DITCH. 



DOG. 



given. (The Horse, p. 189.) In dogs distemper 

 is one of the most fatal diseases ; a little emetic 

 powder (3 grains of tartar emetic and 1 grain 

 of opium) is recommended to be given (Clater's 

 Far. p. 392), followed by a dose once a day of 

 4, 5, or 6 grains of Turpith's mineral. 



DITCH (Sax. cic). A trench cut in the 

 ground, usually round the fences of a field. 

 Trenches of this kind are formed differently in 

 various localities, but they should always be 

 made so as to keep the water in them as pure 

 as possible. 



DIURETICS. In farriery, such remedies as 

 nave the power of forcing urine, that is, of 

 stimulating the kidneys to a moderate degree, 

 so as to augment their secreting powe^ N are, 

 iodide of potassium, turpentine, cubebs, and 

 juniper are diuretics. See BALL. 



DOCK (Rumex). A large genus of peren- 

 nial plants, of which ten are natives of Eng- 

 land. The bloody-veined dock (R. sangiiineus) 

 has already been described under the head 

 BLOODWORT. The curled dock (R. Crispin), a 

 very troublesome and unprofitable weed, 

 abounds in waste grounds, pastures, and by 

 road-sides ; root tapering, yellowish stein, two 

 or three feet high, somewhat zigzag; leaves 

 smooth, of a lightish green ; clusters of nume- 

 rous rather crowded lulls or whorls of drooping 

 pale green flowers. The sharp dock (R. ucu/ua) 

 is also not uncommon in low meadows and 

 watery places. Root blackish and rather slen- 

 der. The broad-leaved dock (R. obtusifolius') is 

 a rank and very troublesome weed, common 

 everywhere, which can only be conquered by 

 stubbing up the root. Mowing is to little pur- 

 pose ; stems a yard high ; root black ; many 

 headed; yellowish within. The other docks 

 are the golden dock (R. maritimus), the yellow 

 marsh dock (Jt.jMibufnf), and the great water 

 dock (R. IlyilruUiputhiini). (Eng. Flor. vol. ii. p. 

 190.) All these docks are purgatives, and 

 may be used instead of rhubarb. A decoction 

 made with an ounce of the root of Rumex obtu- 

 rifolius and a quart of water, reduced by boil- 

 ing to a pint, then strained and sweetened, is a 

 valuable remedy in that peculiar cutaneous 

 affection called fish-skin disease (Ichthyosus). 



DOCK. A term signifying to trim the but- 

 tocks, &c. of sheep. 



DOCKING. In farriery, the art of cutting 

 off the tails of horses ; and for a description 

 of which see The Horse (Lib. Use. Know., p. 327). 



DODDED SHEEP. Such as are without 

 horns. 



DODDER (Cuscuta Europaa). PI. 10, e. The 

 name of a species of bird-weed, which is not 

 very commonly met with. This curious plant 

 is unlike all others in appearance, having no 

 leaves. The thread-shaped, red, or purple 

 stalks, twining about other plants, headed with 

 small reddish flowers, are easily to be recog- 

 nised ; they grow upon heaths and commons, 

 intersecting the furze and nettles, and twisting 

 themselves round every thing they can meet 

 with. The common people, .who speak truly, 

 but not in courtly terms, call it devil's-guts and 

 hell-weed, because it does great damage among 

 their tares and flax. The lesser dodder (C. cpi- 

 thymum') is of a similar habit, but smaller than 

 the preceding. 



52 



This is the curious creeping plant or vm 

 which was formerly so frequent and injurious 

 to flax-crops in the United States, often en- 

 tangling and spoiling whole lots of it ; but since 

 the culture of flax has so much diminished. 

 dodder has become rare. 



The American C'usi-uta, Dodder, or Love-Vine, i? 

 also a singular parasite, which seizes upon any 

 herbaceous plant which may be within its 

 reach ; but it is most commonly found in lo- 

 calities where the snap-weed, spearmint, and 

 false-nettle occur. Its thread-like naked stems 

 have some resemblance to brass, or copper- 

 wire, and twine constantly against the apparent 

 course of the sun, or west, south, cast. (Flor. 



DOE. In the technical language of the 

 hunter, the female of the buck or fallow deer 

 The female of the red deer is called a hind. 



DOG (Lat. Cauls'). An extensive genus of 

 animals, consisting of more than thirty species, 

 of which that most generally known is the do- 

 mestic dos* (('. /'.<//ij/wns). The arrangement 

 of M. Cuvier classes the dogs of the present 

 day into three groups, dogs properly so called, 

 wolves, ami jackal*. It will be sufficient for our 

 present purpose to speak of the dogs under 

 three heads: 1. Farm dogs; 2. Hunting dogs; 

 3. Shooting dogs. The tir>t im-liulrs the shep- 

 herd's dog, the mastiff, and the bull-dog. The 

 second, the terrier, the hound, the harrier, the 

 beagle, and the greyhound. The third class 

 includes the pointer, the setter, and the spaniel. 

 All these will be found noticed under their se- 

 parate heads. That ingenious naturalist Mr. 

 James Wilson has entered into the question oJ 

 the origin of our domestic breed of dogs. 

 . Juurn. of Jlgr. vol. vii. p. 539 681.) 

 Col. Hamilton Smith has also taken up the 

 natural history of dogs. (Naturalist's Lib. vols. 

 xxv. xxvi. See a notice in the Quart. Journ. 

 of Jlgr. vol. ii. p. 511.) All zoologists agree 

 that there is no trace of the dog to be found in 

 its primitive state of nature, although wild dogs 

 exist in India and America. The great affinity 

 to the wolf, and the period of gestation being 

 the same, have led some to believe that the 

 wolf is the original dog. The two animals will 

 breed together; the young of both are born 

 blind, and at the expiration of the same time, 

 namely, 10 or 12 days, the puppies of both ac- 

 quire the power of vision. But one fact ren- 

 ders this supposition at least doubtful, none 

 of the wild dogs, living in a state of nature, 

 have ever returned to the true form of the wolf. 

 The minute examination of this question, how- 

 ever, would be out of place in this publication. 

 In all the varieties of the dog, the following 

 circumstances in his economy are constant: 

 he is born with his eyes closed, he opens them 

 on the 10th or 12th day ; his teeth commence 

 changing in the fourth month ; and his full 

 growth is attained at the expiration of the se- 

 cond year. The period of gestation is 63 days, 

 and from 6 to 12 pups are produced at a birth. 

 The dog is old at 15 years, and seldom lives 

 beyond 20 ; his vigilance and bark'are univer- 

 sally known. The dog is liable to so many 

 diseases, that to treat of them here would be 

 impossible. Amng the principal are the dis- 

 temper, rabies, canker in the ear, the mange 

 2M 409 



