The American horse doctor

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I

THE

Chapter I. Diseases Of The Brain

INFLAMMATION CF THE BRAIN.

The real cause of this disease is unknown, but probalj arises from over exertion or exercising on a full stomach. The symptoms are that the horse will be dull and stupid for a few hours or days, then will become wild and furious, is apparantly crazy, the countenance will have a wild expression, perhaps beat and thump around in a fearful manner, perhaps get the breast against a beam or fence and stand and pull with all his strength, or may Tun in a circle.

The treatment is first, bleed from the neck, from one quart to one gallon, or until the horse seems to be easier, then bind cloths on the head wet with cold water and change them often so as to be sure to keep them cold; give 1 1 pints of linseed oil in a drench or any kind of physic that may be most handy ; repeat the physic every

12 or 15 hours until it operates, and in the meantime give the following. 1 oz. tincture of lobelia,, i oz. tinct. of opium, every hour until better. This is a fearful disease and usually results in death, and many times in a few hours, but the above treatment is all that can be done.

BLIND STAGGERS.

Cause, over feeding and over exertion on a full stomach.

Symptoms. — The horse is usually taken suddenly, while driving, with a staggering gait, does not mind the rein, perhaps falls, and while down struggles and keeps the limbs moving as though still traveling.

Treatment. — Bleed from the neck vein until somewhat better, then give a strong dose of any kind of physic that may be most handy, and give Tincture of Lobelia 1 oz. at a dose every hour until better, then a run at grass for a few weeks if convenient ; if not give the cleansing powders every day for two or three weeks, and it will probably not return again if it is the first attack. But if the horse has had more than one attack there is no chance for a cure, and it may return at almost any time, and without any apparent cause. The attacks becoming more frequent until at some time they result in death. Such a horse is dacgeious to drive and of but little value. There are other diseases of the brain, such a.s

Megins, Appolexj. Vertigo, Concussion of the Erain, Lethargy, &c., &c., which, it is not necessary "to discribe in a work of this size, and it is of no practical benefit to the horse owner ; for in all Brain diseases there is so much similarity to ■what has already been said, and the treatment being about the same and fully laid down, the author does not deem it best to bewilder the horse ■owner with mere technicalities.

HYDROPHOBIA OR MADNESS,

This is caused by the bite of some rabid animal •and usually demonstrates itself within six weeks after the bite ; but it is stated by some authors that the poison may remain dormant in the system for a year before it results in apparent injury.

Symptoms. — This seems to be almost entirely a mervous disease, and first the horse will commence iicking his skin with wonderful energy in dififer- ■ent places, which seems to itch intolerably ; the appetite is always affected; sometimes there will he but little appetite, then again he will eat everything before him even to the most filthy, or dry -and hard substances. Sometimes he may drink large quantities of water, then again the sight of water may cause spasms. Then he will have regular spasms, frothing at the mouth and biting at any article that may be in his way. The spasms becoming more frequent, until death •ends the suffering. Whenever there ii that a horse has been bitten by a rabid animal or shows symptoms of madness he should be put into a strong stable by himself, and as few people allowed to go near him as possible until the case is clearly made out, and if it is a case of hydrophobia the humane man would cause the horse to be shot or put to death immediately, in some way, so as to end his misery, as there is no possible chance for him to recover.

TETANUS, OR LOCK-JAW

Is caused, usually, by some injury, such as a prick from a nail, or knife, or any sharp instrument penetrating or injuring some nerve, or it may be caused by being out in a cold storm or a sudden draught of air, and many other causes that will effect the nervous system.

Symptoms. — The tail is elevated, the ears pointed forward, the head raised, the legs stiffened and stretched out, and the jaws tightly locked; the membrane in the inner corners of the eye is drawn backward so as to partly cover the sight of the eye ; which shows clearly that it is a case of lock-jaw.

Treatment. — Place the animal in a solitary stable and allow no person to go near him but the one that he is most acquainted with, first having given him a large dose of physio, place a bucket of water and some food within reach, and leave him alone, only going often enough to change the food and water, and if the disease lasts so long that there is dan^^er of the horse starving, life may be sustained by introducing a tube of gutta percha or some soft substance into the nostril and inject with a syringe through the tube a sufficient quantity of corn meal gruel to sustain life.

This disease scarcely ever lasts more than four or five days, and everything depends on keeping the horse entirely quiet, free from even the smallest cause of excitement, and getting the bowels open and keeping them loose. It would also be of service if you could get some Tincture of Lobelia down him in some way. Say 1 oz. every hour in -^ pint of water.

