362 ACTION OF MEDICINES GENTIAN WITH ALOES. 
expected the Gentian to act as a charm, and have not taken 
sufficient care to ensure its operation. 
At the College, I was told they had long known of this 
action of Gentian ; if so, they have succeeded most com- 
pletely in keeping such knowledge to themselves. Morton’s 
6 Pharmacy ’ gives no hint of it, and Mr. Goodwin is the 
only veterinary surgeon I have ever heard of who has, or had 
so used it prior to my communication to you. Indeed its 
power is doubted by many w r hq have had their diplomas for 
years. My brother writes me from Bengal that he has tried 
it and failed ; ergo, he does not believe it, though he means 
to try again. Mr. Western and yourself are scarcely 
believers, and doubtless there are many others. If, however, 
Mr. Goodwin means that Gentian of itself has any purgative 
quality, I must differ from him, so far as this, that I know you 
may give ^viij i n doses of siv and 3 yj, morning and evening, 
without producing any such effect. Perhaps, however, he 
has carried his trials farther than this. 
But, indeed, we want a great deal of enlightening on this 
branch of our profession. The action of medicines is not yet 
sufficiently understood ; and the College authorities would 
earn a good name for themselves, and confer a great benefit 
on the profession, if they would institute a regular series of 
experiments, carefully note the results, and publish them to 
the world in the pages of the c Veterinarian.’ 
Apropos, to the action of medicines, if I have not tired you, 
I will go on to one other. I do not remember what first led 
me to doubt the sedative pow er of Antim. Tart. ; indeed I 
am not sure it w T as not a conversation 1 had with you. Well, 
by way of trial, I have given it in solution, thinking it would 
be more quickly and completely taken into the system : 
here is the result : 
E 927, pulse 40, R3ij, 45 minutes after, pulse the same ; mid-day, R 3j, 5 p.m. 
pulse 40. 
E 832, pulse 48, R 3iij, 45 minutes after, pulse 48, hut not strong. 
C 1146, pulse at 5 p.m. of 23d, 42 ; 24th, 6 a.m., 36, R 3ij, at 7 a.m., pulse 42 ; 
mid-day, repeat dose, at 1*30 p.m. pulse 36, 5 p.m. 36 ; 
25th, 6 a.m. 34. 
A 1397, pulse at 5 p.m. of 23d, 42 ; 24th, 6 a.m., 36, R3j, at 7 a.m. 36 ; mid- 
day, repeat dose, at 1-30 p.m. pulse 42; 5 p.m. 42; 
25th, 6 a.m. 36. 
E 832, w as put off feed for a few T hours, but the pulse w as 
not lowered ; it could hardly, therefore, be nausea which 
produced that result. It may have been irritation of the 
lining coat of the stomach. You will see that in no case 
was the pulse lowered. 
