ADMINISTERING MEDICINES. 225 



a waterproof sheet or dry rug. When it has lost some of its 

 heat, it should be removed, dipped in warm water, and again 

 applied. In case of acute inflammation, it may be necessary 

 to have the water a little hotter ; and, to avoid the incon- 

 venience of removing the blanket, or the danger of chill when 

 it is removed, the blanket may be secured around the body by 

 skewers or twine, the hot water being poured on the outside 

 of the blanket by any convenient vessel ; of course the water 

 should be poured on the top part, so as to allow it to run 

 down. With regard to the feet, these may be placed in a 

 bucket or tub (the latter should have the whole bottom resting 

 on the ground) containing warm water; a quantity of moss 

 litter put in the tub or bucket, so as to make a thick mass, is 

 an excellent mode of fomenting, as it prevents splashing, and 

 retains the heat longer. 



Poultices. 



Poultices are used for allaying pain, promoting suppuration, 

 softening horn or other tissues, and bringing on a healthy 

 action in wounds. To be beneficial, they should be large, and 

 always kept moist. 



For applying poultices to the feet, a poultice-shoe, con- 

 structed as follows, may be used with advantage. 



Take a circular piece of hard wood, a little longer and 

 broader than a horse-shoe, and about one and a half inches 

 thick. Get one surface of it rounded in a lathe, so that there 

 may be a rise of about three-quarters of an inch in the centre, 

 while the other surface remains flat. Round the circumfer- 

 ence of the board have leather nailed so as to form a convenient 

 boot for retaining the poultice, and similar to the one in 

 ordinary use, except that the part which comes on the ground 

 is rounded. The fact of its being round will enable the horse 

 to whose feet it is applied to ease the affected spot by throw- 

 ing weight on the toe, the heel, or on either quarter, as he 

 chooses. 

 p 



