170 The Horse Farrier. 



toms of returning health, when three doses in twenty- 

 four hours will be sufficient. But if the horse should be 

 losing strength, the nitre must be left out, and from two 

 to four drachms of capsicum added to the camphor in 

 its place, and given every four or six hours. Should the 

 physic not operate in twenty-four hours, half the above 

 quantity must be given ; if still losing strength, in taking 

 the capsicum and camphor he must have added to them, 

 night and morning, from three to four drachms of finely 

 powdered cascarilla. Injections must be used twice a 

 day whilst the bowels are costive, composed of half an 

 ounce of castile soap, to a quart of water, and four 

 ounces of epsom salts dissolved in a quart of warm wa- 

 ter, alternately. The throat gargled every two hours, 

 with a tea made by pouring half a gallon of boiling water 

 on six drachms of capsicum, and when cool, add a pint of 

 good vinegar. The throat externally must be well rubbed 

 with the following mixture, three or four times a day : 

 half a pint spirits of hartshorn, ditto of turpentine, ditto 

 of camphor, all mixed and kept well corked. If the 

 horse is down and unable to get up, he must be helped, 



HYSTERIA IN MARES. 



This is of a nervous and spasmodic character, and is 

 supposed to arise from derangement in the organs of 

 generation. In the human subject, plethora and suppres- 

 sion of the menses are assigned as the chief causes of 

 this affection ; yet these conditions, probably had another 

 antecedent, which is quite common among various 

 species, viz., dyspepsia ; it is most frequently among 

 virgin mares, after the age of puberty ; and in such as 

 have had a foal, and afterwards deprived of sexual in- 

 tercourse. The disease is most apt to make its appear- 

 ance about the menstrual period than any other. 



Symptoms. — They seem unwilling to perform their usual 

 task, either as travellers or as draught horses ; they 

 seem fretful, and often ill tempered, vicious, spiteful, and 

 seized with a paroxysm resembling a fit ; and lie or fall 

 down, and while the paroxysm lasts are unable to get up 



