THE HORSE IN SICKNESS AND DISEASE 837 



Bein^ convinced of the diarrhoea, commence the cure by 

 mild astringents. 



In general cases of diarrhoea, give the following drink 

 once or twice a day, according to the violence of the 

 complaint : 



Prepared opium . , . . J ounce. 



Powdered catechu .... 1 drachm. 



Prepared chalk .... 1 ounce. 



Sulphate of iron (green vitriol) . J drachm. 

 Mix in thickish gruel. 



Should the horse be weak, boiled starch, or arrowroot, 

 or boiled bean-meal, may be passed down the throat fre- 

 quently. Give no cold water to drink, but instead, give 

 thin gruel or rice-water, tepid. Clothe warmly, encourage 

 a high temperature also, and carefully avoid exposure to 

 sudden currents of cold air. The subject will again occur 

 under Dysentery. 



COSTIVENESS. 



Some horses are habitually costive, which arises either 

 from a defective secretion of the fluid of the bowels, or that 

 the absorbents act too strongly, and take up too much of 

 the liquid contents, by which the ffecal mass becomes dry, 

 hard, and difficult to pass ; or it arises from a defect in the 

 formation of the bile, either as to quantity or quality. 

 This we know from what occurs in jaundice, in which, from 

 a loss of the bile by extravasation, there is always present a 

 strong disposition to a costive habit. Some food is prone to 

 occasion constipation, as whatever is stimulating or heating. 

 Corn of all kinds, therefore, has this tendency, but beans 

 more than all. Habitual costiveness should not be counter- 

 acted by purgatives, as they generally increase the evil ; but 

 attention should be paid to the habit itself, and the peculiar 

 tendencies of that should be counteracted. Dry food should 

 be remedied by occasional bran mashes. Green meat is 

 particularly useful in these cases in summer, and carrots 

 in winter. A costive state of bowels may sometimes be 

 remedied by placing a lump of rock salt within the manger. 

 When costiveness arises from defective bile, treat as 

 directed under jaundice. 



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