lo Oct.. 1908.] Iiifliioiza in Horses. 623 



In such cases, portion of the drench is apt to pass down the wind-pipe, in 

 which case grave lung complications will follow. Instead, an ammonia 

 ball (as prescribed below) should be given twice a day ; or an electuary, 

 consisting of belladonna extract and chlorate of potass., two drachms of 

 each with a sufficiency of treacle, should be smeared on the teeth three 

 times a day. 



In the lung cases, liniment or mustard paste may be applied to the 

 sides of the chest. The constipation may be relieved with injections of 

 warm soap suds. Purgative medicine should not be given, one peculiarity 

 of influenza being the extreme irritability of the lining membrane of the 

 bowels and the consequent intense response to purgative or even laxative 

 medicine, whereby violent purgation and inflammation of the bowels may 

 be readily induced. 



In the intestinal form of the disease this constipation will be succeeded 

 by diarrhoea, when the linseed tea will be useful. A solution of gum may 

 be added to the drinking water, and laudanum given in ounce doses twice 

 a day. Where the attendant can administer a ball, perhaps the best 

 medicinal treatment throughout the attack is to administer twice or three 

 times daily a ball composed of ammonium carbonate, gentian and ginger, 

 of each two drachms. 



Prevention of Spread. 



Influenza being essentially a contagious disease, means of prevention or 

 limitation of its spread should be in the direction of preventing infection. 

 The disease does not seem to spread through the air. Either immediate 

 or inter-mediate contact with an infected horse is necessary for the infection 

 of other horses. The inter-mediate contact may be supplied by attendants, 

 the germs being carried on their clothing or hands. But without doubt, 

 the spread of infection is most certain when horses are allowed to eat from 

 mangers previously used by infected horses, and drink from water troughs 

 previously contaminated by the discharge from an infected horse. It may 

 be taken as likely that every street water trough in Melbourne is, at the 

 present time, contaminated with influenza infection. Suggestions for the 

 daily cleaning of street water troughs are, in the absence of State or 

 municipal power to enforce, not likely to be very generally adopted ; and 

 there is not much merit in the suggestion for running water to be continu- 

 ously provided, as the contamination of the frame of the trough would not 

 thereby be prevented. A safer plan will be to urge every one controlling such 

 troughs to keep them empty, so that they may not be capable of being used 

 during the continuance of the epizootic. At any rate, drivers should 

 rigorously avoid allowing horses to drink at street water troughs. In 

 stables, if possible, a separate drinking bucket should be used for each 

 horse, or the stable bucket should be thoroughly cleansed with boiling 

 water and washing soda every day. 



Incidentally, it may be here remarked, what a danger the horse water- 

 ing troughs in the streets of Melbourne would be in the event of the intro- 

 duction of any seriously virulent horse disease like Glanders ! Such a disease 

 would spread like wildfire, and would quickly leap beyond control. The 

 abolition of horse troughs was called for in the cities of England many 

 years ago, and their continuance in Melbourne is a fertile means of spread 

 of such equine diseases as Strangles, Pneumonia, Influenza, and the like. 

 Convenient they may be, but any advantage they are in that respect is 



