THE DISTEMPER. 79 



not unfrequently, the very medicine which is given 

 to one dog which recovers, when administered to 

 another will cause immediate death. I have tried 

 numbers of remedies upon dogs of all ages and con- 

 ditions ; many Ihavecured, or rather fancied I have cured, 

 and hundreds I have seen sink under the disease, even 

 when they have been attended with the strictest care and 

 attention. Vaccination was considered, a few years since, 

 as a certain preventive ; but I have been credibly 

 informed, that the disciples of this foolish doctrine are 

 daily on the decrease. The only trial I have ever given 

 this remedy failed, as the puppies, upon which I 

 operated, all sickened soon after and died ; they were a 

 litter of four spaniels, and were vaccinated inside the 

 flap of the ears, the incisions inflamed and crusted 

 over, but whether they were good and genuine cow- 

 pock pustules, I was unable to determine : Numerous 

 other sportsmen, with whom I am acquainted, have 

 given vaccination a fair trial, but the results have been 

 by no means satisfactory. When very young puppies 

 are attacked with distemper, the only remedy is, to 

 administer gentle doses of castor oil, keep them very 

 clean and warm, and nature must do the rest. Hunts- 

 men differ as to the keeping young hounds when 

 suflfering from distemper, warm or cold ; I should 

 recommend them to be kept cool, provided they were 

 not starved, and at the same time that the ventilation 

 should be pure and free. In May, 1840, I visited the 

 Duke of Cleveland's kennels at Raby, about a fortnight 

 previous to the sale of his Grace's hounds at York, to 

 the tune of Mr. Tattersal's hammer. Upon my entering 

 the lodging-room of the young hounds who were 



