208 The Management and Treatment of the Horse, 



bowels are freely open. It often happens that horses 

 are known to be a little ill, and no notice is taken of 

 them until inflammation has set in ; then the owner or 

 groom does not known if it is inflammation of the lungs, 

 bowels, or colie, in which case it is always safe under 

 the circumstances to administer the following, which 

 often has the effect of arresting what would otherwise 

 have been a case of severe inflammation : — Warm ale 

 one quart, ginger one ounce, powdered aniseed one 

 ounce, and tincture of opium one ounce. After the 

 mustard has been on from ten minutes to a quarter of 

 an hour, it should be carefully washed off, and the sides 

 wiped dry with a soft cloth; no good is attained by 

 leaving the mustard on. 



If the horse still continues to blow, the mustard must 

 be repeated, as it is only by severe treatment that we can 

 pull him through. Some veterinary surgeons use Spanish 

 flies for blistering the sides, but this I do not like as the 

 system absorbs the fly, and leaves bad effects afterwards. 

 During the time the fever is at its height the blister will 

 seldom rise, the internal excitement overcoming the ex- 

 ternal one, and a failure in its operation also accompanies 

 exhaustion. In this case there is danger to be appre- 

 hended, and it is always by far the safest to use mustard 

 and turpentine freely; they are more rapid in their effects, 

 always handy to get, and can be repeated from time to 

 time to keep up the excitement, and at the same time 

 the inflammation can be kept down by means of digitalis 

 and aconite. After the inflammation has subsided, cool- 

 ing medicine must be given, and the following also until 

 an intermediate state of the pulse has been attained ;-— 



