DISTEMPEE. 21 



emetic) two or three times a day. As soon as the urgent symptoms have dis- 

 appeared, the dog often requires supporting with beef tea and tonics, as described 

 in No. 5. 



3. CHEST DISTEMPER must be met with bleeding if there is evidence of inflam- 

 mation ; but if not, it is better to avoid such a lowering measure, and trust to 

 antimony or ipecacuanha. Mix one grain of either of these with half a grain of 

 opium, and give two or three times daily. If there is long-continued mischief, 

 apply a blister to the chest, or rub in mustard mixed with vinegar. When the 

 breathing is more rapid than the pulse, stimulants will be required, such as the bark 

 and ammonia mixture in No. 5. 



4. DISTEMPER OF THE BELLY, attended with purging, requires the immediate 

 use of astringents, of which opium is the best. There is nothing better than the 

 following mixture. Take of prepared chalk 2dr., mucilage of acacia loz., laudanum 

 loz., tincture of ginger 2dr., water 5^oz. Of this give from a dessert-spoonful to 

 a tablespoonful every time the bowels are relaxed. The diet should be almost 

 entirely of boiled rice, flavoured with milk or broth, and if there is much thirst 

 rice-water only should be allowed. On the other hand, where there is a confined 

 state of the bowels, which is generally attended with "the yellows," calomel, 

 rhubarb, and aloes are the only remedies to be relied on. Take of calomel 3gr. to 

 5gr. ; rhubarb and aloes of each 5gr. to lOgr. ; mix, and form into a bolus with 

 water, and give twice a day till it acts freely. A turpentine enema may also be 

 administered, but this requires some practical skill to carry out. Should bile begin 

 to flow, there is still great care required to avoid checking the diarrhoea on the one 

 hand, while on the other the exhaustion caused by it is often frightfully great. 

 Strong broths thickened with flour or rice must often be given by force, as the 

 appetite is generally much reduced in this disease. Where there is great exhaus- 

 tion from diarrhoea, arrow-root with port wine will be of use. 



5. MALIGNANT DISTEMPER is less difficult to manage than that of the head, and 

 far less than " the yellows," when complicated with the ordinary attack. The great 

 thing is to avoid reducing the system in the early stage, and to give at that time 

 only such remedies as are imperatively required. A mild dose of oil, as described 

 under No. 1, will be of service, after which the less done the better till the usual 

 weakness shows itself. In the interval it may be necessary to treat the case as one 

 affecting the head, chest, or belly, as described under Nos. 2, 3, or 4 ; but so soon as 

 the excessive exhaustion shows itself, there is no chance of recovery without resort- 

 ing to strong tonics and good food. For this purpose there is no remedy like port 

 wine, or bark and ammonia the former of which may be given, mixed with an equal 

 part of water, and with the addition of a little spice, such as nutmeg or ginger. For 

 the latter, take of decoction of bark loz., aromatic spirit of ammonia Idr., compound 

 tincture of bark Idr. Mix and give twice a day to a large dog, or half the quantity 

 to a small one. The greatest care here is required to support the strength by 

 drenching the 'dog, if needful, with beef tea ; and, if the bowels are at all relaxed, 

 give the dog the astringent mixture ordered under No. 4. Clean straw, a warm, 

 dry kennel, and absolute rest, are also essential to recovery. 



