94 THE COMMON COLICS OF THE HORSE 



sometimes been grievously disappointed and mortified — 

 disappointed and annoyed to see his case recover from 

 the disease he has been treating it for, only to turn 

 round and die in a few short hours, as a result of the 

 treatment itself. Truly, that treatment was worse than 

 the disease. I say here that, if there is a possibility 

 of that occurring in only i per cent, of our cases, then 

 aloes ought never to be used. As a matter of fact, when 

 aloes is regularly given, it happens very much more 

 often than that. 



(b) Ammonia. — Although there are many more to 

 choose from, the drugs I have used as stimulants, and 

 more particularly as nervous stimulants, hav3 been 

 ammonia and nux vomica. 



For ammonia, and especially the carbonate, I have a 

 particularly strong penchant. That I am not the only one 

 so inclined, I will show by a few remarks extracted from 

 an article on ' Ammonia and the Stimulative System 

 of Treatment in Disease.' This was written by the late 

 Principal Walley, in 1879 ; but, I may add, I had 

 arrived at almost similar conclusions long before reading 

 his opinions. He says : 



' Physiologically ammonia acts as a powerful stimu- 

 lant, but does not, like alcohol, increase mental activity, 

 nor does it to the same extent increase the force of 

 the circulation. Its action as a stimulant — owing to 

 its being quickly excreted — is as fugitive as it is rapid, 

 but it does not produce much secondary depression. 

 . . . It is, too, a powerful stimulant to all the glands of 

 the body, as well as to the mucous surfaces generally, 

 acting upon the mucous membrane of the alimentary 

 tract, upon the kidneys, the skin, and the liver. Its 

 effects as a general gland stimulant are well seen in those 

 cases where the pulse is firm, the skin dry, the kidneys in- 



