120 GENERAL THERAPEUTICS FOR VETERINARIANS 



dangerous to life and for this reason they are no longer used thera- 

 peutically to bring about abortion. Instead, mechanical methods 

 are employed exclusively to produce an artificial abortion or pre- 

 mature birth: forcible dilation of the cervix, puncture of the foetal 

 membranes, insertion of an elastic bougie between the uterus and 

 the membranes, injections between the uterus and foetus, hot 

 uterine douches, tamponading the vagina, etc. • 



The ecbolics also act upon the empty uterus, causing contrac- 

 tion of the uterus in metritis and checking uterine hemorrhage. 

 Neoplasms of the uterus (myomas) are favorably influenced. 

 Promotion of menstruation by the so-called emmenagogues is only 

 of value in human practice in the treatment of the different men- 

 struation anomalies of women. 



Drugs. — 1. Ergota. Ergot. An excellent ecbolic in diflScult 

 parturition and in retention of the foetal membranes; also a styptic 

 in uterine hemorrhage, and a specific against myomas of the uterus. 

 Dose for cattle, 25-50, 5vj to xij ; horses, 10-25, Sijss to vj ; sheep, 

 goats and swine, 2-5, 5ss to j; dogs, 0.5-2, grs. vij to xxx; cats, 

 0.2-1, grs. iij to xv; fowl (retention of eggs), 0.2-0.5, grs. iij to vij. 



2. Hydrastis. An ecbolic for weak labor and uterine hemor- 

 rhages. [Dose of fiuidextractum hydrastis for horses and cows, 8-30, 

 5ij to Bi; sheep and swine, 4r-8, 3i to ij; dogs, 0.3-4, tijjv to 3i.] 



2. DRUGS THAT STIMULATE THE SEXUAL IMPULSE 

 APHRODISIACS 

 Synonym: Erotics. 



Actions and Uses. — ^Artificial stimulation of the sexual impulse 

 is required in phlegmatic, fat or diseased males and females when 

 the sexual desire is below normal. Relaxation and weakening of 

 the body as a result of irrational feeding or stabling, previously 

 existing disease, overexertion, breeding too young, breeding too 

 frequently, masturbation, and the different diseases of the genital 

 apparatus are the usual causes. 



The action of aphrodisiacs is exerted in different ways. Liberal 

 feeding of foods rich in nitrogen and the iron preparations operate 

 in a purely dietetic way; fat and phlegmatic animals, on the con- 



