animal medicine box

These ‘Constitution horse Balls’ were made and distributed by Francis Cupis, a member of the Royal college of Veterinary Surgeons and the author of the ‘Prize Essay on the Disease of the Liver of the Horse’. Cupis lived at Diss in Norfolk at the turn of the 20th century. These balls promised relief from all manner of equine ailments including ‘swelled legs’ ‘cracked heels’ and ‘loss of appetite’. They were also recommended for use with sheep and cattle, proclaiming ‘bullocks fat much faster by occasionally giving a ball’. If the customer was still unsure of their worth, Mr Cupiss promised ‘Any Gentleman using the Balls may consult the Proprietor gratuitously, either personally, or by letter, post-paid.’