167 
ON DRENCHES. 
The Editor acknowledges the receipt of a letter from Mr. Wardle, 
of East Sheen, on this subject, so warmly contested by Professor 
Stewart and Mr. Markham. It commences with many expressions 
of kind regard, more highly valued as coming from an old and 
esteemed friend, and which he must endeavour to deserve ; but 
the pages of The Veterinarian must be occupied by better 
matter. 
Presently returning to the main object of his communication, 
the consideration of the propriety or impropriety of administering 
draughts to the horse, he begs it to be understood that he comes not 
forward as the partizan of either of the disputants, but merely as 
the chronicler of facts that have occurred in his practice, extending 
through nearly twenty years. “ I have,” says he, “ in all cases ad- 
ministered draughts where they seemed to be preferable to the 
ball, and in the course of so many years these have not been a few ; 
and I feel no hesitation in stating, that I have never experienced 
any injurious consequence from this practice : on the contrary, I 
have frequently accomplished by means of the drench that which 
the ball would never have effected : I am assured of this. The 
impression that I wished to make on the constitution was much 
sooner and far more decidedly effected. 
“ The difficulty and danger of drenching is occasioned by the 
fuss that is made about it. Those who, like myself, have been in 
the habit of a country practice, have seen four or five persons sur- 
rounding -the poor patient that is about to be drenched : one of them 
carries a halter or rope — a second brandishes a twitch — a third 
carries a stable-pail in one hand and a horn in the other — and a 
fourth brings up the rear with a quart bottle containing the medi- 
cine. As the cavalcade approaches the patient, rendered irritable 
by the disease under which he labours, he begins to think ‘ What 
have I done that all these persons, and armed with such formidable 
weapons, should be drawn up in array against me V He feels 
alarmed — to that speedily succeeds a determination to resist, and 
no one can be surprised if much difficulty and a determined resist- 
ance occurs to the administration of the medicine. In such cases, 
I am willing to admit that bronchitis, or any other evil, or death 
itself, may occur. 
“ When I have to administer a drink, long experience has taught 
me a quieter, a more expeditious, and a perfectly safe way of going 
to work. I order every one to keep <nt a respectful distance, or, in 
some instances, to leave the stable ; and I go up to my patient, and 
pat him and make much of him, and then, quietly drawing a pint 
