ANESTHESIA IN RUMINANTS AND SW'INE. 55 



to the animal's size the dose varies from three to seven grains. In 

 certain horses morphine produces somnolence and more or less pro- 

 nounced relaxation of muscular tissue. Irritable or even dangerous 

 animals become quiet and easy to handle. Others, however, even 

 after large doses, show excitement lasting several hours. The patients 

 act violently, exhibit disordered movements, kick and thrust their 

 heads against the wall as in indigestion complicated with brain 

 mischief. Morphine must, therefore, be considered uncertain as an 

 anaesthetic ; nevertheless, it renders some service, and in small doses 

 is devoid of danger. Opium, or Indian hemp is, however, usually 

 preferable. 



ANAESTHESIA IN RUMINANTS AND SWINE. 



Except in cases of difficult parturition general anaesthesia is 

 seldom resorted to in ruminants or in the pig. Tabourin and Saunier, 

 who made a long series of experiments with chloroform and ether, 

 came to the following conclusions : — 1. That in oxen, ether produced 

 anaesthesia without difficulty. 2. That the animals succumbed to 

 its action more readily each time anaesthesia was repeated. 3. That 

 chloroform was so much more energetic than ether as to warrant 

 its entirely displacing the latter, despite its higher price. Given 

 by the mouth 12 to 18 fluid drachms of chloroform only produced 

 incomplete anaesthesia. 



Frohner failed to obtain any anaesthetic action from doses of 10 

 drachms of chloral ; given by the mouth, 6 to 10 drachms produced 

 unsteadiness of the hind quarters in fifteen minutes ; 12 to 18 drachms, 

 however, caused the animals to fall and lose consciousness and sen- 

 sation ; unconsciousness lasted three hours. Negotin recommended 

 this method and dose. 



Guinard found morphine useless in ruminants, and especially in 

 goats ; it failed to produce even a sedative effect. Goats are not 

 injured by 400 times the full dose for man. 



Malzew gave ten oxen chloroform in combination with morphine. 

 Two or three grains of morphine were subcutaneously injected, and 

 three to twelve minutes later chloroform was administered. In 

 seven cases anaesthesia commenced after the lapse of ten to forty 

 minutes, in three it could not be induced. From 4 to 19 fluid 

 drachms of chloroform were used. On return of consciousness none 

 of the oxen showed anything abnormal. Goats and sheep are easily 

 anaesthetised in five to ten minutes with 1\ to 5 fluid drachms of 

 chloroform. 



