LETTER VIII 



YOU desire to know if there be any remedy for the distemper among 

 dogs : I shall therefore mention all the disorders that my hounds 

 have experienced, and point out the remedies which have been of service 

 to them. The distemper that you inquire about, is, I believe, the most 

 fatal (the plague only excepted) that any animal is subject to : though not 

 long known in this country, it is almost inconceivable what numbers have 

 been destroyed by it in so short a period ; several hundreds I can myself 

 place to this mortifying account. It seems happily to be now on the 

 decline ; at least, is less frequent, and more mild ; and probably, in time, may 

 be entirely removed. The effects of it are too generally known, to need any 

 description of them here I wish the remedies were known as well ! 



A brother sportsman communicated to me a remedy, from which, he 

 said, his hounds had found great benefit, viz. an ounce of Peruvian bark in a 

 glass of Port wine, taken twice a day. It is not infallible, but, in some stages 

 of this disorder, is certainly of use. The hound most infected that ever I 

 knew to recover, was a large staghound : he lay five days, without being 

 able to get off the bench, receiving little nourishment during the whole 

 time of the disorder, except this medicine, with which he drank three bottles 

 of Port wine. You may think, perhaps, that the feeder drank his share ; 

 and, probably, he might, had it not been sent ready mixed up with the 

 bark. I once tried the poudre unique, thinking it a proper medicine for a 

 disorder which is said to be putrid ; but I cannot say anything in its favour, 

 with regard to dogs at least. Norris's drops I have also given, and with 

 success. I gave a large tablespoonful of them in an equal quantity of Port 

 wine, three times a day : as the dog grew better, I lessened the quantity. 

 When dogs run much at the nose, nothing will contribute more to the cure 

 of them than keeping that part clean : when that cannot conveniently be 

 done, emetics will be necessary : the best that I know is, a large spoonful 

 of common salt, dissolved in three spoonfuls of warm water. 1 The first 

 symptom of this disorder, generally, is a cough. As soon as it is perceived 

 among my young hounds, great attention is paid to them. They have 

 plenty of clean straw, and are fed oftener and better than at other times : 

 so long as they continue to eat the kennel meat, they are kept together ; as 

 soon as any of them refuse to feed, they are removed into another kennel ; 



1 The quantity of salt must be proportioned to the size of the dog, and to [the difficulty 

 there may be to make him vomit. 



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