490 HORSE SICKNESS OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 
these may be added, hereditary constitutional causes and 
rapid atmospheric changes. 
The symptoms are differently described by different indi¬ 
viduals, according to the circumstances under which they 
have presented themselves to notice. So far as my experi¬ 
ence and that of intelligent communicators has gone, they are 
simply these :—In the very commencement, a horse formerly 
of the most lively temperament, appears languid and dull, 
hangs his head, separates himself from his companions, 
remains standing, or seeks the homestead; perhaps he has 
been seen to be shivering violently, there is great distress of 
the breathing, high fever, small thready pulse, and a rubbing 
sound on applying the ear to the chest; the horse stands up 
persistently; if on a journey the willing servant, who has 
ever cheerfully responded to the voice of his rider, seems 
dull and heavy, and requires more than humane persuasion 
to induce him to proceed on his journey; or he may not have 
shown the least indisposition to within a few hours of his 
death, in which case he has been the subject of chronic or 
long-standing pleurisy with effusion, and in these cases the 
frothy foamy discharge from the nostrils is always more 
abundant than in the more recent cases. The treatment 
must be adapted to the stage in w hich the disease is attacked. 
If it is discovered early, bleeding fearlessly until the animal 
fairly gives w'ay and faints under the abstraction, is of the 
greatest use ; the bleeding will be borne well if it is judicious, 
if injudicious, nature wdll speak out loudly enough, as the 
animal will then sink under the abstraction of a small quan¬ 
tity of the vital fluid. Protection from the w^eather by 
bringing into the stable, covering up with a blanket, ban¬ 
daging the legs, dieting on bran mashes, and the early admi¬ 
nistration of enemata of soap dissolved in w'arm water— 
introducing the following powder in the mouth every two 
hours for three days in succession— 
Calomel, gr. x, 
Powdered Opium, gr. v. Mix. 
—giving a full allowance of tepid water, wdth a handful of 
meal in each bucket. If, how^ever, there should be any 
w'eakness show'n by staggering gait, extreme fever, short 
painful cough, or discharge from the nostrils of a muco-puru- 
lent, rusty, dry or frothy character, then bleeding is utterly 
inadmissible, the period has gone past Here the same pro¬ 
tecting measures should be taken,—steaming the nostrils, 
mustard to the chest, hot bran mashes fresh and sweet, a 
bucket of oatmeal gruel, and carefully selected forage may be 
