CHAPTER XII. 

 MODE OF GIVING MEDICINE. 



Animals are all more or less difficult to give medicine 

 to, therefore the stockman must be careful to give it in 

 such a way as to annoy the patient as little as possible 

 and yet avoid wasting the medicine. Different methods 

 have to be followed with the various farm animals, the 

 stronger animals, such as horses and cows, require a cer- 

 tain amount of restraint in order to give the drugs suc- 

 cessfully. 



To get the effect of medicines they must be introduced 

 into the body. 



Medicines are taken into the system by three channels: 



1. Through the digestive tract, in such cases being given 

 by the mouth, in the form of powders, drenches or balls, 

 and per rectum, by injection into the bowel. 



2. Through the organs of respiration, causing the ani- 

 mal to breathe the drug, this is known as the inhalation 

 method, and is useful in such diseases as strangles (colt 

 distemper) or worms in the air passages (sheep and 

 calves). 



3. Through the skin, the medicines being absorbed. 

 There are subdivisions of this, the absorptive method, 

 the first one of which is employed by stockmen, the others 

 being used by the veterinarian whenever necessary; they 

 are: (a) epidemically, rubbing into the skin (epider- 

 mis), the general way of using blisters; (6) endermically, 



