346 FRANK FORESTER S FIELD SPORTS. 



obstmcting mass as could not be overcome : it is prudent to 

 place -before tlie dog some broth, milk, &c., to assist purgation. 

 Let me warn sportsmen who are putting their dogs through a 

 course of physic, for hunting or coursing purposes, to be aware, 

 that it is not the inordinate strength of the dose which does 

 good; on the contrary, violent physic often defeats its own pur- 

 pose : it is a mild and repeated emptying of the bowels which 

 unloads the system at large, and at once strengthens the solids 

 and purifies the fluids." 



This, I believe, is all that need be said, in this place, with re- 

 gard to general medical treatment, except in cases of speci- 

 fic disease, where the aid of a medical assistant of some kind 

 would of course be called in ; and directions for the treatment 

 of which cannot be contained within the compass of such a 

 work as this. In consequence, however, of the great prevalence 

 of two or three maladies, as canine distemper, wormSj mange, 

 and the like, with some common injuries arising from local 

 accidents, I shall here add a few short recipes for the treatment 

 of these troublesome maladies, which will be, I think, sufficient 

 to guide the sportsman in any ordinary cases. 



Occasional bleeding is of great benefit to dogs. It is most 

 readily performed by holding the head of the animal up, 

 passing a ligature round the lower part of the neck, which will 

 cause the jugular vein to swell at about one inch from the wind- 

 pipe, and then puncturing the vein with a common thumb Ian 

 cet. The only care necessary is to avoid inserting the lancet 

 so deeply as to sever the vein. If the hair is thick and long, it 

 may be requisite to clip, or even shave the spot, before effecting 

 the orifice. No pin or ligature is necessary to close the wound. 

 In case of fits, or any sudden emergency, a clip in the ear, if no 

 lancet is at hand, will answer the end. 



The quantity of blood to be drawn from a dog will vary ac- 

 cording to the size of the animal, from one or two oz. in a very 

 small dog, to six, seven, or eight in a very large one, propor- 

 tionably to the nature of disease, and the violence of the symp- 

 toms. 



