S6 HORSE, SWINE AND POULTRY DISEASES 



tives, such as mustard, turpentine, or blisters applied to the skin ; or 

 by setons, which draw to the surface the fluid of the blood, thereby 

 lessening its volume, without having the disadvantage of impover- 

 ishing the elements of the blood found in bleeding. Antipyretics 

 given by the mouth and cold applied to the skin are most useful in 

 many cases. 



When the irritation which is the cause of fever is a specific one, 

 either in the form of bacteria, as in glanders, tuberculosis, influenza, 

 septicemia, etc., or in the form of a foreign element, as in rheuma- 

 tism, gout, hemaglobinuria, and other so-called diseases of nutri- 

 tion, we employ remedies which have been found to have a direct 

 specific action on them,. Among the specific remedies for various 

 diseases are counted quinine, carbolic acid, salicylic acid, antipyrine, 

 mercury, iodine, the empyreumatic oils, tars, resins, aromatics, sul- 

 phur, and a host of other drugs, some of which are of known effect 

 and others of which are theoretical in action. Certain remedies, 

 like simple aromatic teas, vegetable acids, such as vinegar, lemon 

 juice, etc., alkalines in the form of salts, sweet spirits of niter, etc., 

 which are household remedies, are always useful, because they act on 

 the excreting organs and ameliorate the effects of fever. Other reme- 

 dies, which are to be used to influence the cause of fever, must be 

 selected with judgment and from a thorough knowledge of the nature 

 of the disease. (Spl. Rpt. Horse, Dept. Agr. 1911.) 



OSTEOPOROSIS OR BIGHEAD. 



Osteoporosis is a general disease of the bones which develops 

 slowly and progressively and is characterized by the absorption of 

 the calcareous or compact bony substance and the formation of en- 

 larged, softened, and porous bone. It is particularly manifest in 

 the bones of the head, causing enlargement and bulging of the face 

 and jaws, thereby giving rise to the terms bighead and swelled head, 

 which are applied to it. The disease affects horses, mules, and asses 

 of all ages, classes, and breeds, and of both sexes, and is found under 

 all soil, dietetic, and climatic conditions. In the United States the 

 disease has been found in all the States bordering the Delaware 

 River and Chesapeake Bay, in some of the New England States, 

 and in many of the Southern States, especially along the coast in re- 

 gions of low altitude. In Europe the disease appears to be quite rare, 

 and is usually described as a form of osteomalacia, a disease which 

 is not uncommon among cattle of that continent. However, the 

 opinion that bighead is only a form of osteomalacia can not be ac- 

 cepted, nor can the infrequency of the former among European 

 horses and the frequency of the latter among other live stock b 

 conceded on the argument which has been presented, namely, that 

 the better care which horses receive prevents them from becoming 

 affected. In the Southwest, where osteomalacia, or creeps, has not 

 infrequently been observed by the writer among range cattle, no 

 case of osteoporosis of the horses using the same range has been noted, 

 although the latter animals are given no more attention than the 

 cattle. 



