250 THE VETERINAEIAN 



ciples were followed by stock raisers, a very large per- 

 centage of the ills and diseases of domestic animals would 

 be lastingly prevented. 



DRENCHING 



Do not drench an animal when you can administer the 

 necessary medicine in any other way. Drench only when 

 absolutely necessary. A horse, in contrast with all other 

 domestic animals, cannot breathe through its mouth. 

 Therefore, in treating horses, drenching is especially 

 dangerous. While drenching any animal, strangulation, 

 pneumonia, bronchitis, etc., are liable to be caused by 

 / some of the drenching liquid escaping from the mouth 

 into the lungs. This is a frequent occurrence in which 

 the drenching proves to be the immediate cause of the 

 animaPs death, as in case of strangulation, or the origi- 

 nating cause when drenched animals later succumb to 

 pneumonia, bronchitis, etc. 



MEDICINE IN CAPSULES 



In many of the treatments prescribed in the preceding 

 pages, the use of gelatine capsules has been advised in 

 preference to giving the medicine in any other form. 



Capsules, made of gelatine, do not lie in the animal's 

 stomach, as commonly supposed, but dissolve readily; 

 the gelatine itself being beneficial in many cases, espe- 

 cially if the bowels or stomach be irritated. The animal 

 receives the intended dose fully. It avoids any un- 

 pleasant taste. With capsule gun, or by hand, medicine 

 in capsules is more easily and quickly given than to at- 

 tempt to hold animal's head up, as is necessary when 

 administering liquid drenches, the danger of which has 



been explained. 



PREVENTION OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASES 



Newly purchased animals or poultry should be segre- 

 gated for from ten days to two weeks to give opportunity 



