78 DISEASES OF THE HOESE. 



gotten rid of by the administration of an oleaginous purge, for which 

 nothing is better than castor oil, although raw linseed oil may be used 

 if the case is not severe. The diarrhea often disappears with the ces- 

 sation of the operation of the medicine. If, however, purging con- 

 tinues it may be checked by giving wheat flour in water, starch 

 water, white-oak bark tea, chalk, opium, or half-dram doses of sul- 

 phuric acid in one-half pint of water twice or thrice daily. Good 

 results follow the use of powdered opium 2 drams and subnitrate of 

 bismuth 1 ounce, repeated three times a day. In all cases it should 

 be remembered to look to the water and feed the horse is receiving. 

 If either of these is at fault it is at once to be discontinued. We 

 should feed sparingly of good, easily digested feeds. With that 

 peculiar build of nervous horses that scour on the road but little can 

 be done as a rule. They should be watered and fed as long as possi- 

 ble before going on a drive. If there is much flatulency accompany- 

 ing diarrhea baking soda or other alkaline medicines may effect a 

 cure, while if the discharges have a very disagreeable odor it may 

 be corrected by 1 ounce of sulphite of soda or dram doses of creolin in 

 water, repeated twice a day. Be slow to resort to either the vege- 

 table or mineral astringents, since the majority of cases will yield to 

 change of feed and water or the administration of oils. Afterwards 

 feed upon wheat-flour gruel or other light feeds. The body should 

 be warmly clothed. 



SuPEEPURGATioN. — This is the designation of that diarrhea, or flux 

 from the bowels, that, at times, is induced by and follows the action 

 of a physic. It is accompanied with much irritation or even in- 

 flammation of the bowels and is always of a serious character. Al- 

 though in rare instances it follows from a usual dose of physic and 

 where every precaution has been taken, it is most likely to result 

 under the following circumstances : Too large a dose of physic ; giv- 

 ing physics to horses suffering from pneumonia, influenza, or other 

 debilitating diseases: riding or driving a horse when purging: ex- 

 posure or drafts of cold air; or giving large quantities of cold water 

 while the physic is operating. There is always danger of super- 

 purgation if a physic is given to a horse suffering from diseases of 

 the respiratory organs. Small and often-repeated physics are also to 

 be avoided, as they produce debility and great depression of the 

 system and predispose to this disorder. '\^nien a physic is to be 

 given one should rest the horse and give him sloppy feed until the 

 medicine begins to operate: clothe the body with a warm blanket; 

 keep out of drafts; give only warm water in small quantities. After 

 a horse has purged from twelve to twenty-four hours it can mostly 

 be stopped, or " set." as horsemen say, by feeding on dry oats and 

 hay. Should the purging continue, however, it is best treated by 

 giving demulcent drinks — linseed tea and oatmeal or wheat-flour 



