PURGING BALL.
Take Soccotrine Aloes, six drachms;
Castile Soap, three drachms;
Grated Ginger, one drachm;
Oil of Caraway, twenty drops;
Syrup sufficient to make it into a Ball, which may be
rolled in Flour.
This will answer all the purpose of Physic for Horses whose intestines are not extremely idle, for whom a drachm of Jalap may be added, which will seldom fail operating effectually.
The best time to give a Horse Physic, is about 5 or 6 o’Clock in the Evening: it will then begin to operate about Noon the next day, and sometimes it will move the Bowels in the Morning.
About three or four hours after, a Horse should have a feed of scalded Bran: when he has eaten that up, he should have a small portion of Sweet Hay let down into his Rack. He may have one or two more feeds of scalded Bran the same day; and if he refuses to eat warm meat, which some Horses will loathe that have been cloyed with it before, he may be allowed raw Bran, which, if he drink sufficiently with it, will do the business perfectly well. Let his drink be made milk-warm, with a handful of Bran squeezed in it; but if he refuse to drink white water freely, let him have it without the Bran, for his Physic will always work the more, the more kindly he drinks, which let him do of warm water as much as he will. Early the next morning, he may have another small feed of scalded Bran; but if he does not choose to Eat, which sometimes happens before the Physic has begun to work, while his stomach is squeamish, let him Drink as much water as he cares for, with the Chill taken off, and ride him gently, beginning with a Walk, and afterwards a gentle trot, which will help the operation of his Medicine.—Gibson on Horses, 4to. p. 129. 1751.