DISEASES OF HORSES. 697 







lated, yet allow no draft of air to enter. If the weather is cold, 

 keep the patient warm with blankets. If the weather is warm, 

 apply over the chest a blanket wrung from hot water, cover with 

 a dry blanket or oil cloth, and, as soon as it cools, apply another. 

 But if the weather will not admit of this, a blanket may be 

 placed over the chest, a piece of heated sheet-iron placed next 

 this and covered with another blanket. If the fever runs high, 

 give the tincture of aconite-root, 20 drops every two hours until 

 relieved. (In giving this remedy alone, always dilute it largely 

 with water.) If the kidneys are not active, give powdered col- 

 chicum, 30 grains three times a day until they do act. If the 

 foregoing are not needed, or if needed and have acted, 



Take Liquor Acetate of Ammonia, . .3 ounces. 



Gentiau, powdered, ..... 4 drams. 



Epsom Salts, ..... .3 ounces. 



Water, ....... 1 pint. 



Mix, and give at one dose ; or you may use sweet spirits of 

 niter instead of the ammonia as above. Repeat this dose 

 (omitting the salts) every three hours as long as needed. If 

 there is great pain, also give powdered opium, one dram every 

 two hours until the pain is partly relieved, as it would require 

 too much opium to relieve it entirely. 



Influenza. This disease is caused by some poison in the 

 blood, by some atmospheric influence which can not be precisely 

 ascertained. There is some difference of opinion as to whether 

 it is either infectious, or contagious, or not; hence it is safest 

 to keep affected animals away from healthy ones. It occurs 

 more or less every year, and in some years it occurs as an epi- 

 zootic. It may attack any of the internal organs, but the re- 

 spiratory system is the one most frequently attacked. It oc- 

 curs most frequently in poorly kept horses in crowded stables, 

 but it may and does attack all kinds of horses, in all conditions 

 and surroundings. 



CAUSES. As stated at the beginning, the causes are not very 

 definite. But there are some things that help to cause it; as poorly- 

 ventilated, crowded, or underground stubles, a deficient supply 

 of food, either in quantity or quality, and irregular exercise. 



