INFLUENZA. 465 



It is almost always well to sliift the horse out of the stable in 

 which the disease has become developed. He should be placed 

 in a warm, well-ventilated box, and should be carefully clothed, 

 so as to encourage his skin to act. At first he should be fed on. 

 laxative food, but when the acute stage has passed, his strength 

 should be kept up by liberal feeding ; two or three quarts of ale 

 or stout being given daily if necessary. Judicious exercise is gene- 

 rally beneficial, especially ^vhen the legs have " filled " a good deal. 



Simple catarrhal influenza may be treated as ordinary catarrh 

 (p. 369). If there be constipation, give | pint of linseed oil as a 

 drench, and administer an enema. Reasoning from the fact already 

 stated, that cases in Avhich spontaneous diarrhoea or profuse staling 

 appears, as a rule raj^idly recover ; w^e may conclude that it is good 

 treatment to promote these actions. We must, however, recollect 

 that if there be symptoms of abdominal complications, as would 

 be evinced by continued colicky pains, a purgative should on no 

 account be given ; as its action would be directed in still further 

 localising the malady in the intestines, and would, thus, seriously 

 endanger the life of the patient ; for the abdominal form of this 

 disease is much more dangerous than the catarrhal one. If pink- 

 eye be prevalent, w-e should be very careful in giving purgatives 

 to horses unaffected by this disease ; for even a mild aperient would 

 be likely, by w^eakening the bowels, to predispose the animal to 

 which it was given, to contract the intestinal form of influenza. 



We may, then, in pink-eye, if neither diarrhoea nor continued 

 colicky pains be present, give ^ pint of linseed oil, followed by a 

 drench composed of — 



Carbonate of ammonia ... ... 1 drachm. 



Nitre ... ... ... ... ... 2 drachms. 



Cold water ... ... ... ... 1 pint. 



This drench may be given three times a day, and may be con- 

 tinued for three or four days, or until the severity of the symptoms 

 abates. 



If carbonate of ammonia be not at hand, we may give a drench 

 of-^ 



Turpentine ... ... ... ... 1 oz. 



Linseed oil ... ... ... ... 8 ,, 



To be repeated three times a day, in the same manner as the other 

 drench, aaid an ounce of nitre in the food or water daily. 



Turpentine acts as an antiseptic in checking morbid changes 

 in the blood ; as an astringent in preventing undue transuda- 

 tion of serum ; as a diuretic in hastening the removal of effete 

 matter from the system ; and as a stimulant in sujjporting 



30 



