ON THE EFFECTS OF IODINE. 
413 
with 3j doses twice a-day, which were gradually increased, until 
for two days previous to his being destroyed the dose had been 
increased to fij- During the continuance of the medicine, the ulcera- 
tion in his nostril continued stationary ; but there was a slight 
diminution of the enlarged submaxillary lymphatic gland. In other 
respects there was no change upon him, and to my almost daily 
inquiries of the hostler who had the exclusive charge of him, the 
answer was, that he always fed quite well. 
Annoyed at the seeming inertness of the medicine, previous 
to having him destroyed, I inquired whether he observed any 
change in the horse from the medicine : he said “ No.” On asking 
if he took much water, he said, “No, he never drinks any.” I then 
repeated the question, Does he never drink ? he said “No, he never 
drinks a drop of water.” 
This struck me at once as a most important fact, which appeared 
to be entirely the effect of the medicine, as we frequently find acute 
glanders preceded by diabetes, and was not, therefore, to be ascribed 
to the disease, and I determined to give the medicine a trial in 
the first case of diabetes which occurred, and in doing so I was 
not disappointed: it at once allayed the thirst, and checked the pro- 
fuse staling. Numerously repeated experiments had so confirmed 
my opinion of its power, that 1 was almost inclined to call it a 
specific, until I was consulted, in August 1842, on a case by Mr. 
Tennant, V.S., Worsley, a quondam pupil. The horse had been 
unwell for several months, and had been under the care of another 
practitioner, who considered it to be a case of diseased liver. The ani- 
mal was reduced to a skeleton, with great thirst and profuse staling. 
I cannot lay my hands on all the correspondence ; but I send you 
two letters, which you may here introduce : from these you will see 
that I had thus recommended the iodine, but without its having the 
effect I expected and had found in other cases. I may state that 
the case was, after I had received the second of these letters, treated, 
by my advice, by blood-letting and laxatives, followed by tonics, 
with rapid and complete success. Notwithstanding the failure of 
the iodine in this case, I have used it with complete success, and 
so decided are its effects, that cases where a horse will drink five 
or six pails of water in the day preceding its exhibition will 
generally be found to content himself with half the quantity on the 
following day after it has been given — good wholesome food being 
at the same time allowed. From its effects in allaying thirst, I 
was led to try it in the cases of dropsy, of which I have already 
given you an account ; and from its beneficial effects in those cases, 
I was naturally led to expect, that if it was so powerful and effi- 
cacious in effusion from one serous membrane, it might be equally 
