ACUTE ANASARCOUS DISEASE. 263 
similar to that of a horse which has undergone much exer¬ 
tion. 
So great is the dread of this fearful disease by the native 
horse-doctors, that as soon as they see the least symptoms of 
it, they immediately place the affected animals to leeward, 
as the effluvium from them has been known to take off fifty 
or sixty horses before the ravages of this singular disease 
could be arrested. 
The treatment adopted by me consisted in venesection, the 
constant use of fomentations, and a ball was given, composed 
of aloes and opium, in combination with nitrate of potassa. 
The effect of the fomentations was to disperse the swell¬ 
ing, and to cause it to disappear from the abdomen; but sud¬ 
denly the fore extremities and the chest became affected to 
such an extent that the animal was quite powerless. 
On the second day, I found him relieved from that excited 
appearance; his respiration was also more composed, and the 
pulse had fallen to 90. I ordered the fomentations to be 
continued; and the bowels being still constipated, I directed 
injections to be thrown up frequently during the day. 
On the third day, being still costive, I gave a ball contain¬ 
ing aloes and nitrate of potassa. The swelling was still in¬ 
creasing, and also the excitement. The native practitioners 
were surprised to think the animal had lived so long, saying 
they never saw so severe a case. 
On the fourth day the bowels acted slightly. I continued 
the fomentations, and gave the ball as before. The appetite 
was now voracious; he ate even his own excrement, and the 
dirt, or anything he could get at, and this to such an extent, 
that I was obliged to have him muzzled. I scarified the 
parts, but could get no blood. 
On the seventh day, having succeeded in our object, we 
marched to Bevach, which is about six miles. This took him 
two days to accomplish. On coming to the river, eight men 
were required to lift him into a boat, he being so helpless. 
The reason we did not shoot him was, my captain wished 
me to try and see if so formidable a disease could not be 
overcome, our guides telling him they had known hundreds 
taken off by it at one time; in fact, seldom is one cured. In 
a few days the case became one of interest to all; I therefore 
exerted myself to the utmost, anticipating a successful result. 
The swelling continued present for about fifteen days, when 
all at once his enormous appetite entirely left him, and I now 
put him under a course of mineral tonics. But the swelling- 
continued to increase until his head became three times its 
natural size, and move him we could not. I then tried the 
