261 



VIPER BITE. 



In every quarter of the globe but Europe dogs are exposed to 

 the venemous attacks of snakes, whose bite is instantly mortal. 

 The viper is the only animal of this kind in Britain capable of in- 

 flicting a wound attended with serious consequences, and to which 

 dogs become exposed when hunting. In these cases, the bitten 

 part swells enormously, and the animal expresses great distress and 

 suffering : at length he becomes affected with torpor, or, in some 

 cases, with convulsions, when death commonly ensues. But it 

 is not often that these bites are fatal, particularly when proper 

 means are resorted to for obviating the effects. These means 

 consist in freely rubbing the bitten part with volatile alkali, or 

 with the spirit of hartshorn mixed with oil ; giving also seven, 

 ten, or twelve drops of the volatile alkali, or otherwise forty drops 

 to a large dog of the spirit of hartshorn, in a tea- spoonful or two 

 of sweet oil, every hour, until the amendment is evident. 



The venemous stings of Hornets i Wasps ^ and Bees, may be 

 relieved by applying the vegetable blue used to colour linen. 

 Laudanum, also, or vinegar, or brandy, will, either of them, often 

 remove the pain and inflammation speedily. 



CLASS IX. 



EXTERNAL AND LOCAL INFLAMMATIONS. 



WOUNDS. 

 Dogs are liable to become wounded in various ways, and their 

 wounds, however bad, are not generally much attended to, from 

 an opinion that the animal's tongue is the best dressing. This is 

 very questionable : in some instances, I am certain, no application 

 can be worse to a wounded dog than his own tongue. Whenever 

 dogs are at all inclined to foulness, as a tendency to cuticular com- 

 plaints is called, a sore, so licked, is sure to become mangy, and 

 to be aggravated by the licking. 



