24 INFLAMMATION. 



fomentations or a poultice applied over them to pro- 

 mote the bleeding-. A piece of a vascular surface 

 may even be cut out, as is generally done when the 

 horse is bled from the foot, or a vein in connexion 

 with the diseased surface may be opened. The 

 proper bleeding-places will be pointed out as we con- 

 sider the inflammatory diseases of different parts. 



PURGING. 



There are few medicines so abused by the groom, 

 and sometimes by the proprietor of the horse, as pur- 

 gatives. They are given without any rhyme or reason, 

 and sometimes in fatal doses. Perhaps it may be 

 affirmed that more horses are destroyed by physic 

 than by any one disease to which they are subject. 

 On the other hand, there are no medicines so useful 

 as purgatives when judiciously employed. They are 

 especially useful in inflammatory complaints. They 

 produce, while acting or preparing to act, a kind of 

 nausea which is attended with a general relaxation, 

 highly to be desired in complaints that are accom- 

 panied by general excitement of the nervous and 

 vascular systems. They remove from the stomach 

 any cause of irritation which may have existed there, 

 and which might prolong, if it did not produce the 

 complaint. They diminish the temporary supply of 

 nutriment to the frame — for the food is hurried along 

 the intestines and expelled, instead of being converted 

 into chyle and taken up by the lacteal absorbents ; 

 and more especially they lessen the quantity of fluid 

 circulating through the system. The bulk of aqueous 



