68 THE DISEASES OV HOESES, 



wears an anxious and dejected look of pain. Any attempt he makes to lie 

 down aggravates his state, giving evident pain. Costiveness is invariably 

 an accompanying symptom. 



The first step in combating the disease is to bleed freely from a large 

 orifice till signs of faintness appear, when the orifice should at once be 

 closed. The quantity necessary to be taken will often be as much as five 

 or six quarts. The bowels should be at once relieved, to which end give 

 clysters of soap and warm water or gruel, with oil, and give also a drench 

 of castor oil or linseed oil. 



Aconite is a medicine resorted to in these cases, but it is not a safe thing 

 except in professional hands. The following may be given night and 

 morning, or once a day, according to circumstances, until the symptoms 

 have abated : 



Ball for Pneumonia.— Nitre, 2dr. ; powdered leaves of digitalis, idr. ; 

 powdered camphor, ^dr., made into a ball with common mass (p. 21). Or 

 the concentrated fever mixture : 



Concentrated Fever Mixture. — A good reliable and convenient form for 

 fever mixture is made as follows : Take concentrated Mindererus spirit 

 4oz. ; nitrate of potash loz. ; tincture of belladonna ldr. ; sweet spirit 

 of nitre loz. ; water sufficient to make 16oz. Dose, in feverish affections, 

 a wineglassful in a pint of gruel every four or six hours whilst fever 

 continues. 



The horse must be kept comfortable, let him have a loose box well 

 padded with tan or other soft material, take off his shoes, frequently 

 hand rub the legs, and draw the ears gently to create warmth. Keep the 

 horse sufficiently warm with body cloths, but on no account in a hot stable ; 

 cool pure air is absolutely necessary to recovery ; the hot and vitiated air 

 of a close stable is poison in every breath to the patient ; let the food 

 consist solely of gruel, well made, and hay tea; when he begins to 

 recover increase the food cautiously, or a relapse is certain, which 

 generally proves fatal ; add to the gruel scalded oats, or give them 

 alone in small quantities frequently, six or eight times a day. One of the 

 first symptoms of recovery is the horse lying down. On no account 

 disturb him ; rest is the best of restorers to exhausted nature. As re- 

 covery goes on gradually increase the feed, and in a little time tonics 

 may bo given. The causes of this disease are exposure to cold and wet, 

 especially after a quick ride or drive, which oauses a sudden check of the 

 perspiration. It so often follows culpable heedlessness of the animal's 

 claim on his master as to reflect on him the most severe censure. Broken 

 wind is not an unfrequent sequel to this disease. 



Pneumonia. — See Pleurisy and Pneumonia. 



Poll Evil.— That this terrible source of agony to the poor horse has, 

 happily, vastly diminished to a great extent we are willing to believe, through 

 the more humane treatment to which our equine drudges are treated. 



To describe the pain and agony the horse suffering from poll evil has 

 patiently to endure is beyond my power ; but let the reader imagine such 



