182 THE VETERINARY SCIENCE. 



chang-ing- them often to keep them hot. Keep the foot poulticed 

 vmtil the animal seems relieved. If it is from a wound bathe well 

 with luke warm water three or four times a day, and paint the foot 

 over with fluid extract of belladonna after each bathing-. Keep 

 the animal in a comfortable stable, free from noise or anything 

 that will excite him, as perfect quietness is what is wanted in 

 treating this disease. Give one dram, or one teaspoonful, of fluid 

 extract of belladonna on his tongue with a spoon three times 

 a day, and feed on soft, easy chewed food, such as gruels of chop 

 stuff with boiled flaxseed in it — make the gruel so he can drink 

 it down — if in the spring give him grass, if in other times of the 

 year scald his hay and make it as soft and easy to eat as you can. 

 It generally takes from three weeks to thirty days for the disease 

 to run its course. It is best not to rely too much on medicine, 

 for it takes time for it to run its course. Good nursing is better 

 than medicine in this disease. As a general thing, before the end 

 of the third week, he begins to get better. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



DISEASES OF THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM. 



WEED IN THE LEG (LYMPHANGITIS). 



This disease also gets various other names, such as water 

 farcy, big leg and Monday morning fever. This is a very 

 common disease now in this country, and is liable to be more so, 

 on account of horses being better fed and cared for than they used 

 to be. The disease generally aflfects the hind legs, but sometimes 

 affects the front legs. 



Causes. — It is common in hard-worked and highly-fed horses, 

 by letting them stand in the stable for a few days without exercise 

 after being accustomed to working every day and feeding them 

 the same as if they were working; this is why it is seen so often 

 on Monday morning. The direct cause of the disease is from 

 horses getting too much nutriment in the blood, which over 

 stimulates and sets up inflammation in the lymphatic glands in 

 the leo-s; then when these glands are inflamed they do not absorb- 

 the lymph and' carry it off as they should when all right, thus the 

 leo- becomes very largely swollen with lymph. It is also caused 

 by a horse getting a prick of a nail in the foot, and the soreness- 

 extends up the legs and affects the glands and sets up inflamma- 



