INTRODUCTION. 



bowels. As soon as llie latter is relieved, 

 the bladder is likewise eased, and the empiric 

 may believe his violent action on the kidneys 

 has caused the relief, whereas, in reality, the 

 temporary stoppage of the urine may have 

 had very little to do with the pain manifested. 



While it is true that an occasional use of 

 mild diuretic medicine is beneficial for highly- 

 fed horses, especially during periods of 

 enforced idleness, yet it is a grave error — one 

 of the worst — to be always dosing an animal 

 witii prowerful drugs to act on the kidneys. 

 Saltpetre or nitre, though beneficial when well 

 used, has, in the hands of the incompetent, 

 ruined many horses. 



A tablespoonful of No. 16 medicine, given 

 occasionally in the food, is all that is necessary 

 to help the kidneys to act well. 



An important point to remember is to stick 

 to one line of treatment, and not become 

 unduly anxious, and change suddenly to any- 

 thing recommended by any friendly adviser. 

 Disease can often be successfully combated 

 by different methods, if they are duly carried 

 out, but rarely by a mixture. The methods 

 advocated are definite, have been well tried 

 during the last fifty years or more, and will, 

 with patience, secure desired results, if not 

 spoilt by the use of additional ill-advised 

 measures. The modes of treatment are 

 simple, and should not be superseded, except 

 after the best scientific advice. That they will 

 always be successful is, of course, obviously 

 impossible, as several diseases cannot be 

 cured by any human agency; for instance, 

 that peculiar form of acute intestinal inflam- 

 mation sometimes termed apoplectic, in which 

 a length of several feet of bowel is involved 

 within two or three hours after the first symp- 

 toms of sickness are apparent. In such cases 

 the animal usually dies in six to twelve hours. 

 Similarly, cases of ruptured stomach, 

 diaphragm, or intestine, and those of 

 twisted bowel, also starting with colicky 

 symptoms, result in death in eight to twenty- 



four hours. Otiier fatal diseases miglit be 

 mentioned, which no surgery nor medicines 

 can relieve. In such cases the horse is 

 practically doomed from the start. The author 

 recommends that in case of death, a post- 

 mortem examination should be made by 

 a veterinarian. From no other source can 

 such valuable information be obtained for 

 future guidance, and it is always a satisfac- 

 tion to know if the right diagnosis has been 

 made. 



Above all things, avoid secret remedies, 

 and those advertised as "certain cures." One's 

 aim should be to remove the cause or causes, 

 and assist the natural fimctions to restore the 

 equilibrium. For this reason, avoidance 

 has been made in the treatment columns 

 of the mention of numerous strong alkaloids, 

 and powerful anti-febrifuges. At times they 

 are very useful agents, but the danger of 

 damage from their reactionary effects is too 

 great for a general recommendation of their 

 employment by any but qualified men. 



The charts do not cover all the variations 

 of disease, nor can they enable every reader 

 to become an expert and scientific veteri- 

 narian. Such a result can only be accom- 

 plished after a thorough ground-work in 

 the sciences of physics, biology, chemistry, 

 and pathology, combined with years of prac- 

 tical experience. Their purpose is, however, 

 to make the horseman superior in knowledge 

 of the ordinary diseases of the horse, to the 

 many empirics and Cjuacks, unfortunately pre- 

 tending to be able to cure the diseases of the 

 horse, and to make any intelligent horse- 

 owner, farmer or ranchman, independent of 

 the services of ignorant pretenders and 

 empirics. 



While the work is meant more for the use 

 of men living at a long distance from scientific 

 assistance, and also for the many simple 

 cases for which it would not pay to send for 

 the qualified surgeon ; at the same time, the 

 author hopes it will prove of value to the 



