THE DISTEMPER. 45 



removing tlie other. Bleed the animal imme- 

 diately, and give him a table- spoonful of syrup of 

 buckthorn, Avhich "vvdll most likely answer the 

 pm'pose effectually; if, after the lapse of a few 

 days the dog does not appear perfectl}'- recovered, 

 repeat the bleeding and the physic ; a third time if 

 found necessary, which mil not often happen — not 

 once in five hundred cases. By the process 

 above described the disease is checked and sub- 

 dued in the first instance ; it cannot when thus 

 opposed acquu'e strength, and is therefore easily 

 vanquished or dissipated. Such a mode of treat- 

 ment is incontestibly supported by reason, since 

 nothing can tend so effectually to check inflamma- 

 tion as lowering the system. The animal should 

 be bled very freely — in fact it is almost impossi- 

 ble to take too much blood from a dog under such 

 circumstances. Supposing the subject to be a 

 stout pointer whelp, seven or eight months old, 

 about five ounces of blood should be taken from 

 him. A table-spoonful of syrup of buckthorn will 

 be found a proper dose for such an animal, and 

 the quantity may be varied according to the age 

 and strength of the patient. 



'^ The operation of bleeding a dog should be 

 thus performed : — place a cord roiuid the animaVs 

 neck,^and draw it sufiiciently tight so as to throw 

 up or elevate the jugular vein ; puncture it longi- 

 tudinally (not cross-wise) with a common lancet^ 



