6o Journal of Agriculture. [8 Jan., 1907. 



the pulse fails or the breathing becomes shallow and distressful, the ad- 

 ministration of the drug should be stopped, and steps taken to revive the 

 animal. A full current of air should be allowed ; the animal should be 

 turned over and a cold douche applied to the head. Rhythmical movement 

 of the fore limbs, with the object of inducing artificial respiration, may 

 be tried, and the inhalation of the fumes of strong ammonia may require 

 to be resorted to. Horses, howe\'er, are not so liable to become asphyxi- 

 ated under chloroform as human patients, and they more quickly recover 

 from its effects. Sometimes they may lie for an hour or so " sleeping off 

 the effects," and they may require a little help and manual steadying in 

 rising, and until "they find their legs." 



To dogs chloroform is usually administered from a sponge in a pill 

 box applied to the nostrils, and they usually require from a dram to an 

 ounce, according to size and temperament. In dogs the respiration is 

 always more embarrassed and fatalities more frequent than in horses. 



Local Anaesthesia is also largely availed of in performing operations 

 on animals. A 4 per cent, solution of cocaine in sterilized water is the 

 agent usually employed. Its action is to paralyze the sensory nerves of 

 the part to which it is applied, and it is particularly effective in producing 

 insensibility of mucous membranes. It is therefore very useful in opera- 

 tions on the eye. Its action on the skin is more tardy, but it neverthe- 

 less produces sufficient local insensibility as to permit of minor operations 

 being performed without trouble. A more pronounced effect is produced 

 locally if the solution is injected under the skin adjacent to the part toi be 

 operated on. For this purpose, a stronger solution (8 or to per cent.) 

 may be used. The addition of morphia (i to 2 per cent.) or of eucaine, 

 is stated to considerably accentuate the action of cocaine as a local anaes- 

 thetic. Adrenalin and stovaine, particularlv the former, have also recently 

 come into successful use in veterinarv practice. 



Abscess Lancing. 

 The opening of an abscess or cyst is a very simple operation. A 

 large incision is usually preferable, as it affords better means for complete 

 evacuation of the contained matter, and also for subsequent dressing or 

 cleaning by means of antiseptic injections. The incision should always 

 be made at the lower part of the abscess, or, indeed, of anv sinus or wound 

 that is being lanced, so that free drainage of matter may be effected and 

 " pocketing " avoided. 



Arrest of Bleeding. 



Internal Bleeding. — When haemorrhage from an internal organ is 

 suspected, the golden rule is to keep the animal as quiet as possible, 

 and to this end a stiff dose of opium or other sedative medicine is advan- 

 tageous. In such cases, opium has the added merit that it mav act as a 

 styptic or astringent, and so assist in stopping the bleeding. Another 

 medicine which has a powerful effect in arresting internal haemorrhage is 

 ergot of rye, which may be given by the mouth or injected under the skin 

 or into the blood stream in the form of liquid extract of ergot, the dose 

 of which for a horse or cow is from half an ounce to an ounce. The most 

 marked sign of internal haemorrhage is a sudden paleness of the visible 

 mucous membrane. 



External Bleeding. — Except it is excessive to a degree likelv to 

 become exhausting, external bleeding is not such an alarming affair as is 

 usually thought. Unless the bleeding vessel is a comparatively large 



