Materia- Medica . 



175 



severe punishment and brutality must be avoided, or 

 existing matters will be greatly aggravated. 



Balling guns or proba?igs are made of various kinds 

 and designs for administering solid forms of medicine 

 under the circumstances alluded to in the foregoing para- 

 graph, being sufficiently long for the purpose, while the 

 operator may avoid blows from the fore feet of the 

 animal. Engravings with full description will be found 

 in the larger work on the diseases of the Horse. The 

 hand is the safest for general use, and by means of the 

 iron gag very satisfactory results have been achieved by 

 the exercise of patience, even with crafty or vicious 

 animals. As a last resource such animals may be cast, 

 the effect upon some being a lasting impression of defeat, 

 leading to surprising docility. Pointed sticks should 

 never be used. Avoid boluses when the throat is in- 

 flamed and swallowing difficult. 



The Drench is the fluid form in which medicines are 

 administered. Some animals stoutly refusing a bolus 

 will submit to be drenched. The method is also prefer- 

 able for many substances, while a more rapid and bene- 

 ficial effect is produced. 



Draughts or drenches, erroneously styled 

 are often administered by a horn. It is not 

 a safe instrument for all hands, a strong tin 

 bottle, as in the annexed figure, being the 

 most suitable if kept constantly clean. The 

 operation of drenching is performed as fol- 

 lows : — A stout ash stick, five feet in length, 

 is provided with a loop formed of cord, the 

 latter being so large as to admit of being 

 passed over the upper jaw, behind the 

 "tushes." By this the head is raised, the 

 mouth being slightly above the horizontal 

 position, which facilitates the flow of the 

 liquid to the back of the mouth. The 

 operator standing on an inverted pail, or 

 other convenient elevation, on the off, or 

 right side, inserts the fingers of the left hand 

 within the angle of the mouth, and by drawing away the 



" drinks," 



