38 THEORY AND PRACTICE 



a chill, it may be increased to 60 per minute. The breathing is 

 not labored, and there is no dilatation of the nostrils — these are 

 negative conditions. As the chill grows worse, the horse hangs 

 his head, droops his ears ; this may last from 2 to 8 hours. The 

 more severe the chill, the longer it will last, and the higher will 

 be the fever following it. 



To prescribe rationally, consider first the age and species of 

 the animal : then the size, sex. vitality of the patient, duration 

 of the disease, time of the year, the weather, and the surround- 

 ings. All of these conditions have their influence. The treat- 

 ment consists of medicinal prescriptions and hygienic measures. 



Suppose now you have a horse w^ith a chill. The nervous 

 system is excited, the blood has left the surface, the respirations 

 are rapid, the pulse hard, rapid and strong. The sympathetic 

 nerves control the heart and if we give Fid. Ext. of Aconite, this 

 will reduce the irritability of the nerves. We prescribe with this 

 a stimulant, alcohol, and the form of the prescription would be 

 as follows : 



Fid. Ext. Aconite 1 drachm 



Spts. yini Rect 4 ounces 



Aqua qs ad 1 pint 



M. Sig. — 2 ounces every 15 minutes until you get 

 the physiological effect of the drugs. 



The horse will sweat, and the heart will slow and the pulse 

 get soft. Some will argue against combining a stimulant and 

 sedative together, saying that the one neutralizes the action of the 

 other, but experience teaches that this is not true. 



Hygienic treatment consists in putting on woolen blankets 

 and bufifalo robes, bandaging the legs, shutting off the draughts, 

 and rubbing the legs of the animal to increase the circulation. 



As soon as the animal begins to sweat give the doses less 

 frequently, and finally drop them off altogether. The dose above 

 given, with proper hygienic measures will put the animal to 

 sweating in about 2^2 hours. 



Suppose now that the disease has been running three days, 

 you are called, say, the fourth day; you find the ears drooping, 

 pulse 60, temperature 105, feces slimy, etc. In this climate, 

 usually some thoracic disease — acute bronchitis, pleurisy, or 



