Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-02-25
THE BEST DOCTOR FOR ANIMALS.


We have seen a great deal of doctoriug for sick
animals, some successful and a great deal Of it I'M
gu ccessful-and we have long since come to the
conclusion that the most skillful physicians we
have ever met with is Doctor Nurse. If an ami
amal, Ia. we'll as a human being is not carefully
taken Gaze of-nursed--all the medicine in The
world can do bu, little good. And on the other
hand. toiM good nursing. medicine is generally
unnecessary. Our own observation lead to the
opin; on that in at least nine cases out of ten, as
commonly administered, medicine does more harm
than good.
An eminent New York physician said that taking
medicine was always a choice of evils-tbat being
poisons in nearly all instances, they necessarily
did harm to the system, and were never to be EN-.
Yloyed unless there was a strong probability that
they would benefit more than njure. This is not
the rule adopted in d~octoring horses, by most
horse ~jockies, and others having care of these
animals. if We might Judge from the way in which
gulpowder. salts and red pepper, turpentine,
~whiskey corrosive sublimate and other violen. rem
edies, are administered at hap.hazard, increasing
in nearly all cases the violence of the disease
1t may be land down as a general rule, that it is
much safer to give too little than too much medi.
cine; and that none should be given unless We
know distinctly how it is to operate, and what it
is for.
Some years ago a valuable horse caught cold,
and was troubled with a caugh so severe that be
might be heard half a mile, and which appeared
to be rapidly reducing bis flesh. We had On
abundance Of prescriptions from n~eighbors Of all
kinds OF frightful medicines. enough to have kill.
led him had he boen in perfect state of health. We
concluded to discard all, and placed him under the
attention Of Doctor Nurse. Great care was taken
never to work him to perspiration- he
was blanketed whenever the weather was chill.
ly-he was fed regularly and moderately on sue.
culent food. all such food partaking Of the charac.
ter of expectorants. and favoring a free discharge
from the lungs-and all his other wants were OBJ
served AS we'll as We we're able TO, and romptly
) supplied. In six weeks he was perfectly WE'LL
had some nostrums been employed, it might have
injured him and prevented recovery. or ifit had
not, DR.. Nurse might not have been called 10, but
if ne had. and the medicine had not greatly rstar.
; ded his recovery. and be had got we'll in six
months,lt would unquestlonsbly have been regard.
) cd as an extraordinary cure. At another time.
! a valuable mare, eleven years old. was badly
, sweenied by hard work the worst case of sweenv
we ever met with. 1t was generally regarded as
4 hopeless case-but various remedies were pro.
posed and offered, costing from $50 down to So
We concluded that our friend Dr.. Nurse should be
again called to the exclusion of all these fel ows.
y and the consequence is that with simple moderate
. treatment the animal is we'll and the sweenv 6lled
, up.
= The majority Of sick horses get well; every own.
. er tries some remedy, and that particular medi-
cine that he happened to be using at the time gets
all the credit-although as a general thing, it re.
L tarded more or less his recovery.
We must make an exception in the general re.
%jection of medicine--there is one, which if given
moderately, can scarcely ever injure, and may dc
much good. This is ~popiered charcoal--a power
ful antiseptic. and absorbent of bad matter, while
unlike most other medicines, it does not irritatt
"a most important advantage. A clear ii!ustra
ton fthis advantage recently occurred in the
case Of a fine calf five months old, which had be
come bloated by eating too many apples, b,owr
down by a violent gale. Its sides became extern
ded by wind to an almost incredible size. A solu
ton of saleratus was poured down its throat repeat
: eddy. and as oiten thrown out violent ly on accoun,
of its irritating action on the throat of the Young
animal. 1t continued for eighteen hours with liz
tie or no Improvement, when a large teaspoonru
= Of powdered charcoal was given mixed with half a
= Pint of cold water was given. The dose wa,
swallowed without any difficulty. and in fcu,
hours the calf seemed to be perfectly we'll. Char
coal may be given 10 nearly all cases of deranpe
ment OF the digestion, whether with men or beasts
with great advantage. One.half to q teaspooufu
lisa full dose for a man, and as much for an ami
=" NAL as his food exceeds that Of O man.
We do not mean to say that there are not 9TH,
medicines that do not occasionally prove eminent
= y useful; but unless they can be given understand
ingly.-with a full comprehension Of their mod,
Of action, and with an undoubted KNOWLEDGE n
the exact nature of the disease land their us,
sanctioned by a very clear and distinct success. :
It would be much safer to discard them.- Count,
Gentleman.