174 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 
Treatment.—The treatment of the majority of these conditions 
will be found dealt with in other parts of this work, so that it is 
only necessary here to name them as causes. Some, however, must 
be specially referred to in this place. Stallions with undescended 
testicles are beyond the reach of medicine, and should be castrated 
and devoted to other uses. Indurated testicles may sometimes be 
remedied in the early stages by smearing with a weak iodin ointment 
daily for a length of time, and at the same time invigorating the 
system by liberal feeding and judicious work. Fatty degeneration 
is best met by an albuminoid diet (wheat bran, cottonseed meal, 
rape cake) and constant, well-regulated work. Saccharine, starchy, 
and fatty food (potatoes, wheat, corn, etc.) are to be specially 
avoided. In the mare one diseased and irritable ovary should be 
removed, to do away with the resulting excitability of the remainder 
of the generative organs. An irritable womb, with frequent strain- 
ing and the ejection of a profuse secretion, may sometimes be cor- 
rected by a restricted diet and full but well-regulated work. Even 
fatigue will act beneficially in some such cases, hence the practice of 
the Arab riding his mare to exhaustion just before service. The 
perspiration in such case, like the action of a purgative or the 
abstraction of blood just before service, benefits, by rendering the 
blood vessels less full, by lessening secretion in the womb and else- 
where, and thus counteracting the tendency to the ejection and loss 
of semen. If these means are ineffectual, a full dose of camphor (2 
drams) or of salicin may at times assist. Low condition and anemia 
demand just the opposite kind of treatment—rich, nourishing, al- 
buminoid feed, bitter ‘tonics (gentian), sunshine, gentle exercise, 
liberal grooming, and supporting treatment generally are here in 
order. 
Spasmodic closure of the neck of the womb is common and is 
easily remedied in the mare’by dilatation with the fingers. The hand, 
smeared with belladonna ointment and with the fingers drawn into 
the form of a cone, is introduced through the vagina until the pro- 
jecting, rounded neck of the womb is felt at its anterior end. This 
is opened by the careful insertion of one finger at a time, until the 
fingers have been passed through the constricted neck into the open 
cavity of the womb. The introduction is made with a gentle, rotary 
motion, and all precipitate violence is avoided, as abrasion, lacera- 
tion, or other cause of irritation is likely to interfere with the 
retention of the semen and consequently with impregnation. If 
the neck of the womb is rigid and unyielding from the induration 
which follows inflammation—a rare condition in the mare, though 
common in the cow—more force will be requisite, and it may even 
be needful to incise the neck to the depth of one-sixth of an inch 
