482 
MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 
Remedies. —Where there is very great swelling, the most 
speedy way of affording relief, is, to make an incision with 
a sharp penknife, a scalpel, or other instrument, beneath the 
short ribs, and insert a quill so as to allow the air to escape 
When effectually got rid of, the external surface of the 
wound is protected by a piece of adhesive plaster. However, 
this remedy should never be resorted to except in cases of 
extreme necessity, as the operation can seldom be performed 
without wounding some of the important blood-vessels. It 
sometimes, also, happens, that whenever the instrument 
has penetrated the paunch, the pressure of the condensed 
air within, by rushing through the wound with extreme 
violence, produces a great rent, involving imminent dan¬ 
ger to the life of the animal. 
This desperate remedy is, however, not very often re¬ 
quired, as medicines given internally, if promptly adminis¬ 
tered, will generally have the effect of relieving the animal. 
The medicines are various. The following has been found 
effectual :— 
Gin or whisky . . 1 pint, 
Water .... 1 pint. 
It has been found that the following affords relief 
Olive-oil | pint, 
Hogs’ lard, or butter melted 1 pint; 
to be mixed together, and administered by means of a 
horn, perforated at the smaller end. If no relief is visible 
in half-an-hour, the same quantity to be .repeated. A 
pint of castor-oil is said to be as good a remedy as any 
other, and probably much better than the one above. The 
following recipe has been recommended, and has the ad¬ 
vantage of being less costly 
