1028 DISEASES AND THEIE TREATMENT. 



turned loose into a large box, or a paddock, or an orchard. In a 

 field he would be apt to take too much exercise. About a week 

 or ten days after the blister has been applied, the parts should be 

 oiled with some olive-oil or vaseline. If flies are troublesome, and 

 make the horse restless, they may be kept off by the tar ointment, 

 or tar and train oil mixed. 



COUNTER IRRITANTS. THEIR USES, How TO EMPLOY 

 THEM, ETC., FROM WILLIAMS. 



" In all painful aifections, warm fomentations or poultices must 

 as a rule be prescribed. In the course of some days, however, if 

 the pain is subsiding, and the parts seemingly relaxed, much bene- 

 fit will be obtained by making a change to cold, mild astringents 

 and bandages, to promote absorption of the exudate. 



" The congested capillaries may be relieved by local bleeding, 

 but the parts upon which such an operation is performed are very 

 few, except about the coronet or the foot. An incision into the 

 coronary plexus will reach the vessels at once; the utility of this 

 is, however, very doubtful, except in rare cases. Bleeding at the 

 toe, although much practiced by many, is not to be commended. 



" Purgatives are very useful during the first stages of lameness, 

 reducing the inflammation. A full dose of aloes may be given with 

 advantage, the diet being properly regulated and restricted to bran 

 mashes, a little hay, and the water to be chilled. 



" After the acute signs of inflammation have subsided, if the 

 lameness still remains, the application of the so-called counter irri- 

 tants will be rendered necessary. These consist of rubefacients, 

 blisters, setons, and the actual cautery. The actions of these reme- 

 dies differ only in degree, in rapidity, and in performance, not in 

 the nature of the exudation which they produce. Without enter- 

 ing into any speculative discussion upon the question, superficial ir- 

 ritants are beneficial in all cases of chronic lameness, whether it be 

 caused by disease in bone, cartilage, ligament, tendon, or any other 

 structure; and they are often more decidedly beneficial when ap- 

 plied to the diseased structure itself than to the skin covering it. 

 For example, a lameness arises from bone spavin; its eradication is 

 much more certain and rapid when a pointed cauter}^ is applied to 

 the diseased bones than when the hock is fired in the ordinary 

 way. Again, a spavin has been fired and blistered repeatedly 

 without benefit; the bones are " punched " (a barbarous operation, 

 and only to be performed in extreme cases), violent inflammation 

 is excited in the diseased bones, which for a time increases tlio 

 lameness; but this gradually subsides, and the original lameness is 

 found to be removed. 



" I am of the opinion that the curative action of external irri- 

 tants is not due to their producing metastasis or counter irritation; 

 but that they excite within the originally diseased structure a re- 



