178 The Management and Treatment of the Horse, 



the purpose : — Barbadoes aloes two drachms, Castile soap 

 one drachm, common salt four ounces, water one pint. 

 If there is much fever with difficult breathing, proceeding 

 from an affection of the chest, it will be necessary to 

 resort to aconite in ten-drop doses. Old veterinary 

 surgeons used to bleed for this complaint, but the writer 

 is inclined to think that it does more harm than good, 

 as it has a tendency to retard suppuration, and in this 

 complaint all our efforts are to promote abundant sup- 

 puration. 



Cooling medicine will be found of great benefit in 

 this complaint, and two or three doses of the following 

 will be found very beneficial : — Nitre one ounce, tartar 

 emetic two drachms. If there is no fever the animal will 

 soon manifest a desire to eat, and his food should chief! v 

 be oatmeal gruel, bran mashes, and green food if it can be 

 obtained. Should these not keep the bowels sufficiently 

 open, which is of great consequence in this complaint, 

 then the above laxative must be given, which will have 

 the effect of preventing eruptions, which often occur 

 after this complaint, and nothing more will be required 

 if it operates freely. If, however, the complaint is 

 followed by weakness it will be necessary to have 

 recourse to tonic medicine, which should be repeated 

 daily, until the horse has recovered strength. The 

 following is a beautiful tonic :— Quinine twenty grains, 

 gentian two drachms, calomel two drachms, ginger 

 two drachms ; this should be made into a ball and given 

 every day. In bad cases of strangles, the parotid 

 gland will swell to a great size, and even become 

 ulcerated, and in other cases an accumulation of fluid 



