188 GENERAL DISEASES. 



prostration Indicates a failure of vital powers imminent. If the animal 

 seems fairly well sustained, and the nourishment is well borne on the 

 stomach, a teaspoonful of sherry wine may properly he added to each 

 cup full of milk or broth; as the disease progresses and he grows weaker, 

 the amount should be increased to a tablespoonful ; if failure is still pro- 

 gressive, then brandy must displace the wine and should be given in 

 quantities from a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful as the need is urgent. 

 Even brandy may prove insufficient to stay exhaustion ; then to it must be 

 added one half a teaspoonful of aromatic spirit of ammonia. . 



It is presumed that in an uncomplicated and properly treated case of 

 distemper, the need of excessive stimulation will rarely occur; cases 

 where neglect and injudicious dosing have induced extreme depression 

 will be more often seen, and not infrequently will complications exist 

 without being at once recognized. The general disturbance will however 

 be apparent and demand the use of stimulants as advised. Treat the 

 affected animal and not the disease is a wise rule to follow. 



It is not always easy to determine just when pneumonia and other affec- 

 tions become complicated with distemper, and to remain inactive while 

 the animal is growing worse, until positive evidence of their existence is 

 manifested beyond a doubt, would be extremely hazardous ; the study and 

 treatment of symptoms is therefore imperative. 



Vomiting may possibly occur notwithstanding every care in diet, and 

 demands the use of subnitrate of bismuth in five grain doses, four times a 

 day. When the stomach is too irritable to retain milk, broths, beef tea, 

 etc., they must be withheld for a few hours, and only scraped raw beef 

 pressed into a pill form be given with the bismuth. 



Constipation if it exists will rarely if ever need medicinal treatment; 

 liver and oatmeal have a decidedly laxative action, and if they prove 

 insufficient a rectal injection can be administered. ' ' 



Pulmonary complications are largely attributable to exposure to cold, 

 and may appear at any time during the course of the disease ; more often 

 they occur after the height has been reached, and during the period of 

 convalescence. 



Diarrhoea is the more often due to dietetic errors, and the cause should 

 be obviated. Two or three discharges from the bowels daily call for no 

 remedial agents; in more relaxed conditions, paregoric in teaspoonful 

 doses alone or combined with twice that quantity of chalk mixture, and 

 repeated as needed, should be administered. 



The discharge from the nose and eyes should never be allowed to accu- 

 mulate, a sponge and borax water being used in its removal. During 

 convalescence exercise should be restricted, and exposure carefully 

 guarded against. Changes in diet should be made cautiously, measured 



