132 The Diseases of Animals 



Coughing or gagging while being drenched is an 

 indication that the patient is getting some of the medi- 

 cine into his lungs. Proceedings should be suspended 

 until the animal has recovered. 



When medicine for a horse is in the form of a ball 

 or pill, it is held in the tips of the three middle fingers 

 of the right hand, while the operator, standing in 

 front of the horse, grasps the tongue with the left 

 hand and draws it well forward, turning the tip upward 

 toward the roof of the mouth. At the same time the 

 ball in the right hand is inserted and pushed far back 

 over the bulge of the tongue, and both hands are quickly 

 withdrawn from the mouth. With a little practice, 

 balls can be administered readily. In giving pills to 

 dogs, the pill can be placed in a spoon containing 

 milk, water or other liquid, and poured into the back 

 part of the mouth, so that it can be taken at a single 

 swallow. 



In drenching a sheep in the standing position, the 

 head must not be held too high, as this prevents proper 

 swallowing and induces strangling. The sheep should 

 be set up on its rump and held between the knees, the 

 mouth opened with the thumb and fingers of the left 

 hand, while the medicine is slowly poured into the 

 mouth from the bottle held in the right hand. The neck 

 of the bottle should be inserted in the corner of the 

 mouth, preferably on the right side. This is the only 

 way to prevent choking. Fig. 31. 



Hypodermic Medication. Medicines are frequently 

 administered by injecting them beneath the skin. In 

 this method there is less liability of waste, and the 



