496 GENERAL DISEASES. 



such as green grass, roots, and bran mashes. Bathing the part with 

 warm water and applying warm fomentations are indicated by the 

 fact that, as the swelling increases, the pain and lameness diminish. 

 During the intervals in which the leg is not fomented, keep it 

 smeared over with extract of belladonna, made up with gum or a 

 little glycerine, to render it adhesive. While the cold stage lasts, 

 have the animal warmly clothed. Give, after the first day or two, 

 an ounce of nitre in the food or water, daily, for a week. If the 

 sheath be swollen, the penis should be withdrawn, the sheath well 

 washed out with soap and warm water, and afterwards lubricated 

 with sweet oil or vaseline. The back of the hand should be oiled, 

 before the hand is introduced into the sheath. If these measures 

 do not reduce the swelling, the sheath should be punctured ; for a 

 distended condition of that part may prevent free urination. The 

 affected leg should be neither blistered nor fired ; though we may 

 endeavour to reduce its size by hand rubbing ; by the pressure 

 afforded by an elastic or flannel bandage ; or by the application, 

 from time to time, of the ointment or tincture of iodine. The 

 horse should on no account be worked, or even taken out of his 

 stall, until all inflammatory symptoms have subsided. After an 

 attack, great care should be observed as to his feeding and 

 exercise; for the disease has a strong tendency to recur, and, by 

 doing so, to cause a permanent thickening of the limb. 



If abscesses form, they should be freely opened with the knife. 



During the inflammatory stage, no time should be lost in freely 

 scarifying the affected limb, and then bandaging it, so as to 

 favour the escape of the fluid portion of the blood, which is the 

 cause of the swelling and of the subsequent enlargement of the leg. 



Bleeding (from the jugular vein) in this disease, should on no 

 account be resorted to ; for, if practised, it will increase, to a iiigh 

 degree, the tendency of the affected limb to become chronically en- 

 larged ; although it may apparently, for the time, be of benefit in 

 alleviating the acute symptoms. 



The subsequent feeding and exercise of the patient should be 

 carefully regulated. 



It is quite useless to attempt to treat an old case of swelled leg 

 which has been induced by attacks of this disease. 



On account of its recurrent nature, a horse which has been 

 known to have had this disease, should not be passed sound. 



Tuberculosis. 



This is an infective disease due to the presence, in the system, of 

 a specific disease germ (the bacillus tuberculosis), which gives rise 

 to tumours of various sizes in the internal organs. Owing to the 



