Common Diseases of the Horse 231 



labour has been very painful, the mare may have sweated 

 considerably. If so, she should be whisked until dry, and per- 

 haps rugged up for a time to prevent chill, &c. The hind legs, 

 the parts under her tail, the udder, and all parts soiled with dis- 

 charge must be sponged with a weak disinfectant. For this, 

 chinosol is very good — one iS-gr. tablet to i qt. of water — as it 

 is not sticky, and has not the penetrating odour of the coal-tar 

 disinfectants. The cleanliness of the box requires attention; if 

 the mare has cleansed (i.e. has parted with the foetal membranes, 

 commonly called the foal bag), they should be moved as soon 

 as possible and buried deeply enough to prevent their being un- 

 earthed by pigs or dogs. All soiled litter must be taken away 

 and the bed remade. 



In some localities it is the custom to leave the membranes 

 in which the foal has been born in the box, to see if the mare 

 will eat them, as it is believed they cause a laxative and bene- 

 ficial action upon the bowels. This procedure is entirely opposed 

 to sanitary methods, and should always be condemned. After the 

 foal has been born there is a slight discharge from the genital 

 passage of the dam, which does not last more than a day or so. 

 It is quite natural, and unless it increases in quantity after the 

 first day and begins to smell badly, the only attention necessary 

 is to keep the parts sponged occasionally with the chinosol solu- 

 tion. 



Care of the Foal 



The first care must be given to the nostrils, to see that they 

 are not covered by the foetal membranes, or plugged by discharges. 

 If the foaling period has been prolonged, and partial suffocation 

 has occurred, so that breathing is almost or entirely suspended, 

 every effort must be made to induce reanimation. The head may 

 be douched with cold water, the body flipped with a wet towel, 

 the fore limbs moved in pump-handle fashion, in imitation of the 

 respiratory movements, or air blown into the lungs with a pair 

 of bellows. An examination is also necessary to see that all the 

 other openings of the body are free, as it is occasionally required 

 to perform an operation. Having been satisfied that everything 

 is satisfactory, Nature may be left to itself The foal may be 

 left to lie quietly until the mother rises, when, if she does not 

 commence to dry it by licking, this may be done by wisping. 



Opinions differ as to the treatment of the navel cord, or to 

 give its common name, the " foal string ". Some assert that it 

 should always be tied, from i^ to 2 in. from the belly, and then 



