SOME CANINE DISEASES AND THEIE REMEDIES. 683 



constituents are sacrificed, and the liquid which is care- 

 fully preserved contains so little in the way of sustenance 

 that it is almost worthless. The remnant actually contains 

 nearly all the real virtue of the meat. If this be reduced to 

 a paste by pounding in a mortar, and is then added to the 

 liquid in which it is cooked, beef-tea so prepared is not 

 only highly nourishing, but is also easy of digestion. The 

 criticisms on beef -tea, as commonly made, apply equally to 

 extracts of meats and meat- juices, and to similar prepa- 

 rations for sale by druggists; they are all devoid of the 

 so-called albuminous constituents the nutritious elements. 

 It should also be remembered that beef -tea is slightly 

 laxative; therefore it should be withheld if a dog has 

 diarrhea. 



As long as the patient appears to be doing well under 

 this dietetic treatment, it will, of course, be unmistakable 

 evidence of its efficacy. If the case is a desperate one, 

 signs of failure will be plainly evident after the first week. 

 When the diet already advised does not sustain him, stim- 

 ulants must be resorted to; and if the owner is in doubt 

 whether or not they are needed, he should assume the 

 affirmative and give them. Unless the case is urgent, he 

 should begin with one or two tea-spoonfuls of sherry wine, 

 adding the same to each cupful of food. After a day or 

 two the quantity of wine should be increased to a table- 

 spoonful. If failure of strength and emaciation are pro- 

 gressive, brandy must be substituted for the sherry wine, 

 and the doses gradually increased as before. In cases of 

 simple distemper, excessive stimulation will rarely, indeed, 

 be indicated; it is where other diseases occur during its 

 course that it is most often needed. 



The discharge from the nose and eyes should never be 

 allowed to accumulate, but should be removed with a sponge 

 wet with a solution of borax and water. Constipation is an 

 occasional symptom, and is far less to be feared than diar- 

 rhea. To overcome the former, an injection of soap-suds is 

 all that can be safely administered; cathartics, as a rule, 

 are dangerous. If there is constipation, it is best to give 



