DOGS : THEIR MANAGEMENT. 165 



which is generally recommendea and pursued, I can con- 

 fidently assert it always destroys, adding torture to the 

 pains of death. In my hands not more than one in ten 

 are relieved, but when I followed the custom of Blaine 

 none ever lived, — the fate was sealed, and its horrors 

 were increased by the folly and ignorance of him who 

 was employed to watch over, and was supposed to be 

 able to control. Let the owners of dogs, when these 

 animals have true distemper fits, rather cut short their 

 lives than allow the creatures to be tampered with for 

 no earthly prospect. I have no hesitation when saying 

 this ; the doom of the dog with distemper fits may be 

 regarded as sealed ; and medicine, which will seldom save, 

 should be studied chiefly as a means of lessening the 

 last agonies. In this light alone can I recommend the 

 practice I am in the habit of adopting. When under it 

 any animal recovers, the result is rather to be attributed 

 to the powers of nature than to be ascribed to the virtues 

 of medicine ; which by the frequency of its failure shows 

 that its potency is subservient to many circumstances. 

 Blaine and Youatt, both by the terms in which they 

 speak of, and the directions they lay down for, the cure 

 of distemper fits, evidently did not understand the patho- 

 logy of this form of the disease. These authors seem to 

 argue that the fits are a separate disease, and not the 

 symptoms only of an existing disorder. The treatment 

 they order is depletive, whereas, the attacks appearing 

 only after tine distemper has exhausted the strength, a 

 little reflection convinces us the fits are the results of 



