MEDICINAL USES 481 



suffices for calves of six months. For dogs, three to eight 

 drachms laudanum, two to three drachms chalk, one 

 drachm aromatic confection, and two drachms gum acacia, 

 are added to seven ounces of water, and of this mixture 

 one or two tablespoonfuls may be given every time the 

 bowels are relaxed. 



For dysentery, whether in horses, cattle, or dogs, opium is 

 of service in allaying pain and straining, and may usually 

 be freely given, along with antiseptics, both by the mouth 

 and rectum. A drachm each of opium and tannin, with 

 half a drachm powdered copper sulphate, may be repeated 

 twice a day, for either horses or cattle. Whilst febrile 

 symptoms continue, any such opium mixture must be used 

 cautiously. In gastro-intestinal cases, opium is generally 

 contra-indicated when secretion is impaired, or the liver 

 and kidneys act imperfectly. 



In enteritis in horses, Robertson used half a drachm each 

 of powdered opium and camphor, with five minims Fleming's 

 tincture of aconite, in a pint of gruel, with or without a 

 dose of oil. In the rapidly fatal mueo-enteritis amongst 

 the heavier breeds of hard- worked horses, opium and calomel 

 were prescribed in the earlier stages, and opium, belladonna, 

 chloral hydrate, and ether in the second stages ; but more 

 prompt measures are needful to avert the deadly passive 

 congestion and haemorrhage, and morphine and atropine, 

 sometimes used with ergotin, are hypodermically injected, 

 and repeated every two hours. 



In peritonitis, and hernia, to arrest intestinal movements, 

 full doses of opium are administered. Antagonising mus- 

 cular spasm, opium or morphine is valuable in spasmodic 

 colic in horses, being usually conjoined with ether, sweet 

 spirit of nitre, chloral hydrate, chloroform, spirit of ammonia, 

 or oil of turpentine, and with laxatives as aloes, and lin- 

 seed or castor oil. For general service four or five drachms 

 of aloes are rubbed down in a quart of tepid water, and, 

 when the solution is nearly cold, an ounce each of laudanum 

 and ether is added ; while for large horses the dose of the 

 anodyne and stimulant may be doubled. If more con- 

 venient, the aloes may be given in bolus, the laudanum 

 and ether in draught. 



