130 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



SO, and the breathing accomplished to a great extent bj^ aid of the 

 abdominal muscles. The horse persists in standing throughout the 

 attack. He prefers to stand with head to a door or window to gain 

 all the fresh air possible, but may occasionally wander listlessly 

 about the stall if not tied. The bowels most likely are constipated; 

 the dung is covered with slimy mucus. The urine is decreased in 

 quantity and darker in color than usual. The animal shows more or 

 less thirst; in some cases the mouth is full of saliva. The discharge 

 from the nose increases in quantity as the disease advances and in- 

 flammation subsides. This is rather a good symptom, as it shows one 

 stage has passed. The discharge then gradually decreases, the cough 

 becomes less rasping, but of more frequent occurrence, until it grad- 

 ually disappears with the return of health. 



Bronchitis, affecting the smaller tubes, is one of the most fatal 

 diseases, while that of the larger tubes is never very serious. It must 

 be stated, however, that it is an exceedingly difficult matter for a 

 nonexpert to discriminate between the two forms, and, further, it 

 may as well be said here that the nonexpert will have difficulty in 

 discriminating between bronchitis and pneumonia. 



Treatment. — The matter of first importance is to insure a pure at- 

 mosphere to breathe, and next to make the patient's quarters as com- 

 fortable as possible. A well-ventilated box stall serves best for all 

 purposes. Cover the body with a blanket, light or heavy, as the 

 season of the year demands. Hand rub the legs until they are warm, 

 then wrap them in cotton and apply flannel or Derby bandages from 

 the hoofs to the knees and hocks. If the legs can not be made warm 

 with hand rubbing alone, apply dry mustard. Rub in thoroughly and 

 then put on the bandages. Also rub mustard paste well over the side 

 of the chest, covering the space beginning immediately behind the 

 shoulder blade and running back about eighteen inches, and from the 

 median line beneath the breast to within ten inches of the ridge of the 

 backbone. Repeat the application to the side of the chest about three 

 days after the first one is applied. 



Compel the animal to inhale steam from a bucketful of boiling 

 water containing a tablespoonful of oil of turpentine and spirits of 

 camphor, as advised for cold in the head. In serious cases the steam 

 should be inhaled every hour, and in any case the oftener it is done 

 the g-reater will be the beneficial results. Three times a day admin- 

 ister an electuary containing acetate of potash (2 drams), with lico- 

 rice and molasses or honey. It is well to keep a bucketful of cold 

 water before the animal all the time. If the horse is prostrated and 

 has no appetite, give the following drench : Spirits of nitrous ether, 2 

 ounces; rectified spirits, 3 ounces; water, 1 pint. Repeat the dose 

 every four or five hours if it appears to benefit. AVhen the horse is 

 hard to drench, give the following: Pulverized carbonate of ammonia, 



