INFLUENZA. 355 



always to be avoided, and any constipation which may be 

 present in the earlier stages of the disease is best relieved 

 by enemas of warm water. Should diarrhoea spontaneously 

 occur it must not be checked, at least if not excessive. Any 

 irregularity of the bowels should be overcome more by food than 

 by medicines. If costive, a laxative diet is to be given ; if the 

 reverse, it may be advisable to give dry food. 



If the appetite does not return in the course of the third or 

 fourth day, milk should be substituted for water, and if the 

 animal likes it, it should be allowed to drink of it abundantly — 

 say three or four gallons per day. Skimmed milk suits better 

 than unskimmed, as the latter is apt to induce some degree of 

 diarrhoea. If at any time the milk disagrees, and it will some- 

 times do so, it must be discontinued and gruel substituted. 

 Neither milk nor gruel should be forced upon the animal by 

 horning or bottling it down its throat in spite of its mute and 

 often determined resistance ; and it is a point worthy of remem- 

 brance that food thus forced is only calculated to disorder the 

 digestive organs, and destroy all chance of a return of appetite. 

 In the human being, dog, &c., food thus forced would be vomited, 

 the stomach would at once be able to express its rebellion, but 

 in the horse vomition rarely occurs ; and who knows what un- 

 jjleasantness or even pain is inflicted by thus disordering the 

 already delicate digestion, by the common, but to my mind 

 barbarous, practice of forcing sundry quarts of gruel, beer, &c. 

 upon its unwilling stomach. 



In mild attacks of influenza but little medical treatment is 

 necessary; pure air, comfortable loose box, without draughts, 

 well-drained and well-ventilated, with careful nursing and care- 

 ful daily medical inspection, and the saline medicine above 

 recommended, are all that is necessary. When convalescence 

 has commenced, the restoration is materially assisted by a few 

 doses of, first, vegetable, and, secondly, mineral tonics, good food, 

 carefully regulated exercise, and careful grooming. If any 

 cough remain, it may be necessary to apply a blister to the throat, 

 and to administer such remedies as belladonna extract and 

 camphor ; and should the swelling of the limbs continue, the 

 kidneys are to be stimulated by diuretics. 



In some rare instances the local inflammation of the larynx is 

 very great, and the tumefaction of the mucous membrane, vocal 

 chords, &c., interferes witli the act of respiration. When this 



