THE TREATMENT. 91 



disease to stop, but simply to lie at our mercy, which it would not 

 be, so long as the exciting cause was still keeping up the mischief. 

 As far as possible, the two courses should be pursued together ; 

 that is to say, we should give tonics, &c., at the same time that we 

 are endeavouring to remove the cause. By this plan the immediate 

 weakening effect of the seton, or worm medicines, is counteracted, 

 and after they cease to lower the dog, the tonic medicines act 

 still further in bracing the nervous system. For this disease the 

 sulphate of zinc is, I think, the most effectual remedy, and rarely 

 fails if the irritating cause is effectually removed. It is especially 

 useful in the chorea of distemper, and should be given in three or 

 four-grain doses to a full-grown puppy, twice a day, made up 

 into a pill with crumb of bread. The nitrate of silver, in half- 

 grain doses for a full-sized dog, I have found succeed in several 

 cases where it has been tried, but in two cases, though persisted 

 in to my knowledge for several weeks, it failed, and afterwards 

 the zinc effected the cure. Should the cause be attributable to 

 worms, iron is the best remedy, and the best form for giving it is 

 the carbonate in scruple doses, mixed into a bolus with linseed 

 meal and boiling water ; of course this is not to be given till the 

 worms are removed. When the disease becomes so violent as to 

 degenerate into shaking palsy, the best thing to be done is to 

 destroy the dog. In chorea fresh country air and good nourish- 

 ing food are of the greatest importance, and without them there 

 is little chance of a favourable termination. An occasional dose 

 of castor oil is also desirable. 



