MEDICAL TREATMENT OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 459 



" of water, which will in most cases suffice. A dose of medicine 

 " is now desirable, for which the horse should be well prepared by 

 *' the administration of bran-mashes, as before advised, for a couple 

 "of days; after which, a ball of four or five drams of Barbadoes 

 "aloes will suffice. An injection will not answer in this case, as 

 " the object is not to empty the bowels, but to cool the system. 

 " The horse should be fed on mashes, carrots, and green meat ; 

 "oats, Indian corn, and high food of all kinds are to be avoided 

 " as too heating. 



" When the disease has reached the second stage, the physick- 

 " ing must be persevered in for three doses, with the regular 

 " intervals ; carrot poultices must be applied to the heels. This 

 " is best done by drawing an old stocking minus the foot, over 

 "■ the horse's hoof, confining it around the fetlock joint with a 

 " loose bandage, and filling it from above with carrots, boiled and 

 " mashed into a soft pulp. This mass should be applied tolerably 

 " hot, and repeated daily for three days. When removed, the 

 "heels should be anointed with an ointment of one part of rosin, 

 "three parts of lard, melted together, and one part of calamine 

 " powder added when the first mixture is cooling. The cracks 

 "should be persistently washed with the alum lotion, and the 

 " bandage applied whenever the poultices are not on the part. 

 " The benefit of carrot poultices for all affections where there is 

 " fever, swelling, and a pustular condition of the skin, cannot be 

 " over-rated. Stocked legs and capped hocks we have seen com- 

 " pletely cured by them ; and, on one occasion, at least, we have 

 " known incipient farcy to give way before their emollient and 

 "healing influence. Where the * grease ' has degenerated into 

 " the ' grapes,' the aid of a veterinary surgeon must be invoked ; 

 " but he will rarely succeed, as the ailment is now all but incurable. 

 " It is, however, only the height of neglect which ever allows the 

 " ailment to degenerate into this filthy and malignant stage of 

 *' disease." 



In the treatment of thrush, or any injury to the sole of the hoof, 

 perfect cleansing twice a day and a stuffing of the sole inside of 

 the hoof with a mixture of tar, cow-dung, and soft clay, will 



