610 TAB, OIL OF TAR, AND PITCH 



ciples being diffusible phenols, it acts not only when applied 

 externally, but produces most of its effects when given 

 internally. The urine of horses receiving tar water keeps 

 unchanged for several days. It is still occasionally pre- 

 scribed for horses with chronic cough and bronchitis, where 

 the discharges are copious. It is used both internally and 

 externally as a cutaneous stimulant and antiseptic in the 

 squamous stages of grease and other forms of eczema, in 

 psoriasis, and in pityriasis, the scaly surfaces being coated 

 daily with undiluted tar, the dressing after several days 

 washed off with soft soap and water, and any refractory 

 spots dressed with mercurial ointment. In chronic eczema 

 one part of tar is usefully added to four of zinc oxide oint- 

 ment. Tar water is a popular but serviceable lotion for 

 indolent ulcerations and haemorrhoids. For thrush and 

 canker of the horse's foot tar is used either alone or with 

 copper sulphate, sulphuric or nitric acid, and other agents. 

 : Mixed with equal parts of fatty matters or soft soap, to 

 impart proper consistence, it forms an excellent stopping for 

 horses' feet, keeping the hoof moist and soft. As a hoof 

 dressing, Miles recommends a quarter of a pound each of tar, 

 beeswax, and honey, a pound and a half of lard, and three 

 ounces of glycerin ; the lard and beeswax are melted 

 together, the lard, tar, and glycerin stirred in, and stirring 

 continued until the mass begins to set. For foot-rot in 

 sheep, tar has the several advantages of stimulating healthy 

 growth of horn, deodorising, and preventing attacks of flies. 

 It is used in securing wounds, binding broken horns, and 

 making adhesive plasters. 



Oil of tar is sometimes used instead of oil of turpentine. 

 Its empyreumatic constituents confer antiseptic properties ; 

 it cures mange and scab, destroys other parasites, is some- 

 times added to sheep dips, but has the disadvantage of 

 discolouring the wool, does not mix well with the other 

 ingredients, while large doses or strong solutions are apt to 

 poison. It is applied in both varieties of ringworm, but is 

 seldom so successful as iodine. 



Pitch is used as a mild stimulant in thrush, canker, and 

 sand-crack in horses ; in foot-rot in sheep ; and to give 

 adhesiveness to plasters and charges. 



