DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE 259 
Treatment. — In a very light case of the disease, if in the 
spring and the animal is able to lower his head and eat grass, 
It is best to leave him out in a level pasture field where there 
is nothing to disturb him. Do not go near him to give 
medicine, but watch him to see that nothing unexpected turns 
up. Catching a wild colt in the pasture to give medicine only 
excites him so much that it does more harm than good. All 
kinds of treatments have been tried, but the best is to give, as 
soon as the disease is detected, a dose of physic consisting of 
Bitter Aloes 8 drams. 
Bicarbonate of Soda 1 dessertspoonful 
Ginger 1 dessertspoonful 
Sweet Spirits of Nitre 1 ounce or 4 dessertspoonfuls. 
Mix in a pint of lukewarm water and give as a drench, 
being careful not to unduly excite him while giving it. 
Should it be caused by a nail in the foot, pare the hole out 
well and poultice with hot linseed poultices, changing them 
often to keep them hot. Keep the foot poulticed until there 
is relief. If from a wound bathe well with lukewarm water 
three or four times a day, and paint with fluid extract of 
belladonna after each bathing. Keep him in a comfortable 
stable, free from noise or anything that will excite him, as 
perfect quietness is necessary in treating tins disease. Give 
one dram, or one tcaspoonful, of fluid extract of. belladonna 
on the tongue with a spoon three times a day, and feed soft, 
easily masticated food, such as gruels of chop stuff containing 
boiled flaxseed. Make the gruel thin so that he can drink it. 
if in the spring give him grass, at other seasons scald the hay 
and make it as soft and easy to eat as possible. It generally 
takes from three weeks to thirty days for the disease to run 
its course. It is best not to rely too much on medicirn , for it 
takes time. Good nursing is better than medicine, and as a 
s^eneral rule before the end of the third week there are signs 
of improvement. 
