PART VII. 



POISONS. 

 Cause, Symptoms and Treatment. 



POISONING may be the act of evil-disposed persons, such as 

 chamars or dealers in leather, who want the skin of the corpse, 

 in which case there is but the slightest probability of recovery 

 as in India they are skilful in poisons. If there be any suspicion 

 of this, always have the skin slashed freely to make it useless 

 before the body is removed. Or poisoning may be from accident- 

 ally eating poisonotis vegetable matter, from licking ointments 

 applied for mange, by drinking water from leaden pipes, or from 

 shot given to conceal symptoms of broken wind ; or from drugs, 

 such as arsenic, wilfully administered by ignorant servants with 

 the notion of improving a horse's condition. 



VEGETABLE POISONS are most common in India ; grass- 

 cutters may inadvertently collect them in cutting grass, or an 

 animal out grazing may eat them. The symptoms are extreme 

 drowsiness, the horse props himself against a wall with his head 

 hanging close to the ground ; he then occasionally totters, and 

 ultimately falls down in a stertorous condition; nose, ears, and 

 feet cold. Convulsions and death generally ensue in an hour or 

 so. The only chance of recovery is to rouse the horse from his 

 stupor directly the first symptoms are recognized, lashing him 

 with a whip, flashing gunpowder near him if necessary and keep- 

 ing him on the move till his drowsiness quite disappears. A 

 drench of eight drachms aromatic spirits of ammonia in a quart 

 of warm ale flavoured with a little ginger should be given as soon 

 as possible, and repeated every two hours till recovery is effected. 

 A good purge should follow next day to clear the system. 



ARSENIC properly administered causes a sleek skin, but in 

 excessive doses such as are sometimes given by injudicious grooms, 

 intense thirst, swelling of the eyelids with flow of tears are ob- 

 served, then the horse gazes eagerly at his flanks, paws and rolls, 

 and there is a great secretion and flow of sahva (or spittle) from 

 the mouth, which distinguishes the case from ordinary colic. 

 Next, the breath becomes hot and foetid, the dung comes out 

 loose and covered with blood and slime, resulting probably in 

 death. Recovery in these cases is vary rare, and nothing can be 



