MEDICINES AND THEIR DOSES. 29 



The foregoing doses, except where otherwise specified, 

 are for adult animals of medium size. Stallions, bulls, 

 and rams, owing to their larger size, require larger doses. 

 Difference of sex does not materially affect dosage in the 

 lower animals. Doses must be adapted to the age of the 

 patient. It is usually estimated that a 1-year-old colt 

 requires one-third the quantity of any medicine given an 

 adult horse; a 2-year-old, one-half; a 3-year-old, two- 

 thirds. A somewhat similar proportion is applicable to 

 cattle. 



Medicines are usually given (1) internally, that is, by the 

 stomach ; (2) by inhalation ; (3) by absorption through 

 the skin. The latter mode has also three ways of ad- 

 ministration — epidermically, by in-rubbing; endermically, 

 by removing the epidermis (skin) ; hypodermically, by 

 injection into the tissues under the skin. A ready but 

 less prompt or certain substitute for hypodermic injection 

 with a syringe, consists in coating a thread with a strong 

 solution of the medicine to be introduced, and drawing 

 it through the skin. Medicine .may be injected into the 

 veins or arteries; but this mode is rare and usually ex- 

 perimental. 



