44 



the animal. Liquor arsenicalis may be given in the drinking water, in 

 half-ounce to six drachm doses twice daily for two or three weeks, then once 

 a day for a similar period, and finally once every alternate day. Purgatives, 

 such as aloes or linseed oil, may be given in moderate doses if required. Their 

 occasional administration is beneficial in regulating the action of the bowels. 

 It is well known that horse-coopers adopt certain measures in order to pass 

 a broken-winded animal for sale. With this object they allow little or na 

 food, give the animal a good sharp trot to empty the bowels, and administer 

 drugs such as digitalis, opium, and other agents such as shot, which have a 

 temporary sedative effect, and thus deceive many persons. 



CHILL, COMMON COLD, AND CHRONIC CATARRH. 



It not unfrequently happens after a day's hunting, more especially when 

 there have been many and prolonged halts on cold and wet days, that horses 

 take a chill in consequence of the exposure. Frequently the services of a 

 veterinary surgeon are not called for in these cases of simple fever, or 

 febricula as it is termed, unless the symptoms be somewhat more severe or 

 the animal more distressed than he generally is. In most instances of 

 simple fever resulting from chill, the attendant first notices that the animal 

 does not take his food, but stands dejected or moves about restlessly, with 

 cold and staring coat. The number of respirations is not much increased in 

 ordinary cases, but may reach as high as i8 or 20 in the minute. If much 

 more frequent, we have reason to suspect that the lungs may be inflamed or 

 congested, and the case is then, of course, of a much more serious nature. 

 The pulse in simple fever is raised from 48 — 60, or even possibly higher, and 

 the internal temperature as indicated by the thermometer reaches to 102^ — - 

 104^ F. The bowels are constipated, and the fe^•cr remains high for two, 

 three, or four days, or possibly longer. In such cases as these, it will be 

 necessaiy in the first place to put the animal in a well-ventilated loose box, 

 and the diet should be of a laxative character, consisting of linseed or oatmeal 

 gruel, a few carrots, and grass. The groom should carefully bandage the 

 legs, and should keep up the surface heat by friction of the legs and ears, and 

 by moderate clothing. Medicinally, either half a pint of linseed oil, or two 

 or three drachms of aloes should be given in the first instance : and a draught 

 consisting of Fleming's tincture of aconite, five minims ; liquor ammonii 

 acetatis, four ounces ; bicarbonate of potassium, half an ounce ; nitric ether 

 one ounce and a half ; and water to make a pint, may be administered every 

 five or six hours, so long as the acute symptoms last. Such cases, however, 

 generally recover by the end of the second or third day, when they are not 

 complicated by any other malady. 



We have now to speak of acute catarrh or common cold, as this complaint 

 is usually termed. By the term catarrh, we mean a condition characterised 

 by inflammation of the lining membrane of the nostrils, and of its continuation 

 along the upper portions of the Avindpipe. In this condition there is a 



