278 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 



forth unusual quantities of matter, the more solid portions of whicli 

 form scales and give the horse a filthy appearance. 

 The excrement or dung is dry, hard, and black. 



What to do. — Especial pains must be taken to discover, if possible, 

 wlmt specific disease has given rise to this state of the skin. If the 

 cause is obscure, direct the treatment to restoring a healthy condition of 

 the digestive organs. Begin by bettering his treatment in every way. 

 Instead of hard labor, he should have only gentle exercise, and instead of ' 

 being left exposed to the rain, snow, and merciless winds, in barren pas- 

 ture land or filthy barnyard, he should be well sheltered, and, in Winter, 

 blanketed — using for this purpose two blankets joined along his back by 

 tapes so that a space of an inch or two may be left for the escape of 

 insensible perspiration. Instead of allowing the skin to grow clogged, 

 torpid, and dead for want of cleanliness and friction, he should have 

 regular daily currying and brisk rubbing with good brush or coarse cloth, 

 which will materially aid in restoring healthy action of the skin. 



If it is pasture season, give him a run at good grass during the day ; 

 but stable at night in a clean stable, furnished with dry litter, and give 

 him a generous feed of bran and oats, or moistened bran and chopped 

 hay. Mix with the food night and morning, the following alterative : 



Ko. 17 3 Oz. powdered sasafras bark, 



3 Oz. sulphur, 

 3 Oz. salt, 

 2 Oz. bloodroot, 

 2 Oz. balmony, 

 1 Lb. oatmeal. 



Mix, and divide into twelve doses. 



If he appears in the beginning of the treatment to be filthy, feverish, 

 and stiff, bleed him — ^taking from the neck vein three quarts. If the 

 stiffness continues, bleed again after seven days, taking a like quantity. 



If the appetite is bad, mix^vith No. 17, (the alterative above described), 

 a spoonful of gi'ound ginger ; but in general you should avoid cordials, 

 tonics, and aromatics, (that is, warm and pungent medicines). They 

 may arouse fever that would otherwise fail to develop itself, and thus 

 defeat the object for which the mild laxatives and temperate alteratives 

 prescribed have been given. Cordials may indeed arouse the vit.il 

 functions to sudden action ; bUt even if no lasting fever is created, the 

 action soon subsides, rendering it necessary to continue the cordial or 

 forego whatever seeming adNrantage may have been derived from it. If 

 excitment is continued by this means, the powers of nature are impaired 

 nnd lasting injury done. 



A good and sufficient tonic may be furnished, of which the horse will 



