382

FARRIERY.

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sharp instrument adequate to the purpose, though this will be un-necessary if the discharge is made freely and easy of itself. The

art should then be dressed with the digestive ointment, No. 45,

, spread on tow ; still continuing the poultice over it to promotethe digestion, and prevent any remaining hardness. Some whoare never-easy unless they are doing something, will often open theswelling before it is ripe; not considering that this practice pre-vents the due discharge of the matter, which is always most plenti-ful, when it comes to a head of its own accord, and will always hecleansed, and heal the sooner aiid better. When the tumour breaksof itself, some think it necessary to make the orifice wider, by put-ting in a spunge, tent ; but this is altogether superfluous, becausethere is always room for running off the matter, without any opera-tion of tha't kind. However when the horse has fallen into badhands; bud improper applications have been used, so as to driveany part of the humour back, then enlarging the orifice may not beamiss. Bleeding, when this disease is genuine, is always unneces-sary, and commonly dangerous; because it may recal the peccantmatter expelled out of it: but when the disorder appears with un-common symptoms, such as a swelling of the neck about the onset,stiff jaws, and the nostrils turned outward, which are signs of adangerdtisrinttammation ; then we may venture upon taking awayblood to stop its progress. When the swelling breaks inwardly,the horse’s mouth should be kept sweet by washing it with someantiseptic fluid. White wine vinegar sweetened with lionev, withthe addition of a little brandy, will be sufficient for this purpose.In tliis disease mashes must be the constant food, in small propor-tions; to prevent waste: in each of which Mr. Tapliu directs toput of liquorice and aniseed powders half au ounce, and about twooz. of honey, or in lieu of this last a quart of malt: the drink,consisting of warm water impregnated with a portion of scaldedbran or water-gruel, should be given in small quantities and often.The head must be kept well covered with flannel, as the warmthwill greatly tend to assist in promoting the necessary discharge:though, unless circumstances and weather forbid, the horse needsnot be confined, but should have the advantage of air and shortgentle exercise. Upon the whole this distemper is seldom dan-

erous, unless from neglect, ignorant treatment, or cruel usage.

t generally terminates w ith a running at the nose, in a greater orless degree ; which should be frequently cleansed from the insideof the nostrils, by means ofa sponge sufficiently moistened in warmwater, to prevent its acquiring an adhesion to those parts, ora foul-ness and fetor that would shortly become acrimonious. If a hard-ness remain after the sores are healed up, they may be anointedwith mercurial ointment. If a copious and offensive dischargefrom the nostrils should continue after the abscess is healed up,there will be reason to suspect the disease called glanders, treatedof in the preceding section.

The Ives or Vjves differ from the strangles only in this ; thatthe swellings of the kernels seldom gather or come to matter, hutby degrees perspire off and disperse by* means of warm cloathing,anointing with the marshmallow ointment, a moderate bleeding,and a dose or two of physic. But should the inflammation con-tinue notwithstanding these means, a suppuration must be promot-ed by the methods recommended for the strangles. IVhen theseswellings appear in an old or full-aged horse, they are signs ofgreat malignity, ami often of an inw ard decay, as well as forerun-ners of the glanders-.

Of the Colic , or Crepes ; and Pains in the Bowels,

FROM SUDDEN ACCIDENTS.

There seems to be no distemper so little understood by the far-rier as the colic or gripes in horses, one general remedy or methodserving them in ail cases: hut as this disorder may be producedbv very different causes, the method of cure must also vary ;otherwise tiie intended remedy, injudiciously applied, will notonly aggravate the complaint, hut make it fatal. We shall dividethis disorder into three different species ; the flatulent or windy ;tiie bilious or inflammatory, and the dry gripes; each of which weshall distinguish by their different symptoms, and then point outthe proper remedies.

