138 THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 



Symptoms. — Its approach is testified by the most 

 deceitful and • treacherous symptoms ; and those well 

 versed in the veterinary science, have at first mistaken 

 it for catarrh in some animals and colic in others. The 

 coat stares ; the extremities are colder than usual; and 

 as the disease progresses, a great difficulty in breathing 

 exists ; there is but little appetite for food ; the horse 

 looks very dull and heavy ; and shortly the pulse 

 becomes irregular and very indistinct. The disease, 

 thus beginning, mortification soon takes place ; the 

 legs and ears become perfectly cold ; the breathing 

 becomes more and more difficult ; the flanks heave 

 rapidly ; the teeth grind ; and after ineflectual efforts 

 to stand, the animal falls to rise no more. If the 

 disease has worked this change in a few hours, the 

 post-mortem appearances exhibit every symptom of 

 suffocation ; the lungs are filled with black blood, and 

 many suppose from the colour and apparent rottenness 

 in this case, that the disease has been contracted some 

 considerable time ; but we may rest assured that this 

 state has arisen solely from an inflammation most 

 intense in its nature, and rapid in its progress. 



Treatment. — The horse, on the first attack, must be 

 bled ; five quarts will in most cases be sufficient ; but 

 if the animal be plethoric, and exhibit great difficulty 

 in breathing, six or seven quarts may be taken. The 

 bowels must then be attended to : after back-raking, a 

 clyster composed of six ounces of Epsom salts dissolved 

 in thin warm gruel, must be administered ; this must 

 be repeated every fourth or fifth hour till it produces 

 the desired effect. Purges are very far from useful m 

 this disease; indeed oftentimes being rather hurtful 

 than otherwise. 



Ji the first bleeding has not been successful in allay- 



