DISEASE IN GENERAL 219 



restore health, and all that medicines and other remedies can 

 do is to appeal to and arouse the body to action. 



As animals are often killed by the attendant giving too 

 large, too frequent, or too strong doses of medicine, one should 

 be careful and not attempt to do too much. It is always best 

 to summon a veterinarian, as his advice is based upon experience 

 and scientific training and is the best obtainable. Remember 

 at all times that the animal does not differ materially from man 

 and that it reacts in much the same way to medical treatment. 

 So stop and consider the consequences of giving strong medicines 

 to yourself before administering them to your animals. The 

 same principles for the treatment of disease apply in veterinary 

 practice that are employed in the practice of human medicine. 



In the treatment of disease, the first concern of the average 

 person is to find a cure or remedy. Unfortunately, there are 

 but few diseases for which curative agents are known. This 

 is particularly true of infectious diseases. Modern research 

 has shown that many diseases which are highly mortal and can- 

 not be cured by any known means may be prevented. There 

 has accordingly been developed in the last few decades a system 

 of treatment that, while not strictly curative in its nature, brings 

 disease under control. It is known as preventive treatment, 

 the principles of which were discussed in the preceding section. 

 In many cases a clear line can scarcely be drawn between the 

 two, but this makes no difference so long as beneficial results 

 follow their application. 



Nature may be supported in overcoming disease by those things 

 which are available in almost every stable. It is not so much 

 what is used, as how it is used. First-aid treatment should not 

 call for expensive and rare equipment, but the intelligent use of 

 the means at hand. However, to be effective, treatment must 

 be of a kind particularly suited to the case. In many cases 

 ultimate success depends upon the selection of a special thera- 

 peutic agent the lack of which is likely to result in death. For 

 example, the specific remedy for tetanus is tetanus antitoxin, 

 that for hog cholera is anti-hog-cholera serum, and that for 

 actinomycosis or lumpy jaw of cattle is iodin. No other remedies 

 are nearly as effective for these diseases as the ones mentioned. 



Remedies for the treatment of diseases include a large number 

 of agents. The term "remedy" is used here in a comprehensive 



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