IN CASES OF POISONING. 17 



full, thus if that organ is loaded the appearance of the symptoms may be 

 delayed some hours. Sleep may retard the action of some agents. It 

 must be also remembered that there are many diseases which commence 

 suddenly, and rapidly run to a fatal termination. Internal hemorrhages, 

 severe inflammations of the stomach or intestines, often set in suddenly 

 and might be taken for poisoning. 



The process of diagnosis by elimination, described elsewhere, will aid 

 much in cases of suspected poisoning. 



It would be advisable where valuable dogs are owned, that a few reme- 

 dies be prepared, and kept in anticipation of possible poisoning. Sulphate 

 of zinc for an emetic, laudanum or paregoric for pain, chloral hydrate for 

 convulsions (mixture of one drachm of the drug to an ounce of water). 

 These, with a glass syringe holding from one to two tablespoonfuls, are of 

 great use in emergences where delay is fatal. 



In cases of poisoning, the methods of treatment indicated are :— Get rid 

 of the Poison — Stop its action — Remedy the mischief it has done. 



A consideration of the more common poisons and their antidotes, is all 

 that space permits. Aside from drags, other means are sometimes em- 

 ployed by the destroyers. Powdered glass is often used, and a sponge com- 

 pressed while wet, then tightly rolled with twine, dried, and introduced 

 into a piece of meat, is another method, producing certain death by intes- 

 tinal obstruction. When glass is known to have been taken into the 

 stomach, never give cathartics, but exclude drinks and give solid food 

 with the hope of enveloping the particles, and thereby protecting against 

 internal laceration. 



Arsenic:— Symptoms ; constant hawking, caused by burning pain in the 

 throat; great thirst, tongue and mucous membrane of the mouth becomes 

 red and swollen ; abdomen enlarged, hard, tense, and painful to the touch ; 

 severe griping pains; vomiting and purging of brown or bloody matter. 

 Symptoms grow rapidly worse, skin at first hot, but later cold and clammy, 

 prostration, paralysis, convulsions, and death. 



Treatment ; — If vomiting is not free, give an emetic, then quickly pour 

 into the animal what may be within reach, either milk, flour and water, 

 magnesia and oil, or oil and lime water, and send at once for the only true 

 antidote, the hydrated peroxide of iron, for which, if the druggist has not all 

 prepared, he can make a substitute on the instant, by adding to diluted 

 tincture of iron enough bicarbonate of soda, or aqua ammonia, to saturate 

 it; give freely of this. 



Strychnine and JVux' Vomica. —Symptoms; at first restlessness, then 

 pain, as evinced by the dog's sharp cries, followed by twitchings of the 

 muscles, jerkings of the head, snapping of the jaws, and foaming at the 

 mouth ; then convulsions, which may intermit for a short time, during the 



