324 
ON EMETIN. 
ference to tartarized antimony than merely its powerful sedative, 
nauseating, and expectorant qualities. Emetin acts more pow- 
erfully on the skin, and also has a decidedly narcotic effect. 
The quantity given in each dose must be regulated by many cir- 
cumstances peculiar to the case, such as the age and strength of 
the animal, the disease, its stage, &c. 
There are so many impure preparations of emetin, that, previous 
to determining the dose, the strength of that selected for the 
purpose of compounding from must be accurately ascertained. 
1 generally have recourse to ten-grain doses, often repeated. 
There are, however, many cases in which it would be desirable to 
give a much larger quantity. But it not being my intention, at 
present, to do more than direct the veterinary profession to the 
general efficacy of emetin, I shall not enter into the minute 
particulars necessary to be understood for its judicious exhibition 
in each peculiar case, but leave veterinary surgeons to try its effi- 
cacy in different doses, by the way of experiment : in doing which, 
however, I suggest that the vehicle of giving such a medicinal 
agent in a solid state should be perfectly free from oily matter, 
as its being combined with such retards the solution of the bolus 
in the stomach. 
Nauseants, however valuable as remedial agents in the human 
subject, are considerably more so in the horse, to whom the 
power of vomition being denied, nausea can be carried to the 
fullest extent, without rendering the patient liable to the danger- 
ous consequences resulting from violent reversed action of the 
digestive organs, when the system is much debilitated by pro- 
tracted disease. Notwithstanding the many advantages which 
emetin offers over tartarized antimony, this latter medicine has 
one over it, which must not be forgotten, it being of no trifling 
consequence in the treatment of some peculiar cases. The ad- 
vantage to which I allude, is the facility with which tartarized 
antimony can be given in the form of a draught, or mixed with 
the animaPs food ; it being a medicine so devoid of taste, that the 
animal, if inclined either to eat or drink, will not decline the 
matters offered for the satiation of either appetite, even when they 
are made the vehicles of a large dose of the medicine in question. 
Emetin, having rather a bitter taste, must be given in the form 
either of a bolus or draught. It is worthy of remark, that I have 
frequently produced nausea in the horse and other animals by 
administering it per ano. 
