354 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOB. 



the lymphatic vessels become weak and the fluid oozes through them, 

 infiltrates the cellular tissue and makes a leg something like that of an 

 elephant. 



Causes. — Too high feeding with too little work. When horses are 

 worked every day it will seldom develop, but when a too highly fed 

 horse is left in over Sunday, a rainy day, or from a nail in the foot, etc., 

 the big leg will be found next morning. 



How to know it. — An immense leg is seen on enteving the stable. It 

 is hot, painful, sore ; if touched on the in^'-ilv. or the thigh the horse will 

 raise the leg as high as possible, sometimes so high as to throw himself 

 down. It is with the greatest difficulty that the leg is moved at all. 

 There is a high fever, accelerated pulse, temperature raised, breathing 

 increased in frequency, mouth hot, great thirst, and usually loss of appe- 

 tite. It is as liable to happen in winter as in summer. 



DISCOVERING THE ELEPHANT LEG. 



What to do. — The treatment applied is with a view to depletion, to re- 

 duce the system to its proper condition in regard to the amount of fat it 

 is capable of taking care of. So the first thing to be done is to give a 

 ball of Barbadoes aloes : 



No. 23. 5 Drachms Barbadoes aloes, 



1 Drachm gentian, 

 1 Drachm ginger, 

 Syrup or soap to mix. 



Make it into a ball the shape of your finger, and, grasping the tongue 

 with your left band, draw it down between the front teeth and pass the 

 ball back onto the root of the tongue with the right hand, keeping the 

 hand up against the roof of the mouth ; do it fearlessly, for you cannot get 

 hurt so long as you keep firm hold of the tongue with the left hand. 

 The ball being safely down, put a teaspoonful of saltpetre into a gallon 

 of water and give him to drink. Repeat this every three or four hours 

 till the urine is increased in quantity and clearer in color ; then continue 

 it two or three times a day. 



