218 THE HORSE 



be before very long ; and that another dose, which I would 

 leave, should be administered in case there should be any 

 return of the complaint ; and having ended the directions I 

 began to prepare to take my leave. " But surely you are 

 not going to leave the horse yet ! " exclaimed the owner, 

 much perturbed in his manner, and evidently thinking he was 

 going to be left in the lurch. " Oh," I replied, " I will not 

 go before I have seen the horse stale, which he will do 

 directly, and then there will be no more trouble to be 

 feared ; " and hardly were the words out of my mouth 

 than the horse stretched himself out, and there was no need 



left for me to remain. Surgeon-General literally 



gasped with astonishment, and seemed quite nonplussed, 

 so after shaking hands with him and congratulating him on 

 the improved condition of his favourite, I was just about to 

 depart when he suddenly ejaculated, " But you have not 

 told us what the horse is to have to-morrow! " " Give him 

 his ordinary food," I replied, " and let him do his work as 

 usual, unless there is any return of sickness, which is not 

 the least likely," and then I went away. On inquiring at 

 the stables the next morning I found that everything had 

 gone on satisfactorily, the horse being then out at exercise ; 

 and the Surgeon-General spread everywhere the (to him) 

 marvellous cure which had been wrought so speedily. 



A few days afterwards came an amusing enlightenment 

 of what had taken place previous to the request being made 

 to me to advise as to the treatment of the horse. It 

 appeared, from the statement of a friend high up in 

 authority, who had been the counsellor who had advised 

 application being made to me, that the owner of the horse 

 was most prejudiced against homoeopathy in any form, 

 declaring it utterly indefensible, and had set his face 

 against it all his life in every possible way ; and when he 

 was told that I should almost certainly rely upon the 

 detested practice, he at first refused to listen to his 

 adviser. Fear of losing his favourite, however, at length 

 prevailed, and conquering his prejudice he had eventually 

 been persuaded to seek my advice. "You must not be 

 surprised," our mutual friend had then mischievously 



