DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE 155 
II. — Diarrhoea in Young Animals. 
Causes. — Exposure to cold or lying upon the damp 
ground in the spring or fall may bring it on because of the 
cliir.ing effect on the bowels. Should the mother's milk 
be very rich, or on the other hand very weak, it will have a 
tendency to affect the foal in this way. Hot milk from the 
mother when overheated from working hard acts in the same 
manner. 
Symptoms. — Passage of much fluid manure, which sticks 
around his legs and tail, is an important symptom. The 
patient becomes weak, sickly and very gaunt, and his coat 
will be staring. 
Treatment. — If the mother's milk be weak, try to im- 
prove it by giving plenty of nourishing food. Should the 
cause be mother's milk when she is heated, always milk a 
little out before the foal gets a chance to suck. 
If a strong foal, give: 
Castor Oil 1 ounce or 4 dessertspoonfuls. 
Laudanum 10 to 15 drops 
If this does not relieve him in five hours, follow up with 
Laudanum 10 to 20 drops. 
Brandy or Whisky...^ to 1 ounce or 2 to 4 dessertspoonfuls. 
Mix with some of the mother's milk and give as a drench 
three times a day. In severe cases keep the foal warm and 
apply a light mustard plaster to his belly. 
12. Bloody Flux (Dysentery). 
This disease affects the lining of the large bowels, in 
which large ulcers are formed. These bleed and cause the 
manure to be streaked with blood. 
Causes. — It is often the result of a severe attack of 
diarrhoea, of pasturing on wet, marshy lands, of eating hay 
on such lands, or of using impure water. 
Symptoms. — The passages from the bowels are streaked 
with blood and have a bad smell. Sometimes slime comes 
away with the manure. The appetite is poor and in some 
cases entirely gone. The pulse is weak and about 50 beats 
per minute. Colicky or cramping pains in the bowels accom- 
panies these symptoms. 
Treatment. — This disease is in some cases treated with- 
out success, and bad cases are considered very serious. Give 
the following: 
Raw Linseed Oil i/^ pint. 
Castor Oil \a pj^t. 
Laudanum . ....1 ounce or 4 dessertspoonfuls. 
