NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 417 
on pasture gives relief. Carrots, potatoes, or turnips chopped and mixed 
with oats or corn are a good diet. Half a pint to a pint of thick, dark 
molasses with each feed is useful. 
Arsenic is efficacious in palliating the symptoms. It is best admin- 
istered in the form of the solution of arsenic, as Fowler's solution or as 
the white powdered arsenious acid. Of the former the dose is 1 ounce 
to the drinking water three times daily; of the latter one may give three 
grains in each feed. These quantities may be cautiously increased as 
the animal becomes accustomed to the drug. If the bowels do not act 
regularly, a pint of raw linseed oil may be given in the feed twice daily, 
so long as necessary. It must however, be borne in mind that all medical 
treatment is of secondary consideration; careful attention paid to the 
diet is of the greatest importance. Broken-winded animals should not 
be used for breeding purposes. A predisposition to the disease may be 
inherited. 
THUMPS, OR SPASM OF THE DIAPHRAGIM. 
"Thumps is generally thought by the inexperienced to be a palpitation 
of tlie heart. While it is true that palpitation of the heart is sometimes 
called "thumps," it must not be confounded with the affection under 
consideration. 
In the beginning of this article on the diseases of the organs of respira- 
tion, the diaphragm was briefly referred to as the principal and essential 
muscle of respiration. Spasmodic or irregular contractions of it in man 
are manifested by what is familiarly known as hiccoughs. Thumps in 
the horse is similar to hiccoughs in man, although the pecular noise is 
not made in the throat of the horse in all cases. 
There should be no difficulty in distinguishing this affection from palpi- 
tation of the heart. The jerky motion affects the whole body, and is not 
confined to the region of the heart. If one hand is placed on the body 
at about the middle of the last rib, while the other hand is placed over 
the heart behind the left elbow, it will be easily demonstrated that there 
is no connection between the thuping or jerking of the diaphragm and 
the beating of the heart. In fact, when the animal is affected with 
spasms of the diaphragm the beating of the heart is usually much weaker 
and less perceptible than natural. Thumps is produced by causes similar 
to those that produce congestion of the lungs and dilatation or palpita- 
tion of the heart, and may occur in connection with these conditions. If 
not relieved, death usually results from congestion or edema of the lungs, 
as the breathing is interfered with by the inordinate action of this im- 
portant muscle of inspiration so much that proper aeration of the blood 
can not take place. The treatment should be as prescribed for congestion 
of the lungs, and, in addition, antispasmodics, such as 1 ounce of sulphuric 
ether in warm water or 3 drams of asafetida. 
Treatment. — If the animal is attacked by the disease while on the 
road, stop him immediately. Do not attempt to return to the stables. If 
he is in the stable, make arrangements at once to insure an unlimited 
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