THE HORSE IN SICKNESS AND DISEASE 285 



manage to imbibe enough for his support. Even if he 

 makes no attempt to touch that which is placed before him, 

 he should be left some da^^s before any effort is made to 

 drench him ; and if he takes only a little nourishment, a 

 further period should elapse before he is annoyed by forcing 

 food upon him. Should he, however, appear to be losing 

 strength, and to be sinking, he must then at every hazard 

 be supported. 



Should it be possible to insert a small horn or the neck 

 of a small bottle between his tushes and his grinders, almost 

 any quantity of gruel may be given him ; and when he is, 

 in a manner, starved, it is interesting to see how eagerly 

 the poor animal will take the nourishment which is 

 attempted to be given to him in this way. The dreadful 

 cramp of the muscles of his neck should not, however, be 

 forgotten ; and the gruel should be given to him as gently 

 as possible, and without elevating his head more than is 

 absolutely necessary. Frequent injections of arrowroot or 

 gruel may also be thrown up. The ordinary horse catheter, 

 with Read's pump attached to it, will enable any amount 

 of gruel to be thrown into the stomach, not only quickly, 

 but without the necessity of elevating the head. The 

 catheter is simply passed up the nose, along the floor of 

 the nasal chamber, and, being pushed onward, it will enter 

 the gullet. When the tube is inserted its full length, the 

 fluid may be injected. This plan answers admirably, 

 subjects the horse to little annoyance, and causes but small 

 disturbance. 



In a disease of this nature, the humanity and patience of 

 the attendant must be exerted. These virtues will aid him 

 more in the end than all his science, however learned he 

 may be. The disease may terminate quickly. We have 

 known a horse to die of it in less than thirty hours. So 

 speedy a close, however, is rather unusual. The animal 

 with idiopathic tetanus often lingers. It occasionally 

 happens that the horse does not begin to amend until ten 

 or twelve days have elapsed, and in one case a month 

 passed without more than an occasional remission of the 

 symptoms. The treatment was, nevertheless, persevered 

 in, and the animal perfectly recovered. 



When the horse does begin to get better, not a particle of 

 medicine should be administered. By giving tonic medi- 

 cines much dangerous excitation may be produced. The 



