456 Veterinary Medicine. 



Warm fomentations to the loins or croup are not without their 

 influence. They tend to soothe the irritated parts and to solicit 

 the action of the kidneys more particularly. The old resort of a 

 fresh sheep skin, with the fleshy side in, may be used as a 

 substitute. 



Perhaps the most important indication is to secure depletion 

 from the overloaded portal .system and liver. Where nothing 

 better offers, a pint or quart of castor oil, or a pound of, Glauber 

 salts, or a half drachm of podophyllin and four drachms of aloes 

 may be given. If available -i to i>^ grains of e.serine, or 7 

 grains of barium chloride may be given hypodermically in dis- 

 tilled water or that which has been raised 'to the boiling point. 

 This may be supplemented by frequent injections of hot soap 

 suds or even of laxative saline solutions. If the bowels can be 

 roused to free secretion the removal of toxic matters from the 

 portal blood and the delay in the progress of similar matters 

 through the liver will go far toward securing a favorable result. 

 When free purgation has been secured recovery can usually be 

 counted on. 



The action on the bowels must be followed up by diuretics to 

 eliminate the offen.sive matters from the general system. Colchi- 

 cum has been recommended because of its action in increasing 

 the solids of the urine, and this may be combined with .saltpeter 

 or other diuretic, or the latter may be used alone and repeated 

 twice a day. If, however, the patient can, by the free use of 

 common salt or otherwi.se, be induced to drink freely of water, 

 the elimination through the kidneys will be sufficiently se<;ured. 



The muscular weakness and paraly.sis that remain after the 

 acute symptoms have subsided must be met by .stimulating lini- 

 ments and even blisters to the loins or affected muscles, by the 

 internal use of strychnia (2 grs. twice daily) until the jerking of 

 the muscles indicates that its physiological action has been 

 secured, and by an electric current daily for ten minutes at a 

 time through the affected neirves and muscles. Animals that 

 have been helpless for weeks have, in our hands, recovered under 

 such treatment, and even cases of several months' standing, with 

 the most extensive atrophy of the triceps, and in which the ani- 

 mal could barely .stand, have made a satisfactory recovery. 



Any remaining nephritis mu,st be treated according to its 

 indications. 



