81G 
ON THE EFFECT OF CERTAIN MEDICINES. 
thing else that does not require division by the incisor teeth, 
of which it is necessarily minus. 
ON THE EFFECT OF CERTAIN MEDICINES. 
By the Same. 
I believe there is a vast amount of nonsense written (not 
to say spoken) about the effect of this and that medicine. 
How often, when following the dogmas of some of our writers 
or speakers, do we find our prescriptions fail to have the 
desired or promised effect ! For instance, we are told by 
one, and I must say good authority, that “ a drachm of calo- 
mel and three drachms of aloes is a full purgative for the 
horse.” Now the fact of the matter in so far as I am con- 
cerned is, that we might as well expect to purge any animal 
above eight hands high with an ounce of chalk as with the 
above dose. My usual horse-ball consists of one drachm of 
calomel and eight drachms of aloes, and unless the patient is 
well prepared for physicking even this dose often fails to prove 
satisfactorily effectual. In the month of September last year I 
met with a curious case having reference to the subject under 
consideration ; I was called to attend a half-bred horse which 
was dead lame from a kick on the near elbow ; and consider- 
ing it as well to administer a purgative, I gave him one 
drachm of calomel and eight drachms of aloes. After two 
days, there being no sign of purging, I repeated the dose ; 
and on the fourth day, the bowels being still dormant, I 
gave the same dose a third time. None of the three doses 
ever affected the horse in the least; his droppings continuing 
about the natural consistency ! What could I do ? Oh, 
vary your medicine, many will mentally remark ; however, I 
did no such thing, but simply ordered plenty of sloppy diet. 
There are two other medicines about the doses of which 
there is a good deal of uncertainty, namely, aconite and 
strychnia. I have had some fine cases, or rather cures, from 
the employment of these agents, and some most lamentable 
failures. It is now nearly four years ago, when, one very 
stormy night, I wished to get rid of an old cow by strychnia ; 
well, I gave her thirty grains and expected instant death, 
but no, the old lady showed none of the usual tetanic symp- 
toms. In desperation I then exhibited sixty grains in solu- 
tion, and the only effect was a few spasmodic tremors which 
continued for about twenty minutes, when again the old cow 
was as lively as ever ! The quality of the strychnia was above 