PARALYSIS, PARTIAL OK COMPLETE.

This is a difiiculty of the spinal nerve, caused by a strain, taking cold, or some undue exercise or exertion, and may come on very sudden, and is often times mistaken for a difiiculty of the kidney, or strain across the loin. It is tn be remembered that all motion is controlled by the nerves, which originate in the brain, and pass out through the first bone of the neck, (except the cptic nerve of the eye,) and along the back, branching out in Jifi'erent directions to every part of the system. Consequently, when there is an injury to this spinal nerve, all of the system back of the iDJury is paralysed just in proportion to the amount of injury. Complete paralysis is when the nerve is so badly injured that the animal looses the entire use of the part which lays back or beyond it. Partial paralysis is when the injury is so slight as not to loose all motion. In some cases it will only affect one limb or one side, or only the hinder parts, or nearly the whole system may be affected. When it is the hind part that is affected, most persons think that it is a strain across the loin and consequently will subject the horse to much suffering by applying blisters or stimulating medicines to the loins. This kind of treatment is entirely useless in paralysis and, I think, injurious. If it is possible to determine the exact location of the injury it is best to apply some cooling application, like salt and water, or something to subdue inflammation, keep the bowels loose by giTing bran mashes, and, if necessary, some mild physic, like linseed oil, say 1 pint at a dose, just to keep the bowels open ; then give strychnine, half grain at a dose, twice per day, made into a pill by mixing flour with it and increase it gradually, so that in six weeks to have it so worked up to one grain and a half at a dose and leave the rest to nature. This is a lingering complaint and when they get well, it takes many months, for there is little that can be done with medicine.

Chapter II. Diseases Of The Eye

Most of the writers on the Horse have divided the Diseases of the Eye into a number of different classes. That is all well enough for the scientific practitioner, but in this country where we have no Veterinary Schools, or at least none that have acquired any reputation, we have so very few really scientific practitioners, that most of the horse owners have, of necessity, to be their own horse doctors, and as this book is designed for the horse owners instead of Veterinary Surgeons, it would be the greatest of folly for me to give a detailed description of all the different diseases when the treatment is the same in all. It matters not what disease it is that ails the eye, the principle is to reduce inflammation and to strengthen the eye. This, in slight cases, may usually be done by the application of cold water, which should be applied by bathing the eye at least every half hour during the day time, each day, until the inflammation has entirely subsided. Then bathe it three or four times per day for two or three weeks until it has had time to gain strength. If this should fail, use the following wash : 2 grains of sugar of lead, 1 grain sulphate of zinc, 1 dramtinct. of opium, 1 dram tinct. of arnica, 2 oz. soft water. This should be applied three times per day by putting a twitch on the nose, then put the nose or mouth of the phial into the eye, being careful that the phial is perfectly smooth, and tip it up, letting the medicine run in. The eye will clear up in three or four days and look much better ; then reduce the medicine by adding water, and continue to use it for two or three weeks after it looks entirely well, so as to gain strength. If the disease still proves stubborn, give the cleansing powder for two weeks, put a rowel into the cheek below the eye and continue the wash. If this all fail there is but little chance for a cure. Do not use any of those harsh and cruel medicines which are so frequently used, for the horse's eye is as tender as your own.

Chapter III. The Mouth

LAMPERS

Is supposed by most liorse owners to be a verytroublesome complaint among young horses, and ignorance has caused much cruelty to be practised on that noble animal for a purely imaginary complaint. I have been practising for near fourteen years and have never seen a case of lampers. It is natural for the gums of the upper portion ol the mouth in all young horses to protrude or drop below the teeth, some more than others, and they do no harm. If the horse should have the lampers, the gums would be as red as scarlet with inflammation, and then I think that burning, which is so much in practice, would be a very barbarous way to reduce inflammation. In most cases when horses are supposed to have the lampers the difficulty is in the back part of the mouth, for the colt at three years old cuts eight grinders, or molar teeth, and the same at four years old. With some young horses they are very sore, and, consequently, it is difficult for the horse to feed, but let it alone and it will all come right, but if iguorance or superstition still prompts you to do somethinof for an imaginary complaint, I think a little scarifying, or cutting the gums, should satisfy you, and the less the better.

I might here say that a horse scratching the tail against the side of the barn or stall has nothing to do with the mouth, but take a little saleratus water and wash the tail two or three times and it will end the difficulty.

CANKER, OR SORE MOUTH.

