525 



glands, should not be mistaken, at least after a day. I have seen 

 acute glanders in mules which required a day's delay to differentiate 

 from strangles; at that time the farcy buds appeared. 



Prognosis. — The average case of the horsepox runs a course of dejec- 

 tion, loss of appetite, and more or less fever for about four days, fol- 

 lowed by a rapid convalescence, and leaves the animal as well and as 

 sound as before. If the eruption has been excessive or confluent, the 

 ulcerations may act as irritants and render the animal unfit for use 

 for several weeks. Larj^ngitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, and pneumo- 

 nia in this disease are not of greater gravity than they are when 

 occurring from other causes. The spots denuded of pigment left by 

 the pustules on the lips and genitals may temporarily depreciate the 

 value of the animal to a slight degree. 



Treatment.— As this is a disease unattended by alterations of the 

 blood itself, although a specific fever, and is of a sthenic type, active 

 remedies are admissible and indicated. The horse should be placed 

 on a low diet— little or no oats— bran mashes, a moderate quantity of 

 good sound hay, a few carrots or apples, which will act as laxatives, 

 and slop feed. Barley flour is more cooling for mashes than bran or 

 oat meal. Water may be given as the animal desires it, but it should 

 not be cold; if a half bucketful of water is kept in the manger the 

 horse will take but a few swallows at a time. Dram doses of nitrate 

 of potash, or ounce doses of sweet spirits of niter are useful in the 

 drinking water. If the fever is high the antipyretics are indicated : 

 Tincture of aconite in fifteen to twenty drop doses; sulphate of qui- 

 nine in dram doses; iodide of potash in dram doses; two or three 

 half -dram doses of tartar emetic or Kermes mineral are often useful ; 

 bleeding will often reduce the temperature at once and prevent com- 

 plications, but is sometimes the cause of an ugly inflammation sur- 

 rounded by an eruption in the neighboi-hood of the wound; infusion 

 of pine tops, of juniper leaves, of the aromatic herbs, or of English 

 breakfast tea are useful in the later stages. If complications of the 

 air passages or lungs are threatened a large mustard poultice should 

 be applied to the belly and sides of the chest. Oxide of zinc oint- 

 ment should be used on confluent eruptions, and if the ulceration is 

 excessive it may have to be touched with caustic. 



Great care must be taken to keep the animal protected from cold 

 draughts of air or other exposure. Blankets or sheets should be used 

 on the body and bandages on the legs. After convalescence is estab- 

 lished nutritious food of easy digestion and walking exercise are all 

 that is needed, except perhaps a little Glauber's salts, to pi-event 

 constipation. 



Prophylactic treatment.— When the horsepox breaks out amongst a 

 large number of horses, especially on a farm where there are a num- 

 ber of colts, it may be assumed that the greater majority will contract 

 the disease, and it is more economical that they should have it and 



