280 THE HORSE 



appetite, and as a laxative, grass, carrots, turnips, water- 

 cress, apples, the tops of celery, dandelion leaves, and 

 lettuce leaves. Care should be taken that the grass is cut 

 when dry, or it will soon begin to ferment. Carrots should 

 always be sliced lengthways, for if given whole or cut 

 across into chunks, a horse may swallow the carrot 

 without chewing it, and get choked in consequence. 



Milk is a very valuable food, and if a horse will take one 

 or two gallons of it daily, given on four occasions, it may 

 struggle on for a long time and wear the fever out in the 

 end. It is when the fever has left that especial care is 

 required, on account of the great weakness which follows, 

 and for the first two or three days the animal should receive 

 nourishment every three or four hours. Especially does it 

 require attention in the early hours of the morning, and the 

 groom who does not come to see after the invalid till seven 

 or eight o'clock, need not be surprised if he fails to save the 

 patient. One or two eggs beaten up and added to the milk 

 increase its nutritive powers considerably ; and if the horse 

 does not take kindly to the milk, a little added sugar may 

 make it more palatable. 



If stimulants have to be administered during con- 

 valescence, it is usual to give beer, stout, whiskey, or brandy, 

 all of which act as food as well as stimulants ; and a 

 convenient mode of administering them is to mix them with 

 oatmeal gruel, and drench the horse with it from a bottle, 

 one or two wineglasses of spirit being given, or a pint to a 

 quart of beer or stout. 



To rouse and stimulate the circulation, and for immediate 

 effect such as in a case of shivering, or when there is great 

 depression and prostration, diffusible stimulants are of the 

 highest value, such as — 



Spirits of Nitric Ether H oz. 



Aromatic Spirits of Ammonia ^ oz. 



or 



Aromatic Spirits of Ammonia 1 oz. 



Tincture of Gentian 1 oz. 



Water 1 pint 



To be given as a drench, as above. 



