HOT FOMENTATIONS. 617 



the fomentations will sometimes afford relief when all other means 

 fail. After ice-compresses have been applied for an hour, they 

 should be followed by a hot fomentation, and then apply the cold 

 compress again until the pain subsides. 



For Colics— Apply hot fomentations sufficiently large to cover 

 the abdomen or belly of the horse, in quick succession, for an hour 

 or so, till relief is obtained. And at the same time give a copious 

 injection of hot water into the rectum, of from 110° to 118° F. A 

 gallon or two of water should be used for this purpose. Any kind 

 of, a syringe will do, but the Fountain Syringe is much to be pre- 

 ferred above all others. Sometimes the fomentation is all that is 



■ i 



necessary to give relief, and sometimes injections alone will give 

 great relief. 



For Strains and Sprains. — Apply hoi; fomentations vigorously, 

 changing, them every five or ten minutes till the pain and swelling 

 subside. Apply a cold compress for the last application, and the 

 compress can be left on continuously, but it should be covered with 

 the woolen cloth.. 



For a Cold. — If the cold is located in the head, a fomentation 

 can be applied to the head, and should be extensive enough to cover 

 most of the neck. This can be done by folding a blanket length- 

 wise about four thicknesses, and just winding it spirally around the 

 horse's head so as not to cover the eyes ; and if one blanket is not 

 sufficient, another blanket can be wound around the head and down 

 the neck in the same manner. The fomentation should be well 

 covered with a dry blanket, and if it is so hot that the horse cannot 

 bear it, the hot folded blanket, after being wrung out of hot water, 

 should be folded in a dry one, so as not to burn him. In this case, 

 it is not necessary to add another dry blanket over the fomentation. 



If the cold seems to be settled all over the horse, several blank- 

 ets may be joined at the edges, and thrown over the horse so that 

 the edges hang down to the ground, forming a kind of tent for the 

 horse to be under. The edges of the blanket behind and before the 

 body can be pinned together. Then place a vessel with hot water 

 under the horse, and a hot bjrick or hot flat-irons can be thrown 

 into the water to produce a vapor, which should be continued until 

 the horse is in a profuse sweat. Then he can be sponged off, be- 

 ginning with cool water, and ending with cold water, or sprayed 

 with cool water, thefl with cold ; or the .water can be poured over 

 the body, if it is not convenient to spray. The animal should then 

 be warmly blanketed, and in the course of 20 minutes if he does not 

 sweat, or has ceased to sweat, he should be dried thoroughly by 



