42 



abdominal vein is sometimes opened. In the present day it is 

 accepted that bleeding seldom need be resorted to in treatment, 

 yet when undue excitement exists or a tendency to fatality from 

 congestion of brain or lung-s a prompt and effectual impression 

 may sometimes be induced by this means, which, therefore, must 

 be considered a valuable resource in emergency. 



In abdominal and thoracic disorders of severity, free fomenta- 

 tion with hot Avater must be tried ; either the ordinary method of 

 applying a blanket steeped in boiling water, covered by another 

 blanket, to the chest or belly, and renewing the heat by pouring in 

 water almost at the boiling point, must be adopted, or the native 

 method of applying hot mud and water or cowdung and water 

 beaten on to the skin by means of rags tied on the end of a bam- 

 boo; there is, of course, no special virtue in the lattter process but 

 it is as effectual as the former and better understood by natives. 



Considering the frequency of occurrence of a lax state of the 

 bowels of the camel it might be supposed that our list of laxative 

 and cathartics would be a long and valuable one. As a matter 

 of fact the case is just the reyerse. Gilchrist finds benefit from 

 only two substances, aloes and calomel, four to six ounces of the 

 former in one to two seers of cow's milk, which much assists and 

 increases its action. Calomel is more reliable and should be 

 given in ball in half ounce doses. Gilchrist found that neithei* 

 Epsom nor Glauber's Salts in doses of three to four pounds, 

 repeated on consecutive days, proved effectual ; ghee and castor 

 oil given separately each in Ojss doses also had no effect ; croton 

 seeds in au ounce dose morning and evening produced no aperient 

 or other visible effect ; common salt given in doses of a pound 

 was inert, and enemata did not act as laxatives, thus a clj'ster of 

 water a gallon and-a-half, common salt a pound, and castor oil, 

 one pint had no effect. These experimental results were, evident- 

 ly, obtained subsequently to the issue of his first edition in which 

 besides most of the substances already enumerated amaltas, indra- 

 yan, euphorbium, jungle soapnuts, mustard, and tamarind are 

 placed on the list of the " most useful of this class of remedies." 

 The common dose for laxative purposes is a seer of warm ghee. 



Enemata, simple and medicated, constitute a means of treat- 

 ment which must not be neglected in camel practice. It must be 

 remembered that they act as internal fomentations and local 



