310 INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS. 



practitioners do not bleed at all ; but if you resolve to take 

 any, watch the animal ; never mind the pulse at this time ; 

 and at the first sign of change, though it be ever so slight, 

 pin up the vein, and on no account repeat the experi- 

 ment. 



The next point to be considered is counter irritation, 

 and most practitioners blister both the sides largely, choos- 

 ing for their agent cantharides, which is uncertain and slow 

 in its action. Against blistering it is urged that it acts as 

 a stimulant ; for that is the very thing we avoid, in order 

 to enable the horse to throw off the disease. But then as 

 to the sides being the place. This is getting very close to 

 the seat of the complaint, and appears to be quite as likely 

 to extend its action as to prove a derivative. Besides, one 

 of the signs of improvement in inflammation of the lungs 

 is the animal lying down, which during health it always does 

 upon its sides. The rendering of these parts sore seems 

 to be opposing an obstacle to the animal resuming the 

 recumbent attitude. The better plan would be to reject 

 cantharides, and spare the sides. A more active vesi- 

 catory, and a safer place for its action can be found. We 

 proceed to have the hair clipped from off the entire length 

 of the back ; then we take liquor ammonia, diluted with four 

 times its amount of cold water ; and witli this we thoroughly 

 saturate the place from which the hair has been cut. We 

 next cover the part with cloths several times folded, to pre- 

 vent the ammonia from evaporating. This needs to be 

 watched, but will often raise a blister in ten minutes, 

 whereas cantharides rarely has any effect before the next 

 day : the ammonia is likewise more certain than the Spanish 

 fly, and is altogether to be preferred, as in inflammation of 

 the lungs in the horse there is no time to be lost before 

 remedial measures are adopted. 



While this is doing, we procure four men if possible, and 

 place one at each leg, to rub the part with their hands as 

 hard and as long as they can. Four thick woollen band- 

 ages are then produced, and one wound gently, not tightly, 

 round each leg. A hood is then put upon the animal's 

 head, but the whole of the body left uncovered. 



The next thing is to procure a cool loose box, not a cold 

 one, but a cool loose box, and to have the horse gently led 



