SUNSTROKE. 199 



the loosening of the collar will give immediate relief. The horse 

 should be bled freely from the jugular vein. If due to tumors or 

 abscesses, a surgical operation becomes necessary to afford relief. To 

 revive the animal if he becomes partially or totally unconscious, cold 

 water should be dashed on the head. Give a purge of Glauber's 

 salts. If the limbs are cold, tincture of capsicum or strong mustard 

 water should be applied to them. If symptoms of paralysis remain 

 after two or three daj'^s, an active cathartic and iodide of potassa will 

 be indicated, to be given as prescribed for inflammation of the brain. 

 Prevention. — Well-adjusted collar, with strap running from the 

 collar to the girth, to hold down the collar when pulling upgrade; 

 regular feed and exercise, without allowing the animal to become ex- 

 cessively plethoric; moderate checking, allowing a free-and-easy 

 movement of the head; well-ventilated stabling, proper cleanliness, 

 pure water, etc. 



SUNSTROKE, HEAT STROKE, OR HEAT EXHAUSTION. 



The term sunstroke is applied to affections occasioned not exclu- 

 sively by exposure to the sun's rays, as the word signifies, but by the 

 action of great heat combined generally with humid atmosphere. 

 Exhaustion produced by a long-continued heat is often the essential 

 factor, and is called heat exhaustion. Horses on the race track un- 

 dergoing protracted and severe work in hot weather often succumb 

 to heat exhaustion. Draft horses exposed to the direct rays of the 

 sun for many hours, which do not receive proper care in watering, 

 feeding, and rest in shady places, suffer very frequently from sun- 

 stroke. 



Symptoms. — Sunstroke is manifested suddenly. The animal stops, 

 drops his head, begins to stagger, and soon falls to the ground uncon- 

 scious. The breathing is marked with great stertor, the pulse is very 

 slow and irregular, cold sweats break out in patches on the surface of 

 the body, and the animal often dies without recovering consciousness. 

 The temperature becomes very high, reaching 105° to 109° F. 



In heat exhaustion the animal usually requires urging for some 

 time previous to the appearance of any other symptoms, generally 

 perspiration is checked, and then he becomes weak in his gait, the 

 breathing hurried or panting, eyes watery or bloodshot, nostrils 

 dilated and highly reddened, assuming a dark, purple color ; the pulse 

 is rapid and weak, the heart bounding, followed by unconsciousness 

 and death. If recovery takes place, convalescence extends over a 

 long period of time, during which incoordination of movement may 

 persist. 



Pathology. — Sunstroke, virtually active congestion of the brain, 

 often accompanied by effusion and blood extravasation, characterizes 

 this condition, with often rapid and fatal lowering of all the vital 



