DOGS *. THEIR MANAGEMENT. 77 



medicines that never fail, and of processes that always 

 afford relief. Persons often of the upper rank honor me 

 with secret communications which in their opinion are 

 of inestimable value ; ladies frequently entreat me to try 

 particular nostrums, and sportsmen not seldom command 

 me to do things which I am obliged to decline. In fact, 

 the man who shall attempt to treat the diseases of the 

 dog, will have no little annoyance to surmount. He will 

 soon discover that science unfortunately can afford him 

 but partial help, while prejudice on every side increases 

 the difficulties with which he will have to contend. 



Happily, however, the majority of pretended cures are 

 harmless. A roll of sulphur in the animal's water may 

 be permitted, since it amuses the proprietor while it does 

 not injure his dog. Some of these domestic recipes, 

 nevertheless, are far from harmless, and they are the 

 more to be deprecated, because those which most people 

 would imagine to be safe are the very ones which are 

 attended with the greatest danger. Common salt is a 

 poison to the dog ; tobacco is the source of many a death 

 in the kennel ; castor oil often does the ill which months 

 of care are needed to efface, even if the life be not 

 destroyed. In the majority of cases vomits are far 

 from beneficial ; bleeding is very seldom required, and 

 the warm bath has sealed the doom of innumerable 

 animals. 



The foregoing observations will have informed the 

 reader of the reasons that prompt the publication of the 

 present work, which is put forth only as a step towards 



