400 INTEKNAL PAKAISITES. 



When a horse is largely infested by them, he falls away in con- 

 dition, and his general health becomes more or less affected, 

 which fact may be made evident by the morbid state of the appe- 

 tite, rough coat, pot belly, liability to colic, and slight diarrhoea 

 due to the irritating presence of these jDarasites. When worms 

 infest a horse, some of them will generally come away with the 

 dung from time to time. " These parasites are sometimes so 

 numerous, that they block up the small intestine and give rise 

 to colic, which may kill their host. They occasionally cause 

 perforation of the bowel " {Cagny and Gohert). 



Dr. L. Valentine describes the case of a tramway horse in Home 

 which contained in its stomach and intestines 1,142 specimens of the 

 ascaris megalucephala, over a score of which had penetrated the 

 intestinal into the peritoneal cavity, causing fatal peritonitis" 

 (" Veterinarian," Feb., 1898). 



The best treatment is removal of the cause, for which I have 

 found that the most effective plan is to give J drachm each of tartar 

 emetic and sulphate of iron in the food four times a day for a week, 

 and then to administer a purgative in the form of a ball of aloes 

 (p. 598) or a drench of a quart of linseed oil; keeping the animal 

 during that period rather " short " on bran (dry or in mash) 

 and hay or grass. Although this diet will weaken him for the time 

 being, it will also afl'ect the parasites, and wHl induce them the more 

 readily to quit their abode. Tartar emetic, which has but a slightly 

 depressing effect on the horse, even when given in very large doses, 

 appears to have an extremely nauseating effect on the worms, 

 which readily come away when subjected to its influence. Sulphate 

 of iron, probably on account of its astringent qualities, clears the 

 intestines of an excess of mucus, which forms a nest for the worms. 

 In obstinate cases, a second course of tartar emetic and sulphate of 

 iron, followed by a purgative, may be tried after an interval of a 

 week. After this, the animal may get in his food, a drachm of 

 sulphate of iron every day for a fortnight or three weeks. 



Or we may give 3 ounces of turpentine in a quart of linseed oil. 

 Turpentine causes death to the parasites on contact, which readily 

 takes place owing to its being volatile. As turpentine has a strongly 

 stimulating effect on the kidneys, the large dose of 3 ounces should 

 not be repeated, if a second one be thought necessary, after a shorter 

 interval than ten days. It should be given in oil, as it has a 

 very irritating effect on the mucous membrane, when undiluted. 

 Oil is also a worm destroyer, in that it clogs up the skin through 

 which the worm breathes. 



A suitable dose of tartar emetic for a well-bred foal nine or ten 

 ujonths old would be 10 grains three times a day, and continued 

 for a week. 



