38 THE DISEASES OF HORSES, 



anything ails the horse, no matter what, he must bo made to stale, and 

 hence medicines Laving this effect are too often resorted to and given in 

 overdoses, such as to produce profuse staling, and sometimes this becomes 

 true diabetes. Food of bad quality is said to cause diabetes, and mow-burnt 

 hay and new oats are said to have a special tendency to produce it ; it 

 is always accompanied by very great thirst, and quickly weakens and 

 emaciates the animal. The horse suffering from this disease is not likely 

 to be cured, but it may be alleviated by attention to his general comfort, 

 and a fair allowance of green food and roots, especially of carrots, will be 

 beneficial. The leaves of the bear-berry oir bear's whortleberry (uva 

 ursi) is recommended for it, and the following ball might be tried, giving 

 one every day. 



Ball for Diabetes.— Take dried leaves of uva ursi in powder half an 

 ounce, opium in powder |dr., gallic acid |dr., common mass sufficient to 

 form a ball. Mayhew recommends ldr. of iodide of iron, to be given in form 

 of a ball daily, or loz. of diluted phosphoric acid in a pint of water night 

 and morning. 



Diarrhoea or Excessive Purging 1 .— This is also called looseness, 

 scouring, &c, &c, and is often a simple effort of nature to relieve the 

 bowels from some obnoxious and irritating substance, as partially digested 

 food; it is often set up by over doses of physic, and among the numerous 

 causes a too sudden change of diet, especially from dry corn and hay 

 to a superabundance of green and succulent grasses, giving water im- 

 mediately before driving sharply, a sudden chill, or even a change to water 

 different to that which the animal has been accustomed to. Those horses 

 nob well ribbed up, called "washy," are held to be most subject to it; 

 and whenever a horse is known to be so he should be the more carefully 

 dieted and given drier and more binding food. In diarrhoea avoid medicine 

 if possible, in most cases it will not be required. Keep the horse quiet 

 and warm, clothing both body and legs ; do hot, however, keep the 

 animal in a close stuffy place, but where there is free ventilation and the 

 air kept at a pretty regular temperature ; remove all corn and hay, also 

 green food, and give oatmeal gruel, rice boiled soft, gruel of wheaten 

 flour, boiled linseed, and other demulcents that will be easily digested and 

 be soothing to the animal; if this treatment alone fails, the following 

 injection may be used. 



Injection for Diarrhoea. — Boiled starch made thin, and with an ounce of 

 laudanum to each quart ; or, if not found effectual, use gruel a quart, 

 laudanum l^oz., and tincture of catechu loz. 



It must be borne in mind that it is not desirable to check diarrhoea 

 too suddenly, but better to clear the bowels of any irritant by means 

 of the giuel, &c, when it will genorally subside without further interfer- 

 ence on our part, but it is always necessary not to go back too suddenly 

 to the ordinary food for fear of causing a relapse. In diarrhoea the 

 patient is sometimes relieved by rubbing the belly with a strong 

 stimulating liniment, or applying hot clothes frequently changed. When 



