1034 .DISEASES AND THEIK TREATMENT. 



blankets to reach over the body of the horse. He should 

 then be very heavily blanketed, so as to keep the heat of the hot 

 cloths in, and produce perspiration. The hot-blanket pack should 

 be followed by cool sponging, spraying, or pouring, the same as 

 after the vapor bath. The after treatment should be the same as 

 after the vapor bath. 



POULTICES. 



The simplest and cheapest poultice can be made by pouring 

 boiling "water on about a peck of bran, so as to make a very thin 

 mash ; or linseed meal could be added to it. Boiled turnips make 

 a good poultice, which would also be improved by the addition of 

 a little linseed meal. 



Poultices are generally too small, confined, and dry. A poul- 

 tice should be made large, so as to cover the parts thoroughly, and 

 keep them moist. "When a horse gets a nail in the foot, or it is 

 calked, or when there is any local inflammation from an injury, 

 covering the parts with a warm poultice will be found a very sim- 

 ple and good way of keeping down inflammation. If it is desired 

 to poultice the leg for a sprain of the tendons, a flannel bag can 

 be made for the purpose, or an old pant's leg, if convenient, can be 

 pulled up over the leg; tie a string loosely around the foot below 

 the fetlock, and fill the bag with the poultice above the knee } 

 which can be kept up by tying a piece of listing, or a strip of flan- 

 nel over the shoulder. Poultices are also useful applications for 

 promoting suppuration in inflamed tumors; and when there is ir- 

 ritation or inflammation in the heels, such as scratches, cracks, or 

 grease. The poultices commonly employed for these purposes are 

 of an emollient character. The following is a standard formula; 



1 pound linseed meal, 



2 quarts bran, 



2 to 4 ounces hog's lard. 

 Boiling water enough to make a soft poultice. 



Or, turnips thoroughly boiled and mashed, any quantity, lin- 

 seed meal enough to form the poultice. A good poultice can be 

 made of carrots, grated finely. Either of these simple poultices 

 may be converted into an anodyne poultice by the addition of 

 opium ; into a fermenting poultice by the addition of yeast, and 

 by substituting oatmeal for linseed meal ; into an astringent poul- 



