18 TREATMENT OF DISEASES 



small quantities of hay, and water enough, are generally all that is 

 needed by way of treatment. And if this course be pursued, the 

 animal will recover, very little the worse for having had the distem- 

 per. A mild form of this disease is often made to assume a typhoid 

 or putrid type simply from meddlesome medication and overdosing, 

 with agents which depress the vital powers, and by bleeding. 



No matter what may be the stage in which we find the disease, the 

 treatment must be life-sustaining; no kind of treatment which con- 

 templates a depression of vitality is at all admissible. This is my 

 experience after a practice of very many years — and the most intel- 

 ligent and liberal-minded physicians of the present day depend more 

 on nature than art, in the treatment of distemper. 



Should swellings appear under the chest and limbs, the proposed 

 plan of treatment is not to be materially altered, only add to the 

 golden seal and ginger a little iodide of potass ; this agent is a gland- 

 ular stimulant, and augments the function of the absorbents which 

 take up the fluid and thus reduce the swellings, which are of a 

 dropsical character. The proportions of the above agents are as 

 follows : 



Golden Seal, powdered ^ ..._., 2 ounces. 



Ginger, " 1 ounce. 



Iodide of Potass " 3 drachms. 



Mix, and divide into twelve parts, and give one night and morning 

 in food or gruel. 



It may happen that the animal is unable to swallow, in conse- 

 quence of soreness of throat, as the saying is ; in such case we mere- 

 ly apply some stimulating application to the region of the throat, 

 and wait awhile; soon the soreness subsides, and the patient can 

 then swallow all he needs and as much as nature requires. 



The best stimulating application for the throat is 



Cod Liver Oil 4 ounces. 



Tincture of Capsicum , . . . ..^ . . 1 ounce. 



Ajiother perhaps equally as good : 



Olive Oil 6 ounces. 



Spirits of Hartshorn 2 ounces. 



A portion of either of the above preparations may be rubbed into 

 the thyriod region twice daily. Under the above mode of treat- 

 ment I have found that recovery is not only soon accomplished but 

 perfect. 



KEDUCTION OF SCROTAL HERNIA.* 



The best method of reducing scrotal hernia in the uncastrated 

 colt, is to cast the horse by means of the hobbles, and when on its 

 back, the animal is to be kept in that position, while, by means of 



* nevnia is from a Greek word which signifies a breach, from Its protrusion out of its place — a 

 rupture. When the hernia turanr is easUy put back into the abdomen, i'. is called reducible herria. 

 The symptoms of a reducible hernia are not very violent ; the horse will paw with his fore extremi- 

 ties, hangj hii head, looks silently at his fl.ink, and appearri to suffer from constant, jet not very 

 active pain ; on the afTjicted side the scrotal bag will appear cold. 



