The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-10-29
the Horse Epldcnic-What Henry Bergh
says About II.
TO the Editors qf he Erentng Post


TO the Editors AZ the Ereatng Post;
The terrible epidemic at this time pre-
yaiing among horses here and elsewhere.
and which threatens to paralyze trade and
locomution, il not arrested, has caused the
undersigned to institute inquiries as to the
most eficacious means of treating the af-
ilicted animals, and the following advice
and suggestions are recommended, being
the results of the experience of the emf
nent surgeons attached to the society, along
with others equally skillful:
That the disease is influenza, in an ag-
rrayated form, seems to be self-evident,
and the remedies usually employed in the
treatment of tho human patient are found
to be most seryiceable in the case of the
horse. Complete rest, warm blankets,
non-cxposure to draughts of air, disintec-
tants, and total absence of bleeding and
prostrating cathartics, as arule, should be
observed. Twenty or thirty drops of tlnc-
ture of iron, in a gill Of Jamaica rum di-
luted with water, and given every four
hours, in order to preserve the strength of
the horse: or the ~tincture of arnica
will produce relief. A plaster bound
around the throat, composed Of
one portion Of Cayenne pepper, and two Of
ilax-seed. mixed with vinegar, is excellent.
Frequently remove the fetid discharge
from the n~ostrils, always using warm wa
ter. Another: perfect rest, clean stable,
tempting diet, and stimulating liniment APP
piled TO the throat. Another remedy is
rest, comfortable bedding. bandaging the
extrcmities, i~umigations of boiling water
10 assist the discharge at the nose, with
cough mixture of liquorice-root and mo-
@lasses. Administer tones and stimulants
il appetite fails and weakness ensues.
There is q moral as well as material as
pect to the present subject, and the mo-
ment seems opportune to allude to it.
That the horse, the most generous and in
dispensible servant ofmankind, is, as a rule,
in our country, held in lower estimate than
elsewhere, and more generally ratcd-par-
ticularly by large corporations-among
their inaniinate property, must be con-
ceded. With many such it is a mere ques-
ton Of money, and the only point OF in
taresu to the stockholders being the
one which indicates the dividend, the
question of humanity is not an active
principle /; and hence the disabled
horse, and the disabled car or
stage, are placed in the same category.
Indeed, the careful housing, washing, oil
ing and repairing of the senseless vehicle
has often appeared to me to be in marked
contrast to the inadequate consideration
bestowed on the weary, manned and ema-
ciated creature, which, with dropping head
and supplicating look, remains IN the
netting storm, or is domiciled In the damp,
dark, foul-smelling cellar below the street.
This is not only Improbable, 1t is some
thing more; ii is q crime. The horse,
ever since his domestication, has been one
Of the greatest elements OF human pro-
grcss and happiness, and it not exagSera-
ling lila importance to say that civilization
would be almost impossible without him.
Pray heaven this truth may never be made
practically evident by the annihilatlon
Ct this precious friend of our race.
His feed, moreover, which should be Of
the best quality, is generally a composition
wherein economy is most conspicuous; and
this is furnished to animals which are COM
PEELED to travel eighteen or twenty miles
every day. The question again presents
itself which has been so often urged before,
may not dummy engines y take the
place of, or supplement, the services OF
the horse? Two or three inventions,
combining all the requirements OF safety in
speed, absence OF noise and smoke, have
been submitted to this society, and there
exists little but prejudice to oppose their
adoption.
The fear Of alarming horses is about the
only objection; but til infinitely more
cause, the animals alol g Greenwich street
have become familiar with even that crash
ing noise OF the railroad over their heads.
BY substituting these noiseless engines,
which can be arrested in half the tine of a
horse-car, teniold the number of passen.
gers could be transported from n end Of
this island to the other in about one-third
The time. Yours respectfully,
HENRY BERGH,
President.