352 



THE HORSE. 



the red-hot iron, which was formerly so constantly used, with 

 good effect it is true, and not accompanied by any cruelty, as the 

 mucous membrane is nearly insensible, but the caustic is mure 

 rapid and effectual in stimulating the vessels to a healthy action, 

 and on that score should be preferred. If the lampas is owing to 

 the cutting of a grinder, relief will be afforded by a crucial inci- 

 sion across the protruding gum. 



Barbs, paps. &e. — The swelling at the mouth of the ducts 

 may generally be relieved by a dose of physic and green food, but 

 should it continue, a piece of lunar caustic may be held lor a 

 moment against the opening of the duct every second day, and 

 after two or three applications the thickening will certainly 

 disappear. 



Where yives, or chronically enlarged submaxillary glands, are 

 met with, the application of the ointment of biniodide of mercury, 

 according to the directions given at page 300. will almost certainly 

 cause their reduction to a natural state. 



GASTRITIS. 



Gastritis (acute inflammation of the stomach) is extremely 

 rare in the horse as an idiopathic disease ; but it sometimes occurs 

 from eating vegetable poisons as food, or from the wilful introduc- 

 tion of arsenic into this organ, or, lastly, from licking off corrosive 

 external applications, which have been used for mange. The symp- 

 toms from poisoning will a good deal depend upon the article 

 which has been taken, but in almost all cases in which vegetable 

 poisons have been swallowed, there is a strange sort of drowsiness, 

 so that the horse does not lie down and go to sleep, but props him- 

 self against a wall or tree with his head hanging almost to the 

 ground. As the drowsiness increases he often falls down in his 

 attempt to rest himself more completely, and when on the ground 

 his breathing is loud and hard, and his sleep is so unnaturally 

 sound that he can scarcely be roused from it. At length con- 

 vulsions occur and death soon takes place. This is the ordinary 

 course of poisoning with yew, which is sometimes picked up with 

 the grass after the clippings have dried, for in its fresh state the 

 taste is too bitter for the palate, and the horse rejects the mouthful 

 of grass in which it is involved. May-weed and water parsley will 

 also produce nearly similar symptoms. The treatment in each 

 case should be by rousing the horse mechanically, and at the same 

 time giving him six or eight drachms of aromatic spirit of ammonia, 

 in a pint or two of good ale, with a little ginger in it. This may 

 he repeated every two hours, and the horse should be perpetually 

 walked about until the narcotic symptoms are completely gone off, 

 when a sound sleep will restore him to his natural state. 



Arsenic, when given in large doses, with an intention to destroy 



