268 THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 



The Treatment of Chronic Cough. 



This must depend on our view of its causes and 

 consequence. When it appears to arise from a want 

 of mucous secretion, expoctrance which excites such 

 secretions are premised, as number 1 : when a re- 

 dundancy of the mucous secretion is apparent, tonics 

 are required. When the secretion is acrid, give num- 

 ber 2. The cough, which is the effect of an irritable 

 state of the parts, is sometimes reUeved by stimulating 

 the throat externally, and by giving internally opium 

 with bitter tonics. When horses have naturally a full 

 habit, and grossly fed, without sufficient exercise, our 

 attempts must be directed to lower their general ple- 

 thora by bleeding, exercise, and more moderate feed- 

 ing : if at grass, a less luxuriant pasture should be 

 chosen ; in the stable, such a horse should be muzzled 

 at night to prevent him eating his litter, and his water 

 should be given in moderate quantities, only all sudden 

 exertions likewise should be as much as possible 

 avoided. 



I have frequently seen chronic cough benefitted by 

 a course of mercurial physic, but the affection in such 

 cases was probably dependant on worms ; and when- 

 ever a continued cough exists, with irregular appetite 

 and unthrifty coat, stools foetid and slimy, at one time 

 loose, at another hard and dry, it is more than prob- 

 able that worms occasion the affection. In all 

 chronic coughs, the best effects sometimes follow from 

 feeding with carrots, turnips, parsnips; beet and po- 

 tatoes may be beneficially used where carrots cannot 

 be got; and a mash with bran and linseed, or malt, may 

 be occasionally given. In cases of this description, 

 which may be suspected to be depended coagulable 



