Materia Medica. 1 1 7 



The following are examples of each class of remedies 

 suitable for the dog, and to render the plan of admixture 

 as well as administration intelligible, reliable formulae are 

 given, from which the reader may suitably make choice. 



The Dispensing of Medicines. — Canine pharmacy 

 is a department of no little importance. Next to the 

 selection of suitable remedies ranks the judicious com- 

 pounding and admixture, an art which can only be ac- 

 quired by great experience of the nature and properties 

 of drugs. 



Medicines are prescribed in several forms — viz., the 

 bolus^ ox pill, electuary zxidid7'aught. These are adminis- 

 tered by the mouth. In some cases it is advisable to 

 administer remedies in the form of enemas, or by sub- 

 cuianeous i?iJections (see p. 132). 



The bolus, or pill, is a compound of two or more reme- 

 dies, which, after being reduced to fine powder, are 

 worked into a plastic mass by means of honey, treacle, 

 &c., to the requisite size, and subsequently covered with 

 fine paper. The latter is often indispensable in order to 

 prevent nausea, which may cause rejection of the dose. 

 ThQform of the pill mdiy be cylindrical, or spherical. In 

 the first the paper is rolled on to the mass and tucked in 

 at the ends. A spherical pill is placed in the middle of 

 a small square of thin or tissue paper, when the circum- 

 ferent edges are drawn together and twisted to a point. 



To administer a pill the dog is taken on the knee, 

 supported by the left arm placed across the shoulder, 

 while the left hand seizes the lower jaw, the thumb and 

 fingers being pressed on each side of the mouth. This 

 has the effect in most cases of separating the jaws, when 

 the lower is quickly and firmly grasped, and simulta- 

 neously the pill, held between the thumb and forefinger of 

 the right hand, is passed to the back of the tongue. At 

 the same moment the grasp of the lower jaw is removed, 

 and the fingers and thumb secure both upper and lower 

 jaws with firmness, yet without absolute punishment. 

 The result as a rule is that the dog swallows almost im- 

 mediately the jaws are approximated. If he fails to do 

 so a few gentle passes of the forefinger over the front of 



