DOGS : THEIR MANAGEMENT. 159 



go near them ; but the treatment must be pursued as 

 though we were ignorant that the parts were affected. 

 Any excessive accumulation may be gently picked off 

 with the fingers once a-day ; but even this must bo per- 

 formed with the utmost caution, and in most instances 

 had better be let alone It can only be necessary in 

 dogs that have very long hair which becomes matted and 

 glued together upon the cheeks ; for other animals it is 

 not imperative. If the lids should be stuck together, 

 the fastening substance may be removed ; but it should 

 not be too quickly done even then. All water, either 

 warm, tepid, or cold — every kind of lotion, or any sort 

 of salve or powder — will do harm, by either weakening 

 or irritating the organs. As to bleeding, blistering, and 

 setoning, which have been advised, they are contrary to 

 the dictates of humanity, and as a necessary consequence, 

 are injurious. In medicine, at least with the dog, that 

 which is not kind is not good. With these animals the 

 feelings are much safer than the reason ; and a lady, con- 

 sulting the impulses of her heart, would be more likely 

 to save her favorite than a veterinary surgeon, who pro- 

 ceeded upon the practice of that which he supposed was 

 his science. Let the eyes of the sufferer alone — we can- 

 not alleviate the pain, or shorten its duration. The 

 disease regulates the torture, and to that we must give 

 attention. If the distemper is conquered, the sight will 

 mostly be restored ; but if the eyes are tampered with, 

 consequences may ensue which are not natural to the 

 disease, but are induced by the crude and cruel prejudices 



