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EFFECTS OF MEDICINE ON HORSES. 
of a few days, however, it inflamed the mouth, excoriated the lips, 
caused copious discharges of saliva, and made the animal — it was 
thought on this account — off his feed. It was, therefore, afterwards 
exhibited in balls — half an ounce of the powders being given twice 
a-day. For two days he took these (half-ounce) doses, and on the 
third two doses of an ounce. On the fourth day his appetite had 
become lost, apparently from the inward effects of the medicine, 
and diarrhoea had set in, which was followed by great depression, 
and soon, also, gave rise to remarkable hollowness of the flanks. 
On the fifth day, still no appetite, with diarrhoea increased in vio- 
lence, and yet without any noticeable expression of pain. On the 
night of this day he died, exhausted by his diarrhoea, exhibiting 
signs of irritation, not even now amounting to any manifestation 
of acute pain. 
I also experimented, the same year — 1812— on the efficacy of 
euphorbium as a vesicatory, it being an object, about that time, 
in consequence of the high price of cantharides, to obtain a substi- 
tute for it. Although, however, vesication was produced by it, 
and in combination with ammonia and the bi-chloride of mercury 
this effect was rendered more impressive and durable, still it was 
so manifestly inferior, as a pure unstimulating vesicatory, to the 
cantharides, that after several experiments its use as a blister was 
abandoned. 
GAMBOGE — Cambogia Siamensis. 
Various trials have been made of gamboge as a cathartic for 
horses ; but though, on occasions, comparatively small doses have 
been found to have this effect, yet at other times large doses have 
failed in producing purgation, and in lieu thereof have occasioned 
a good deal of irritation and annoyance in the bowels, accompanied, 
in some instances, by rigors and other alarming constitutional dis- 
turbance. 
August 27, 1823. — To a bay horse, being in perfect constitu- 
tional health, but having on him some gleety flux from the nose, two 
drachms of powdered gamboge, made into a ball with linseed meal 
and treacle, were given at 10 o’clock, A.M. Next morning, about 
the same hour — consequently twenty-four hours from his taking 
the medicine — while out at walking exercise, he purged five or 
six times, and continued so to do, rather profusely, for the remain- 
der of the day. On the morning of the 29th he passed dung still 
thinner in consistence than common cow-dung. Indeed, altogether, 
we should have imagined that an ounce of Barbadoes aloes would 
hardly have had greater effect. 
Desirous of ascertaining to what extent the same horse might 
