DISEASE IN GENERAL 223 



water should be curtailed if diarrhea is present. The warming of 

 water in winter is recommended for sick animals, as ice-cold 

 water is harmful. Water as a diluent of the digestive fluids 

 permits them to come in contact with and thus act more effi- 

 ciently on foods; the softening materially assists in the proc- 

 esses of mastication, digestion, absorption, and assimilation. 

 Water dissolves nutrients; no foods can be utilized by the body 

 that are not in water-soluble form. Furthermore, it is useful in 

 eliminating nitrogenous waste from the body through the skin, 

 kidneys and digestive tract. Medicines should not be given in 

 the water unless they are tasteless. As a rule, it is safe to allow 

 animals all the water they desire to drink. 



(6) Rest must be insisted upon as an adjunct to other lines of 

 treatment if a rapid recovery is desired. It includes the removal 

 of the saddle if a saddle-gall is present, withdrawal of the nail 

 in nail prick, change of the ration or withholding it in indigestion. 

 Animals recovering from disease need more rest than other animals. 

 After a long shipment or extreme physical exertion horses rest 

 by taking the weight off one leg and then another. Growth is 

 predominantly a function of rest, while work is chiefly an energy- 

 expending and tearing-down process. Work may furnish the 

 conditions under which subsequent growth may occur, but in 

 itself it is destructive. By work we do things in the world, but 

 we do not grow by work; we grow during rest. It is not the only 

 condition of growth, but it is one of the essential conditions. 



(7) Exercise is as important in the treatment of disease as 

 rest and proper feed. By stimulating the heart and muscles to 

 action it causes the blood to flow more freely through the body 

 and hastens recovery by keeping a supply of nutrients on hand 

 and taking away the tissue debris. It should be given daily, 

 and in moderation, unless the patient is suffering from a disease 

 accompanied with a high fever, or is undergoing treatment in- 

 volving immobility of a certain part, when better results will be 

 had from absolute rest. Yard or halter exercise is especially 

 recommended, as it gives an opportunity for the animal to get 

 a supply of fresh air. The value in turning to pasture is largely 

 that derived from exercise. Denied exercise even the most 

 robust animal sooner or later loses health. 



(8) Surgical operations are often resorted to for the treatment 

 of disease. They are successful only when skillfully performed 



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