74 SPECIAL VETERINARY THERAPY 



Sparteine is a safe heart tonic for this disease be- 

 cause, while it increases the force of the heart action, 

 it does not raise blood pressure. I believe that this is 

 its chief superiority over other drugs in the treatment 

 of this disease. 



Besides its value as a heart tonic it possesses 

 diuretic properties and it increases the appetite. In 

 the last respect it acts as a bitter tonic and its effect 

 is quite the opposite of that of digitalis. 



Sparteine sulphate can also be administered hypo- 

 dermatically when heart failure is imminent, its effect 

 commencing within ten or fifteen minutes, becoming 

 fully established in about an hour and persisting from 

 three to six hours. 



The best system for its application in a case of 

 pneumonia is to give it in solution by the mouth every 

 three or four hours during the day. Results are all 

 that can be desired. Often the attack seems to termi- 

 nate within four or five days, the temperature ap- 

 proaching normal and the lungs apparently clearing 

 up. 



I would call attention again to the fact that this 

 drug is the ideal heart tonic for this disease because 

 it increases the force of the heart action without rais- 

 ing blood pressure. Given every three or four hours, 

 twenty grains should not be exceeded as a dose; if 

 larger doses are given, say twenty-five to thirty grains, 

 doses every five or six hours suffice. On the average 

 twenty grains every three or four hours are better 

 than the larger dose at longer intervals. 



