516 The Management and Dtseases of the Dog. 
tion of this agent when too freely used in skin-dressings, or from 
licking the same. a } 
Actions and Uses.—In excessive doses, an irritant poison. 
Medicinally, sedative, anodyne, astringent, and antiseptic. Ex- 
ternally, antiseptic, deodorizer, disinfectant, caustic, and stypac. 
Antidotes— Albumen ; soap ; demulcent drinks. 
Doses —Crystals, 1 to - grains. 
ERGOT OF RYE. ; 
Ergot of rye is a poison, but neither so powerful nor so certain 
1n its effects on the lower animals as on man. 
Actions and Uses.—‘ When given in single large doses, it cases 
local irritation of the parts with which it comes in contact, and 
subsequently affects the nervous system, especially the spinal cord. 
When given to dogs, it produces vomiting, tenesmus, and after a 
variable but generally short time, dulness, prostration of muscular 
power, and spasms, chiefly of the diaphragm. These effects are 
produced in small dogs by doses of from six to twelve drachms. 
Twenty-four drachms proved fatal to a terrier bitch in twenty-four 
hours. When injected into the veins of the dog in quantities of 
from two to six drachms, dissolved in several ounces of water, it 
causes, first, great excitement and excessive acceleration of the 
pulse ; and then, after a variable time, depression, paralysis, 
especially of the hinder extremities, spasms, and coma. Death 
ensues, generally from paralysis of the heart, in from five minutes 
to two hours. When injected into the arteries, it acts still more 
rapidly. If placed underneath the cellular tissue, or in contact with 
a recent wound, it causes much irritation and inflammation, the 
formation of foetid unhealthy pus, and great depression of the 
vital powers.”— Finlay Dun, 
Medicinally, a parturient ; styptic in pulmonary haemorrhage, 
and also externally. 
_ Doses.—% to 1 drachm. 
CANTHARIDES. 
Actions and Uses.—In large doses, an irritant poison, producing 
gastro-enteritis, nephritis, inflammation of the bladder, coma, 
convulsions, and death. Orfila “found that a drachm and a half 
of a strong oleaginous solution, injected into the jugular vein of a 
dog, killed it in four hours with symptoms of violent tetanus ; 
that three drachms of the tincture with eight grains of powder 
suspended in it caused death in twenty-four hours, if retained in 