These are small ulcers or canker sores forming on the mouth and tongue, with inflammation and sometimes swelled lips. Others make several different diseases of sore mouth, but I shall include it all in one, so as not to confuse the owner. Wash the mouth two or three times a day with the following wash : Borax 5 oz., sage tea 1 gallon, honey or molasses 1 quart. After it has cooled hold the horse's head up and pour half a pint into the mouth ; after a moment let the head down and allow the wash to run out. Keep the bowels open by soft food, and do not permit the horse to be worked until the disease has entirely disappeared. If it proves stubborn, give the cleansing powders for a week or more, to cleanse the blood. In all cases of injury to the tongue or lips by the bit or other means, treat the same as any other injury, as will be explained in the proper place.

Chapter IV. The Nostrils

NASAL GLEET,

Is a discharge from tlie nostrils ; sometimes only one nostril, but more commonly both are affected. The discharge will vary in color and quantity, sometimes being nearly white, at other times being yellow or even a dark brown. It usually has no bad smell, but in bad cases the discharge has a very bad smell. It does not seem to affect the general health of the horse but if bad, he will run down and loose flesh unless well cared for. This disease is not contagious and I do not think there is any danger of its terminating in glanders, it is caused by exposure or the result of distemper, or it may result from a blow or injury to the head.

Treaiment. — Let the horse have rest; take of allum I lb., resin h. lb., blue vitrol ^ lb , ginger 2 lb. Mix all well together, and give a table spoonful twice per day, being careful to keep the bowels loose by giving bran mashes, or green feed. It will take some time to complete a cure, but do not get discouraged but continue the medicine.

NASAL POLYPUS,

Is a pendulous sack wbicb forms in the nostril and only attached to the membrane lining of the nose at the upper end, and hanging down in the nostril and becomes so large as to obstruct the breathing, for it is to be remembered that a horse cannot breathe through the mouth. The only cure is to take a zinc wire and bend it in such a shape as to work it up above the sack to the neck or small part, and draw it tight around it and leave it, and it will slough off in a few days. There is an instrument made in somewhat the form of a crooked pair of shears that is used to separate the sack from the membrane, but it is difficult to obtain them, so the best means usually at hand is to use the wire. Often times it will grow in again; if so remove it in the same way.

Chapter V. The Throat

SORE THROAT.

This disease seems to be contagious for when it once gets into a stable most of the horses in the stable are apt to have it, and through the neighborhood. The first perhaps that would be noticed is a dry hacking cough, and within a few days a difficulty of swallowing, which will continue to get worse and worse, until it is with the greatest of difficulty that the horse can swallow water, and within a few days there will be a copious discharge of matter from the nostrils, and perhaps the mouth, and in a few days the horse will recover. There is usually no swelling on the outside of the throat, but in a few cases I have seen, the glands swell similar to distemper, but there will be much more soreness on the inside of the throat; the horse will seem to be much weaker, and experience greater difficulty of swallowing than with distemper.

Treatment. — When the horse is taken sick put him in some place where he can have plenty of pure air to breathe, give only soft moist food or gruel to drink. Give no Medicine unless there is great difficulty of breathing, if there is put a poultice of common brown sugar and bar soap, equal parts moistened with water on to the throat by means of a bandage about six inches wide, long enough to come under the throat and over the head to tie ; tear into each end in three places, so as to make four tails to it ; bring it up over the head, and tie two of these tails together in. front of the ears and two back of the ears, and it will then keep its place and hold the poultice. Leave this on, keeping it moist, until the discharge is running freely from the nose, and if there is great difficulty of breathing it is a good plan to build a small fire and put a little tar or old leather on it ; then put a blanket over the horse's head, and hold his nose over the smoke, making him breathe as much of it as possible without strangling, and continue this for several hours, or until the horse breathes more free, or the discharge is free from the nostril. In most cases of this kind of sore throat, it is not necessary to use any medicine. They get along without anything. The danger seems to be of the inflammation in the throat becoming so great as to close the air passage. Consequently all that is needed to be done is to get the discharge from the nostrils started, and the inflammation will soon subside. They are usually sick a week or two, and are apt to have a coiigh for sometime afterward. If they do not seem to thrive after recovery, or the cough is bad, or ulcers break out afterwards in any part cf the body, it is because the blood needs cleansing, consequently give the cleansing powders for a w^eek or two.

COUGH.

