30 DISEASES OF THE HORSE, 



the medicine is poured into the mouth by the right. The left thumb 

 is to be placed in the angle of the lower jaw, and the fingers spread 

 out in such a manner as to support the lower lip. Should the dose 

 be large, the horse ugly, or the attendant unable to support the head 

 as directed above, the head is then to be held up by running the tines 

 of a long-handled wooden fork under the noseband of the halter or 

 the halter strap or a rope may be fastened to the noseband and thrown 

 over a limb, beam, or through a pulley suspended from the ceiling. 

 Another way of supporting the head is to place a loop in the end of a 

 rope, and introduce this loop into the mouth just behind the upper 

 front teeth or tusks of the upper jaw, the free end to be run through 

 a pulley, as before described, and held by an assistant. It is never to 

 be fastened, as the horse might in that case do himself serious injury. 

 The head is to be elevated just enough to prevent the horse from 

 throwing the liquid out of his mouth. The line of the face should be 

 horizontal, or only the least bit higher. If the head is drawn too high 

 the animal can not swallow with ease or even with safety, ( If this is 

 doubted, just fill your mouth with water, throw back the head as far 

 as possible, and then try to swallow.) The person giving the drench 

 should stand on some object in order to reach the horse's mouth — on 

 a level, or a little above it. The bottle or horn is then to be intro- 

 duced at the side of the mouth, in front of the molar teeth, in an 

 upward direction. This will cause the horse to open his mouth, when 

 the base of the bottle is to be elevated, and about 4 ounces of the 

 liquid allowed to escape on the tongue as far back as possible, care 

 being taken not to get the neck of the bottle between the back teeth. 

 The bottle is to be immediately removed, and if the horse does not 

 swallow this can be encouraged by rubbing the fingers or neck of the 

 bottle against the roof of the mouth, occasionally removing them. 

 As soon as this is swallowed repeat the operation until he has taken 

 all the drench. If coughing occurs, or if, by any mishap, the bottle 

 should be crushed in the mouth, lower the head immediately. 



Do not rub, pinch, or pound the throat nor draw out the tongue 

 when giving a drench. These processes in no way aid the horse to 

 swallow and oftener do harm than good. In drenching, swallowing 

 may be hastened by pouring into the nose of the horse, while the head 

 is high, a few teaspoonfuls of clean water, but drenches must never he 

 given through the nose. Large quantities of medicine given by pour- 

 ing into the nose are liable to strangle the animal, or, if the medicine 

 is irritating, it sets up an inflammation of the nose, fauces, windpipe, 

 and sometimes the lungs. 



Cattle are easily drenched by holding them by the nose with the 

 left hand, while the medicine is poured into the mouth with the right. 

 Balls are not to be given to cattle, for they are likely to become 



