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CHAPTER II. 



RULES FOR PRESCRIBING CLASSIFICATION OF DRUGS ADMINISTERING MEDICINES 



POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES. 



THE medicines or drugs used in treating the ailments of dogs need be but very few and 

 simple. Blind faith should never be placed in medicine alone for the cure of any ailment. 

 If we can, first and foremost, arrive at a correct knowledge of the nature of the disease which 

 we propose to alleviate, there need not be much difficulty in prescribing secundum artem ; 

 but medicine alone is only half the battle, if even so much, for good nursing and attention 

 to the laws of hygiene, combined with a judiciously-chosen diet, will often do more to cure 

 a sick dog than any medicine that can be given. The following rules are worth remem- 

 bering : 



1. In prescribing we should rather err on the side of giving too much than too little. 



2. A harsh medicine should never be prescribed if a milder one will suffice. 



3. The time at which medicines are given ought to be well considered, and the veterinary 

 surgeon's orders in this respect strictly obeyed ; if a drug is ordered at bed-time, the dog 

 should on no account be allowed his freedom that night after the administration of the dose. 



4. Age must be considered as well as weight, and a young dog and a very old dog 

 require smaller doses. 



5. Mercury, strychnine in any form, arsenic, and some other medicines, require extreme 

 caution in their administration. 



6. Quack medicines should be avoided, for many and obvious reasons. 



7. Never despair of a dog's restoration to health, he may begin to come round when 

 least expected. 



8. Cleanliness is most essential to sick dogs ; so is gentle warmth, and fresh air, and 

 quiet. 



9. Be very careful in dividing the doses, i.e., never guess at the quantity, but always 

 measure it. 



10. One word as to the quality of the medicine prescribed. Expensive remedies, such 

 as quinine, &c., are greatly adulterated. Get all articles, therefore, from a respectable chemist. 

 The best are the cheapest. For example, never give to a dog for how dainty and easily 

 nauseated his stomach is we all know the castor oil usually administered to horses, nor 

 coarse cod liver oil, nor laudanum that has been made with methylated spirit, nor any other 

 medicine one would not care to take one's self. 



11. Do not force a dog with medicine, if he is going on well without it ; recovery must 

 be slow to be safe. 



Medicines are classed under the following heads : 



Antacids are medicines which correct acidity of stomach or system generally, by com- 

 bining with the free acids and neutralising them. Remember (i) They palliate symptoms 



