ON THE DISTEMPER. 87 



times, ratlier difficult gently to relax the bowels of a 

 horse of this description. In order, however, to reduce 

 it to as near a certainty as possible, it is advisable to 

 make a further addition to the aloes and oil ; to the 

 former, one drachm ; and two ounces to the latter. 

 The above medicines, given in their different propor- 

 tions, according to the delicacy or strength of the 

 horse's constitution, will have the desired effect — that 

 of relaxing or of very gently purging him. If a groom 

 observes that a horse, on his being first taken ill, is 

 costive in his bowels, he should rub some oil or lard 

 over his hand and arm, and, compressing the former, 

 he should gently introduce it up the fundament, and 

 remove any hard excrement with which his hand may 

 come in contact , after which, he should administer a 

 clyster of milk-warm thin gruel, for the giving of 

 which, an ox's bladder with a wooden pipe (well oiled) 

 attached to it, is, I think, preferable to the pewter 

 syringes used for this purpose. 



With regard to diet, a horse in this, as in most other 

 constitutional diseases, feeds but sparingly ; yet hot 

 bran mashes should often in the course of the day be 

 put into his manger, and his head should be held over 

 them, with a view to promote as early as possible, a 

 healthy discharge from the nostrils, v/hich, when it 

 takes place, gives great relief. His hay should be 

 wetted, but not put in the rack ; he should eat it off 

 the ground ; but if his throat be very sore, it may be 

 put in the manger. Green meat, fresh cut, is to be 

 preferred, if it can be had ; his drink should be warm 



