BROKEN-WIND. 179 



vein. Aperient medicine — small doses of aloes, also enemata, 

 always prove serviceable. Should there be any flux from 

 the nose, encourage it by steaming the nostrils, provided 

 the animal can bear it without becoming harassed in his 

 breathing. After the bowels have been opened, I would 

 administer some sedative or alterative. Digitalis has been 

 found effective in temporarily quieting the respiration : 

 indeed, so tranquil does the breathing become in some cases 

 under its influence, that the horse appears as though he had 

 got quite rid of his disorder. With the cessation of action 

 of the remedy, however, his symptoms all return. The 

 French give opium with the same intention. Where any 

 bronchitic irritation or disease was present, and the horse 

 could be laid up for awhile, the best medicine would be the 

 Plummer^s ball,^ once or twice a day. 



Dietetic. — Solleysel is said to have cured a broken- 

 winded horse by confining him for eight days in a barn 

 with plenty of hay, but without water or drink of any kind. 

 In modern times, these experiments have been repeated 

 by Rodet. 



He shut up a sound-constitutioned glandered horse, who 

 had become broken-winded, and gave him hay only, de- 

 priving him of all drink. He was fat in condition, winter- 

 coated, his pulse was 36, and his inspirations twelve a 

 minute. The first three days he did not appear to suffer 

 much, notwithstanding he became hollow in the flanks, 

 and tucked up. The fourth day he sought everywhere for 

 water, licked the hands and clothes of his attendants, gaped 

 often, and was unusually lively. Though the pulse and 

 respiration remaiaed unaffected, the animal began to fall 

 away, and his coat commenced coming off. On the fifth day, 

 whenever he moved, his joints cracked, a symptom which 

 continued increasing afterwards. His flanks were now 

 quite drawn up ; his appetite failed him, the pulse con- 

 tinued 36, but the inspirations sank as low as eight a minute. 

 The mucous membranes were reddened and injected, and 

 there was a flux from the left nostril which continued 

 » For the recipe for this ball, see p. 99. 



