354 



For the horse and cow from three to five ounces of the mixture may be given in 

 three gills of warm ale or treacle gruel, as a warming drench. For sheep give 

 one-fourth of this dose. Four ounces of this cordial, if added to a dose of salts, 

 assist the latter greatly in its action. 



1015. Cathartics {see Purgatives). 



1016. Caustics, Escharotics, Styptics.— These agents are generally used to arrest 

 excessive granulations in wounds, or to stimulate healthy action in indolent 

 ulcers ; also to remove warty excresences, and they are used both in solid and 

 liquid forms. Nitrate of silver (caustic), sulphate of copper, sulphate of zinc, 

 &c., can be applied in fine powder or dissolved in water. Tincture ot iron and 

 tincture of benzoin, carbolic acid, turpentine, &c., make good styptics i.e., 

 arresting bleeding, and for this the hot iron is also at times used with good effect. 



1017. Counter-Irritants [see Blisters). 



1018. Decoctions, Infusions, Tinctures, are medical solutions prepared in different 

 ways. Decoctions are made by cutting or bruising the roots, seeds, or leaves of 

 medicinal plants, boiling them in distilled water for a certain time and straining 

 through muslin, a little spirits being added to preserve them. Infusions are prepared 

 by digesting bruised vegetable products in hot water and straining, also adding 

 a little spirit. Tiiictiires are made by macerating drugs in spirits, or spirits and 

 water, for a certain period, and then filtering. When these are properly 

 prepared, they are all useful and handy forms of medical preparations. 



1019. •Deodorisers are agents that disguise, neutralize, or destroy bad smells; such 

 accents being chloride of lime, mercury, carbolised lime, strong acids, chinosol, 

 charcoal, moss litter, &c. 



1020. Demulcents, Emollients, Lubricants.— These agents have a semi- 

 mechanical action. They protect raw surfaces from external influences, also 

 soothe, soften and relax the parts to which they are applied. They include, 

 flour, starch, treacle, milk, cotton wool, Fuller's earth, oils, fats, vaseline, 

 glycerine, etc. AppUcations of cloth wrung out of cold or hot water come under 

 this head. 



1021. Diaphoretics, Sudorifics.— These act on the sweat glands .of the skin, 

 increasing their action, and causing the animal to perspire. It is difficult to get 

 the horse or cow to sweat. I have found that putting the animal into a close 

 box and giving a vapour bath is the best plan, or another way is to damp the body 

 all over with cold water, covering up with a sheet wrung out of the water, over 

 which dry woollen rugs and waterproof sheets are put, with plenty of cold water 

 o-iven to drink. From one to two ounce doses of spirits of nitre given in one 

 pint of cold water at the same time, will assist the action. 



