THEIR TATIIOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT. 23 



blood. In treating bronchitis it is very important that the horse should 

 have plenty of fresh air without creating a draught, and a good roomy loose 

 box is the most suitable place for him. If the air can conveniently be ren- 

 dered warm and humid by evaporation of water it will be of great service 

 but this if done must be kept up night and day. Failing this, get a largo 

 and deep nose bag, and, putting into the bottom of it a good quantity of 

 bran and sweet hay cut fine, keep up a constant steaming by pouring boiling 

 water over it as often as it gets at all cold, and every three hours rub down 

 in boiling water 2dr. of the extract of belladonna and pour into the noso bag, 

 the steam from which will allay the irritation in the windpipes and give great 

 relief. At the outset the bowels should be acted on by a dose of linseed 

 oil, and one of the following balls must be given night and morning : 



Fever Balls. — Take tartarised antimony |dr. camphor ldr. and nitrate of 

 potash 2dr. made into a small ball with common mass (p. 21). 



The horse may also have every few hours loz. of laudanum mixed with 

 loz. spirit of sulphuric ether, given in warm water or gruel. Blisters 

 should be resorted to as soon as the existence of the inflammation is 

 ascertained, and must be applied over the brisket and along the windpipe 

 to the larynx ; the mild blister given on page 12 must in this case be in- 

 creased in strength by the addition of more cantharides, and the speedy 

 action insured by thoroughly fomenting the part with warm water previous 

 to applying the blister, which must be used, and the parts treated as ad- 

 vised under that head. 



Bronchitis sometimes leaves behind it a chronic cough and a tenderness 

 of the parts, rendering the horse specially sensitive to changes of tem- 

 perature and exposure to wet and cold weather. For such cases the 

 following form of cough ball i3 well suited : 



Cough Ball. — Take powdered digitalis lscr., camphor ldr., nitrate of 

 potash Hdr., powdered gum ammoniacum 3dr., Barbadoes tar 2dr., linseed 

 meal 2dr., made into one ball. 



One of these may be given as circumstances dictate, as often as night 

 and morning if needed. As the horse returns to health he must be treated 

 with great care and caution, both as to exposure to cold and in feeding, 

 and dusty hay or chaff must bo specially avoided. All food should be 

 given moist for a time, the return to dry corn being very gradual, gruel 

 mashes and boiled roots being made the staple food till health is restored. 

 The balls prescribed should be made as small as possible that they may 

 be the more easily given. 



Bruises or Contusions.— These terms are used to describe exter. 

 nal injuries caused by a fall, kick, or blow, when the skin is not lacerated : 

 they are characterised by more or less swelling and heat of the part, 

 and their effect is to obstruct the circulation, and in a greater or less 

 degree destroy, for the time being, the vitality of the part. Bruises vary 

 much in degree, and slight cases are easily managed, requiring only hot 

 fomentations or poultices, succeeded by rubbing the part gently with a 

 stimulating liniment, such as the follo'ving. 



