In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 207 



and the life or death of the animal depends upon the 

 treatment first adopted. Although the first symptoms 

 may be of a mild character, yet we have seen how 

 rapid they become in their after-effects ; to palliate 

 this would be absurd, the iron must be struck while 

 it is hot, and in this case we cannot hit too hard if we 

 mean to defeat the enemy, therefore the first remedy 

 is too clip off all the hair from the sides, mix mustard 

 with turpentine and vinegar into a thin paste, rub this 

 well into the sides from near the back all over the 

 ribs, in a circle at least of eighteen inches in diamater ; 

 the whole of the horse's chest and windpipe should 

 be also subjected to the beneficial effects of counter 

 irritation. In olden times farriers used to bleed freely 

 for inflammation of the lungs, but it is seldom re- 

 sorted to now. If the horse is costive, which is fre- 

 quently the case in inflammation of the lungs, the first 

 thing is to get its bowels open ; for this purpose (never 

 give aloes in inflammation) the best purgative to give 

 is three half-pints of linseed oil. Some give castor-oil, 

 but that mild aperient in the human being is both 

 uncertain and unsafe when administered to the horse. 

 Instead of bleeding we resort to the use of digitalis, 

 aconite, and acetate of ammonia. Tn the early stages 

 of inflammation of the lungs, give digitalis one drachm 

 morning and night. If the fever runs very high give 

 belladonna in drachm doses, alternately with digitalis. 

 If the pulse is high, up to 80 or 100, give aconite in 

 ten-drop doses every quarter of an hour, enemas of 

 warm soap and water, with two ounces of linseed oil, 

 which should be given every half-hour until the 



