JAUNDICE IN THE DOG. 
317 
the dog species with those instinctive or reasoning faculties 
which teach them to eat the grass for the purpose of exciting 
vomition and relieving their ailments. Probably, these re- 
straints upon natural habits may be regarded as some of the 
predisposing causes of the yellows; while the exciting ones 
may be unwholesome flesh, barley meal, nut cake* or too great 
a supply of vegetable food, which may be difficult of assimila- 
tion, and in consequence occasion such functional disturbance of 
the digestive system as may excite the liver, and produce morbid 
action or function in the viscus. 
SYMPTOMS. — The dog being out of spirits, eating grass, 
lapping water, feeding sparingly, running or hunting unwillingly, 
may be considered premonitory symptoms ; and these are soon 
followed by the diagnostic ones — dry nose — shrunken eyes — 
pitiful countenance — unwillingness to move — appetite gone — 
urine voided in small quantities, saffron coloured, and emitting a 
peculiar odour — tongue furred — teeth, mouth, eyes, ears, and 
skin yellow, and that assuming a black tinge as the disease 
progresses, indicates approaching death. Tn some cases, lame- 
ness in one or more of the limbs is not observable ; in others, 
it is present in the early part of the attack, or supervenes 
after the animal has become convalescent. 
Treatment . — During the early part of my professional 
career, chloride of mercury was considered the best therapeutic 
agent for restoring the liver to its healthy state, and if it were 
not for the extreme irritability of the dog’s stomach, the chloride 
would, in all probability, prove as efficient a remedy in the 
canine race as it is in most other classes of domesticated ani- 
mals; but vomition is so easily excited in the dog, that the 
chloride of mercury becomes ejected before a sufficient quantity 
can be retained in the system for the purpose of restoring the 
liver to its healthy action. 
It was continued unsuccessful results ensuing from the ad- 
ministration of chloride of mercury in dogs affected with 
yellows that induced me to prescribe pil. hydrarg. in combina- 
tion with pulv. rhei. and ext. hyoscyami ; one scruple of each 
of the two former with from six to ten grains of the latter, 
made into a mass, and divided into six pills, one of which is to 
be given night or morning, according to circumstances. But if 
the case should be a dangerous one, the pills may be given 
twice a-day. These pills are usually administered for three 
days in succession, at the end of which time, for the purpose of 
evacuating the bowels, from 3ij to 3yj of mag. sulph. are dis- 
solved in as much sweet whey, mutton broth, or milk and 
water, as will make the dog a meal, varying the quantities 
both of the medicine and vehicle according to the size of the 
VOL. XXIV. X X 
