506 THE COLLEGE VETERINARY PHARMACOPOEIA. 
lime, on whose power I am experimenting. The lime has nothing’ 
at all to do with it. Do not let me so far forget my chemistry 
as to suppose that it can have. It is the potash which does the 
mischief, and I could have applied it without this troublesome 
decomposition of the soap. I am not prepared to say that effects 
like these would often follow, but I can readily conceive states of 
the digestive canal in which they would follow; and if I have no 
proof of this being an injurious compound, it is as plain as day¬ 
light that it is a disgracefully unchemical one, and should not 
appear in the pharmacopoeia of the acknowledged school of vete¬ 
rinary medicine. My opinion, indeed, is, that these soaps should 
never be given internally in any considerable quantity, on account 
of the fact, which a thousand experiments prove, that the weakest 
acid is capable of combining with its alkaline base, and that 
there is scarcely an astringent or an alkaline substance which 
will not more injuriously decompose it. A small portion of aro¬ 
matic would be no bad addition here, especially in the hardly- 
worked horse, and in every case, except it is counter-indicated 
by fever. 
Fever * Balls (Alterative). 
Cape aloes ...*- four ounces 
Linseed meal ... ----- twelve ounces 
Treacle sufficient to form thirty-two balls. 
I am right glad to find, that if the existence of fever is denied 
in some of the lectures of the college, it is recognized in the phar¬ 
macopoeia of that institution. I cannot, however, fairly under¬ 
stand what is meant by u fever (alterative)” Fever is not usually 
or successfully attacked by alterative medicine: it requires far 
more active treatment, or the patient will often be lost. 
As an alterative , and not given too frequently, and the use of 
the balls suspended when a purgative effect is produced, and the 
balls not given at all in pure pneumonia, and most cautiously in 
cases connected with pneumonia, this formula, prescribing one 
drachm of aloes, will often be serviceable; but the ball could not 
be given frequently or long enough in many cases which slowly 
yield to medicine, as chronic grease, inveterate mange, &c. 
I should be old-fashioned enough to go back to our too much 
discarded nitre, and sulphur, and antimony; and although I might 
work more slowly, it would be a great deal more surely. 
9 —• 
Fever Balls (Diuretic ). 
Yellow resin, powdered _-..-_- half pound 
Linseed meal_-...... ten ounces 
Treacle sufficient to form thirty-two balls. 
