THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AMONG HORSES. 65 
pulse, however, being, while the blood is flowing, still our safest 
guide in respect to the quantity of blood to be withdrawn. 
The next important question for our consideration is, what me- 
dicine are we to exhibit 1 In my own practice, I always in these 
cases set out with the intention, if I can, of inducing a state of 
nausea. Formerly I was in the habit of prescribing the veratrum 
for this purpose ; but I found it, on some occasions, so insidiously 
cumulative in the system, and on that account apt to be so dele- 
terious, that I was compelled to give up my favourite remedy ; 
and now I administer, at the very offset of the attack, in its stead, 
a sufficient dose of aloetic mass to nauseate the animal, and sub- 
sequently act mildly on his bowels — render his faeces pultaceous, 
and so empty or relieve the large intestines of their fulness — 
without purging. It may be answered, and with truth, that, now 
and then, this small dose of cathartic mass will, unexpectedly, 
induce purgation. I am aware that it will on some rare occasions ; 
but, even supposing that it should do so, I find no difficulty at this 
early period of sickness in controlling and putting a speedy end to 
the purgation, by restricting the animal to gruel or to linseed tea 
in lieu of water, and allowing him nothing to eat but good sound 
meadow hay. And further, I may say, that, so far from having 
seen bad effects from purgation, such as this, during the earliest 
stage of the disease, I have thought that the temporary and ma- 
nageable irritation of the bowels has, by a sort of counter-irritation 
or temporary translation of disease, turned out of service. At the 
same time I am far from wishing it to be understood that it is my 
opinion that a drastic and irritative cathartic of the nature of aloes 
is the fittest medicine we could have for the purpose : give me an- 
other that will nauseate and mildly act on the bowels, and I will 
send aloes for any such purpose instantly adrift : I only use it with 
such intentions for want of a preferable agent. 
My medicinal sheet-anchor in these cases is, as I have had 
occasion before to promulgate, mercury. But, I do not desire to 
make use of it before I have relieved the bowels, and have made 
some impression by blood-letting. Having (where I can) done this, 
I commence immediately with drachm doses of the hydrarg. chlorid. 
guarded by five* grains of opium, according to circumstances, and 
I follow up these combined doses every eight hours until there be 
evidence of its introduction into the system. Commencing at six 
o’clock, A.M., the ball is repeated at two o’clock, P.M., and again at 
ten o’clock, P.M. : thus equalizing the intervals without the ne- 
cessity of breaking in upon the night. Fetor in the breath — of 
* My formula is hydrarg. chlorid. 3j, pulv. opii gr. v, farin. avenae Jss, 
terebinth, vulgar, q. s. ut f. bol. 8 vis. horis sumend. Should there exist any 
irritation of bowels, increase the proportion of opium 
