Of a medicine, or of one who administers it: To purge (an animal, a person, the body, etc.); to evacuate (the stomach or bowels). Also, to cleanse…

transitive. To insert a piece of setterwort under the skin of (an animal) in order to produce an issue.

transitive. Veterinary Medicine. To treat (an animal) using a rowel (rowel, n. 8); to insert or serve as a rowel in.

transitive. To make to drink; to administer drink to; now spec. to administer a draught of medicine in a forcible manner to (an animal).

transitive. To render (an animal) immune by inoculation; intransitive of an animal: to become immune by suffering a disease. Cf. salted, adj. 4.

transitive. Surgery. To create an artificial fistula in (an organ or animal), esp. for the study of digestive function. Cf. fistula, n. 3d.

To treat (an animal) with a preparation designed to free it of parasitic worms.

transitive. = worm, v. 4b.