DOGS ; THEIR MANAGEMENT. 245 



trial may be instituted of the nitrate of silver, the trisni- 

 trate of bismuth, or any of the various drugs said to be 

 beneficial in the disease, or of service in stomach com- 

 plaints. In this disorder the same drug never appears 

 to act twice alike, therefore a change is warranted and 

 desirable. 



Hopes of restoration may be entertained if the animal 

 can only be kept alive to recover strength ; then confi- 

 dent expectation can be expressed that the dog will out- 

 grow the disease. The first signs perceptible which 

 denote recovery are these : — The provender the beast 

 consumes is evidently not thrown away. Instead of 

 eating much, and ungratefully becoming thinner and 

 thinner upon that which it consumes, the animal displays 

 a disposition to thrive upon its victuals. It does not get 

 fat on what it eats, but it evidently loses no flesh. It 

 grows no thinner ; and if the strength be not recruited, 

 it obviously is not diminished. The animal does not 

 gorge much wholesome diet daily, to exhibit more and 

 more the signs of debility and starvation. If only a sus- 

 picion can be felt that the poor dog does not sink, then 

 hope of ultimate success may warm the heart of a kind 

 master ; but when the reverse is obvious, though killing 

 a dog is next to killing a child — and he who for pleasure 

 can do the one, is not far off from doing the other — yet it 

 is mercy then to destroy that existence which must else be 

 miserably worn away. When there is no chance left for 

 expectation to cling to, it becomes real charity to do vio- 

 lence to our feelings, in order that we may spare a suffer- 



