EFFECTS OF MERCURY ON HORSES. 441 
tive medicines, I have hardly saved a beast, while, by the other 
treatment, 1 have occasionally succeeded. In two cases which 
occurred lately, where the pulse was very weak and not so quick 
as usual, the treatment of the case was successfully pursued with 
tonics and hydriodate of potash. 
I have trespassed too long already on your valuable time, and 
should be glad to elicit from you, or any other gentleman, the 
means which might prevent or cure this disease (if curable), as 
its ravages still continue. 
Notwithstanding the above heavy losses, the infected animals 
were separated early. 
I remain, &c. 
EFFECTS OF MERCURY ON HORSES. 
By Mr. W. Percivall. 
Is it not somewhat surprising that a substance which has 
been in universal use, in human medicine, from the earliest ages 
down to the present time, and with the most influential and 
beneficial results, should, in the estimation of most veterinarians, 
appear of so little service in their practice, that they would care 
little, perhaps, about losing it altogether out of their pharmaco- 
poeia ? One cause of this has been the notion imbibed at College 
— under the late Professor Coleman — that neither mercury, nor 
opium, nor antimony, &c. evinced any such effects when given 
to a horse as they did when given to a man ; for whatever 
doctrine a young practitioner starts with, it takes, in general, a 
long time before he finds himself in a situation to pronounce 
upon its soundness or veracity : indeed, some from want of op- 
portunities, and others from want of inclination or industry, to 
test it, never disencumber themselves of the errors it contains 
until their eyes become opened by the published contradictions 
of others. Another reason why mercury has not got into much 
repute in veterinary practice is its uncertain and deleterious 
operation ; though this is not greater among horses than men. 
But, said Professor Coleman, “ you cannot salivate as you do a 
man ; and if you happen to effect this, you run a risk of starving 
the horse to death.” In respect to these points, farther experi- 
ence has convinced me that there is not that uncertainty about 
affecting the horse’s system with mercury that appears generally 
supposed ; that his system can be mercurialized in a much shorter 
time than is commonly believed ; and that to insure the good ef- 
