HORSE— CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



1* 



quire more careful treatment, which must 

 be specially adapted to the attack, for 

 remedies which will arrest the disease in 

 one year will totally fail the next time that 

 the epidemic prevails. The fever of late 

 years has had a tendency to put on the 

 typhoid type, and bleeding, which for- 

 merly was often beneficial, is now com- 

 pletely forbidden. The symptoms are at 

 first similar to those already described as 

 pertaining to common catarrh, but after a 

 few days the accompanying fever is more 

 severe than usual, and does not abate at 

 the customary period. The appetite is 

 altogether lost, and the appearance of the 

 patient is characteristic of" severe disease 

 rather than of a trifling cold. It is, how- 

 ever, chiefly from the fact that a number 

 of horses are seized with similar symp- 

 toms, either at the same time or rapidly 

 following one another, that the disease is 

 recognized. It usually prevails in the 

 spring of the year, or in a wet and un- 

 healthy autumn. Sometimes almost every 

 case runs on to pneumonia, at others the 

 bronchial mucous membrane alone is at- 

 tacked ; but in all there is extreme debility 

 in proportion to the apparent nature of the 

 disease. The ordinary appearances ex- 

 hibited in recent epidemics have been as 

 follows: The first thing observed is a 

 general slight shivering, accompanied by 

 a staring coat. The pulse is weak and 

 slightly accelerated, but not to any great 

 extent; the mouth feels hot; the eyes and 

 the nostrils are red ; the belly is tucked 

 up; there is no appetite; cough, to a va- 

 rying extent, begins to show itself; and 

 there is generally a heaving of the flanks. 

 The legs and feet are not cold as in pneu- 

 monia, but beyond this they afford no 

 positive signs. The cellular membrane 

 around the eyes, and of the legs, gener- 

 ally swells about the second day, and 

 often the head and limbs become quite 

 shapeless from this cause. In the early 

 stage the bowels are often relaxed, but 

 afterwards they are as frequently confined. 

 Sore throat is very a common complica- 

 tion, but it is not by any means an invari- 

 able attendant on influenza. It is, how- 

 ever, somewhat difficult to ascertain its 

 existence, as in any case there is no appe- 

 tite for food. The treatment should be 

 conducted on the principle of husbanding 

 the strength, and, unless urgent symp- 

 toms of inflammation show themselves, 



the less that is done the better. If the 

 trachea or larynx is involved only slightly, 

 counter-irritation, by means of a liquid blis- 

 ter, must be tried, without resorting to* 

 strong internal medicines; but if serious 

 mischief ensues, the case must, to a cer- 

 tain extent, be treated as it would be 

 when coming on without the complica- 

 tion of influenza, always taking care to 

 avoid bleeding, and merely acting on the 

 bowels by gentle aperients, and on the 

 skin and kidneys by the mildest diaphor- 

 etic. The following is the ordinary plan 

 of treatment adopted: 



Take of Spirit of Nitric Ether - - I ounce. 



Laudanum ... - - 4 drachms. 



Nitrate of Potass - - - 3 drachms. 



Water 1 pint. 



Mix, and give as a drench night and morning. 



By constantly offering to the horse- 

 thin gruel (taking care that is does not 

 become sour), and no plain water, suffi- 

 cient nourishment may be given, as his- 

 thirst will induce him to drink. 



During the stage of convalescence the 

 greatest care must be taken. At first, as 

 soon as the cough has somewhat subsided, 

 a mild stomachic ball will be desirable, 

 such as the following : 



Take of Extract of Gentian - - 6 drachms. 



Powdered Ginger - - 2 " Mix. 



Afterwards, if the case goes on favorably, - 

 and the appetite returns, the restoration 

 may be left to nature, giving the horse by 

 degrees his usual allowance of corn, and 

 adding to his morning and evening feed 

 one drachm of sulphate of iron in fine- 

 powder. It must not be attempted to* 

 give this until the appetite is pretty keen^, 

 or the horse will be disgusted, and wilt 

 probably refuse his corn altogether. 



Should typhoid symptoms be clearly 

 established, the case must be treated ac- 

 cording to the directions hereafter laid 

 down for typhus fever. 



HORSE, Bronchitis. — Bronchitis is an 

 inflammation of the mucous membrane 

 lining the bronchi, and almost invariably 

 extending to these parts through the tra- 

 chea, from the larynx and nasal passages,, 

 which are primarily affected as in ordina- 

 ry cold. The membrane in the early 

 stage becomes filled with blood, and as a 

 consequence the diameter of the tubes- 

 is diminished, attended by some difficulty 

 and increased rapidity of breathing. Af- 

 ter a time a frothy mucus is poured out 



