CHRONIC COUGH. 619 



I wish to denounce the administration of " constitution 

 balls" and "cough balls." An animal that has a cough should 

 not be tormented with balls day after day, and we advise 

 people to give nothing as to the nature of which they are 

 not quite certain, or which is not prescribed by a competent 

 person. A dose of physic has frequently a most desirable 

 effect, and two or three days after its operation has ceased, if 

 the animal is costive, a milder dose may be given, but that is 

 all the animal needs. Again, it is not desirable to mix large 

 quantities of nitre with every feed. Nitre has a very debili- 

 tating effect if given repeatedly. There are some astringent 

 electuaries, &c., which a veterinary surgeon may prescribe, 

 but our advice to the purchaser of a young horse with a 

 cough, is to quack as little as possible, use the animal very 

 gently, and attend carefully to diet, free ventilation, and 

 moderate exercise. With horses coughing, it is a very whole- 

 some rule not to do any mischief with drugs, as any ordinary 

 cough lias a tendency to cease, and will frequently be cured 

 by nature's spontaneous efforts. 



Blistering the throat is very constantly adopted by horse- 

 dealers, and should they have an animal with a chronic 

 cough, the raw blister is an admirable disguise, as it indicates 

 the treatment the animal is undergoing for "a cold." A 

 mustard poultice applied over the throat is of great service 

 in acute cases, but active blistering, which may, perhaps, 

 blemish a horse for life, should be carefully avoided. 



I can say with regard to a chronic cough what holds good 

 with many forms of unsoundness, that a well-made animal is 

 not very subject to permanent disease. A horse with a neat 

 head well put on, a good neck, deep chest, well out behind 

 the elbows, well ribbed home, and with a short back, is iikely 

 to be sound in wind, as in most instances he will be sound 

 in limb, in accordance with the laws of symmetry. 



