ISINGLASS — JALAP, 111 



IRON. A metal found abundantly in al- 

 most every country, but scarcely ever in a 

 pure metallic state, to which it is brought 

 by various artificial processes. 



Iron is the basis of several medicines, all 

 of which, in the human system, act as 

 powerful tonics ; but in the horse this qua- 

 lity does not appear in so high a degree, 

 and frequently is not perceptible. The 

 preparations of iron, are green vitriol 

 (ferrum vitriolatimij , muriate of iron, rust 

 of iron, tartarized iron, and others, each of 

 which will be described in its proper place. 



JALAP. In the human body, the root of 

 jalap is a certain and efficacious purgative, 

 and there is scarcely a book on farriery, in 

 which it is not recommended as an ingre- 

 dient in purgative balls, or physic ; which 

 practice is still followed by farriers, who 

 generally put two or three drams of jalap 

 into every dose of physic. It has been 

 ascertained, however, first at the veterinary 

 college: that jalap has no purgative effect 

 on the horse, though given in considerably 

 larger doses than farriers ever employ ; but 

 J have obsened, that in a very large quan- 

 tity, it occasions sickness, and some degree 



