246 GENTIAN AN AUXILIARY CATHARTIC. 
Of these 
Years. 
10 and over . 120 
9 and under. 165 
285 
It is almost, I fancy, needless to say, that among so many 
horses of such various ages, of which some had been fifteen 
years in the service, the after-effects have been various. Here, 
again, I do not find the old horses suffering particularly. Some 
few have, I suppose, from weakly habit of body, though not 
previously developed, never rallied or fully recovered. They 
have pined away, becoming living skeletons. One or two have 
had abscesses formed in the scrotum. Such cases are generally 
rather tedious. Tetanus sometimes supervenes; not often, 
however, 1 am thankful to say. But, I will look through any 
papers I may have here, and see if I can find any record of this 
ending. The great majority of subjects are fit for work in 
three weeks, though I generally keep them quiet for a month. 
GENTIAN AN AUXILIARY CATHARTIC. 
To the Editor of u The Veterinarian .” 
11, Glenmolir Terrace, Blackheath, 30th March. 
My dear Sir,— I HAVE just procured the number of The 
VETERINARIAN in which you notice my communication re¬ 
specting the gentian ; but I think you have not understood, and 
therefore have misrepresented, me. 
I did not use, nor did I recommend it as a common purge. 
I had, or fancied I had, derived great assistance from its use in 
cases in which I dared not use aloes sufficient to purge, and for 
this purpose I considered it a valuable discovery ; but I had not 
had sufficient experience to warrant my using or recommending 
it as a general purging compound. I was engaged in a series 
of experiments as to its utility, when ill health obliged me to 
leave off; and though, as I told you, at the stud at Oossoor they 
now use it as a common purging ball, I have advised their 
not relying on it till experience had proved its utility ; however, 
they have persisted in it, and I believe have had no reason to 
regret it. 
I wish some veterinary surgeons in this country would try it, 
and communicate the results : in the service there could be no 
