TREATMENT. 321 



disease is more rapid and somewhat different. Impairment of 

 appetite and rapid tissue-wasting are followed closely by de- 

 terioration or poisoning of the blood, from the inability to dis- 

 charge from the system the superabundant waste, worn out 

 and deleterious materials. The results of this are impairment 

 of the functions of the great nerve-centres from imperfect 

 nutrition. Here we observe no dropsy or effusion, rather 

 paralysis and coma. 



Treatment. — If saccharine diabetes is invariably, or nearly so, 

 a fatal disease in all animals, this of diabetes insipidus is as 

 truly non-malignant. 



In every instance, when once the diagnostic symptoms are 

 fairly developed, an endeavour must be made to operate on the 

 animal through the dietary. When, even after a careful ex- 

 amination of the food-supply, nothing can be detected which 

 is likely to induce this disturbance ; when no antecedent 

 weakening disease has existed ; when, in fact, no disease-pro- 

 ducing factors are capable of detection, it will always be 

 prudent to order for the horse a perfect, or as complete a 

 change as possible of his dietary. At the time this change is 

 being carried through, a little aperient medicine will be useful. 

 Should the desire for foul matter, evidenced by licking the 

 walls or swallowing earth, be marked, it is advisable to place 

 within his reach a lump of chalk, or add bicarbonate of soda 

 to the drinking-water, which ought to be given liberally, 

 if not in unlimited amount, and is improved by mixing it 

 with oatmeal-gruel, linseed-tea, or milk. With a like object in 

 view, viz. to correct the unnatural thirst and gastric acidity, 

 some advise the exhibition of clay mixed with the drinking- 

 water ; this serv^es the purpose well, but not so effectually, 

 we believe, as the fluids and salt now mentioned, and is 

 less wholesome. In the milder cases, this alteration and 

 arrangement of the dietary will often materially mitigate the 

 severity of all the symptoms, if it does not entirely remove 

 them. 



As a help to our dietetic treatment, recourse is had to such 

 medicinal agents as preparations of iron, arsenic, mineral acids, 

 vegetable tonics, and iodine. Of these medicaments, there is 

 probably none which has yielded such good results as the last. 



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