600 
ON THE DISTEMPER IN DOGS. 
a disease, bad enough in itself, but which, in all probability, has 
been wofully aggravated by injudicious treatment. 
When the inflammatory action has terminated in nasal gleet, 
or, perhaps, more properly, the suppurative process on the mucous 
surfaces, cleanliness becomes indispensably necessary. In this 
stage I have generally found the disorder curable ; and in those 
cases in which the patients have not been too much reduced by 
the previous morbid action, a dose of croton oil has been benefi- 
cial, as it does not enfeeble the animal so much as an emetic, but 
freely opens the bowels and evacuates worms, which, in most 
young dogs, are a constant accompaniment of distemper, and 
a source of irritation to the intestinal canal. 
In every case of debility kind and gentle usage are really ne- 
cessary ; the appetite must be coaxed with light and nutritious 
food, and the dog usually prefers new milk. In such cases I 
omit the croton oil, and give tonic fever medicine. The com- 
bination with which I have oftenest succeeded is emetic tartar, 
(varying it from the twentieth to the twelfth of a grain), nitre, 
cinchona, and garlic*, which are made into a mass with treacle, 
divided into pills, and given every morning fasting, until every 
symptom of distemper disappears. If the patient should feed 
well and not gain flesh, we may suspect worms, which some 
doses of powdered glass will expel. 
So far as my humble experience is concerned, cinchona is pre- 
ferable to gentian, as it agrees with the stomach, creates an 
appetite, and does not constipate the bowels; but the latter ap- 
parently excites nausea when given without the small portion of 
tartar emetic, and, in some instances, actually causes vomiting. 
Whether diarrhoea supervenes, or is the early and predominant 
symptom, the rapid loss of flesh which it occasions is almost in- 
credible ; and if early remedial measures are not adopted, the 
animal soon sinks under its debilitating influence. 
Previous to an attack of distemper, the dog is slightly indis- 
posed, loathes his food, and eats grass (which is nature’s remedy 
for the canine race), whilst the only symptom by which we can 
recognize the disease is its characteristic smell. Under this form 
of attack we might conceive that purgatives were indicated ; and 
although we have a variety of substances which will excite 
catharsis in the dog, it requires caution in the selection. Castor 
oil appears to be the blandest ; but I have given it with doubt- 
ful effect even when guarded by a few drops of the tinct. opii. 
* I do not know the specific effect of garlic ; but repeated experiments 
have convinced me, that in combination it possesses sanative virtues in dis- 
temper. 
