454 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



ounce oil of tar in 20 ounces sweet oil, or by some other antiseptic. 

 If the grubs are already present they should be picked off and one 

 of these dressings freely applied. 



A number of flies attack horses and suck their blood, producing 

 great annoyance, and in some instances death. These insects not only 

 suck the blood, but also often instill an acid poison into the skin, and 

 in exceptional cases transfer infectious germs from animal to animal 

 by inoculation. 



Various devices are resorted to to prevent the attacks, as to sponge 

 the skin with a decoction of walnut or elder leaves, of tobacco, to dust 

 with Persian insect powder, to keep a light blanket or fly net on the 

 horse, to close doors and windows with fine screens and destroy by 

 pyrethrum any flies that have gained admission, to remove all manure 

 heaps that would prove breeding places for flies, to keep the stalls 

 clean, deodorize by gypsum, and to spread in them trays of dry chlo- 

 ride of lime. For the poisoned bites apply ammonia, or a solution of 

 1 purt of -carbolic acid in 20 parts of sweet oil or glycerin, or one- 

 fourth ounce bicarbonate of soda and 1 dram of carbolic acid in a 

 quart of water may be used. 



STINGS OF BEES, WASPS, AND HORNETS. 



These are much more irritating than the bites of flies, partly be- 

 cause the barbed sting is left in the wound, and partly because of the 

 amount and quality of the venom. When a swarm attacks an animal 

 the result may prove fatal. 



Treatment consists in the application of wet clay, or of a lotion of 

 soda or ammonia, or of carbolic acid, or permanganate of potash, 2 

 grains to the ounce, or of sugar of lead 2 drams, laudanum 1 ounce, 

 and water 1 pint. The embedded stings should be extracted with fine 

 forceps or even with the finger nails. 



FLEA, OR PULEX. 



The flea of man and those of the dog and cat, when numerous, will 

 bite the horse and give rise to rounded swellings on the skin. To dis- 

 pose of them it is needful to clear the surroundings of the grublike 

 larva3 as well as to treat the victim. The soil may be sprinkled with 

 quicklime, carbolic acid, coal tar, or petroleum; the stalls may be 

 deluged with boiling water and afterwards painted with oil of tur- 

 pentine and littered with fresh pine sawdust, and all blankets should 

 be boiled. The skin may be sponged with a solution of 1 part carbolic 

 acid in 50 parts of water. Dogs, cats, and pigs should be dressed 

 with the same lotion, or, better, removed from the vicinity of the 

 stable. 



