ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES 9 



THE ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINES 



Medicine may be administered as to other animals, 

 by the mouth, hypodermically, intravenously or by 

 the rectum. The first two methods, save in excep- 

 tional cases, are those most frequently practiced. 



The Oral Metiiod 



Medicine in solution, in emulsion and in pill or 

 tablet fonn may be given orally, but the two latter 

 are by far the easiest to administer. To administer 

 a pill or tablet the animal is either held by an assist- 

 ant or steadied against the operator's legs ; the left 

 hand is placed over the upper jaw and the cheeks 

 pressed against the teeth, while the under jaw is 

 gently depressed by the first finger of the right hand. 

 As the mouth opens, pressure is maintained by the 

 fingers of the left hand, thereby forcing the cheeks 

 between the molars and eflfectiially preventing the 

 mouth closing. The pill or tablet is then placed 

 well back on the animal's tongue and the mouth 

 allowed to close. 



In cases where it is desirable to administer the 

 medicament in liquid form the dose should be regu- 

 lated so as to be of as small a quantity as possible, 

 except, of course, where irritant drugs are used, in 

 which case they must be properly diluted to avoid 

 irritation of the buccal mucous membrane. The 

 medicine being already placed in a teaspoon, syringe 

 or other convenient receptacle, the animal's mouth 

 is closed, either by an assistant holding the jaws 

 closely together or by tying them together with a 

 tape. The index finger of the left hand is then 

 introduced at the corner of the lips and the cheeks 

 pulled outwards to form a pocket, into which the 

 medicine should be poured slowly until the animal 

 has taken the required dose. 



