THE DISTEMPER 603 



organ ; and it is a very generally received opinion in 

 medical practice, that it is not safe to check discharges 

 suddenly. 



When the irritability of the stomach continues, 

 and it refuses to retain the medicine, the latter should 

 be mixed up with a small piece of butter, and from 

 thirty to fifty drops of laudanum added, according to 

 the age, size, and strength of the dog. Should this 

 not remain in the stomach, an hour and a half after- 

 wards the same quantity of laudanum should be given 

 in a little broth. The powder must also be ad- 

 ministered, in twenty minutes or half-an-hour, made 

 into a kind of paste with treacle and flour, or linseed 

 meal, which will certainly have the effect of allaying 

 the vomiting. But if the bowels are obstructed, 

 which generally follows the use of much laudanum, 

 and the retching still continues, in this case some 

 active purgative should be had recourse to, such as 

 twenty grains of jalap, or fifteen grains of calomel, 

 accompanied with from five to eight drops of 

 laudanum, to allay the irritation ; either of these 

 should be made up into a ball, and put down the 

 dog's throat ; or two tablespoonfuls of castor oil may 

 be given in their stead. Should these prescriptions 

 fail, a clyster should next be tried, composed of 

 oatmeal gruel, salt, and oil ; and when the bowels 

 are moved by this, the medicine may then be given, 

 accompanied with a few drops of laudanum. 



When there is great alvine flux attending this 

 disease, from thirty to forty drops of laudanum must 

 be administered, mixed with an ounce of sweet or 

 almond oil. It will be of no use to give the powder 

 until the irritation has somewhat abated, as its effect 

 will be nearly lost in passing too rapidly through the 

 intestines. 



