70 THE SHOOTER'S GUIDE. 



strongest of reasons to recommend it ; namely, if by 

 any means a dog becomes mad (I mean the hydro- 

 phobia) it prevents him from doing any mischief, by 

 rendering him incapable of biting ; for, however good 

 liis inclination may be for that purpose, he becomes 

 so swelled about the tongue and mouth, that he can- 

 not get his jaws together. The operation of worm- 

 ing is no way difficult : the skin which covers the 

 worm (situated under the tongue) should be cut with 

 a lancet : a large needle or awl must then be intro- 

 duced under the worm to raise it up : on being raised, 

 it will be necessary to lay hold, and draw it gently out; 

 very little force is necessary, and care must be taken 

 that the worm does not break in the operation ; as the 

 animal will be thus put to additional pain, to say no- 

 thing of the irksome trouble given to the operator. 



If, about this time, puppies are branded with a red- 

 hot iron, with the initials of the owner's name, or any 

 other mark he may prefer, it will be very difficult, or 

 perhaps impossible, ever to obliterate it, and will be 

 the surest means by which to recover them, in case 

 they stray away or are stolen. 



The best food for whelps is potatoes and milk, or 

 potatoes mixed with a little salt, which will certainly 

 be the means of preserving them from the violent ef- 

 fects of the Di-f temper ; as it is generally from high 

 feeding that this bane to dogs arises ; and if it prove 

 not fatal to puppies so fed, it frequently makes them 

 cripples. 



Of curing the distemper it will be unnecessary for 



