312 STABLE ECONOMY. 



The Effects of Physic vary with the strength of ihe dose, 

 the number of doses, and the condition of the horse. One 

 dose, mild or strong, merely empties the bowels ; two, three, 

 or a greater number, of mild, perhaps only half-doses, given 

 at proper intervals, rouse the digestive organs to more than or- 

 dinary activity, and make the lean horse acquire flesh. But 

 if the doses be given at intervals too short, the bowels become 

 very irritable ; they remain relaxed ; the evacuations are soft, 

 too pultaceous, and a draught of cold water, or a little fast 

 work, produces actual purgation. In such a case the horse 

 becomes excessively lean and weak, and it is often a long time 

 ere he recovers. He has had physic too frequently, even 

 though each dose were mild. 



One strong dose, besides evacuating the bowels, and light- 

 ening the belly, produces emaciation. The purgative drug 

 acts first upon the inner surface of the stomach and bowels. 

 It irritates this surface, which pours forth a copious secretion 

 of water-like fluid, for the purpose of diluting and weakening 

 the irritant. The fluid is derived from the blood. When the 

 purgative is so strong as to produce very copious secretion, 

 the loss which the blood suffers in quantity is soon felt all over 

 the body, and an effort is quickly made to supply the place of 

 that which has been lost. Vessels, termed absorbents, com- 

 mence operations upon the fat, and upon other superfluities. 

 These undergo a change, and acquire a resemblance to blood ; 

 they are collected, and poured into the blood-vessels, and fill 

 the place of all the fluid that has been evacuated by the bowels. 

 This absorption of superfluities follows every evacuation, 

 whether it come from the bowels, the skin, or the kidneys ; 

 and I need not again advert to it. The horse becomes leaner 

 in order that the blood-vessels may be fuller. The fat is con- 

 verted into blood, or a fluid like blood ; but when there is no 

 fat to remove, or to spare, the absorbents act upon and remove 

 other superfluous fluids and solids, wherever seated. Thus, 

 purging, sweating, and other evacuants, take away fatness, 

 swelled legs, dropsies, tumors, and so forth. 



Purgation always produces emaciation, more or less evident 

 according to the violence of the operation. But when one 

 dose succeeds another, before the bowels have quite recovered 

 from the eff'ects of the first, there is danger in the process. 

 Purging proceeds too far ; it may be so severe that weeks 

 must elapse ere the horse recover ; it may be such as to leave 

 the bowels excessively irritable, easily relaxed : or it may be 

 such as to kill the horse in two or three days. These and 



