GARGLES AND MOUTH-WASHES 41 



towards the middle of the body. The pulleys are now hooked on to the 

 suspender, and the body being slightly eased off the ground, the breastplate 

 and breechings are buckled on by raising the legs in the manner above 

 described. 



Horses in slings require constant vigilance to prevent undue pressure 

 and the production of sores on particular parts of the body with which they 

 are brought into contact. A careful survey of the apparatus should be 

 made two or three times a day, and, if necessary, a hole or two should be let 

 out here, and one taken up there, so as to distribute the weight as equally 

 as possible. If the animal, owing to the nature of his injuries or from 

 other causes, persist in resting heavily upon one particular portion, that 

 part should be padded or stuffed with hay, or a sheep-skin or pieces of rug 

 may be interposed between the body and the suspender; but hay will, as a 

 rule, be found the best stuffing, since it permits of more or less circulation 

 of air. 



GARGLES AND MOUTH- WASHES 



Liquid preparations intended to act upon the mucous membrane of the 

 throat by contact are commonly spoken of as gargles, although it is not 

 supposed by anyone that horses can perform the act known to human 

 patients as gargling. Advantage, however, is taken of the horse's reluc- 

 tance to swallow, and small quantities of the medicine are poured into the 

 back of his mouth, and when it has been retained there for a short period 

 the head is lowered and the fluid allowed to escape. It may be remarked 

 that gargles are seldom composed of any ingredients that would be hurtful 

 if carried into the stomach. 



Applications intended to produce their effect upon any part of the 

 mouth are frequently described as mouth-washes, and the directions gener- 

 ally require the affected parts to be dressed with a soft sponge. If the 

 back of the mouth has to be so treated, the sponge may be attached to 

 a flexible cane. 



SUPPOSITORIES 



These are substances introduced into the rectum for medicinal purposes. 

 They usually take the form of a cone-shaped mass, and are compounded 

 with such agents as cocoa -butter. This substance is solid at ordinary 

 temperatures outside the body, but slowly becomes liquefied by the heat of 

 the part. Suppositories are more particularly employed as anodynes and 

 antiseptics, and occasionally for their astringent properties. 



