The Farmers Own Book 3

The Farmers Own Book 3

TREATMENT--REMEDY.

 

Commence by bleeding profusely, taking at least 7 or 8 quarts of blood,

or as much as the horse can bear, which must be done immediately, or a

fatal termination may be looked for. If the horse does not seem to have

been relieved or the pulse become round and full, the bleeding must be

repeated as the only means of subduing the inflammation, which is the

immediate cause of the weakness. If the inflammation is subdued by the

extraction of the blood the weakness will soon disappear. After the

bleeding, make a strong decoction of aloes and opium or laudanum, say 1

ounce of laudanum with the same quantity of the tincture of aloes, and

give it to the horse; this must be quickly followed by back-raking and

an injection of soap and warm water or thin gruel, in which epsom salts

or aloes may be dissolved in moderate quantities; repeat this until the

bowels are completely cleaned out. He should be given as much warm water

or thin gruel as he will drink, and half the quantity of tincture of

aloes and laudanum should be administered every two or three hours until

the bowels are freely opened. Blister the sides and belly with common

blistering ointment and bandage the legs up to the knees with flannel,

cover him with blankets as directed in inflammation of the lungs, and

give him a comfortable stable, but not too hot, with plenty of fresh air.

No corn or hay should be allowed in this disease--bran mash will answer

very well for feed, but green meat is preferable if it can be had. Turn

him out for two or three hours in the middle of the day if not too cold;

give the legs good hand-rubbing every day; continue to clyster with thin

gruel for two or three days.

 

 

BOTS OR GRUBS.

 

The Bots or Grubs are small worms of a red or brownish color, found in

the stomach, and it is considered almost impossible for them to do any

harm, but a horse that has the bots, grubs or worms, loses flesh, becomes

hide bound and dull.

 

 

SYMPTOMS.

 

In this disease a yellowish matter is often found under the horse’s tail;

he has pain, stamps and rolls, switches his tail between his legs, turns

up his upper lip, and frequently looks round to his flanks, and often

tries to rub his fundament against the wall, or any other place that he

can.

 

 

TREATMENT--REMEDY NO. 1.

 

First give an active purge, and if that is not sufficient to expel them,

take 2 drachms of tartar emetic, with a small quantity of tin or pewter

filings, or a little ground glass, make into balls or pills, and give one

every morning for two weeks; if it is necessary, the balls can be made

with a little tar, which will also improve the condition of the horse.

 

 

REMEDY NO. 2.

 

Take 1 pint of common honey and give it as a drench; in two hours after

give an active purge:--1 pint of molasses added to 1 pint of soft soap

and a handful of salt will answer very well. Repeat the dose if it does

not operate in four or five hours.

 

 

MEMBRANES OF THE NOSE.

 

SHOWING THE SYMPTOMS THAT MARK THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE DISEASE.

 

1st.--The pale pink hue, when the horse is in perfect health.

 

2d.--An increased tinge of red, and the gradual uniform painting of the

membrane, indicating some excitement of the general system.

 

3d.--The streaked appearance when inflammation is threatening or

commencing.

 

4th.--The intense florid red, of inflammation being acute.

 

5th.--The starting of the vessels from their gossamer coat, and their

seeming to run bare over the membranes, when inflammation has attained

its highest point.

 

6th.--The pale ground, with patches of vivid red, showing the half

subdued but still existing fever.

 

7th.--The uniform color, but of a deeper red than natural, indicating the

return of a healthy state of the circulation.

 

8th.--A paleness approaching to white, with a slight radiation of

crimson, showing that there is still considerable irritability, and that

mischief may be in the wind.

 

9th.--The pale, livid color, warning you that the disease is assuming a

typhoid character.

 

10th.--The deep livid, announcing that the typhus is establishing, and

that the vital current is stagnating.

 

11th.--The brown or dirty painting, intermingling with and subduing the

lividness, denoting that the game is up.

 

12th.--These appearances will be guides to our opinions and treatment,

which can never be too highly appreciated.

 

 

THE EYES.

