Asthma. Broken Wind. Heaves. Dyspnoea, Etc. 379 



or even temporarily cure mild cases. The same may be said 

 of the laxative systems of diet. (See that recommended for 

 chronic bronchitis') . Feeding on dry grain only, with a very lim- 

 ited supply of water, will enable many broken-winded horses to 

 do ordinary work with comparative ease and comfort. In such 

 cases, however, improvement is only due to the empty and un- 

 clogged condition of the digestive organs and the symptoms 

 return with all their former intensity when the original diet is 

 restored. By way of palliation much may be secured by avoiding 

 accidental causes of aggravation. If catarrh or bronchitis has 

 supervened it should be treated in the ordinary way. If the 

 stomach and bowels are overloaded and costive, a small dose of 

 aloes and enemata will relieve. If the stable is close a free ad- 

 mission of air will be beneficial. The temporary excitement in 

 these cases may be further alleviated by sedatives, of which 

 opium and digitalis have been mostly employed. The last agent 

 will sometimes control the breathing to such an extent that the 

 horse may be thought to have completely recovered. Professor 

 Dick believed that he had effected a cure in one case by the ad- 

 ministration at a single dose of a drachm each of camphor, opium, 

 calomel and digitalis. Tincture of lobelia, 1-2 ozs., extract of 

 grindelia robusta, i oz. or kerosene oil, 5 ozs., will abate the 

 symptoms. Temporary results only can, however, be expected 

 from such agents, except in the case of an aggravation due to a 

 cause acting for a limited time only, in which case the partial im. 

 provement may be lasting. 



By adapting such measures to check accidental complications 

 and confining the animal to a rigid system of diet a broken- winded 

 horse may be worked with comfort to himself and his master. 

 The aliment should be principally or exclusively of oats, bran or 

 barley, though good succulent grass, turnips, carrots, beet, and 

 potatoes may be allowed, as may also wheat or oat straw in 

 limited quantity, but no hay and, above all, none prepared from 

 red clover, alfalfa, sainfoin, or allied forage plants and none that 

 is musty or otherwise injured by keeping. No food nor water 

 must be allowed for one or two hours before going to work, and 

 the pace must be slow at first and gradually increased as the horse 

 empties himself, and the breathing gets less embarrassed. If 

 meadow hay, straw or other bulky food is allowed in small quan- 

 tity this must be after the horse has returned from his day's work. 



