258 Poisons, 
and wourali, death arising from paralysis of the muscles 
of respiration, in addition to the action upon the heart. 
In order to avert death, the utmost endeavours must be 
made to promote artificial respiration, contemporancous 
with othcr means described, by which life is preserved 
long enough for the other remedies to act in the neutrali- 
sation of the toxic agent. 
Wasps, hornets, bees, &c., in this country, are trouble- 
some pests to the dog. “Shose animals used for hunting 
purposes, and others which act as marauders, disturb the 
insects by accidentally upsetting the nests. ‘Sie hornct’s 
sting is often rapidly fatal, giving no opportunity for 
treatment. To escape an attack from the infuriated 
insects it is common to raise a dense smoke, or take 
rcfuge behind thick bushes, and, best of all, to rush into 
water when at hand. The best local as well as internal 
remedy is ammonia; the cormmon washing-blue is also 
cffective externally; and a third popular agent is carron- 
oil, a compound of linseed oi) and lime-water in equal 
parts. Such, however, is the severity of the poison, 
especially that of the hornet, that the dog frequently dies 
before anything can be done in the way of treatment, 
The Destruction of Dogs.— An cffective and speedy 
methed of putting usele.s and other animals out of 
existence is a subject of importance. When they have 
served us faithfully, having also grown old, decrepit, and 
often offensive, a burden to themselves also, we gricve to 
witness their condition, and desire to sce their misery 
terminated. Liuthanasia,an casy or calm death, is what 
we prefer; many methods are speedy, but the results are 
agonising. Thus, prussec acid is probably the most 
speedy and powerful poison, but the convulsions are 
horrifying. An electric shock, sufficicntly powerful, is 
surprisingly effective, but is curnbrous in its application. 
Pithing and drowning are objectionable on grounds so 
obvious that their discussion is unnecessary. The 
hypodermic method, or simply injecting the lethal dose 
beneath the skin, is, perhaps, the most specdy; but we 
object to the evidences, although it is probably certain 
the animal is totally unconscious of all suffering, For 
