THE HORSE IN SICKNESS AND DISEASE 319 



incision kept open with a piece of lint for several days, until 

 the matter is completely discharged ; otherwise, a second 

 tumour may be formed, which frequently proves difficult of 

 cure. After the matter is dislodged, a small quantity of 

 Friar's balsam should be injected into the cavity of the 

 tumour daily. It will be found that where tumours break 

 spontaneounly, the lips of the wound, from having uneven 

 edges, will be more difficult to cure. 



Should the neighbouring glands show signs of induration, 

 rub them with an ointment of hydriodate of potass daily. 



At this stage of the complaint, if there is no unusual 

 degree of fever, a gentle laxative, and a tonic to follow, may 

 be administered. Cooling medicines will be beneficial should 

 there be fever. If there is no fever the animal will soon 

 manifest a desire to eat. His food should principally be 

 oatmeal gruel and bran mashes, with a supply of green meat, 

 consisting of cut grass, or tares. Should these not keep the 

 bowels sufficiently open — which is of great importance in 

 diseases of this kind — then a laxative must be given. This 

 will have the effect of preventing eruptions, which sometimes 

 follow the strangles ; and nothing more will be required, if 

 it operates freely. 



If, however, the complaint is followed by weakness, 

 it will be necessary to have recourse to tonic medicine, 

 which should be repeated daily until the horse recovers 

 strength. 



In bad cases of strangles the parotid gland will swell to 

 a great size, and even become ulcerated ; and in other 

 instances an accumulation of fluid will take place, and 

 burst into the cavity of the mouth, being discharged 

 through the nostrils. The Eustachian tubes, too, have been 

 found full of pus. 



Strangles seems incidental to almost every horse ; and as 

 it is a complaint which is often of long continuance, foreign 

 veterinary surgeons conceived the idea of inoculating to 

 produce a milder degree of the disease. This they performed 

 either with part of the discharge from the nostrils or with 

 matter from the tumour. In many cases this has had a 

 beneficial result, the disease being both shorter in its duration 

 and milder in its effects. 



