318 TREATMENT OF COMMON AILMENTS 



latter worms are often the cause, and must be got 

 rid of. Dirty feeding vessels are also responsible, 

 especially in hot weather. Astringents such as kino 

 or rhatany are helpful. From 10 to 30 drops of 

 the former may be given. When the looseness con- 

 tinues to a great extent an enema of starch with 

 a few drops of laudanum will perhaps relieve the 

 patient. Whites of egg well mixed up with a little 

 water are also to be recommended. 



DISTEMPER. Distemper, directly or indirectly, is 

 responsible for the highest rate of canine mortality. 

 It is a most distressing complaint, to which all are 

 liable. Although purely contagious, it is rarely that 

 a young dog fails to come in contact with it at some 

 term of his existence. The period of incubation may 

 extend to as much as fourteen days. If a young 

 dog is seedy, disinclined to take his food, and shows 

 a rise of temperature, one is pretty safe in assuming 

 that he has distemper, and immediate precautions 

 should be taken to mitigate the severity of the attack 

 and prevent the appearance of complications which 

 may prove fatal. After the preliminary indisposition, 

 we may have total loss of appetite, a distressing 

 cough, sneezing, and a thick discharge from the nose 

 and eyes. This latter is an unmistakable sign, but 

 it must be by no means inferred that it is always 

 present. I remember once having two or three out 

 of a litter of puppies fall ill. They were at once 

 separated, and the remainder for a fortnight seemed 

 perfectly well, feeding, and showing no symptoms. 

 One day we tried their temperature, and found a 

 couple with 106. Of course, they were immediately 

 treated as invalids, but in a few days they were 

 dead, having had no discharge or cough, and feeding 



