62 TIIE DISEASES OF HORSES, 



ment for mange.— Black brimstone gib., flowers of brimstone fib. 

 (generally written floury), black hellebore loz., white hellebore 4oz., 

 corrosive sublimate £oz. (generally called supplement), blue unction (mer- 

 curial ointment) loz., spirits of tar quarter-pint, whale oil half-pint, oil of 

 origanum loz., hog's lard l|lb., mixed. Stupid and dangerous alike as 

 the above is it is an improvement on many of the nostrums chemists are 

 requested to compound, and which, to their credit, they never do, quietly 

 making a better and a safer article instead, knowing it would be as absurd 

 to reason on the subject with the horse as the horse doctor, and for this 

 wise discretion on the part of the chemist, gentlemen, farmers, and others 

 have to be thankful, as it is the saving of the lives of many valuable 

 animals. 



Megrims. — The disease known a3 megrims is a temporary pressure on 

 the brain producing partial or entire insensibility ; it may result from 

 pressure of the collar, extra exertion, or possibly sometimes from the 

 excessive heat of the snn, or the cause may be so remote as to be 

 undiscoverable to us. The fit comes on suddenly and without warning, 

 and very frequently when the animal is in harness ; and especially is the 

 horse predisposed to megrims likely to have an attack if driven with 

 a tight bearing rain, which prevents the natural free action of the head. 

 In very slight attacks the horse stops, throws up his head, and, staring 

 round stupidly for a short time, recovers, and is ready to go on as 

 if nothing unusual had occurred. In severer cases he will rear, or, 

 suddenly turning round, rush, in defiance of control, into danger, finally 

 falling down, where he will remain from one to probably ten minutes, 

 according to the severity of the attack. In such a case the head should 

 be kept down, the harness loosened, and the horse not allowed to arise 

 until the driver is assured he has fully recovered consciousness and the 

 animal should be soothed by kind word and action ; all noisy bluster 

 and excitement, although it may spring from good intentions, is to 

 be condemned. In very bad cases it may be advisable to attempt relief 

 by bleeding on the spot, or as soon as the horse can be got to his 

 stable, when the bleeding should be from the neck vein, and if the horse 

 is of full habit, he should be prepared with mashes, and receive a physio 

 ball. Entire rest is also essential, with gentle leading exercise only. 

 Although there are instances where a horse has had but one fit of 

 megrims, the general rule is that they are recurring, and therefore 

 unusual care in riding and driving must be exercised, as from the 

 suddenness of the attack the rider or driver is placed in great jeopardy. 

 As preventives the suitability of the collar should be looked to, the 

 bearing rein abolished ; the horse should not be forced to over-exertion, 

 nor unduly and improperly excited, and his general health assured by a 

 judicious system of feeding, grooming, and exercise, and by providing a 

 stable of sufficient size, and properly ventilated. This latter is a most 

 important point, to which too little attention is paid. Every writer on 

 hygiene lays it down as a law that men cannot continue to live in health 



