DOGS! THEIR MANAGEMENT. 281 



To correct this state of disease, the first thing to be 

 attended to is the food. The diet must be strictly regu- 

 lated ; it should not be too much reduced either in quan- 

 tity or quality, for dogs in this state are generally old, 

 and always weakly. Enough of good food should be 

 allowed, but nothing more ought to be given. Meat, 

 lean, and from a healthy animal, as constituting the light- 

 est and most nourishing diet, will here be best, and from 

 two ounces to two pounds may be divided into four 

 meals, and given in the course of the day. Plenty of 

 exercise and a daily cold bath will likewise be bene- 

 ficial. 



Medicine must be -employed for two purposes ; the 

 first, to alleviate the pain and act locally on the disease ; 

 and the second, to amend the general health, checking 

 the constitutional disposition to be affected. As a local 

 application, Mr. Elaine recommends an ointment ; which 

 I object to, because I have found it aggravate the suf- 

 fering without conferring any compensating benefit 

 Astringents, such as the acetate of lead, are not curative ; 

 but the following ointment has done so much good in 

 these cases that I can most confidently submit it to the 

 public : 



Camphor Two drachma. 



Strong mercurial ointment . One drachm. 

 Elder ointment One ounce. 



The only addition I make to the above is occasionally 

 a drachm of powdered opium. This is smeared over the 



