CHAPTER V. 

 ADMINISTRATION, ACTIONS, AND USES OF MEDICINES. 



244. Admimstration of medicines. — Medicines may enter the 

 body through any of the following channels: By the mouth; by the 

 lungs and upper air passages; by the skin, externally; by the rectum; 

 by the skin, hypoderniically;by injection into a vein (intravenously) 



245. By tlie mouth. — (a) In the form of powders, by placing the 

 drug upon the tongue or in the food. When given in the food the 

 powder should be mixed with the handful oi wet bran or oats, for 

 if placed in the dry oats the powder will sift through them to the 

 bottom of the box where the animal will not get it; if it has a marked 

 taste it should be well covered up in plenty of bran mash. 



(b) In the form of a ball, made by rolling the drug in tissue paper 

 or by putting it into a capsule. 



To give a ball: The ball is held by the four fingers of the right 

 hand. The left hand grasps the horse's tongue, carefully pulls it 

 out, and turns it upward in the right interdental space so that it 

 opens the mouth. With the right hand the ball is carried well back 

 into the mouth and dropped at the root of the tongue. WTien the 

 right hand is withdrawn, the left^ hand carries the tongue to the 

 middle of the mouth and releases it. WTien the tongue is released 

 the ball is carried backward into the pharynx and swallowed. 



(c) In the form of a drench, by first elevating the head and then 

 slowly pouring the liquid into the mouth. This is a difficult pro- 

 cedure at times, and in all cases needs to be done carefully and 

 slowly, pouring only a little into the mouth at a time in order to avoid 

 wasting the medicine and to prevent choking the animal. If the 

 animal should cough the head must be lowered at once to allow the 

 liquid which has entered the larynx to be expelled. 



(d) By injecting the liquid into the back of the mouth by means 

 of a syringe. 



246. By the lungs and upper air passages. — Medicines are 

 brought in contact wdth the mucous lining of the respiratory tract 

 by inhalation. Inhalations are given by placing a bucket containing 

 hot water or scalded bran, to which 1 ounce of turpentine, carbolic 

 acid, or creolin has been added, in the bottom of a gunny sack. The 



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