ON ADMINISTERING MEDICINES. 
On Administering Medicines.—A doz 
should never be roughly treated. Strug- 
gling with a sick animal often does him 
more harm than the medicine to be given 
can do good. 
Medicines are prescribed in the form of 
either pill, bolus, mixture, or powder. 
When giving a dog a pill or bolus, 
small dog, he may be held either on 
administrator's knee or on that of an 
assistant. The mouth is then gently but 
firmly opened with one hand, and the pill 
is thrust as far down as possible before it 
is let go, the head being meanwhile held 
at an angle of 45° or thereabouts. Close 
the mouth at once thereafter, and give a 
slight tap under the chin to aid deglutition 
by taking the dog by surprise. See that 
the upper lips are folded under the teeth 
during the operation, thus protecting the 
fingers from being bitten, for the dog will 
hardly care to bite through his own lips 
to get at the hand. With a very large dog 
the best plan is to back him up against 
the inner corner of a wall and get astride 
of him. 
Tasteless medicines can generally be 
given in the food; those, however, that 
have a bad flavour must be forcibly put 
over the throat. Hold the dog in the same 
position as in giving a bolus, only there 
is no necessity for opening the mouth so 
wide, although the head is to be held well 
back, gradually then, and not too much 
at a time, pour the mixture over the front 
teeth well down into the back part of the 
throat. When it is all down, giving the 
animal a morsel of meat, or anything tasty, 
will often prevent him from bringing it 
back again. The ease with which he can 
vomit is characteristic of the dog, but may 
often be overcome by taking the animal 
out into the open air for a little while after 
he has been drenched. Powders, if taste- 
less, are mixed with the food, or, if nause- 
ous and bitter, and still not bulky, thev 
may be given enclosed in a thin layer of 
beef, only do not let the dog see you pre- 
paring it; or they may be mixed with 
butter, syrup, or glycerine, rolled in tissue 
paper, wetted or greased, and placed well 
back on the tongue, or given as a bolus. 
Close the mouth after placing it there until 
you hear the act of deglutition performed. 
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A better plan of drenching and a safer 
is to keep the mouth shut and form the 
upper and lower lips of one side into a 
funnel. Get an assistant to pour the medi- 
cine, a little at a time, into this funnel, and 
keep the mouth closed, or mouth and nose 
shut, until each mouthful is swallowed. 
N.B.—In giving medicine to a dog one 
must keep very cool, and on no account 
make a fuss, or any great display of bottles 
and preparations, or the poor animal may 
think some great evil is going to happen 
to him, and be obstreperous accordingly. 
Medicines are sometimes administered 
by enema; in this case it is well to oil both 
the anus and nozzle of the syringe, and to 
be exceedingly gentle; it is a tender part, 
and we must therefore assure the animal 
we mean no harm. 
Powders may be rolled in greased tissue 
paper and given in the form of bolus. 
Prevention of Disease.—Property hath 
its duties, and, apart from the sin of 
keeping any animal in an unhealthy con- 
dition, by so doing we bring upon our- 
selves endless trouble, disappointment, and 
mortification. It might be said, with but 
little fear of contradiction, that every 
ailment of the dog is preventible, but 
as many of these are contracted by the 
breathing of germ-laden air or the drink- 
ing while out of doors of impure water, 
diseases are contracted without our know- 
ledge. But with ordinary care every dog 
should live until he is thirteen or fourteen 
years of age. The following hints may 
well be borne in mind by dog-owners :— 
1. To keep a dog in health trust to food 
nore than to physic. Food makes blood, 
physic never. Even iron itself only in- 
creases the number of red corpuscles in 
the blood, and this is often less advan- 
tageous than it may appear, for dogs whose 
blood is too rich are more subject to in- 
flammatory ailments than those who are 
less strong, though wiry and ft. 
2. Next in importance to well-selected 
food is fresh air. The food is assimilated 
or taken up by the absorbents as chyie, 
and poured directly into the blood; but it 
must be properly oxygenated, for if it be 
not it will not nourish. If it be but par- 
tially purified, owing to the air breathed 
being foul, digestion is hindered, nerves 
