23^ THE HORSE 



and produce acute gastro-enteritis, followed by death. 

 Horse-keepers and grooms reading these remarks must 

 take warning and accept this as the author's timely 

 intervention. Arsenic is given for the purpose of im- 

 proving the condition of the coat and skin and also that 

 of the wind, on all of which it has a marked effect. Arsenic 

 forms a constituent of many sheep dips and some weed 

 killers, and it has also been employed as a dip for horses 

 in the treatment of certain skin diseases, such as mange, 

 but experience proves that it is distinctly inferior to the 

 ordinary lime and sulphur dip for this purpose. The 

 leading symptoms in arsenical poisoning are those of very 

 severe colic and general signs of collapse. Before con- 

 cluding this chapter we must not forget to mention 

 another drug occasionally given to horses by grooms, 

 and this is oil of vitriol, or strong sulphuric acid adminis- 

 tered by pouring it on loaf sugar, employed for a similar 

 purpose to arsenic, but it is extremely dangerous and its use 

 deserving of the most severe condemnation. The adminis- 

 tration of such drugs as turpentine, strong liquid ammonia 

 and carbohc acid to horses necessitates thorough dilution 

 of these corrosive agents, otherwise most serious damage 

 may be done to the mouth, lips, tongue, throat, gullet, 

 and stomach, through ignorance. We have known a 

 soldier administer strong hquid ammonia along with a 

 small quantity of water to a horse when it had colic ; 

 the result was appalling, and as cruel as it was possible 

 to conceive. No matter whether employed for internal or 

 external use the drug last named should always be freely 

 diluted with some bland agent, such as linseed or olive oil, 

 and then it can be used with safety. 



In smelting districts horses sometimes suffer from 

 lead-poisoning. 



