574 THE BOOK OF THE DOG. 



Constitutionally, the animal must have plenty of clean cold water within easy reach of him. 

 As to medicine, I know of nothing better than, first, tincture of opium, in full and repeated 

 doses, to allay the pain ; and, secondly, either the Mindererus spirit in water by itself, or the 

 following : 



9> Liq. ammon. acet. ... ... 5 I a d 5 "] 



Tinct. aconit. ... ... n^ j. ad 7^ x. 



Aq. camph. ... ... ... q. s. 



F 1 - haust. M. 



Give four times a day. 



We must act upon the kidney by means of nitrate of potash, which, combined with a little 

 chlorate of potash, ought to be mixed in the drinking water, or if the urine is very scanty 

 indeed, give occasionally a little tincture of colchicum, from five drops to a drachm. 



If the disease goes on to effusion we must endeavour to promote its absorption by the 

 iodide of potassium and colchicum, and sometimes a little calomel may be used as well. 



The bowels ought to be regularly washed out with a simple enema, unless they are quite 

 open. If there is much constipation, give in the morning a dose of Epsom salts, and a little 

 cream of tartar. 



The food must be restricted for the first few days, but if there be much weakness early 

 resort must be had to strong unstimulating nutriment. 



During convalescence the greatest care must be taken, for the disease is apt to recur, and 

 recur again. Cod-liver oil and tonics must now be our sheet anchors. If there be but little 

 appetite the bitter tonics are the best. 



6. Pneumonia. 



Pneumonia, or inflammation of the lung tissue itself, is a very serious and ofttimes fatal 

 disease in the dog. Youatt, in his work on the dog, speaks of an epidemic form of pneu- 

 monia, and says that this form is usually fatal. The cases we usually see are sporadic, or are 

 sometimes connected with distemper, which latter may be epidemic, or epizootic in other 

 words. 



Causes. The causes of pneumonia are much the same as those of pleuritis, and are 

 generally due to a chill of some sort, especially if gotten when the animal is tired, as from 

 some unwonted exertion, and when he has been deprived of his usual food, and suffers in 

 addition, perhaps, from the depressing effects of anxiety of mind. That they do so suffer no 

 bne nowadays who understands canine nature will think of doubting or denying. 



"Some pathologists," Williams tells us, "conclude that pneumonia is a specific fever ter- 

 minating in exudation into the lung tissue, just as the variole fever terminates in an eruption 

 on the skin." Williams cannot agree with these pathologists, nor can we, for the inflammation 

 of the lung substance is certainly a concomitant condition from the very commencement of the 

 disease. 



Patlwlogy and Physical Signs. Pathologists of the present day divide the disease into four 

 different stages. The first stage, like all the others, is characterised by fever, the temperature of 

 the dog's body being very elevated. This is the stage in which the lining membranes of 

 the air-cells are simply inflamed and dry. The second stage is called the stage of engorge- 

 ment, because the air-cells are filled now with exudation of bloody serum. If we were now 

 to examine a piece of lung tissue we should find it externally of a dark unhealthy red colour, 



