42 General Principles of Veterinary Medicine. 



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of a tube and a hollow rubber ball, by pressure on which the 

 powder is forcibly driven up the nostrils or down the throat. 

 But a hollow reed charged with the powder with a piece of 

 rubber tubing and mouthpiece, blown forcibly by the oper- 

 ator, will answer quite as well. 



MEDICATION BY THE RECTUM OR VAGINA. 



Injections into the rectum are frequently used in animals 

 for constipation, piles, colic, and whenever the object is to 

 keep the bowels in order. Their use will often take the place 

 of purgative medicines given by the mouth. In thread 

 worms they are the only measures worth resorting to. When 

 tepid and with the addition of laudanum or belladonna they 

 will relieve irritation of the kidneys, bowels and womb. 

 After giving birth, mares and cows are frequently benefitted 

 by having the vagina washed out with a mild disinfectant, as 

 a weak solution of pe^pjanganate of potash or sulphurous acid. 



When intended to be retained and absorbed, injections in 

 the horse and ox should not exceed two or three pints ; but 

 when the object is to produce evacuation of the bowels, three 

 or four times this amount may be used. In case of obstinate 

 obstruction of the bowels very large injections with an extra 

 long tube are required, and are generally successful, if com- 

 menced early. 



Quite a variety of apparatus has been invented to give in- 

 jections. The ordinary barrel syringe is often used. The 

 ball syringe is more convenient, as it saves all pumping and 

 refilling. Probably better than all is the ^' Fountain Syringe,^' 

 which works by the force of gravity. An open rubber bag, 

 holding half a gallon, may be suspended several feet above 

 the animaPs back ; from this a half-inch tube of rubber or 

 leather, the end of which is well oiled and inserted into the 

 rectum, conveys the fluid into the gut without any exertion 



