298 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



for instance,) down the throat, with an instrument adapted 

 for the purpose; and if I found it impossible to get it 

 down, I would inject it into the bowels, when a suffi- 

 cient quantity would be taken up by the absorbents, to 

 sustain life till the disease of the glands abated. In the 

 first place, I should feel a disposition to bleed the afflicted 

 animal, as this would prevent any super-abundant pressure 

 of blood upon the parts aflected, which I might perhaps rub 

 well with mercurial ointment. 



It is a lamentable fact, that so little attention has been 

 paid to the diseases of this invaluable animal, though no 

 creature which has yet been taken under human protection 

 affords so good an opportunity for observation, or is so 

 much entitled to the assistance and kind offices of its mas- 

 ter. The Dog has become a domestic of the most familiar 

 description, whose greatest delight is in administering to 

 the pleasures of the sportsman, or those by whom his ser- 

 vices are called into action; his civilization may be said to 

 proceed in the precise ratio with that of human nature, and 

 he uniformly takes his tone from the circumstance or the 

 situation of his master. As he has closel}* associated him- 

 self with man, therefore, he has brought upon himself a 



train of diseases, resulting from his artificial mode of life; 

 and from which, in a state of nature, there is little doubt, 

 but he is altogether exempt. In fact, living under the same 

 roof, and in the same manner, as his master, he seems to 

 be afflicted something in the same way: and, upon close 

 examination, it will be found, that many of his disorders 

 bear a strong resemblance to those in man, and would, I 

 have little doubt, give way to a somewhat similar treatment. 

 Thus circumstanced, it seems unaccountable that the medi- 

 cal treatment of this faithful creature should have been so 

 neglected. Generallj' speaking, whenever a Dog is attack- 

 ed with any disease, little trouble is taken in his recovery; 

 food is offered him, and if he is able to eat it and recovers, 

 it is all right; but it very frequently happens, that the mo- 

 ment he exhibits symptoms of indisposition, he is suspected 

 of hydrophobia, and, without any attempts to alleviate his 

 pains, he is placed in a situation of security, and either suf- 

 fered to pine away, or is prematurely despatched. This 

 may not apply altogether to sportsmen, perhaps; though 

 many of these, I have not the least doubt, pay but little 

 attention to the matter. — Johnson's Shooter's Companion. 



END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 



