118 
Beagles and Beagling 
in which case expert attention is necessary. This 
however, does not often occur if the matron has 
lived under normal conditions during her period of 
gestation, and it is surprising how nature takes 
care of itself. The puppies will immediately suckle 
the mother after they are born, and when the whelp¬ 
ing is over and all are put hack in the nest, it is 
an interesting sight to watch their instinctive 
scrambling for position. Another point that should 
not be disregarded is that the bitch must have her 
absolute freedom. She must not feel that she is 
a prisoner and should be allowed to go in an out of 
the barn or kennel at will. Nothing must be forced 
upon the young mother at this time. She should 
have her own way and this is particularly impera¬ 
tive with one of the nervous kind; for if there is 
cause for her to fret, the milk will become tainted 
and the puppies will suffer. After the whelping is 
well over, it is well to offer the mother some food, 
which should be in the nature of gruel, broth, from 
which the grease has been skimmed, or even small 
bits of lean, raw beef. Sometimes when the flow 
of milk is scanty or wholly suppressed the feeding 
of raw meat will he a splendid stimulant. During 
this period and even preceding the whelping, the 
bowels of the mother should be kept open, not by 
drastic cathartics, but by doses of olive or castor 
oil; or if absolutely necessary, a dose of Epsom salts. 
Sometimes it occurs that the milk of the mother 
is of such a nature that it is absolutely injurious 
to the puppies, due to acidity. It will become notice¬ 
able at once, for the puppies will whine and he gen- 
