CONCUSSION. 118 



ministered, care being first taken to ascertain whether the power 

 of deglutition be present or not. If the power of swallowing 

 be lost, medicine can still be conveniently given in the form of 

 a ball, which should be well oiled, and pushed as far as possible 

 into the pharynx. From the great danger of reaction being 

 excessive, and the tendency of inflammation to succeed, the 

 administration of alcoholic stimulants will be improper, and 

 means must be employed to restore the circulations that do not 

 tend to have a permanent effect. The animal is to be covered 

 with warm clothing, and even heated blankets can be applied 

 to the extremities and surface of the body with great advantage. 

 It is thought by some of the most eminent of surgeons that 

 very little beyond this should be done in the first stage, as 

 the period of depression tends to diminish the danger of haemorr- 

 hage in case the brain should be wounded ; and that if the 

 circulation be artificially excited, there is much danger of com- 

 pression from extravasation of blood. But whilst the indis- 

 criminate administration of stimulants is thus condemned, the 

 abstraction of blood would be also highly improper, and most 

 injudicious, as the vital depression already existing would be 

 increased to such an extent as to destroy any chance that 

 might remain of saving the patient's life. In the majority of 

 cases, however, it would be useless to attempt bleeding, as the 

 blood would not flow until reaction had commenced, and then 

 the loss of the vital fluid would probably kill the patient. 



In the second stage, or return of sensibility, the warm cloth- 

 ing, &c. should be removed, the patient placed in a cool, dark, 

 and quiet loose box, cold applied to the head, a fuU dose of pur- 

 gative medicine given, and the diet to be of the simplest kind, 

 such as bran water. If there be a desire on the part of the animal 

 to eat his straw, he should be bedded with sawdust, strict watch 

 being kept upon him ; and if symptoms of excitement be observed, 

 it may be advisable to bleed, if the state of the pulse warrants 

 such a proceeding ; but if the practitioner thinks bleeding unad- 

 visable, the heart's action may be moderated by aconite, the 

 most valuable of all sedatives in veterinary practice. It is given 

 in small doses, from seven to ten drops of Fleming's tincture, as 

 a larger dose is apt to produce some amount of preliminary ex- 

 citement. Before administering even this most simple of seda- 

 tives, the practitioner must well consider his case ; for sedative 



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