118 DISEASES OP THE HORSE. 



can be persuaded to drink milk, it may be supported by it for days. 

 Three or four gallons of sweet milk may be given during the day, in 

 which may be stirred three or four fresh eggs to each gallon. Some 

 horses will drink milk, while others will refuse to touch it. It 

 should be borne in mind that all feed must be taken by the horse as 

 he desires it; none should be forced down him. If he will not eat, 

 you will only have to wait until a desire is shown for feed. All 

 kinds may be offered, first one thing and then another, but feed 

 should not be allowed to remain long in trough or manger ; the very 

 fact of its constantly being before him will cause him to loathe it. 

 When the animal has no appetite for anything the stomach is not in 

 a proper state to digest food, and if it is poured or drenched into 

 him it will only cause indigestion and aggravate the case. It is a 

 good practice to do nothing when there is nothing to be done that 

 will benefit. This refers to medicine as well as feed. Nothing is well 

 done that is overdone. 



There are many valuable medicines used for the different stages 

 and different types of pneumonia, but in the opinion of the writer 

 it is useless to refer to them here, as this work is intended for the 

 use of those who are not sufficiently acquainted with the disease 

 to recognize its various types and stages ; therefore they would only 

 confuse. If you can administer a ball or capsule, or have anyone at 

 hand who is capable of doing it, a dram of sulphate of quinin in a 

 capsule, or made into a ball, with sufficient linseed meal and molasses, 

 given every three hours during the height of the fever, will do good 

 in many cases. The ball of carbonate of ammonia, as advised in 

 the treatment of bronchitis, may be tried if the animal is hard to 

 drench. The heart should be kept strong by administering digitalis 

 in doses of 2 drams of the tincture every three hours, or strychnia 

 1 grain, made into a pill with licorice powder, three times daily. 



If the horse becomes very much debilitated, stimulants of a more 

 pronounced character are required. The following drench is useful : 

 Eectified spirits, 3 ounces ; spirits of nitrous ether, 2 ounces ; water, 

 1 pint. This may be repeated every four or five hours if it seems 

 to benefit ; or 6 ounces of good whisky diluted with a pint of water 

 may be given as often, instead of the foregoing. 



During the period of convalescence good nutritive feed should 

 be allowed in a moderate quantity. Tonic medicines should be sub- 

 stituted for those used during the fever. The same medicines advised 

 for the convalescing period of bronchitis are equally efficient in this 

 case, especially the iodid of potash ; likewise, the same general in- 

 structions apply here. 



The chief causes of death in pneumonia are heart failure from 

 exhaustion, suffocation, or blood poisoning from death (gangrene) of 

 lung tissue. The greater the area of lung tissue diseased the greater 