 

From the eye of the horse we form an idea of his age. There is, at the

back of the eye a considerable quantity of fatty substance, on which

it may revolve easily, without friction. In aged horses much of this

disappears, the eye becomes sunken, and the pit above it deepens: The

eye is a very important organ of the horse, and should be large, clear,

shining, lively, dark colored, round and full, so that you may look deep

into them; when moving but a small portion of the white should show, and

the purchaser who notices this should pause ere he completes his bargain

for a horse that shows too much of the whites of his eyes.

 

 

THE EARS.

 

Those who are acquainted with the nature of the horse pay much attention

to the size and motion of the ear. Ears rather small than large, placed

not too far apart, erect and quick in motion, indicate both breeding and

spirit. If a horse is frequently in the habit of carrying one ear forward

and the other backward, and especially when on a journey, he generally

possesses both spirit and continuance; and if attentive to what is taking

place about him, he cannot be much fatigued or likely soon to become so.

 

 

STAGGERS.

 

A number of opinions have been advanced in relation to the origin

and seat of this disease. Some think that it is confined entirely to

the head, while others say that the lungs are also affected; that it

originates in the stomach, from which it is removed by the action of the

lymphatic vessels, and being thrown into the circulation is diffused

throughout the entire system, and carried by the arteries into the lungs,

through which all the blood in a horse’s body passes many times during

an hour, where it undergoes a change, thus depositing a portion of the

poisonous matter that had been received into the stomach in the lungs. It

is common to horses of all ages and conditions, and is a very rare case

where it does not prove fatal.

 

 

SYMPTOMS.

 

The symptoms in this disease are feebleness, drowsiness, loss of

appetite, a constant hanging of the head, with inflamed eyes, nearly

closed; he kicks, rears and plunges, seemingly unconscious of what he is

doing; it is dangerous for any one to approach him in this state; the

ears and forehead hot, accompanied by a burning fever.

 

 

TREATMENT--REMEDY.

 

The first step to be taken in this disease is to relieve the overloaded

organs of the brain, which should be done by opening the neck or jugular

vein with a large lancet, that the blood may flow freely. No definite

quantity of blood need be taken, but let it run until the horse begins

to falter and blow; or, perhaps, with more assurance of success, until

he falls. Immediately after inject freely with warm water, and give as

a drench ½ ounce of aloes, ½ ounce of ginger, and ½ pint of warm water;

feed on bran mash and green meal.

 

 

RABIES OR MADNESS.

 

If a horse be bitten by a dog or horse that is affected with rabies or

madness, the wound should be well burned out with caustic, (nitrate

of silver,) and on the third day after remove the scab and repeat the

operation. The caustic should reach every part of the wound.

 

The following remedy has often been administered, and found effectual in

nine cases out of every ten. Take

 

2 ounces of fresh leaves of tree-box,

2 “ “ of rue,

½ “ sage,

 

Chop these very fine and boil in a pint of water down to half a pint;

strain carefully, and press out the liquor, put back the ingredients into

a pint of milk, and boil again to half a pint; strain as before, mix

both liquors, which forms three doses for a human subject. Double this

quantity for a horse or cow. Two-thirds of the quantity is sufficient for

a large dog, half for a middling sized, and one-third for a small dog.

Three doses are sufficient each subsequent morning fasting, giving the

quantity directed, being that which forms these three doses.

 

 

INJURY OF THE EYE.

 

The eye itself of the horse is rarely injured by blows and bruises

carelessly inflicted by passionate persons, but the substance that

surrounds it may be seriously wounded, and considerable inflammation

ensue--this may be abated by the application of poultices, bleeding

and physicing. Sometimes the eye-lids become inflamed from the same

cause--fomentations of warm water will be serviceable in this case. The

horse occasionally has a scaly eruption on the edges of the eye-lids,

attended with much itching, in the effort to allay which the eye is often

blemished by being rubbed against some hard substance--the nitriated

ointment of quicksilver, mixed with an equal quantity of lard may be

slightly rubbed on the edges of the lids, with good effect. Warts are

sometimes attached to the edges of the lids, and are a source of great