SIMPLE AILMENTS 303 



must be placed in as dark a box as possible, covering over 

 the w^indow^s and excluding all light, but freely admitting 

 fresh air ; and since the nervous system is in a state of con- 

 tinuous excitement, the utmost quietness must prevail, and 

 all necessary duties must be performed as gently as possible. 

 A harsh or angry v^^ord will cause the pulse to be much dis- 

 turbed. One attendant only should look after the horse, and 

 the door be kept constantly locked, no inquisitive persons 

 being allowed to enter on any pretext whatever. The 

 wound should be treated in the ordinary way, but it will 

 probably already be nearly healed before the tetanus declares 

 itself ; if proud flesh should form, it can be reduced by the 

 application of Nitrate of Silver (lunar caustic), and then 

 Tincture of Arnica or Chinosol lotion should be dabbed on 

 daily until a healthy scab is formed. The food should con- 

 sist of a small amount of bran mash, in which is placed any 

 green food procurable, such as grass, carrots, or celery tops, 

 chopped up as fine as possible, so as to require no mastica- 

 tion ; and instead of water some linseed tea should be always 

 present, made into very thin gruel with well-boiled oatmeal 

 porridge, so that whatever is taken will contain as much 

 nutriment as can be managed. The groom should enter 

 the box four times a day, remove any food which is left, 

 replacing it with a fresh supply, and clean out the stable if 

 needed. He should then give 10 drops of Belladonna and 10 

 drops of Arnica, in alternate doses, until the wound is nearly 

 healed, after which the Arnica should be left off and 10 drops 

 of Nux Vomica substituted instead. The man should not 

 stay any longer than is absolutely necessary, leaving again 

 as quickly as possible. It will be found that the horse will 

 pick up quite sufficient food with its lips, and manage to 

 swallow it, to keep up its strength, unless the case is very 

 severe, and in this case convulsions will soon appear and the 

 end will then be not far off. 



If it is noticed that the jaws are becoming less fast, 

 Liquor Arsenicalis may be substituted for the Nux Vomica, 

 but the Belladonna should be continued. 



Under the above treatment the writer has known many 

 cases recover ; but there is one treatment, too often at once 



