t8"6 THE FARM DOCTOR. 



more than one hundred yards, the fire and life suddenly giving 

 place to anxiety and despondency, the subject seems to be in 

 violent pain, the flanks heave, the nostrils are dilated, the face 

 is pinched, the surface is drenched in perspiration, the body 

 trembling violently, the limbs weak, so that they sway and 

 bend, while the animal walks crouchingly behind and soon goes 

 down, unable to support himself. If urine is passed it is high- 

 coloured, dark brown, red, or black, and is usually thought 

 bloody, but it contains neither clots nor blood-corpuscles, its 

 colour being due to the imperfectly oxidized albuminoids mixed 

 with an excess of urea. When the patient is down the limbs 

 and whole body are still convulsed at intervals, but are beyond 

 the control of the animal, showing the poisonous effect on the 

 nervous system. The pulse is variable but high, and the 

 temperature of the body normal at first, though it rises slightly 

 if the animal survives. Death may ensue in a i^\s liours or 

 days, or improvement manifested at any period may go on tc 

 complete recovery. The blood is dark, diffluent, clots loosely 

 if at all, and smells strongly. In some cases of recovery a 

 partial paralysis of the hind-limbs or wasting of the crural nerve 

 and muscles above the stifle will sometimes persist for a time, 

 showing structural nervous disease. 



Prevention is to be sought by regular daily exercise. In the 

 case of horses which have had a period of absolute repose, 

 submit to walking exercise only at first, and increase this day 

 by day until they have attained good, hard condition. 



Trcatme7it. — Clear out the bowels and unload the portal vein 

 and liver by active purgatives. Podophyllin \ drachm., aloes 

 4 drachms, may be given by the mouth, and copious injections 

 of soap-suds with oil or salts by the anus until the bowels 

 respond, in which case a favourable termination may be hoped 

 for. Drachm doses of bromide of potassium may be given 

 frequently to calm nervous disorder, and when the bowels have 

 responded half drachm doses of colchicum and drachm doses 



