EFFECTS OF MERCURY ON HORSES. 
527 
and blue pill, and inunction with mercurial ointment, was carried 
to an extent to destroy life without any appearance of salivation. 
Case VIII. — A three-y ear-old mare, in fat condition and with 
all the outward appearances of a healthy and sound constitution, 
though at this time the subject of farcy and glanders, having 
one small and one large spreading ulcer visible upon the septum 
within the off’ nostril, and three small ones upon the near side; 
submaxillary glands of both sides swollen; and three ulcers re- 
maining upon one shoulder, where she has lately had an attack 
of farcy. The object being to produce ptyalism, with a view of 
discovering what effect such would have on her disease, she was 
ordered to take, morning and evening, hydrarg. chlorid. 3j> c. far. 
sem. lin. et theriac. ; to have unguent, hydrag. fort. 3iss rubbed 
into the inner part of each thigh morning and evening, and to 
have her sores dressed with pulv. hydrarg. nitrico-oxyd. The 
calomel was continued for three days : on the fourth she com- 
menced taking in lieu thereof pil. hydrarg. 3i morning and even- 
ing, continuing the inungation and dressing to the sores. On the 
sixth day (from the commencement) the mare did noteat all her 
allowance of hay : on the seventh day she refused her food, and for 
this and the ninth day on that account her medicine was discon- 
tinued ; the inungation and dressing being used as before. On 
the tenth day she resumed her blue balls, the dose being reduced 
to 9ij, and had the ointment rubbed in as before ; she feeding 
better again, and continuing to do so until the fourteenth day , when 
she was again much off’ her appetite. Still, seeing her disease 
was daily and hourly increasing, both ball and ointment were per- 
severed in ; the result of which was that she lost all appetite, 
and manifested disturbance in her respiration, and acceleration of 
pulse. Still, the medicine was continued, and the mare in conse- 
quence died suddenly some time in the night of the twentieth day of 
the experiment. Although this mare took six drachms of calomel, 
nearly two ounces of blue pill, and had seven ounces and a half 
of blue ointment rubbed into her thighs, salivation was not pro- 
duced ; nor, indeed, were there any very evident symptoms of sore 
mouth, for she never cudded her hay : the mercury, however, 
affected her in another — in a fatal way. But on the disease it had 
certainly no good effect : on the contrary, it appeared to aggravate 
her malady. 
The case with which I shall conclude this account is one that 
followed and appeared to arise from the exhibition of mercury — 
in fact, resembled much the disorder surgeons have named 
“ mercurial erythema. ” — I never witnessed its like before, and 
hope I never shall again. 
