VETERINARY PATENT MEDICINES. 
793 
when in doubt as to buying. It certainly was a serious job to 
tackle the composition, but for the sake of those fellows who 
are always howling that they get nothing out of the profes¬ 
sional journals but stuff about “ bugs ” and “ worms,” I thought 
I would go up against it, and I have been going thus for many 
moons and with satisfactory results. Now, the only fear I have 
in giving my discoveries to a cold, cruel world is that some of 
the smart “ Alicks ” will get a patent out on the remedies, 
make a fortune, and maybe never send me a cent or even say 
“ thank you, Griffin ”; and, then, again, some other fellow, 
having turned aside from chasing the “bug” of azoturia (and 
why should it not have a bug all to itself same as the other 
diseases?) may claim prior discovery, and make me angry, in¬ 
deed. But there never was a good accomplished without a sac¬ 
rifice of some kind. So here goes for the good it may do my 
“ compadries ”• in the profession who are not “stuck” on 
“ bugs ” or micrococci, but want a dead sure thing with a good 
smell to it and a money-making attachment. 
The first of these so-called remedies I practised on was 
“ Gombault’s Caustic Balsam,” warranted to be sure death to 
curb, splint, sweeny, poll-evil, grease heel, capped hock, 
strained tendons, founder, wind-puff, inflammations, throat dif¬ 
ficulties ( Lord, save the mark !), swellings, or ulcers, lame¬ 
ness from spavin, ringbone and other bony tumors, and many 
other diseases of or ailments of horses, cattle, sheep, and dogs ; 
warranted also to quickly remove all bunches or blemishes, 
without leaving any scar or other injurious effects (think of 
that, you vets !). It could also be reduced with sweet or raw 
linseed oil, and used as a most valuable liniment in all kinds 
of simple lameness, strains, etc., etc. I thought if I could just 
“get on” to this combination that I wouldn’t call the Queen 
my aunt, and that I would soon have the horse world by the 
gluteals and a down-hill pull at that. Moreover, a certain cav¬ 
alry officer of my acquaintance whose reputation as a horseman, 
and vet too, was one of the institutions of a cavalry regiment I 
know of, was in the habit of using the stuff on the side, unbe- 
