SIMPLE AILMENTS 283 



that a fortnight's course of the medicine is amply siiiticient 

 to start the horse well on its way to renewed vigour, and 

 then an interregnum may be allowed, and afterwards a 

 second course begun in about ten days' time. Another hint 

 may be added, that aperient medicine should not be 

 administered at the same time as arsenic, and if an occasion 

 should arise for an opening dose, tlie arsenic should be 

 stopped for a couple of days beforehand. One of the 

 first symptoms of poisoning by arsenic is an attack of 

 diarrhoea. 



There is no danger in giving an iron tonic, but it will 

 usually be found that further benefit does not follow after a 

 course has lasted about a fortnight. It is better then to 

 stop it for a few days, and recommence it when thought 

 desirable. 



Finely powdered Sulphate of Iron ... ... 2 drs. 



Powdered Gentian ... ... ... ... 1 dr. 



Powdered Camomile ... ... ... ... 1 ,, 



Powdered Ginger ... ... ... ... 1 ,, 



To be given daily, mixed with a feed of oats, for a week or 

 a fortnight. 



Sometimes it is necessary to apply Electricity to a horse — 

 a valuable aid for rousing the liver and kidneys to activity, 

 when the current is applied to the loins. It must be 

 remembered that it is necessary to thoroughly wet the hair 

 before applying the battery, for dry hair is a non-conductor. 

 Electricity has a marked effect in the case of a snapped 

 muscle, encouraging growth between the two broken ends ; 

 but it is necessary for this purpose to be familiar with the 

 course of the muscle, so that the negative and positive 

 currents may be adjusted in the right position to travel 

 along the muscle. They must therefore be placed at each 

 end of it. When the two conductors are applied to an 

 ordinary muscle, at some distance apart, a curious effect is 

 produced when the current is turned on, the muscle 

 jumping about between the two points as if it was itself 

 a living thing. 



