lotion : Take muriate of ammonia (sal ammoniac) 2 ounces, 

 boiling water \ pint, strong acetic acid 4 ounces, methylated spirit of wine 

 loz. ; mix, and before using the lotion dilute it with eight times its bulk of 

 cold water : it is used for reducing local inflammation, such as occurs 

 in bruises, sprains, &c. 



Acetate of Lead.— See Lead. 



Acetate of Zinc— See Zinc. 



Acids used as Caustics. — See Caustics. 



Allspice or Pimento. — This is a stimulant and tonic often nsed in 

 compounding what are so widely known as " condition powders." Half an 

 ounce may be given to improve the appetite, once a day, mixed with the 

 corn and cut chaff. For this purpose, of course, the ground pimento berries 

 must be used ; and in this and all cases where dry powders are given with 

 the corn it should be first damped and the powder shaken over it and evenly 

 mixed. 



Aloes is a purgative, and. as such, one of the most important drugs in 



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