164 THE MODERN HORSE DOCTOR. 



mal is fed on beets ; when fed on garlic, its odor can be detected 

 in that fluid; and every farmer knows that turnips impart their 

 own taste to it also. Stock raisers might learn a lesson from 

 nurses who attend human parturients ; they give the old-fashioned 

 dose of castor oil understanding!/, knowing from long experience 

 that it operates both on the mother and child. Hence, if the foal 

 shall suffer from constipated bowels, and the mother be in the 

 same condition, the medicine should be given to the latter : thus 

 many young animals might be saved ; that they do die from the 

 effect of drastic purges we know, and our correspondent testifies 

 to the fact, for he says, " Some have constipation, and are often 

 killed by forcing salts down them." It must be evident that salts 

 and aloes are not the best remedies in the world for colts but " a 

 few days or a week old." A human practitioner who could be so 

 reckless as to administer like remedies to the new-born infant, 

 would certainly be censured, and run a great risk of losing his 

 patient. The milk of the mother, immediately after parturition, 

 is the best kind of medicine to regulate the secretions and excre- 

 tions of the offspring, and it generally has the desired effect, 

 unless, as we have said, the mother is ailing. There may, how- 

 ever, be cases where, in consequence of exposure, the foal may 

 have diarrhoea ; then the little subject becomes an object of 

 special attention, as regards his management. He must be placed 

 in a warm situation, with a view of restoring the exhalant func- 

 tion of the skin, for until this is restored there is but little chance 

 for recovery. Having taken these preliminary steps, perhaps all 

 that will now be needed for the cure is some warm ginger, or 

 caraway tea; and a little of either of these simple articles, pul- 

 verized, may, with advantage, be given to the mother in her food. 

 If the latter be the subject of scours ■ — diarrhoea — then our chief 

 attention is turned to her ; we administer such medicinal agents 

 as the nature of the case seems to require; at the same time, if 

 the patient is fat, and has not had sufficient exercise previous to 

 parturition, we are not to be in a hurry to stop the discharge, but 

 merely to hold it in check. If, on the other hand, our patient is 

 in poor condition, and still losing flesh, then, in addition to medi- 

 cinal agents, which should be of tonic and astringent properties, 

 we give freely of gruel made of wheat flour. Under these cir- 



