14-8 EPILEPSY. 



principally among fancy and highly-petted dogs, whose irritability 

 of constitution is thus increased by their artificial habits : occa- 

 sionally, however, it occurs with others less confined and pampered, 

 where the owners are anxious to save several of a litter, or are 

 forgetful to supply the necessary extra nutriment. The appear- 

 ance of these fits is made at uncertain periods of lactation, as the 

 constitution begins to sympathise extremely, sooner or later, with 

 the unnatural call made on it. The mother may go on well for 

 weeks even ; suddenly, however, she will be seized with convul- 

 sions, which will follow each other with rapidity, and carry her off: 

 the cause of which is seldom suspected, but it almost always arises 

 from debility thus brought on. The mother should always, there- 

 fore, be allowed to suckle as many puppies only as her constitu- 

 tional powers are equal to ; but to specify the precise number is to- 

 tally impossible, as some can bring up five or six with more ease 

 than others can rear three. Strong healthy bitches, that have 

 before brought up young, may rear four or five : delicate ones are 

 sufficiently burthened with three, many can only bear two. 



The treatment is to be commenced by an immediate removal of 

 the puppies : one or two may be put to her for half an hour, morn- 

 ing and evening ; or if she is distressed at their loss, and has much 

 milk left, one may remain with her ; but unless the majority are 



with you. In a state of nature the caninae breed but once in the year, and never 

 have more, 1 believe, than five or six at a birth. Cultivation and domestica- 

 tion have so altered their habits, that our dogs breed three times in two years, 

 and some five times in three years, and have six, ei^ht, and occasionally many 

 more whelps at a birth. We have also decreased their powers of supplying 

 these extra wants, by the very same means we have increased their generative 

 powers, by making them artificial instead of natural animals. I have had 

 many occasions of proving, that this artificial cultivation weakens their re- 

 sources under disease, and under other accidental circumstances, as breeding, 

 &c. Nature thus punishes the deviations from her established rules ; and as 

 this frequent gestation and unusual rearing of extra numerous progeny is of 

 man's own work, he must oppose art to art, by destroying as many of the young 

 as may be supposed beyond the powers of the mother to rear ; and also of giving 

 her extra support to nourish the remainder. 



