142 BIG HEAD. 



wiseping from the eye on the side affected- — in a short 

 time a local swelling appears on the side of the face in ^ 

 a direct line between the eye and nostril, which on M 

 being pressed hard with the finger causes the animal fl 

 to wince, and by rubbing it gently with the hand, 

 appears to give ease to him — an enlargement of the 

 jaw bone, and a considerable decline in flesh. I have 

 not discovered that the disease is attended with fever ; 

 if it is suffered to run long, it causes an affection of the 

 joints — they become puffed, as if inflated with wind, 

 and in a short time those swellings become filled with 

 pus, and ultimately break, and a discharge of purulent 

 matter issues from the joints, and the animal falls, to 

 rise no more without help. It is supposed to be infec- 

 tious only in this last state of the disease. 



Cure. — As soon as the swelling on the side of the 

 face appears, take a piece of white arsenic about the 

 size of a common field pea, (or about six or eight grains 

 pulverized and wrapped in fine paper, of a size only 

 sufficient to contain it,) make an incision in the skin, 

 immediately over the hard tumour, insert the arsenic 

 (or the paper containing it,) and with a needle and 

 thread make one suture or stitch, tie the ends of the 

 thread in a hard knot, bleed the horse, and turn him 

 out alone in a good pasture, or if it is cold weather, 

 put him in a stable, removed from other horses, and 

 feed him on light food — in a few days the effects of 

 the arsenic will be discoverable by a considerable 

 swelling of the head, nose, and face, which will increase 

 until the power of the arsenic is exhausted — if both 

 sides of the face are operated on at the same time, 

 ihe head will swell to an enormous size — in about a 

 month, or six weeks, the arsenic will have developed 

 its efficacy by the appearance of a circular piece oi 



