VIIYSICKIXG. 67 



generally ample for any Arab horse, if properly pre- 

 pared and properly exercised; but eight drachms may 

 fail to purge, without proper precautions and exercise, 

 and yet easily produce inflammation and death. Some 

 horses, again, will purge in twelve hours ;* others not. 

 for thirty-six. The best and safest purge for a no- 

 vice to give is a drench, and that drench composed 

 of aloes and Epsom salts, or oil and Epsom salts : thus, 

 if you think five drachms of aloes is required to purge, 

 give three drachms, and five ounces of Epsom salts 

 (two and a half ounces of salts for one drachm of 

 aloes), dissolved in three quarters of a pint of w^arm 

 water, adding one ounce of salad-oil and a quarter of 

 a drachm of ginger ; or, if oil is to be given, a pint of 

 linseed-oil and five ounces of the salts. These aloetic 

 balls prove occasionally most raking to the bowels of 

 an Arab horse, and a large dose of them is always at- 

 tended with risk.t The above drench may be safely 

 given, even when bran mashes are refused, provided 

 the horse has been muzzled at night and the other 

 directions duly attended to ; and, with a clyster of 

 salt and water on the same day, it will, with proper 

 exercise, purge effectually, and rarely disagree. The 

 following directions will guide you how to treat a 

 horse under physic. Suppose it is to be given on 

 Wednesday morning : 



Motiday. Give four maps, that is, one bazaar seer, 

 of bran mash for his first feed at eight in the morning, 

 and only one pooly of grass after it. Four ditto at 



* A little Arab I once had charge of used to purge in ten hours, though 

 the physic was given in a ball ; and in fifteen hours it had generally set. 



t I always prefer a ball to a drench. It is much easier given, and does 

 not annoy the horse one tenth part so much as giving a drench. If your 

 aloes are good, properly prepared, and of proper quantity, with a drachm, of 

 powdered ginger to each ball, it will never do harm, ED. 



