618 DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT. 



wiping with cloths and rubbing with the hand, until perfectly dry. 

 Care should be taken that the temperature of the room iri which 

 this treatment is given does not fall much below 50 ? , and would 

 be better to be about 65° or 70°, and there should be no draught. 

 The treatment can be made much more effective by placing the 

 horse's feet in as hot water as he will bear, while the vapor bath 

 is being given. 



Another method is a hot-blanket pack, which is sometimes 

 more convenient, and is just as effectual. The hot-blanket pack 

 can be given by wringing a heavy blanket out of hot water, and 

 folding it ; then folding it in a dry blanket and putting it around 

 the body of the horse. It* will require at least two such blankets to 

 to reach over the body of the horse. He should then be very 

 heavily blanketed, so as to keep the heat of the hot cloths in, and 

 produce perspiration. The hot-blanket pack should be followed by 

 cool sponging, spraying, or pouring, the same as after the vapor 

 bath. The after-treatment should be the same as after a vapor 

 bath. 



Poultices. 



The simplest and cheapest poultice can, be made by pouring 

 boiling water on about a peck of bran, so as to make a very thin 

 mash ; or linseed meal could be added to it. Boiled turnips make 

 a good poultice, which would also be improved by the addition of 

 a little linseed meal. 



Poultices are generally too small, confined, and dry. A poultice 

 should be made large, so as to cover the parts thoroughly, and keep 

 them moist. When a horse gets a nail in the foot, or it is calked, or 

 when there is any local inflammation from an injury, covering the 

 parts with a warm poultice will be found a very simple and good 

 way of keeping down inflammation. If it is desired to poultice the 

 leg for a sprain of the tendons, a flannel 'bag can be made for the 

 purpose, or an old pant's leg, if convenient, can be pulled up over the 

 leg; tie a string loosely around the foot below the fetlock, and fill 

 the bag with the poultice above the knee, which can be kept up by 

 tying a piece of listing, or a strip of flannel over the shoulder. 

 Poultices are also useful applications for promoting suppuration in 

 inflamed tumors, and when there is irritation or inflammation in 

 the heels, such as scratches, cracks, or grease. The poultices com- 

 monly employed for these purposes [are of an emollient character. 

 The following is a standard formula : — 



