USES INTERNAL.--In dyspepsia with capricious appetite, irregularity of the bowels, hide-bound horses, worms; is used in colic, both spasmodic and flatulent, for overloaded condition of the bowels; to promote excretion of waste products from the bowels and the blood, and consequently relieve febrile symptoms; rheumatic attacks, skin irritation, swollen limbs and inflamed joints; in lymphangitis to prevent and aid in curing. By attracting the blood to the bowels, it is useful in congestion or inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, full doses being necessary; in paralysis, paraplegia or hemiplegia or reflexed paralysis due to indigestion, give full doses. Aloes should not be used in irritation or inflammation of the alimentary canal or piles. It is not advisable to give an aloetic purge when the temperature is above 102° F. Nor in hemorrhage from the rectum; in high fevers it is apt to cause superpurgation, also should not be used where there is great debility or weakness. In influenza the bowels are apt to be irritable and oil is preferable to aloes. Don’t use during pregnancy; may cause abortion. For young foals or other animals, the gentler purgative, such as linseed or castor oil should be used. The medical value of aloes being large, it is impossible to enumerate all the diseases in which it is useful. Externally the tincture of aloes and myrrh is sometimes applied as a stimulant to wounds, and powdered aloes is mixed with plaster of paris in making splints for dogs to prevent these animals from biting and tearing them off. Internally aloes should be combined with ginger, nux vomica and given in capsule or bolus. ALUMEN--ALUM DERIVATION.--From alum slate, shale, schist, a native mixture of aluminum silicate and iron sulphide. This is roasted and exposed to the air, when the sulphur is oxidized into sulphuric acid and combined in part with aluminum and iron to form sulphates. The mass is lixiviated with water, and aluminum and iron sulphates together with sulphuric acid are recovered in solution. The solution is concentrated and to it is added potassium chloride. The double sulphate of potassium and aluminum (alum) is formed, which crystallizes out on cooling, while potassium sulphate and ferric chloride remain as by-products. Alum is purified by recrystallization. PROPERTIES.--Large, colorless, octahedral crystals, sometimes modified by cubes or crystalline fragments; without odor, but having a sweetish and strongly astringent taste. On exposure to the air the crystals are liable to absorb ammonia and acquire a whitish coating. Soluble in nine parts of water, insoluble in alcohol. DOSE.--Horses and cattle, 2 to 4 dr.; sheep and pigs, 20 gr. to 1 dr.; emetic for dogs, ¹⁄₂ to 1 dr. ALUMEN EXSICCATUM--DRIED ALUM Commonly termed burnt alum, is alum deprived of its water of crystallization by heat.