ON THE DISTEMPER OF DOGS. 
87 
good dose of Epsom salts; to carry off any thing that may offend, 
and then to ply the animal with mingled absorbents and astrin¬ 
gents. A scruple of powdered chalk, ten grains of catechu, and 
five of ginger, with a quarter of a grain of opium, made into a ball 
with palm oil, may be given'to a middle-sized dog twice or thrice 
every day. To this may be added injections of gruel, with the 
compound chalk mixture with opium. 
When the twitchings which I have described begin to appear, 
a seton is necessary, whatever may be the degree to which the 
animal is reduced. Some stimulating embrocation (Tr. lyttae) 
may be rubbed along the whole course of the spine, and the 
medicine which has oftenest, but not often, succeeded is equal 
quantities of castor oil, syrup of buckthorn, and syrup of white 
poppies, given in moderate doses, morning and night, and a 
tonic ball at noon. If the dog will not now feed, he should be 
forced with strong soup. As soon, however, as the spasm 
spreads over him, and is accompanied by a moaning that in¬ 
creases to a cry, humanity demands that we should put an end 
to that we cannot cure. Until this happens I would not despair, 
for many a dog has been saved that had lain several days per¬ 
fectly helpless. 
As to the chorea which I have mentioned as an occasional se¬ 
quela of distemper, if the dog be in tolerable condition, and espe¬ 
cially if he be gaining flesh, and the spring or summer be ap¬ 
proaching, there is a chance of his doing well. A seton is the 
first thing; the bowels should be preserved from constipation; 
and the nitrate of silver, made into a pill with linseed meal, and 
in doses of one-eighth of a grain, and increasing to a quarter of a 
grain, should be given morning and night. 
Some cautions may not be unuseful. We should never make 
too sure of the recovery of a distempered dog, or commit ourselves 
by too early a prognosis. It is a sadly treacherous disease. The 
medicines should be continued until every symptom has fairly 
disappeared; and for a month at least after this, all violent ex¬ 
ercise should be scrupulously avoided. If a dog be hunted, or 
suffered to run after a horse, while the distemper is on him, or 
for some time afterwards, his death warrant is sealed. The 
golden rules are—abhor all specific nostrums; suit the medicine 
to the symptoms ; feed well; keep quiet and tolerably warm; do 
not imagine the dog to be well before he is; and do not expose 
him to the danger of a relapse. 
Of preventives I have little to say. Good feeding is the best 
preventive. A growing dog, and until he has had the distem¬ 
per, should have nearly as much as he will eat. The distemper 
will try the strength of the best conditioned animal, and a half- 
