STRANGLES— LAMPAS. 351 



pontine and a little oil, may be rubbed in with a piece of sponge, 

 until it produces irritation of the skin, which in a few hours will 

 be followed by a discharge from the part. Six or eight drachms 

 of nitre may also be dissolved in the water which the horse drinks, 

 with some difficulty, but still, as he is thirsty, he will take it. 

 Sometimes eating gives less pain than drinking, and then the 

 nitre may be given with a bran mash instead of the water. 



Strangles. — Between the third and fifth year of the colt's life 

 he is generally seized with an acute swelling of the soft parts 

 between the branches of the lower jaw, accompanied by more or 

 less sore throat, cough and feverishness. These go on increasing 

 for some days, and then an abscess shows itself, and finally bursts. 

 The salivary glands are often involved, but the matter forms in 

 the cellular membrane external to them. The treatment should 

 be addressed to the control of constitutional symptoms by the 

 mildest measures, such as bran mashes with nitre in them, abstrac- 

 tion of corn, hay tea, &c. At the same time the swelling should 

 be poulticed for one night, or thoroughly fomented two or three 

 times, and then blistered with the tincture of cantharides. As 

 soon as the matter can plainly be felt, it may be let out with a 

 lancet; but it is very doubtful whether it is not the best plan to 

 permit the abscess to break. The bowels should be gently moved, 

 by giving a pint, or somewhat less, according to age, of castor oil ; 

 and afterwards two or three drachms of nitre, with half a drachm 

 of tartar emetic, may be mixed with the mash twice a day, on 

 which food alone the colt should be fed, in addition to gruel, and 

 a little grass or clover if these are to be had, or if not, a few steamed 

 carrots. The disease has a tendency to get well naturally, but if 

 it is not kept within moderate bounds it is very apt to lay the 

 foundation of roaring or whistling. Any chronic swelling which 

 is left behind, may be removed by rubbing in a weak ointment of 

 biniodide of mercury (one scruple or half drachm to the ounce ; 

 see page 300). 



Lampas is an active inflammation of the ridges, or "bars," in 

 tl.a hoof of the mouth, generally occurring in the young horse 

 while he is shedding his teeth, or putting up the tushes. Some- 

 times, however, it comes on, independently of this cause from 

 over-feeding with corn after a run at grass. The mucous mem- 

 brane of the roof of the mouth swells so much that it projects 

 beli.w the level of the nippers, and is so tender that all hard and 

 dry food is refused. The treatment is extremely simple, consist 

 ing in the scarification of the part with a sharp knife or lancet, 

 after which the swelling generally subsides, and is gone in a day 

 or two; but should it obstinately continue, as will sometimes 

 happen, a stick of lunar caustic must be gently rubbed over tho 

 part every day until a cure is completed. This is far better than 



