568 THE DISEASES OF THE HORSE 



absorbed, when tliey would add fuel to the fire. A fresh sheepskin should 

 be warmed with hot (not boiling) water, and applied over the back, and 

 the liniment should be rubbed in profusely every hour, restoring the skin to 

 its place immediately afterwards. Mustard is sometimes used instead of 

 ammonia, and as it is always at hand it may form a good substitute, but 

 it is not nearly so powerful an irritant to the skin as the latter, especially 

 when evaporation is prevented by the sheepskin, or by a piece of any 

 waterproof article. A mild aperient may be given, as linseed oil ; if the 

 bowels continue obstinate give Epsom salts, great care being taken to assist 

 its action by raking and injection, the latter being also useful as a fomenta- 

 tion to the kidneys. The diet should consist of scalded linseed and bran 

 mashes, no water being allowed Avithout containing suiEcient linseed tea to 

 make it slightly glutinous, but not so much so as to nauseate the patient. 

 Salicylate of soda among the newer remedies has been found valuable, and 

 may be given (in solution) in half-ounce doses at inteiwals of two or 

 three hours. Homoeopathic doses of cantharides are said to have acted 

 beneficially in the hands of persons whose testimony may be relied on. 



DIABETES 



True diabetes rarely, if ever, exists in the horse, but a spurious form is 

 comparatively common. Diabetes insipidus, polyuria or profuse staling is 

 not diabetes in the sense used by medical men, as sugar is not pi-esent in 

 the urine, and the disease is generally curable. The cause does not appear 

 to be in the kidneys themselves, they being merely agents in the elimination 

 of urine of low specific gravity. Long before physiologists suggested an 

 explanation, it was known by practical horse-keepers to result from certain 

 damaged forage, as musty hay or that which has been overheated in the 

 rick, kiln-dried oats and feeding upon roots (i. e. swedes and mangolds, 

 carrots, and in former times parsnips). The explanation is now given in 

 the fact that irritation of a particular portion of the brain causes excessive 

 urination, and that blood influenced by disease germs derived from forage 

 may prove so poisonous in the brain as to set up this train of syrai^toms. 



The Symptoms need but little description, as the groom's attention will be 

 arrested by the frequent desir-e of his horse to stale. Considerable thirst 

 accompanies the malady. The heart loses tone and the pulse is consequently 

 weak, there is loss of flesh, unthrifty coat, unnatux'al pallor of the gums, 

 sour breath, constipation, a disposition to sweat upon slight exertion, and 

 dropsical swellings. 



Treatment. — A moderate dose of aloes, linseed tea, drachm doses each of 

 powdered nutgalls and sulphate of iron or iodine in similar doses for a few 

 days only. The amount of drinking water should be unlimited, and a com- 

 plete change of diet should be ordei-ed whether or no the forage appears to 

 be good. 



