Strangles, 183 



should be well stabled and fed on extra good nourishment, 

 as this variety of disease is most apt to be followed by dan- 

 gerous internal symptoms, Neither in it nor in any other 

 form of the complaint should bleeding, purging or lowering 

 medicines, like aconite, digitalis, veratrum or lobelia, be used. 

 If there is danger of strangling, from the rapid growth of the 

 swelling, we may try very hot fomentations and poultices to 

 the throat, making the animal inhale steam, and opening the 

 abscess freely as soon as it ^^ points.^' But it will not do ta 

 waste time with these measures in desperate cases. There is 

 then one only step to take, and that is to open the windpipe 

 at once, by the operation known as " tracheotomy/' This is 

 to be performed in the following manner : — 



Have an assistant, elevate the horse's head and extend his 

 nose so as to put the skin of the throat on the stretch ; then 

 feel along the course of the windpipe for the part least covered 

 with flesh and fat, and make a bold incision down its central 

 line, about four inches long, through the skin and down to the 

 rings of the windpipe. When this is done, introduce the 

 point of a sharp-pointed knife between the upper exposed 

 rings, and cutting downward, divide two or three of them 

 completely across from above downward and in the middle 

 line of the neck. Introduce the tube into this opening, and 

 fasten its strings around the neck and to the mane. It should 

 be kept in until the animal is able to breathe through the nos- 

 trils, which can be readily ascertained by closing the tube 

 with the hand from time to time. 



When the swelling is languid and does not ^^come to a 

 Iiead," it should be stimulated by painting it with tincture of 

 iodine, or friction with iodine ointment (No. 8). Should 

 this not affect the swelling promptly, a blister should be ap- 

 plied to the part. 



When the ulcers which remain after the abscess breaks are 

 not disposed to heal, they must be touched with the stick of 



