HOUSING THE PATIENT. 117 



Swede turnips are sometimes preferred to carrots; as an 

 article of diet, however, the latter are greatly superior. Turnips 

 are heavy, watery, and far less nutritious. 



Green clover, rye grass, and food of a similar kind, frequently 

 prove of marked benefit to a sick horse. Care, however, should 

 be exercised in their use, otherwise they may not only injure 

 the animal, by aggravating the disease, but Colic may supervene, 

 and the worst consequences speedily follow. It is better to 

 mis the green fodder with a little hay, and give small portions 

 of this at a time. Lints and oats, or tares, are a heavy, cold, 

 and watery diet. 



II. — Housing the Patient. — If the patient be attacked 

 with disease of an acute, or sub-acute nature, as Inflammation of 

 the Bowels, or Inflammation of the Lungs, or Epidemic Catarrh, 

 it is better that the animal be placed in a box, which should be 

 roomy, moderately loell liglited, perfectly clean, loell ventilated, of 

 a comfortable temperature, and well littered with cleati dry 

 straw. 



For the following reasons, diseased animals should always 

 be separated, if practicable, from those which are healthy, viz : 

 if the disease be of an infectious nature, it may prevent it from 

 spreading, — the animal is not disturbed by other horses going 

 out, or coming into the stable, — the temperature of a loose box 

 can be maintained at a more equable rate ; and lastly, if the 

 disease be of a violent nature (as Inflammation of the Bowels), 

 the patient if allowed to remain in a regular sized stall, would 

 probably severely injure and bruise himself, destroy the wood- 

 work, and perhaps inflict injury upon the limbs of other horses. 

 "While treating upon the subject of housing, I will lay down the 

 following rule for cleaning the box, if the patient is likely to 

 remain in it for two or three days. 



