264 
THE VETERINARY ART IN INDIA. 
gar, cold water, crude sal ammoniac, bleeding, &c. In the class 
of emollients is included every thing which softens and insinuates 
its relaxing effects into parts that are too dense. Refrigerants, 
or cooling medicine, are supposed to diminish heat, and are used 
with that intent in superficial inflammations that will admit of 
being dispersed. 
I am aware that this mode of classing the properties of medi- 
cine will admit of controversy. A work of this kind is generally 
reduced to practice by persons not in the habit of studying and 
investigating the apparently abstruse operations of medicines : I 
have, therefore, accommodated every part so as to accommodate 
the practice to the capacity of every person ; which is one 
reason for my reducing their general effects to two classes — 
one to stimulate and increase the action and energy of the sys- 
tem, and the other to soften, cool, and reduce it. Another 
reason is, my belief that almost every medicine acts by these two 
powers, or rather by a variation in the proportion of one ; that is, 
that those substances which are more stimulant than the habit 
has been accustomed to receive act as stimulants, while those 
substances which contain less than the habit has been accus- 
tomed to, are cooling. 
I conceive it a duty attached to the subject on which I am 
treating to expose in strong colours the absurdity of some pre- 
tended' diseases and medicines well known in this country. 
In gripes, the intestines of a fowl or chicken are recommended 
and generally administered ; they have also the credit of giving 
relief in various other complaints, and acting as a gentle aperient. 
The existence of these properties I always suspected, and, from 
very repeated inquiries, I find that other remedies have been 
used with them, as clysters, wines, arrack, chillies, opium, cam- 
phor, either of which is certainly more calculated to relieve than 
the bowels of a fowl ; and if a discharge is produced, the clyster, 
which is almost invariably an attendant, clearly accounts for it. 
However, to ascertain the point to a demonstration, I had two 
fowls opened, and their intestines taken out immediately, and 
administered warm; after which I examined the animal very 
particularly for two days, without observing the slightest effect, 
either from the intestines, or by any increase or decrease of the 
action of the system. This pretended remedy and purgative I 
have repeatedly tried on my own horses, and always without effect. 
I wish to be the more particular in exposing this inconsistent 
practice, as it is so very general, and there is scarcely a person 
who keeps a horse that is not acquainted with this pretended 
and fallacious remedy. 
Another absurdity nearly allied to this, and which still further 
