HORSE— CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



7S 



throat. The following prescription is 



used quite commonly: 



Nitrate potash ------- iy£ ounces. 



Tartarized antimony - - - t . \% " 

 Digatilis # " 



Pulverize together, and make twelve powders ; 

 give one morning and night. If the case is not 

 very bad omit the digitalis. 



In cases where the soreness has reach- 

 ed the throat, the following is used : 



Unseed oil i}4 ounces. 



Turpentine - 1% ** 



Liquor ammonia fort I " 



Mix altogether in a four-ounce bottle and apply 

 to the throat. 



The same veterinary surgeon who rec- 

 ommends the above prescriptions re- 

 marks : 



So long as the disease is confined to 

 the larynx there is very little danger, but 

 should it descend to the lungs — which 

 will be indicated by the continued stand- 

 ing up of the animal, cold extremities and 

 labored breathing — a half-pound of mus- 

 tard should be mixed with two ounces of 

 turpentine and water to the consistency 

 of thick cream, and the mixture rubbed 

 well in behind the fore-legs or over the 

 region of the lungs. The legs should be 

 bandaged, if cold. If the pulse should 

 be over fifty-five per minute, fifteen drops 

 of Fleming's tincture of aconite should 

 be given every two hours, and if the 

 breathing still continues labored and the 

 pulse grows more rapid, apply the mus- 

 tard again, and give one and a half 

 drachms of calomel for two mornings. 



The homoepathic treatment which has 

 been employed with the greatest success 

 by those who prefer that system, is aco- 

 nite and stibium in the first stage of the 

 disease, and arsenicum and nux vomica 

 in the more advanced stages. 



HORSE, Cough, Common. — Common 

 cough is generally subdued without much 

 difficulty, though it often becomes of 

 most serious consequence if neglected. 

 It is accompanied by a heightened pulse, 

 a slight discharge from the nose and eyes, 

 a rough coat and a diminished appetite 

 being its symptoms. The horse should 

 be kept warm, fed on mashes, and should 

 have a dose or two of medicine. If the 

 cough be very obstinate bleeding may be 

 necessary. 



The following further directions by the 

 same author contain valuable information 

 for all owners of horses : 



In giving medicine, if balls are used, 

 they should never weigh above an ounce 

 and a half, or be above an inch in diame- 

 ter, and three in length. The horse 

 should be lashed in the stall, the tongue 

 should be drawn gently out with the left 

 hand on the off side of the mouth, and 

 fixed there, not by continuing to pull at it,, 

 but by pressing the fingers against the side 

 of the lower jaw. The ball is then taken 

 between the tips of the fingers of the 

 right hand, the arm being bared and 

 passed rapidly up the mouth, as near the 

 palate as possible, until it reaches the root 

 of the tongue, when it is delivered with a. 

 slight jerk, the hand is withdrawn, and 

 the tongue being released, the ball is. 

 forced down into the oesophagus. Its pass- 

 age should be watched down the left 

 side of throat, and if it do not pass immedi- 

 ately, a slight tap under the chin will easily 

 cause the horse to swallow it. The only 

 safe purgative for a horse is Barbadoes 

 aloes, or the flour of the Croton bean, for 

 some peculiar purposes, but its drastic na- 

 ture renders it undesirable as a general 

 aperient. When aloes are used, care 

 should be taken to have them new, as 

 they speedily lose their power, and they 

 should be freshly mixed. Very mild doses 

 only should be used; four or five drachms 

 are amply sufficient, if the horse has been 

 prepared, as he should be, by being fed, 

 for two days at least, entirely on mashes, 

 which will cause a small dose to have a. 

 beneficial effect, equal to double the quan- 

 tity administered to a horse not duly pre- 

 pared for it. The immense doses of eight, 

 nine, ten, and even twelve drachms, which 

 were formerly in vogue, and which are 

 still favored by grooms, hostlers and cart- 

 ers, are utterly exploded; and it is well 

 known that eight or nine good fluid evacu- 

 ations are all that can be desired, and far 

 safer than twice the number. 



Four and a half drachms of Barbadoes 

 aloes, with olive or linseed oil and mo- 

 lasses, sufficient to form a mass in the 

 proportion of eight of the aloes to one of 

 the oil and three of the molasses, is the 

 best general ball, though often four drachms 

 given after a sufficiency of mashes or green 

 food, will accomplish all that is needed 

 or desirable. Castor oil is a most danger- 

 ous and uncertain medicine. Linseed oil is 

 not much better. Olive oil is safe, but 

 weak. Epsom salt is inefficient, except in. 



