HART-BEAST, or Quanga. See CAPRA.
HART'S HORN, the horns of the common male deer.—The scrapings or raspings of the horn of this animal are medicinal, and used in decoctions, ptisans, &c.
Hartshorn jelly is nutritive and strengthening, and is sometimes given in diarrhoeas; but a decoction of
burnt hartshorn in water is more frequently used for Hartford, this purpose, and is called hartshorn drink.
The coal of hartshorn, by being calcined with a long continued and strong fire, is changed into a very white earth, called hartshorn calcined to whiteness. This earth is employed in medicine as an absorbent, and administered in dysenteries and labour-pains, which are supposed to be caused by acrid and ill-digested matters. This earth levigated is the basis of Sydenham's white decoction, which is commonly prescribed in these diseases.
The salt of hartshorn is a great sudorific, and given in fevers with success; and hartshorn also yields, by distillation, a very penetrative volatile spirit.