180 MANUAL OF FASM ANIMALS 



hind parts difficult to control, and he goes down and is often 

 unable to rise again. This ailment varies much in severity ; 

 in some cases the animal goes lame and if stopped and blanketed, 

 the disease passes away; in other cases the animal goes down 

 and dies in a few minutes. The treatment in mild cases is a 

 laxative, and graduated daily exercise. Sudden attacks will 

 sometimes promptly subside if taken on the instant and the 

 subject kept still and calmed by a dose of bromide of potassium 

 in half ounce dose and sweet spirits of niter in ounce dose. If 

 the animal does not calm, the bromide may be repeated in five 

 hours and the niter twice daily. Blankets wrung from warm 

 water and placed over the loins are also good to quiet the 

 animal. After the animal has calmed, iodide of potassium in 

 dram doses may be given three times daily in place of the 

 bromide. The horse should be given all the water he wants, 

 and if unable to stand, must have a thick soft bed, and should 

 be turned from side to side at least every twelve hours. It is 

 often necessary to draw the urine with a catheter. 



Foul sheath. — Geldings are occasionally troubled by an 

 accumulation of the material from the glands of the sheath 

 which often hinders the free passage of urine. The sheath 

 may become stopped up and the retained urine increase the 

 trouble. In such cases the sheath should be well cleaned, and 

 then greased with fresh lard or vaseline. 



Diseases of the eye. — The value of sound eyes among horses 

 cannot be overestimated. While there are many diseases and 

 injuries to which the eye is subject, we shall consider only the 

 three common ailments: simple inflammation, "moon blind- 

 ness," and "pink-eye." Simple inflammation is usually due 

 to an injury, or to some foreign bodies in the eye, such as hay 

 seed, chaff, cinders, sand, and the like. Strong light irritates 

 the eye. The eye becomes red and inflamed, the eyelids 

 swollen, and the tears are discharged freely. The treatment is 

 to locate the cause and remove it. Such bodies as hay seed 



