DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 203 
enemeta, composed of soap-suds, to which add a little ginger or 
lobelia. If the weather is not too cold, cloths wet with warm water 
may be applied to the abdomen, over which throw a blanket, so 
as to prevent evaporation and chill. The outrageous treatment 
recommended by some authors is a disgrace to the profession. 
They recommend bleeding until the horse faints or falls; then ta 
scorch the sides with ammonia and cantharides; and, lastly, to 
empoison what little blood he may have left in his system, so that 
death may oceur secundum artem. 
Should the subject of inflammation of the intestines suffer much 
pain, a drench of half a pint or more of infusion of hops, or pop- 
pies, may be given occasionally; or one ounce of the fluid extract 
of one of these agents may be substituted, to be given two or three 
times during twenty-four hours. 
The treatment of inflammation of the intestines, as well as in-. 
flammation of any other part of the body, consists in using those 
means and agents which ward off or remove any agent which, ip 
its effects, does, or tends to, deprive any of the organs or tissuer 
of the living body of their vital action. The remedial means 
used to accomplish this object must be such, and such only, ae 
sustain the weakened or increase the reduced vital action in any 
of the organs or tissues. This is the doctrine which the author 
attempts to teach in this work. And is the doctrine not plain? 
Could any thing accord more directly with reason, or commend 
itself more clearly to the common sense and unbiased judgment 
of intelligent people? If the vital action of any of the organs or 
tissues become weakened or enfeebled, should they not be strength- 
ened? Can this be done by any other agent and means than those 
which increase and strengthen this very vital action? If this ac- 
tion, in any of the organs or tissues of the animal body, becomes 
reduced or impaired, must it not be increased by agents and means 
which coéperate with the vital power? Then, how can agents and 
means which always impair vital action (poisons) cure disease? 
Different remedial means have different effects upon the organs 
and tissues of the system ; but all poisons and agencies which im- 
pair the integrity of the organism of a well animal must have a 
disastrous effect on one that is sick and suffering. Unhealthy and 
poisonous agents impair and reduce the vital action of certain 
organs and tissues according to the nature and tendency to affect 
various parts of the living structures. 