This may be caused by an irritation of the lungsor membrane lining of the Vvund pipe, or an irritation of the upper portion of the wind pipe, what is called the larynx, which gives it the name of Laryngitus, and it may originate from a difficulty of the Bronchial tubes. It is very difficult for an inexperienced person to determine the exact location of the difficulty that causes the cough, so I think the best way would be to treat it on general principles. Take a tea- spoonful of powdered lobelia and mix it with a handful of salt, and throw it into the feed box every day, and thehorse v/ill lick it up; and if this does not do, give the cleansing powder so as to regulate the wholesystem, and give the following twice a day on the food : from ten to twenty drops Oil of Tar, Balsam of Copaiba, Tincture of Capsicum, and Turpentine, equal parts.

CHOKING.

When there is any foreign substance lodges in^ the Esophagus or what is commonlv called thegullet, there is no danger of it causing immediate death. In some cases it may be detected by feeling with the hand on the outside ; if so, it can generally be worked in a downward direction with the hands, but if you can't find it with the hand or cannot remove it, get a smooth round stick like a whip stalk that w^ll bend, and make a wad of tow or cloth on the end, and tip the head up, and introduce the stick down the throat ; and by gentle pressure force the substance down into the stomach. I have known horses to be choked on oats and to have the choke continue for six or seven days, and finally get vrell without any assistance.

CHAPITER VI.

DISEASE OF THE CHEST.

LUNG FEVEll.

With, most of authors on horse diseases they •give a lengthy description of the different dis- •eases of the chest, such as congestion in the field, congestion in the stable, Bronchitis or infiammation of the air passages, Plurisy and Pluri Pneumonia, all of which is either congestion or inflammation of some of the different organs of the ■chest, and the treatment being the same with each ■of the organs, I do not deem it best to bewilder the horse owner by these nice destinctions, which is all right for the scientific practitioners, but would be likely only to lead the inexperienced into error. I shall proceed to describe the symptoms (as they are nearly the same with each of the foregoing diseases,) and the treatment which :has universally proved successful with me.

Symptoms. — These diseases usually commence by a chill or shivering fit, and the horse will stand back at the end of the halter, head down and breathing hard, legs rather braced out as though .afraid of falling ; will make no motion more than to occasionally turn his head slowly around to his side, his legs will be cold, his ears cold and nose cold, the membrane of the nostril will have a very pale and sickly appearance. This is the congested stage ; congestion of some of the organs of the chest. Now the object would be to cause the system to react, for the blood vessels of the congested organ are over-charged with blood, while there is not enough blood in the extremities or limbs, which causes the coldness. Now our object should be to equalize the blood to get it to circulate all through the system as near alike as possible. This we do by rubbing the parts that are cold so as to draw the blood to them and relieve the congested organ or organs where there is too much blood. The horse should be well covered with blankets and his legs thoroughly rubbed with the naked hands or hay wisps by at least two persons at a time, or washed with hot red pepper tea or even warm water as warm as the hands will bear, and continue to rub and apply warm applications to the limbs until they get warm and the chill has passed off. I have attented many cases where this treatment alone actively applied has thrown the disease off entirely. Bat if the congestion is not relieved soon inflammation will follow. If inflammation sets in you can readily tell by the appearance of the skin or membrane jining of the nose assuming a red or fi^carlet appearance, the legs will be hot, breath hot, tongue parched and dry, the pulse being full and quick, (the natural pulse is about thirty-six pulsations a minute.) If you cannot readily find the pulse, note the beating of the heart (which would be the same) place your ear down on the horses right side, just back of the forward leg, and listen carefully and you will discover an unnatural grating or harsh sound of the lungs, which you would readily detect by comparing with a well horse, and then the great symptom is that with any of these diseases the horse never lies down until death occurs or the disease has left him. The trouble now is that the whole system has become contracted, or at least the blood vessels which cause the quick, hard beating of the heart in its effort to force the blood through the vessels, and forcing the blood through the contracted vessels produces friction, which causes the unnatural beat.

