190 THE HORSE. 



speedily destroyed. The cause of this disease is obscure. It may he the 

 consequence of common cold; or it will more frequently depend on some 

 unexplained influence of the atmosphere. About the middle of sprin^r and 

 the commencement of autumn it is most frequent. Many horses in the 

 same district, or in almost every part of the country, will be attacked by it. 

 If the spring- or autumn be wet and variable, almost every cold will dege- 

 nerate into it ; and there are too many circumstances which lead us to con- 

 clude that it is infectious. A lot of horses was bought at one of the fairs. 

 They were all but one sent immediately to the residence of the purchaser 

 at a considerable distance. The remaining one was employed for some 

 purpose, and afterwards sent on a journey. He was seized with distemper, 

 and on recovering sufFiciendy to travel, he was taken home. Three months 

 had now elapsed since the purchase, and the other horses had been per- 

 fectly healthy ; but in less than a fortnight after this horse arrived, they 

 all sickened with distemper. 



The treatment of catarrhal fever requires much judgment. It is clearly 

 febrile in its commencement; but it speedily assumes the character of 

 weakness. We will suppose that the disease is discovered at its very com- 

 mencement. Bleeding will then be indispensable, regulated in quantity 

 by the degree of fever ; rarely exceeding four quarts, never intention- 

 ally pursued until the animal is faint, and immediately stopped when 

 there is the slightest appearance of faintness. The bleeding should be re- 

 peated if the pulse is frequent and strong ; or if the membrane of the nose 

 is getting red, and the legs cold, and even although weakness should be 

 rapidly coming on ; but it should be in small quantity, and the effect of it 

 carefully watched. 



If the disease has been suffered to run on for two or three days, and the 

 horse begins to stagger, the practitioner or the owner vidll consider all the 

 symptoms well before he ventures to bleed. Redness of the nostril, heat 

 of the mouth, quickness and force of pulse, heaving of the flanks, or cold- 

 ness of the legs, will require the loss of blood, notwithstanding considerable 

 weakness ; but if the animal is quite off his feed, and the inside of the nose 

 is livid, and he is fast losing condition as well as strength, bleeding will be 

 better avoided. 



It is of importance that the bowels should be evacuated ; and there is 

 not so much danger in the use of a little purgative medicine as in inflam- 

 mation of the lungs. Two drachms of Barbadoes aloes may be given in 

 the form of ball, or in solution ; and in twelve hours another drachm may 

 be given, and even a third dose twelve hours after that, if the faeces have 

 not been loosened ; taking care to back-rake the animal, and to administer 

 injections of tliin gruel. 



The sedative medicines at first exhibited should be the same as in in- 

 flammation of the lungs, and in the same quantity; but as soon as the 

 fever begins to remit, tw o drachms of the spirit of nitrous ether should 

 be added to each dose ; and, the weakness increasing, and the fever still 

 more subsiding, the chamomile may be ventured on, but with caution. 

 Warm clothing is necessary, and particularly about the head ; and although 

 the box should still be airy, it should not be so cool as in inflammation of the 

 lungs. If the throat be so sore that the animal will not eat, either the 

 parotid or the submaxillary glands, or both, should be blistered. It will be 

 far better to blister them at once, than to lose time by the use of weaker and 

 ineffective applications. The discharge from the nose should be promoted; 

 and the natural progress of the inflammation of the membrane of the nose 

 and throat hastened by hot mashes being frequently put in the manger, 



