245 

 washing rather promotes mange ; and it is often the 

 cause of canker. In these cases, rubbing dry with a 

 brush and bran is better. 



Bathing in warm or hot water is of the greatest 

 service in many cases of disease. Plunging into cold 

 water commonly brings a dog instantly out of a fit, 

 and afterwards bathing in warm water prevents the 

 return. Bathing in hot water subdues or lessens 

 most inflammations, and is the best means of over- 

 coming obstinate costiveness. 



WORMING. 



Worming of dogs is practised for tv/o purposes, and 

 both of them erroneously. The one is to prevent 

 them from going mad ; or, when mad, from biting; 

 the other to cure them of gnawing improper sub- 

 stances. It has been said, and is much believed, that 

 when a dog has been wormed, provided he after- 

 wards goes mad, he cannot bite ; but worming can 

 be no preventive. [See Madness]. The mouth, in 

 f^ome cases of madness, may become so swelled, that 

 the dog cannot close his jaws ; but this uray happen 

 in a wormed or unwormed dog equally. Worming 

 does not prevent gnawing but as it makes the mouth 

 sore; hence as soon as that is well, the dog returns 

 to his old habits ; perhaps not in an equal degree 

 quite, for, if it has been harshly done, he gets some- 

 thing older before it h well. I therefore conceive 

 this a very useless practice, and one that will wear 

 away with a greater knowledge of the proper treat- 

 ment of this animal. 



Y3 



