ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES 



21 



determined, the use of instruments is desirable to avert risk to the 

 attendants. 



The Drench or Draught. — Liquid medicines are commonly given in 

 the form of drenches or draughts, so diluted with water, oil, or gruel as to 

 exercise no baneful influence upon the structures over which they pass to 

 reach the stomach. 



Persons accustomed to give medicine in this form often prefer to do so 

 without any assistance or restraint beyond holding the head up by placing 

 the left hand under the chin, but where the patient, cannot be controlled 

 by this means he must be subjected to restraint by one of the methods 

 prescribed elsewhere. (See Means of Restraint.) 



A horn is a safe and suitable means of administering a drench so far as 

 the patient is concerned, as it may come in contact with his grinders with- 

 out being broken. The 

 tin bottle with a long 

 neck and flat sides is 

 more easily grasped, 

 but the contents can- 

 not be seen in either 

 of these vessels, and 

 perfect cleanliness is 

 not so well assured as 



when using glass bottles of the champagne type. These being strong at the 

 shoulder, and conveniently tapered at the neck, are generally preferred, the 

 risk of breaking in the mouth when properly handled being very slight. 



Draughts should be given slowly to horses, and if a disposition to cough 

 is observed, the head should be immediately lowered, and, although some of 

 the medicine may be lost it is better than forcing it the " wrong way ". 



Liquid medicine should never be given with the horse's head towards 

 the manger, as some of it will almost certainly fall into that receptacle and 

 give the patient a distaste for his food. 



Electuaries. — In cases of sore-throat, where there is difficulty in 

 swallowing, or of injuries to the mouth, where it is not desirable to open it 

 forcibly, medicines may be made up to the consistence of ordinary jam and 

 smeared upon the back parts of the tongue by means of a paper-knife or 

 smooth, flat piece of wood. 



These are known as electuaries, and are several times referred to in 

 the section treating of diseases of the respiratory system. 



Intra-tracheal Injections. — Remedies intended to have immediate 

 contact with the lining membrane of the bronchial tubes are administered 

 by the hypodermic syringe (fig. 440), by puncturing the windpipe at a 



Fig. 440. — Syringe and Needles 



