16 
ON STAGGERS IN HORSES. 
when the disease was not present, or by others, who were not 
able to distinguish between the disease and a common indis¬ 
position. 
My remarks have led me to conclude, that the complaint is 
not of an inflammatory nature; and always finding the stomach 
charged, and the small intestines lined with a very tenacious 
ropy mucus, I have judged it expedient to unload them as soon as 
possible, which I have every reason to believe would succeed if taken 
up in the heginnmg of the disease, and before it is aggravated by 
fatigue ; but, as I have before observed, it unfortunately happens 
that it seldom comes under the eve of the veterinarian before it 
has acquired nearly its height; and, then considering no time 
was to be lost, I have given, with a bold hand, diflPerent medi¬ 
cines, as aloes, calomel, emetic tartar, carbonate of ammonia in 
great and frequent doses, with camphor and asafoetida singly 
and variously combined, and at the same time what liquids could 
be got dowm, but they were generally in a very insufficient quan¬ 
tity to have any good effect; I must confess, that too frequently 
my expectations have not been answ^ered when the disease had 
taken such strong hold ; though it must be allowed, that the 
costiveness attended with such torpor of the intestines, their 
horizontal situation, and a complete refusal of liquids, all tend 
very much to weaken the expectation of a speedy effect from ca¬ 
thartics. Still I consider evacuation from the intestines as a 
point which must not be neglected, and on which the cure greatly 
depends. 
The treatment which has under my hands proved most success¬ 
ful is the exhibition of aloes from 5iss to ^iiss joined with from 
^j to 5ij of gran, parad., according to the strength of the horse, 
and the advanced state of the disease; both being reduced to fine 
powder, and given in warm ale, giving afterwards some more ale 
to w^ash it down the mouth ; and this repeated every four, six, or 
eight hours, as may be necessary, till purging is produced. 
Clysters are a great auxiliary ; and one compounded of three 
pints of thick gruel, with the addition of about four ounces of olive 
oil and the same quantity of salt, is as good as any: they should 
frequently be repeated. Vinegar thrown up the mouth witha womb 
syringe refreshes much, and corrects that fetid smell which it 
emits : the body, not forgetting the head and legs, should be fre¬ 
quently and well rubbed, and any quantity of gruel or plain water 
the horse will take, as likewise any thing he will eat, may be 
allowed. In case of determination to the lungs, or any of the 
abdominal viscera, blisters may be applied whth some advan¬ 
tage : but that is a very rare occurrence. It is a disease which 
generally after evacuations terminates favourably. As the stag- 
