The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-06-22
plaSsiSe n6rses..

we hSve ina previous article callcd
attention 20 tses bAfbsfods practico OF
druEging horses in order 20 put them
into apparently good condition. Tho
preseneis the time Of wear when this
Is most commonly done, both by those
having The animals under their care, or
BY dealers who find, that the effects of
spring weather have rendered their
horses less sleek and plump, andrevn.
sequently less salable. IL therefore Is
advisable for those who own horses 10
see that their stable-men DO not admin
lister condition powders of their own
concoetion, however desirable il may be
t'lht tonic of some kind in the spring
/ fine We administered; and in buying
new stock, ia would be as wellto let bar
gaips pend. for a fortnight or so, in order
t. aifard timefor observation whenever
the animals show suspicious signs.
There are very excellent veterinary
surgeons in this and other cities; but
the profession is ridiculously small in
numerical strength, as compared to the
livestock, in the. country. There Is
nothing so utterly pernicious and unre-
liable as the work of amateur dabblers
1t professions; and in this very fact ex-
ists the short-sightedness of those who
intrrst the, doctoring of valuable ami
mails TO men who are absolutely igno-
rant Tof the nature and cause of
disease and of the proper sci
entific treatment TO be adopted,
and even of the anatomy of the animal
Tf fha he Hnxtrrn ~ IC cont
TO a skilled workman for; repairs. No
one would listen to the idea of a groom
attempting to replace the neat forgings.
But when the horses break down, then,
in nine cases out of ten, the groom's
supposititious knowledge is deemed am
pie security against his working harm
by administering drenches and boluses
of fearful and wonderful ingredients.
An English agricultural contemporary
publishes letter from a country drug
gist, which sheds some light on the ig-
norant system of dosing. One man de-
manded condition powders contain
ing four ounces of tartar emetic. Cream
of tartar was meant, and the dispenser
gave that harmless substance, otherwise
the condition powders would have in
falibly killed the patient. Another
prescription called for one ounce of
Spanish flies, frightfully irritating
poison. ? "Again, - adds the writer,
1.-THE men somehow obtain enormous
quantities of sulphate of zinc (white
copperas) and sugar of lead, which they
afterwards dissolve in water to use
as lotions The substances lie scat
tered about the stable shelves, and
are carelessly mixed with chopped food
or mashes, in mistake for condition
powders. When we hear complaints
of actual horse poisoning, we wonder
how it has been done. Thereneed be no
wonder. The local druggist could in most
instances throw light upon the case" b.
y,It is bad enough to dose sick horses
by the rule of thumb but for the drug
cling of well animals, there is positive
ly no excuse; and if our societies for
the prevention to cruelty to animals
would Z open vigorous crusade
against the system, we probably should
hear less Of it than we now do 1t GER
tainly is just as cruel to cause the ami
NAL suffering by doses of canthmides
or arsenic as it is to drive it when its
neck is CALLED; and as the officers of
societies are empowered by law to pro-
hibit the one, they doubtless are equal
lyempowered to check the other. Mean
while we suggest to those who possess
horses that the present is an excellent
time to inspect stables, and destroy all
the bottles of stuff and papers of pow
der sure to be found on out-of-the-way
shelves, and of the uses and nature of
which a satisfactory explanation can
not be given.-Scientitc american.