64 THE VETEEINARY SCIENCE. 



and the urine or water a little scanty, as in most all the diseases of 



the air passages. In two or three days, if the case is going on 



favorably, it will be noticed he will have a discharge from the 



nostrils, which is a good sign. This disease usually takes 



from ten to twelve days to run its course, but after this the animal 



should not be put to hard work for some time as it is apt to bring 



on what is known as roaring or bronchitis. 



Treatment. — As in all other diseases of the air passages give 



plenty of pure air; have the stable well ventilated; clothe the body 



according to the season of the year and if the legs are cold have 



them well hand-rubbed and bandaged, and give the following 



mixture: 



Saltpetre or Nitrate of Potash ^ pound. 



Clorate of Potash | pound. 



Mix the two thoroughly together and give a teaspoonful on 

 his tongue three times a day. Rub the throat well with white 

 liniment three times a day. In severe cases it is also well to take 

 three tablespoonfuls of musitard, two tablespoonfuls of flour and 

 enough vinegar to make it like a paste, rub this around the throat 

 every night and leave on till morning. Give the animal plenty of 

 cold water, a little at a time but often, feed lots of hot mashes 

 with a little boiled flax seed which will have a laxative effect on 

 the bowels. Instead of putting on mustard a hot poultice of linseed 

 and bran might be used and left on all night. In very severe 

 cases, and when the animal's life is threatened by choking to 

 death, it is well to perform an operation known as tracheotomy, 

 which is done on the windpipe, about six inches from the larynx 

 or Adam's apple, by first cutting through the skin and then cutting 

 three of the rings in the windpipe and using the regular tracheo- 

 tomy tut>e which can be obtained at almost any drug store. 

 When this operation is performed it gives the horse immediate 

 relief for he draws the air through the tube instead of the nostrils. 

 The way to tell when to take the tube out is to place your hand 

 over the tube which makes him breathe through the nose. When 

 he breathes clear enough through his nose to suit you, take the 

 tube out of the windpipe and draw the skin together over the 

 wound by a couple of stitches and then treat as an ordinarj 

 wound; of course, this operation is seldom needed except in ex- 

 treme cases. 



