THE DISTEMPER. 149 



Mix, and g-ive forty, sixty, or eighty drops, according to size, 

 every hour or two, in a spoonful of ale, increasing the dose 

 after each fit. Use a very warm bath, and keep the animal 

 both warm and moist some hours afterwards, by means of 

 wrapping in flannel and keeping before a fire : avoid irrita- 

 tion, force nourishment, and endeavour to shorten every fit, 

 by sprinkling cold water in the face, and likewise by sooth- 

 ing language and manner, which have often the happiest 

 effect in lessening the force and duration of the convulsion. 

 If these means should fortunately succeed, continue to keep 

 the animal quiet, and particularly refrain from giving much 

 exercise, which is very apt to bring on a recurrence of the 

 fits. 



The importance of the subject renders it not improper 

 again to repeat, that, of all the symptoms that appear, the 

 epileptic convulsions are the most fatal. It is, therefore, of 

 the utmost consequence to prevent their occurrence ; for, 

 when once they have made their attack, art is too apt to fail 

 in attempting their removal. The best preventive means 

 that I know of, are to avoid or to remove all circumstances 

 tending to produce debility, as looseness, low poor diet, too 

 much exercise, exposure to cold, extreme evacuation from 

 the nose, and, no less, the operation of mental irritation, 

 from fear, surprise, or regret ; all of which, I must again 

 repeat, are very common causes of fits in distemper *. 



* The extreme fatality attending these fits prevents me from embody- 

 ing in the substance of the treatment more means for their removal ; but 

 it may not be improper here to notice, that, in addition to the remedies 

 detailed, I have occasionally administered cajeput oil, castor, musk, 

 oil of amber internally and externally, belladonna, and nitrate of silver ; 

 but all with equivocal success only. Blisters to the head, and stimu- 

 lating applications to the nostrils, I have also tried, with some alleviation 

 of the violence and longer periods between the recurrence, but not with 

 sufficient benefit to enable me to recommend them very strongly. A li- 

 gature round the neck, not tight enough to impede respiration, but suf- 

 ficiently so to prevent a free passage of blood to and from the head, I 

 have also tried, but I cannot say with any marked benefit; I feel how- 



