858 DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT. 



where there is no long winter feeding on hay, and in our Territories 

 where clover is not used, heaves is a disease that is virtually 

 unknown ; it has advanced westward just in proportion as clover 

 hay has been introduced as a general fodder for horses, and it has 

 disappeared in England and New England in proportion as the soil 

 has become clover sick, and as other aliment had to be supjjlied. 

 The worst conditions exist when a horse is left in the stable for 

 days and Aveeks, eating clover hay, or even imperfectly cured, dusty 

 hay of other kinds, to the extent of thirty pounds and upward 

 daily, and then is suddenly taken out and driven at a rapid rate. 

 Violent exertions of any kind, and diseases of the lungs, are also 

 potent causes. It is mainly a disease of old horses, but may attack 

 a colt two years old. Finally, horses with small chests are most 

 liable, and thus the disease proves hereditary. 



" Treatineut. — Tuniing out on natural pastures, feeding cornstalks 

 and other laxative food, will relieve, and even cure, mild and recent 

 cases. Feeding on dry grain, with carrots, turnips, beets, or pota- 

 toes, and a very limited supply of water, will enable many broken- 

 winded horses to do a fair amount of work in comfort. Hay should 

 never be allowed except at night, and then only a handful clean 

 and sweet. 



" The bowels must be kept easy by laxatives, the stables well 

 aired, and sedatives (digitalis, opium, belladonna, hyoscynamus, 

 stramonium, lobelia) used to relieve the op])ression. If a white 

 discharge from the nose co-exists, tonics should be given as for 

 chronic bronchitis, to which wild cherry bark may be added. Tar 

 water as an exclusive drink may be given, and a course of carmina- 

 tives (ginger, caraway, cardamous, fennel) may be added with ad- 

 vantage. But nerve tonics, and above all arsenic in five-grain doses 

 dail}^, and continued daily for a month or two, are especially valua- 

 ble.^ 



" No broken-winded hox'se should have food or water for from 

 one to two hours befoi'e going to work." 



The usual method of treatment adopted by "jockeys," is to feed 

 the horse on cut rye straw, to feed very little hay, and to feed 

 all aliments dampened. Rye straw is cut as you would cut hay, 

 then mixed with bran or middlings, into which a handful of salt 

 is added, and dampened with water. This is fed every night. 

 Oats and other grain is always dampened. Draught horses 

 fed in this way seldom show any sign of heaves. 



Prof. Law regards the following as the best preparation for 



heaves: — 



1 ounce arsenic,^ — Fowler's solution. 

 1 drachm belladonna extract. 

 ^ drachm tincture of ginger. 



Mix with a pint of water for a drench and give every morning iov a 

 month or two. 



