HOUSING THE PATIENT. 117 



be exercised in their use, otherwise they may not only injure 

 the animal, by aggravating the disease, but colic may supervene, 

 and the worst consequences speedily follow. It is better to 

 mix the green fodder with a little hay, and give small portions 

 of this at a time. Lints and oats, or tares, are a heavy, cold, 

 and watery diet. 



II. — Housing the Patient. — If the patient be attacked 

 with disease of an acute, or sub-acute nature, as inflammation of 

 the bowels, or inflammation of the lungs, or epidemic catarrh, 

 it is better that the animal be placed in a box, which should be 

 roomy, moderately well lighted, perfecthf clean, well ventilated, of 

 a comfortable temperature, and well littered with clean dry straw. 



Por the following reasons, diseased animals should always 

 be separated, if practicable, from those which are healthy, viz : 

 if the disease be of an infectious nature, it may prevent it from 

 spreading, — the animal is not disturbed by other horses going 

 out, or coming into the stable, — the temperature of a loose box 

 can be maintained at a more equable rate ; and lastly, if the 

 disease be of a violent nature (as inflammation of the bowels)-, 

 the patient if allowed to remain in a regular sized stall, would 

 probably severely injure and bruise himself, destroy the wood- 

 work, and perhaps inflict injury upon the limbs of other horses. 

 While treating upon the subject of housing, the following rule 

 may be laid down for cleaning the box, if the patient is likely 

 to remain in it for two or three days. 



Either remove the old straw at the bottom of the bed every 

 day, or do not touch it until the patient has recovered. If the 

 old straw is removed once every two or three days, the urine 

 and dung with which it will in places be saturated, will have 

 decomposed, and upon turning it up a powerful effluvium will be 

 emitted, and if taken away, the temperature of the place will 



