DISEASES. 21 



ground; the dog may, at the same time, be observed to frequently turn an anxious 

 face toward his flanks. 



"Another safe and pretty certain way of distinguishing between enteritis and 

 simple obstruction or colic is by pressing the hand along the belly; in the latter dis- 

 ease, especially colic, the rubbing gives relief, whereas in inflammation it evidently 

 causes acute pain; the cry of pain given by the dog in this disease is shorter arid 

 sharper than the rather prolonged howl in colic, but to distinguish by this symp- 

 tom would require finer discrimination than can be reasonably expected from the 

 comparatively inexperienced, for whom I presume to write. I may here mention 

 the fact that enteritis is very commonly a complication of that 'scourge of the ken- 

 nel/ distemper, and this fact alone sufficiently shows the folly of trusting to any 

 single medicine, pill, powder, potion, or any so-called specific whatever for the cure 

 of that disease. The treatment proper in the disease under consideration 

 consists in getting the bowels relieved as speedily as possible by the mildest means 

 that can be used, constipation being generally present; for this purpose the use of 

 clysters every fifteen minutes, as recommended in obstruction of the bowels, should 

 be resorted to, and the injections must be used gently and with as little fuss and 

 annoyance to the patient as possible. When the clysters begin to take effect, the 

 evacuation of the bowels should be assisted by a dose of castor oil. From six to 

 twelve leeches, according to the size and strength of the dog, should be applied to 

 the belly, and after they have filled themselves the bleeding from the bites may be 

 encouraged 'by bathing the whole surrounding parts freely and continuously with 

 warm water. Many of the best writers on dogs recommend giving calomel and 

 opium combined, and it may appear presumptuous in me to offer a contrary opinion, 

 but experientia docet. I have given calomel to dogs in this disease and many 

 others, but I do not think I ever once gave it without making the patient worse; 

 so I have long discarded it, in the firm belief that it is not a medicine at all suited 

 to the dog, and I am quite certain from my own experience, and feel sure the best 

 veterinarians will bear me out, that the abusive use of calomel and other forms of 

 mercury, given too often in immense and poisonous doses to the dog, by country 

 farriers and others ignorant of its properties, and who work by the rule of thumb, 

 is not infrequently the cause of inflammation of the bowels. Instead of calomel, I 

 have in several cases used the following with excellent effect 



Take true James' Powder 3 grains 



Powdered Opium ^ grain 



In one powder. Give every two hours till three are given; large-sized dogs 

 require double that dose. 



"If happily the dog gets over the attack, with signs of returning health great 

 weakness will be evident, and this must be met by good nursing and a generous,, 

 but easily assimilated, diet. Beef tea, thickened, with bread, rice, etc., will answer 

 well. The diet must be so varied as to keep the bowels open without the use of 

 medicine." 



When well on the road to health progress will be accelerated by giving Clay- 

 ton's, Dent's or Sergeant's Condition Pills for a while. 



To allay the pain, give 5 gr. to 10 gr. of chloral, with 5 to 30 drops 

 of tincture of opium; also apply hot flannels to the abdomen. 



The following treatise on this trouble was *vritten especially for this book by 

 DENT. 



"An affection of the small intestines. This disease is of the most dangerous 



