294 The Diseases of Animals 



stall should be slightly darkened and supplied with soft 

 bedding. If the wound where infection took place can 

 be located, it should be opened, to give free access 

 to air, for this prevents the germs from growing. The 

 wound should be thoroughly cleansed, and a solution of 

 carbolic acid (one part in twenty parts of water) 

 applied to the wound frequently. Tetanus usually 

 shows itself in four to twenty days (in most cases about 

 ten days) following an injury. Horses suffering from 

 this disease should not be drenched, as this treatment 

 excites them too much. A veterinarian should always 

 be called and veterinary tetanus antitoxin administered 

 as early as possible, as this is the best treatment known 

 at the present time. Morphine may be used in one- to 

 two-grain doses, injected under the skin of the neck or 

 shoulder with a hypodermic syringe to quiet the animal. 

 A remedy that seems to have given good results is the 

 following: Carbolic acid, 95 per cent, two ounces; 

 glycerin, one ounce; distilled water, one ounce. Inject 

 one dram hypodermically every two hours for forty- 

 eight hours, then once in four hours. In all cases, the 

 horse must be kept as quiet and comfortable as possible. 

 If the horse can drink, give sweet milk, and gruels con- 

 taining raw, beaten eggs. If he can eat, give laxative 

 food, such as mashes and fresh grass. Cases of tetanus 

 in which convulsions have set in are usually fatal. 

 Several weeks must be allowed for recovery after the 

 acute symptoms disappear, as there is usually a stiff- 

 ness of the muscles. If the animal is unduly exercised 

 distressing symptoms may occur as a result of impaired 

 respiration or circulation. 



