APOPLEXY FROM CONGESTION. 527 



cathartic sliould be administered, consisting of sulphate of mag- 

 nesia, with croton, ginger, or other aromatic, care being taken 

 that the animal is not choked, as the act of deglutition is often 

 performed with difdcultj^ I always try if the animal can 

 swallow a little water from a bottle before administering any 

 medicine. If the patient shows any difficulty in doing this, 

 the medicine is to be given with the stomach pump. I am of 

 opinion that the cathartic should not be repeated, having seen the 

 repeated administration of even simple fluids cause tympanites 

 and death. Cold water is to be applied to the head ; the spine 

 along its whole course stimulated with strong ammonia liniment, 

 and the animal warmly, but not heavily, clothed. Every two 

 or three hours it is to be turned and packed on the other side 

 of the body ; the mammary gland stripped and hand rubbed, 

 and should there be signs of exhaustion or failure of the heart's 

 action, a stimulant is to be administered ; the best way of 

 doing this is to give ammonia carbonate in a ball, which, after 

 being oiled, is to be pushed by the hand as far as possible into 

 the pharynx, when it will slowly gravitate into the rumen. If 

 the tympanites is not relieved by the ammonia, the rumen is to 

 be punctured by the trocar, and the cannula left in. Enemas of 

 warm water are to be repeatedly injected into the rectum, the 

 urine withdrawn, either by the finger introduced into the bladder, 

 by the female catheter, or by introducing the nozzle of the 

 ordinary injection syringe. 



Some practitioners recommend nux vomica to be given every 

 few hours. There is no objection to a single dose of this being 

 given along with the cathartic, but its repeated administration 

 can only do harm ; the paralysis depends upon engorgement, 

 and spinal or nervine stimulants in the acute stages of the 

 disease are contra-indicated. 



The pouring or pumping of large quantities of fluids, consist- 

 ing of sundry quarts or even gallons of water, with treacle, 

 ginger, &c., for the supposed purpose of causing purgation, is 

 also to be condemned ; the fluid absorbed, whilst the excretory 

 organs are not performing their functions, only adds to the 

 general plethoric condition. 



To prove the injurious consequences of this practice, as well 

 as that arising from feeding the animal upon thin sloppy food 



