48 THE MODERN HORSE DOCTOR. 



his equilibrium the better, he places the fore legs beneath the 

 belly, and moves his ears in a peculiar manner, and backwards. 

 According as the disease progresses, he becomes less and less 

 sensible to external impressions ; mastication is performed slowly ; 

 he takes from time to time a mouthful of food, masticates it, 

 swallows a portion of it, but keeps the remainder in his mouth. 

 He prefers taking his food off the ground rather than in any other 

 way, and when drinking he plunges his head into the water, even 

 above his nostrils. During and after some rather violent move- 

 ments, his symptoms become much aggravated, and the signs of 

 complete insensibility become more and more marked. The ani- 

 mal runs on quite blind till some obstacle stops him, or turns round, 

 or remains tranquil, when, with his head depressed, and the legs 

 crowded beneath the body, without being able to change this 

 unusual attitude unless assisted to do so. There is never any 

 fever : the pulse is often from ten to twelve pulsations slower 

 than in the normal state. 



" In the same way, also, the respiration is constantly slow, deep, 

 and frequently of a sighing character. In almost all cases the 

 tongue is foul, and the mouth dry and clammy. With respect to 

 treatment, the remedies which have succeeded best with me are, 

 camomile (some doses), then sulphur, and nux vomica. In a 

 particular case where, independently of the symptoms peculiar to 

 vertigo, the conjunctiva, tongue and mouth were more yellow, 

 the horse frequently flexed his fore legs, seldom lay down, faeces 

 hard, and passed but little urine. I obtained benefit from the 

 use of nux vomica, with sulphur as consecutive treatment. Others 

 used pulsatilla in general : however, they also obtained good 

 effects from veratrum album in many cases ; nux vomica was 

 employed with the horse inclined to the left, and arnica when he 

 leaned to the right. Several horses have been cured by means 

 of belladonna ; and one, which was considered as lost, was saved 

 by giving him belladonna, hyoscyamus and nux vomica. The 

 utility of digitalis and opium has been verified in slight cases of 

 vertigo, in which cases benefit has been derived from arnica. 

 On one occasion veratrum album was prescribed during four 

 days, twice a day, and then stramonium, employed in the same 

 manner ; on the filth day the animal was cured. It is always 



