342 THE HOUND. 



finds his cure by an instinctive faculty ; in a do- 

 mesticated state, however, he is subject to many, 

 and some of an awful nature, which may be classed 

 among the opprohria medicorum^ no certain remedy 

 being discovered for them. Amongst these is one 

 called the distemper, not known by our forefathers, 

 but at present become a sort of periodical disorder 

 in kennels, to the destruction of thousands of young 

 hounds annually. The first symptoms of this dis- 

 ease are, generally, a dry husky cough ; want of 

 appetite, and consequent loss of flesh ; extreme dul- 

 ness, and a running from the nose and eyes. As 

 the disease advances, it is attended with twitchings 

 of the head, while the animal becomes excessively 

 weak in the loins and hinder extremities ; is greatly 

 emaciated ; runs at the eyes and nose, and smells 

 very ofiensively. At length the twitchings assume 

 the appearance of convulsive fits, accompanied with 

 giddiness, which cause the dog to turn round ; he 

 has a constant inclination to dung, with obstinate 

 costiveness at one time, or incessant purging at 

 another. Finally, the stomach becomes extremely 

 irritable ; every thing swallowed is instantly thrown 

 up ; and the dog generally dies in a spasmodic fit. 



For the cure of this disorder many remedies 

 have been prescribed ; but as none of them can be 

 relied upon as specific, we decline giving them,* 



* Colonel Cook says he has " sometimes" found the following effi- 

 cacious : — Calomel three grains, cathartic ext. seven ditto, soap seven 

 ditto, emetic tartar one half grain. Make three pills, and give one 

 every other day. Vaccination was tried in some kennels as a pre- 

 ventive, but it failed, and was abandoned. 



