THE MODERN HORSE DOCTOR. 155 



He ate the whole of this, mixed with dry meal, in the short 

 space of twelve hours. The diarrhoea stopped ; the horse per- 

 formed the duty required of him to the satisfaction of his owner ; 

 and, in spite of the most active treatment, died on the seventh 

 day, of dropsy. AVe should use no efforts, therefore, to check a 

 diarrhoea in its early stage, when occurring in a plethoric sub- 

 ject or depraved feeder. The occurrence should only serve as a 

 warning to us to dip a light hand into the meal chest, and diet the 

 animal ; perhaps a dose of sulphur, charcoal, and sassafras, in 

 equal parts, to the amount of an ounce or more, may serve to 

 arrest morbid action, and prevent fermentation. The form of 

 diarrhoea for which our services have generally been required 

 is the hepatic, in which there is an abundant watery discharge, 

 mixed with fecal matter and slime, of a dark-yellow tinge : in 

 such cases the disease runs into a chronic type ; there is a 

 marked coldness about the body and limbs ; the appetite is im- 

 paired ; the animal loses flesh very rapidly, and the discharges 

 are frequent. The causes of the various forms of diarrhoea 

 are, increased irritability of the intestines, which produce too 

 rapid propulsion of the secretions ; from a large collection of 

 excrementitious matter in the digestive cavity ; from perverted 

 action of the liver; and from congestion of the mucous mem- 

 brane of the intestines. These causes are often preceded by 

 others which act directly or indirectly on the external surface ; 

 hence, if a horse, when in a state of perspiration, be suffered 

 to cool off too suddenly, or if his body and limbs be sluiced with 

 cold water when the exhalant vessels are very active, this dis- 

 ease may follow. Some horses, when permitted to eat large 

 quantities of new oats and hay, are apt to scour : this form, how- 

 ever, requires no medical treatment, for we have only to change 

 the diet, and there is an end of the matter. Other animals of a 

 weak, washy constitution are frequently attacked with diarrhoea, 

 whenever they are put to hard work ; all that is needed in such 

 cases is to change their vrork for something lighter, and give 

 them an occasional dose of ginger and charcoal, equal parts. 



Treatment. — As the disease is so apt to occur after the appli- 

 cation of cold, we may safely, in all cases, excite capillary action 

 on the surface, by heat and friction ; the body and legs may be 