Now our object should be to relax the whole system so as to enlarge the blood vessels and stop the friction, and so lessen the fever. This we do by giving repeated doses of anything that will make the horse sick at the stomach ; I generally use tincture of lobelia, giving it in 1 ounce doses, mixing with water, every hour, until I have got the pulse or the beating of the heart down to at least fifty per minute ; then give the doses as would be necessary fo keep it down, and as long as you can control the action of the heart, the patient is doing well enough, and will recover. In bad cases, it is well to blister the chest, and back of each of the forward legs, by rubbing in the following prescription: 2 oz. turpentine, 2 oz. tincture of Spanish fly, 2 oz. aqua amonia, 1 oz. oil organum. Mix all together, and rub in with the hand every hour until it blisters. If it is not convpijient to get tincture of lobelia, go to your nearest physician and get of him the same kind of medicine that he would give to the human subject, using from eight to twelve times the quantity and use it the same, and treat the disease as near as though it was a man as possible. But be very careful and not give any powerful physic, for with the horse, there is that sympathy existing between the chest and bowels, that to give physic with any of these diseases of the chest would most likely bring on inflammation of the bowels, which would be most certain to result in death. This is a disease that sometimes will result in death in seventeen hours, but more frequently lasts for several days, and even weeks ; and when they recover, it is usually slow. I used to follow the old fashioned treatment of bleeding and blistering for this disease, and used to lose many patients ; but since I have adopted the above treatment I have never lost a patient where I have had the management from the commencement. I neglected to notice that the bowels should be moved two or three times per day by giving injections up the rectum with a large syringe, of soapy warm water. Inject a quart at a time, and repeat every half hour until there is a passage. It is best for the horse owner to bear in mind that whenever a horse has a chill, there is great danger of lung fever, and consequently it needs immediate and constant attention. Do not give any whiskey and pepper or any of those stimulating medicines that are often prescribed by the ignorant, for in many cases, the stimulating medicines bring on inflammation when otherwise it might pass off without further difficulty ; and after inflammation has once set in, all that is needed is to control the action of the heart. Do not pay any attention to what others may say who are so free to give advice without fee or reward. Remember that advice about diseases in men or horses, that is good, comes only from these that obtained their knowledge by hard study, and they value it too highly to voluntarily give it away.

DROPSY OF THE CHEST.

This is usually the result of pleurisy or lung fever, or of bad treatment in either disease. This is easily detected by the sound of the lungs. Place the ear low down on the side and you will hear no sound ; but back and High up you may hear the lungs, which will have a dull, heavy sound. Keep your ear against the horse while some one slaps the horse with the flat of the hand on the opposite side, and you will hear the sound of the water. There is but very little prospect of a cure. The only chance would be to tap the chest, and you would have to employ a Veterinary Surgeon, in order to get the proper instruments to do with, and the chances of a cure would be so slim that it would not pay to be to so much trouble about it.

HEART DISEASE.

This is not an uncommon disease among horses, and it is very difficult, even for a practical Veterinary Surgeon to detect heart disease on the living subject, and if we could, it would be a matter of small importance, for there is no cure, and is certain to result in death, and that very sudden. The horse may appear well and even lively, and the next instant fall dead. Many cases where horses have died suddenly with this disease, after a post mortem examination by inexperienced persons, they have pronounced it Botts. The scientific man could have readily told that it was heart disease.

CHAPTEI^ VII.

DISEASES OF THE STOMACH.

ACUTE INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH.

This disease is usually caused by some poisonous drug which has been given to the horse, and the symptoms depend almost entirely upon the kind of poison that has been given ; and if it is not certainly known that poison has been given yo.u had better treat it as a case of cholic, for the symptoms will be nearly the same, and so with the treatment. But if it is known that poison has been given, then you give a pint of any kind of soft oil that might be at hand, and if not rerelieved in twenty minutes, give the following : I2 oz. tincture of opium, 1|- oz. sulphuric ether, I2 oz. tincture of camphor, i oz. saleratus. Mix with one pint of water, and if not better in i hour, repeat.

CHHONIC INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH.

This disease is brought on by some derangement of the stomach. Bad food, standing in filthly stables are very common causes, and are most Gommon at the age of five or six years. The symptoms vary with different subjects. There is always a deranged appetite. Perhaps the animal will not taste food at all, or may eat everything before him, or may refuse good clean food, and still eat the most filthy ; may gnaw old pieces of bricks, mortar, or clay ground, with seeming good appetite ; may have a sudden attack of scours, and as suddenly stop altogether and be troubled with costiveness. The dung will be dry and hard and easily crumbled when pressed upon. A dry cough may be present. The membranes of the nose and mouth have a pale appearance, the mouth is cold, and they soon lose flesh and become mere skeletons. I should commence the treatment by giving i oz. of saleratus dissolved in water, and repeat this once in every three or four days, and in the mean time, give the following powders : Pulverized blood root, 2 oz., gentian pulverized, 2 oz., ginger 4 oz. , calomel h oz. Mix all together and give a table spoonful twice a day in the feed, being careful to keep the bowels open by giving green or soft food, and if necessary, give a dose of linseed oil, one pint at a time. If the bowels are too loose, give the following : 1 oz. tincture of opium, 1 oz. tincture of camphor, 1 oz. tincture of capsicum, 1 oz. tincture rhubarb. Mix all together, and give T)ne half in i pint of water.