60 CHOICE OF COUNTER-IRRITANTS 



and permanent effects result from the use of mercuric 

 biniodide ointment, the hot needle-iron, or setons. 



In inflammatory diseases of the chest in horses mustard 

 is preferable to cantharides. In well-bred sensitive animals 

 a pound of mustard flour made into a paste with cold water 

 is rubbed into the sides and washed off in half an hour. In 

 the heavier less sensitive breeds paper is laid over the 

 mustard dressing, and the horse-rug loosely applied. Some 

 horses show considerable restiveness, and even pain. So 

 soon, however, as tenderness and swelling are notable 

 externally, as they usually are in a few hours, the chest 

 symptoms abate. No other remedy affords such prompt 

 and effectual relief in these cases. 



Before a blister is applied, the skin should be well washed 

 with soap and water, and the hair, when long or thick, 

 removed. The effect of the blister may be hastened and 

 increased by subjecting the part to smart friction, or the 

 action of hot water, and by rubbing the agent well in, taking 

 care to spread it over the surface of the part diseased. 

 Violent, deep-seated action is seldom desirable. Better 

 curative results ace usually attained by moderate and 

 continuous effects kept up by repeated applications. 



Counter-irritants may generally be applied directly over 

 the inflamed area, when removal of fluid or inflammatory 

 products is desired ; but should seldom be applied to ex- 

 tensive acutely inflamed parts, or to tissues immediately 

 continuous with them. 



When vitality is low, or the skin irritable, blisters are apt 

 to cause sloughing. When inordinate local irritation has 

 been produced, it may be abated by fomentations, while 

 undue constitutional excitement is removed by opiates, 

 diluents, a mash diet, and salines. On the next or second 

 day after a blister has been applied, the part should be 

 dressed with zinc ointment, lard, vaseline, oil, glycerin, or 

 acetate of lead lotion. 



ASTRINGENTS condense the living tissues. Many produce 

 their effects by coagulating or precipitating albumin. These 

 comprise alum, chalk, salts of the heavier metals, acids, and 

 alcohol, with tannic acid, and such tannin-containing sub- 

 stances as oak-bark and catechu. All caustics used in 



