Nursing of Sick Animals. 151 



the eyeball into the socket; the nasal membrane is exam- 

 ined as follows: Hold the lower lip with one hand, with 

 the finger and thumb of the other dilate the nostril. The 

 attendant should note whether the muzzle is dry or 

 moist, the skin hot, dry, tight or harsh, whether shiver- 

 ing or fevered, the patient will also be watched so as to 

 note whether he changes his position often, getting up or 

 lying down, pawing or retching (attempts at vomiting). 

 The condition of the feces and urine whether the former 

 are hard, dry, slimy or coated with mucus, whether 

 worms are seen in the feces will also be noted and 

 reported to the veterinarian, and while the work may 

 seem onerous, attention to details is very essential in the 

 nursing and treatment of veterinary patients. 



The reluctance to eat, absence from the feed trough, 

 hanging behind the flock or herd are all valuable indi- 

 cations to the careful stockman, even the eating of dirt 

 or drinking of dirty water (when clean is supplied) 

 should be looked into and the cause found. 



Symptoms are generally more or less plentiful and 

 only need cultivation of one's powers of observation to 

 detect them, consequently we should expect that the 

 person most frequently with animals in health should be 

 the readiest to detect any symptoms of ill-health, reason- 

 ing still further, it is readily comprehended that the best 

 veterinarians will, after a good college training, come 

 from the ranks of the stockmen. 



Watering, in healthy animals, should take place before 

 feeding, slight quantities may be given after, this applies 

 more particularly to horses, animals at liberty will drink 

 as needed. The practice of refusing a drink to a warm 



