682 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



warm. The air within should be impregnated with some 

 disinfectant. Chloride of lime is as good as any. It owes 

 its merit to the free chlorine gas which it contains and gives 

 off slowly in the air. To the germs of disease it is some- 

 thing of an enemy, although not a powerful one. To have 

 any decided effect in distemper it must be used freely, and 

 large pans or shallow boxes should be filled with it and 

 placed about the room. 



The animal should be kept quiet, and not encouraged to 

 move around much. A constant supply of pure drinking- 

 water is essential. It is a matter of the greatest conse- 

 quence that the patient be well nourished, and this fact 

 should be kept in view from the first. During the early 

 stage of the disease the patient is likely to eat sparingly of 

 milk or broths, and what is taken voluntarily, if in any 

 considerable quantity, will suffice. After two or three 

 days, the appetite will probably, nearly, if not entirely, 

 disappear. Generally the last food to be refused is raw 

 beef, which is allowable if scraped and given in quantities 

 of one or two table-spoonfuls every two hours. 



Total loss of appetite may sooner or later be expected 

 in the majority of cases, in which event nourishment must 

 be administered by force judgment, of course, being used 

 in estimating the quantity necessary to support the strength. 

 Milk, and lime-water, and strong beef -tea are mainly to be 

 relied upon. About a cupful of either should be poured 

 down the patient's throat at least four times a day, and 

 oftener if he is rapidly losing flesh and strength. Raw 

 eggs are easy of digestion; one may be added to each cup- 

 ful of beef -tea or milk if these agents alone do not appear 

 to be sufficiently supportive. 



Beef -tea and meat-liquids of a kindred nature can prop- 

 erly be considered restorative and stimulant, but not nutri- 

 tive. It is popularly supposed that in making them the 

 nourishing qualities of the meat are extracted by the water, 

 and that the dry, hard remnant of meat fiber which remains 

 undissolved is exhausted of its nutritive properties. This 

 is almost always thrown away, and thus the most valuable 



