530 CHAPTER 70. 



But it must always be borne in mind that almost all Medicines dete- 

 riorate by keeping, and the more volatile soon lose their power alto- 

 gether. Those which are marked * should be renewed annually, and 

 especial care should be taken at all times to keep them carefully stop- 

 pered and excluded from light. All medicines, however, should be kept 

 in a closed box, and the stoppers at once replaced after use. 



Again, those who have no experience in making up prescriptions are 

 . very liable to make mistakes, possibly fatal ones. Therefore it is always 

 advisable, in the absence of a professional man, to send the prescription 

 to a chemist to make up. 



N.B. In the absence of a V.S., great care should be taken to give 

 medicine time to act before repeating the dose or giving other drugs. 

 Though such mistakes may not be fatal, yet they often impede recovery. 

 The most common mistake, and one liable to end fatally, is to administer 

 a second aloetic ball when the previous one has been broken in delivery, 

 or delay occurs in purgation. Their united action may not improbably 

 cause superpurgation, which is very difficult to check in the horse. 



The Author does not recommend the owner to lean too much on him- 

 self when he can get professional assistance in time. But in out-of-the- 

 way places, and especially in the Colonies, where this work has some 

 circulation, advice often cannot be got, and under such circumstances 

 this Addendum to the previous Edition may be found useful. 



1062a. Useful Stable Appliances. 



In addition to the ordinary ..stable utensils, the undermentioned appli- 

 ances, though not indispensable, will be found useful. 



(1) Leather knee bucket, 36 inches deep by 12 diameter; for fomen- 

 tations. (2) Eight feet india-rubber half-inch hose, with stopcock and 

 female screw to fit stable yard tap. (3) Leather muzzle. (4) Leather 

 poultice boot. (5) Neck cradle. (6) Side lines with plaited loop. 

 (7) Pillar reins for each horse. (8) Set of three short tooth rasps 

 (Arnold, West Smithfield). (9) Leather blocks to fit heels with strap 

 and buckle, to prevent kicking in stable. (10) Hock caps to prevent 

 capped hocks. (11) " Pudding " boots to prevent capped elbow. (12) 

 Metal enema funnel. 



CHAPTER 70. 



GENERAL SURVEY OF A HORSE. 

 1063. General Survey. 



It is of great importance that this survey should be made in a sys- 

 tematic manner, otherwise defects are easily missed. The following 

 routine is suggested*. 