1. The Flatulent or Windy Colic may in general lie rea-dily distinguished by the rumbling of the conlined air through theintestines: the horse is often lying down, and as suddenly risingagain with a spring; he strikes hip belly with his hinder feet,

stamps with his fore-feet, and refuses his meat; when thegripes areviolent, he will have convulsive twitches, turn up his eyes, andstretch out his limbs as if dying, his ears and feet being alternatelyvery hot and cold ; he falls into profuse sweats, and then into colddamps; strives often to stale, and turns his head frequently to hisflanks ; he then falls down, roils about, and often turns on his back ;this last symptom proceeds from a stoppage of urine, that almostalways attends this sort of colic, which may he increased by a loadof diing pressing on the neck of the bladder. These are the ge-neral symptoms of colic and gripes from wind, drinking cold wa-ter when hot, and when the perspirable mutter is retained, orthrown on the bowels by catching cold; in all which cases theyare violently distended, (bibbing horses are more particularlysubject to this complaint, as they are constantly sucking in greatquantities of air. The first intention is to empty the bowels bythe turpentine clyster, No. 23, or the laxative drin'k, No. 12.The hardened lieces, and the confined wind being discharged, antithe neck of the bladder being eased, the suppression of urine istaken off, and the horse stales and gets ease.

II. The next species of Colic is the Bilious or Inflamma-tory. This, besides most of the preceding symptoms, is attend-ed with a fever, great heat, panting and dryness of the mouth;the horse also generally throws out a little loose dung, with a hotscalding water; which when it appears blackish, or of a reddishcolour, and fetid smell, denotes an approaching mortification.In this case the horse should immediately be hied to the quantityof three quarts; and it should be repeated, if the symptoms donot abate in a few hours. The turpentine clyster, No. 23, I.should be thrown up every two hours, till several loose stools areprocured. The purging ball, No. I 1, may be given first, anfftheclysters in four hours after, if relief be not obtained. As muchlinseed tea may also be given as the horse will drink, which willsoften the acrimony of the ball, and tend greatly to assist the effi-cacy of the other remedies. If this disease he not removed bythese means, but the inflammation and fever increase attendedwith a discharge of the flesh-coloured wafer above described, theevent will most probably be fatal; and the chief thing to be de-pended on now must be a strong decoction of Jesuit’s bark, givento the quantity of a pint every three hours, with a gill of red portwine.

III. The Spasmodic Colic, or Dry Gripes, as some call if,is always attended with cosliveness, and the dung that comes awayis black and hard; the urine is high-coloured, and the horse has aquick motion with his tail; his looks are dull, and his motions aresluggish. But the disease that is most dangerous, and which isoften mistaken for the colic, is some inward inflammation, parti-cularly of tiie guts, which is seldom found out till it is too late.As for the inflammation of (he lungs, it may' be known by thebreath; and the inflammation of the liver by the symptoms oftiie jaundice or yellows. But an inflammation of any part of fheguts has nothing particular to distinguish it from the dry gripes.This, for want ot a timely assistance, generally terminates in amortification; and then if any dung come away, it is black, whichis a sign that the horse is past recovery. The way to prevent thesefatal accidents, is always to be upon the watch when the horse hasany symptoms of the gripes, and if lie he costive, which is alwaysthe case in this inflammation, his body should be opened as soon aspossible ; not by purgatives which exasperate the disease, but bysuch things as w ill correct and discuss the offending humour, andcarry it downward. Gentle emollient clysters and mild laxatives,either in the form of balls or drinks will by prudent repetition, illgeneral, have a good effect, fn the flatulent and spasmodic colic,alter procuring a free evacuation by stool and urine, the carmina-tive balls, No. G, may be given with considerable advantage.When a horse has the symptoms of the gripes, with a looseness, andthe dung has its natural colour, there is never any danger ; butwhen it is blackish and stinking, the bowels are already mortified,and then all remedies will be given to no manner of purpose.

Of the Lax and Scouring; with other Disorders ofthe Stomach and Bowels.

When the body of a horse is uncommonly open, and he dungslike a cow, or when he has a purging for a few days only, he iss:.id to have a lax. But when it continues, lie is said to have ascouring. This inav proceed from various causes, as from a sud-9 ' den