io8 Veterinary Medicine. 



often proves of great value in vigorous, muscular and plethoric 

 horses in temporarily lessening the blood-pressure in the brain, 

 and affording the walls of the overcharged capillaries an oppor- 

 tunity to resume a more normal tone and to control that very 

 exudation which is so much dreaded. It is most effective in the 

 early stages when little or no exudation has taken place and may 

 then be pushed to the extent of producing a perceptible softening 

 of the pulse (4, 6 or 8 quarts). Even in the advanced stages 

 when exudation has led to stupor or coma a moderate and care- 

 fully guarded bleeding may favor reabsorption of the liquid exu- 

 date. In weak and anaemic cases in which general bleeding ap- 

 pears to be contra-indicated the shaving of the cranial surface 

 followed by leeching or wet cupping can be safely resorted to. 



Counterirritants like bleeding are denounced and advocated by 

 different practitioners. In cases of extreme hypersesthesia where 

 excitement and fever would be dangerously increased by their 

 use, they must be discarded, or used only in the modified form 

 of soothing hot fomentations to the extremities. Where there 

 is less sensitiveness mustard poultices orpulp applied on the sides 

 of the neck, or upon the limbs, or even more energetic blisters 

 will be of great service. 



After the action of the purgative the bowels may be kept free 

 by calomel in y^, drachm doses twice daily and as much sulphate 

 of soda as may be necessary. 



Iodide of potassium ( 1-2 drs. twice a day) is beneficial as 

 an antithermic, a circulatory sedative, an eliminant, and probably 

 at times as an antidote but it cannot be given while calomel is 

 used. Certain it is that it often seems to act well in succession 

 to the purgative, in cases of poisoning by ryegrass and legu- 

 minosse. 



When fever runs very high it may sometimes be admissible 

 to give aconite, but the coal tar products are much more prompt 

 and powerful, and may therefore be more hopefully employed 

 for a short time. 



In conditions of extreme prostration, stupor, or coma, stimu- 

 lants are resorted to, but too often with no good effect, the 

 exudation and compression which many times cause such symp- 

 toms being rather aggravated than benefited by such agents. 



During convalescence a restricted, non-stimulating laxative 



