DOGS ! THEIR MANAGEMENT. 321 



move scurf, allay irritability, and prevent the itching, 

 which might induce the animal to injure the part. The 

 food must be good, proportioned to the work the creature 

 has to perform, sufficiently nutritive, but easy of diges- 

 tion, and by no means heating. The stomach must be 

 strengthened by tonics and vegetable bitters, combined 

 with alkalies. Sedatives are sometimes required, and 

 hyosciamus is in that case to be preferred. A course of 

 iodide of potassium is likewise frequently beneficial ; but 

 it must be employed only in alterative doses, and perse- 

 vered with for a considerable period. The eighth of a 

 grain or half-a-grain may be given three times a day for 

 six months ; and on the first indication of irritability 

 appearing, the medicine must be resumed. Should the 

 symptoms of activity be such as to excite alarm, the 

 iodide must be administered in quantities likely to affect 

 the system. This is to be done with safety, by dissolv- 

 ing two drachms of the salt in two ounces of water, 

 every drop of which will then hold in solution the eighth 

 of a grain of the medicine. From two to ten drops may 

 be given at the commencement, and every day afterwards 

 one drop may be added to the dose, which should be 

 regularly administered thrice in the twenty-four hours. 

 The physic should thus be gradually increased until the 

 appetite fails ; or the eyes become inflamed ; or the ani- 

 mal is in an obvious degree dull. When that result is 

 obtained, the dose ought to be withheld for a time, or to 

 be diminished three or twelve drops, and the lessened 

 quantity only given until the symptoms have subsided. 



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