288 VETERINARY STUDIES 



It is practically insoluble in water; soluble in ether, alcohol 

 and chloroform and dilutes well in linseed oil. 



Doses. — Horses take 1 to 3 ounces and cattle 2 to 6 ounces 

 two or three times a day. The dose for sheep and swine should 

 be about 1/6 of these quantities. 



Narcotics and Sedatives 



Chloroform. — Stimulant, antispasmodic, anodyne,^ anesthetic. 

 Its stimulating effect resembles that of alcohol, but is less pro- 

 nounced and more temporary. Applied externally, it evapo- 

 rates rapidly and is cooling; but is very irritating when applied 

 externally and prevented from evaporating. 



Chloroform is very useful in colic, cough, and other spasmodic 

 conditions given internally with eight to ten times its bulk of 

 raw linseed oil or milk and well shaken. 



It is very slightly soluble in water, but dissolves freely in 

 alcohol, ether or turpentine, and is useful in spasmodic colic. 



Doses. — Horses and cattle take two to four drams repeated 

 every two to three hours, if necessary till the patient staggers. 

 Sheep and hogs take one half to one dram repeated frequently 

 as for horses and cattle. 



Sodium bromid. — Small white crystals, readily soluble in 

 water. This medicine is usually considered as the least toxic, 

 least irritating to the stomach and the most hypnotic ^ of the 

 bromids. 



It acts as a nerve depressant especially on the motor centers. 



The bromids are often combined with chloral hydrate and are 

 used to control nervous conditions with excessive motor activity, 

 as in convulsive conditions. 



Doses. — Horses and cattle take one half to two ounces. 



Opium. — Medicinal doses relieve pain and spasmodic condi- 

 tions, reduce congestion and inflammation ; check intestinal se- 

 cretions and peristaltic movements ; and with some animals pro- 

 duce sleep. The various preparations of opium are used espe- 

 cially for the purpose of relieving pain. Opium is a typical 

 anodyne (pain reliever), but there are very painful conditions 

 that arise in practice under which it should never be given, 

 which it is not thought practical to explain in this short lecture 



' An anodyne relieves pain. An anesthetic removes sensation. 

 ^A hypnotic produces sleep. 



