DO TIIE DISEASES OF HORSES. 



Iodide of Mercury.— See Mercury. 

 Iodide of Potassium.— See Potassium. 

 Iodide of Sulphur. — See Sulphur. 



Iodine. — Chemical compounds of iodine are largely used in veterinary 

 practice. These are principally iodide of iron, iodide of mercnry, iodide of 

 potassium, and iodide of sulphur. Iodine itself, simply mixed with spirit of 

 wine, soap liniment, lard, or mild mercurial ointment, is used to excite and 

 disperse glandular swellings, for which an ointment consisting of one part 

 of iodine and eight parts of lard or mild mercurial ointment may be used, 

 the latter being much the most powerful, and such an ointment, but con- 

 taining only one-third of the above proportion of iodine makes a good 

 hair stimulant when applied with friction to parts denuded of hair. 



Iron. — Besides the iodide of iron, to which I shall only briefly refer, 

 there are two other compounds of this metal of considerable importance 

 in veterinary pharmacy, namely, 



Iodide of Iron is a preparation combining, to some extent, the 

 characteristic properties of both iodine and iron ; it is a tonic and a stimu- 

 lant, increasing the general vigour of the system, but acting so decidedly 

 on the absorbent vessels as to be rather too delicate a substance to be 

 safely administered by other than professional men. The dose of it is half 

 a drachm to a drachm. 



Sulphate of Iron is the ordinary green copperas, or vitriol of 

 commerce, purified ; it exists in crystals of a bright green colour, with a 

 slight bluish tint. It is an astringent and a tonic, and as the latter it is 

 principally used, the dose being from one to two drachms daily ; it is 

 usual to give it in conjunction with gentian or some other bitter tonio, and 

 some of the aromatic carmination seeds, such as carraway or coriander. 

 I think the form for tonic powders, given under "gentian," will be 

 found as useful as any compound of the kind. At the Royal College of 

 Veterinary Surgeons the following tonic mass is, I believe, used : Tonic 

 Mass : Sulphate of iron, 4oz. ; powdered ginger, 2oz. ; and common mass 

 (that is, linseed meal and treacle), lOoz. ; the dose of which would be from 

 an ounce to an ounce and a half. I think, however, that it is preferable 

 to give it in form of a powder when it can be so readily given with the 

 provender. 



Tincture of Iron is also a valuable medicine, and as well as 

 being a tonic, it is a styptic, and so used in haemorrhages from the 

 kidneys, uterus, and bladder. The dose is half an ounce in half a pint of 

 water. 



Laudanum.— See Opium. 



Lead. — Several compounds of lead are useful in treating horse diseases. 



Acetate of Lead, better known by its popular name of sugar of 

 lead, is a styptic, and may be given in drachm doses, combined with 

 opium, in cases of internal haemorrhage ; it is also of value in cases of 

 severe and protracted diarrhoea, but it is principally used externally. In 

 ophthalmia and inflammation of the eye, a lotion composed of fifteen to 



