48 GENERAL THERAPEUTICS FOR VETERINARIANS 



the animal should be given exercise at a walk. Usually, the dose 

 should not be repeated. During catharsis the animal should be 

 protected from cold and overexertion. These statements apply 

 especially to aloes and croton oil. Generally, only one cathartic is 

 given, as eserine, arecoline, calomel, aloes or castor oil. Sometimes 

 several are given, one after another, when the first one fails to 

 operate. In the Berlin medical clinic, for example, in cases of sim- 

 ple constipation-colic of the horse, arecoline is first administered. 

 If, after an hour, no action occurs, then eserine is injected. If 

 the eserine also fails to operate in an hour (intestinal obstruction), 

 then an aloes pill is given. Two aloes pills, one shortly after the 

 other, are dangerous and should not be given. In some cases sev- 

 eral drugs are combined; for example, aloes with sodium sulphate, 

 or croton oil with castor oil. Tartar emetic and aloes should not 

 be administered at the same time (poisoning), 



3. CONSTIPATING REMEDIES. STYPTICS 



Synonyms: Enterostyptics, antidiarrhoecs, obstruents, antidysenterics, 

 anticathartics, anexosmotics, astringents, protectives. 



Actions and Uses. — The constipating drugs, which in their 

 action are directly opposed to the cathartics, operate to check 

 diarrhoea in several ways: by reducing increased sensibility of the 

 intestinal mucous membrane; by depressing the increased peri- 

 stalsis; by contracting the hypersemic and swollen mucous mem- 

 brane, and finally by inhibiting abnormal fermentation which 

 may be the cause of intestinal irritation. These drugs are accord- 

 ingly divided into the following groups: 



(a) Demulcent Styptics (Protectives). — Linseed, althaea, 

 acacia, compound acacia powder (N.F.), tragacanth, *salep, 

 *mallow, emulsions, mucilaginous food materials (mucilage of oats 

 and rye, rice water). The vegetable mucilage contained in these 

 substances covers the inflamed and abnormally sensitive intestinal 

 mucous membrane, preventing the intestinal contents from coming 

 into direct contact with it and protecting it from irritation. The 

 drugs in this group of styptics are only mildly constipating and are 



