marshall’s specific. 
427 
composed of egg-shells, snails, parsley, sweet fennel, and burdock 
seed, pounded together. Well might Sterne exclaim, “ 0 my 
friends, we are but as turkeys driven with a stick and red clout to 
the market ; or, as some drivers do in Norfolk, take a dried bladder 
and put peas in it, the rattle thereof terrifies the boldest.” The 
great bugbears of the present day are “Bile,” “ Weak Digestion,” 
“ Impure Blood,” and the “ Charter the “ specifics” for which are 
“Coxe’s Antibilious Pills,” “ Chinese Digestive Pills” — which, we 
are told, would absolutely make the stomach digest iron — “ Dr. 
Jordon’s Golden Purifying Balsam ;” and, for the last, the six 
points as propounded by red-headed “ Feargus” himself. 
Quack specifics for the horse are, however, somewhat rare. The 
reason is, perhaps, obvious : they, poor brutes ! are supposed not 
to know any thing about “ weak digestion,” “ impure blood,” or 
“ biliousness.” True, the “ farrier” bleeds one now and then for 
the “ yellows,” and afterwards bleeds the pocket of the owner; 
but, upon the whole, they escape free, in comparison with the genus 
Homo. A claimant, however, to public notice has, at last, appeared 
with a horse specific of marvellous powers, as the reader may 
learn by the following : — 
“ Marshall's Specific for Diseases of the Eye of the Horse. 
“ Mr. Marshall, Surgeon Oculist, having made all diseases of the horse’s 
eye one of the objects of his peculiar study, has fortunately discovered a local 
remedy, singularly rapid and certain in removing inflammation of that im- 
portant organ, which is so frequently destroyed when inflammatory attacks 
are not immediately subdued by prompt and skilful treatment. 
“From Mr. Marshall’s own experience, as well as from testimonials he has 
received from several veterinary surgeons of known celebrity , he has no 
hesitation in recommending his Specific as the most decidedly successful 
application yet discovered ; and he can with safety state, that blindness, so 
destructive to the value of the animal, will in all cases be prevented where 
this singularly efficacious preparation is promptly made use of, and regularly 
applied, until all symptoms of the disease are entirely eradicated. 
“ Directions . — Five or six drops to be inserted between the eyelids every 
night and morning. Although one eye only may be affected in the first 
instance, yet the application should be used to both ; the disease generally 
attacking the sound eye also in a few days, if not attended to. • 
“ The eye should be well cleansed three or four times a-day with a sponge 
and a pretty strong solution of blue vitriol stone , or alum. When used in 
the morning, it is better that the solution should be made warm, as the dis- 
charge in the night will be considerable, which must be carefully washed off 
before the drops are applied. Should the inflammation run high, take away 
some blood, and an opening ball occasionally will be of service. The stable 
to be well ventilated, and let the horse have moderate exercise. 
“Where the Specific has been used in some instances for weakness of sight 
only, from the discharge of humour which took place, the eyes for a few days 
have appeared worse; but the treatment being continued, the irritation soon 
subsided, the discharge became less, and the sight again restored to its 
