Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-10-31
Henry sergh om the Horse 1IaIady

To tie Edjtor qf tie Ne,o York Times :.
The terrible epidemic at this time pre-
vailing among horses here and else
where, and which threatens to paralyzc
trade and locOmotiOn, if not arrested,
has caused the undersigned to institute
inquiries as to the most efficaCiOus means
of treating the afflicted animals, and the
following advice and suggestions are re-
commended, being the results of the eX-
pcricncc of the eminent persons attach
ed to the Society, along with others
equally skillful:
That the disease is influenza, in an
aggravated form, seems to be self-eVi-
dent. and the remedies usually employed
in the treatment of the human patient
are found to be most serviCeablc in the
case of the horse. Complete rest, warm
blankets, nOn-cXposure to drafts of air,
disinfectants, and total absence of bleed
ing and prOstrating Cathartics, as rule,
should be observed. Twenty or thirty
drops of tincture of iron, in a gill Of
Jamaica rum, diluted with water, and
given every four hours, in order to pre-
serve the strength of the horse, or the
tincture of arnica, will produce relief.
A plaster bound round the throat, COM
posed of one portion of Cayenne pepper
and two of t1ax-seed, mixed with vine
car, is excellent. Frequently remove
the fetid discharge from the nOstrils,
always using warm water. Another
perfect rest, clean stable, tempting diet,
and stimulating liniment applied to the
throat. Another remedy is rest, COM
Portable bedding, bandaging the eXtrem-
tiles. fumigati0ns of boiling water to
assist the discharge at the nose, with
cough mixture of liquOrice-root and
molasses. Administer tOnics and slim
ulauts if appetite fails and weakness en-
sues.
There is d moral as well as material as
pect to the present subject, and the mo-
ment seems opportune to allude to 1t;
That the horse, the most generous and
indispensable servant of mankind, is, as
a rule, in our country, held in lower es-
innate than elsewhere, and more gener-
ally INDEPENDENTLY by large cor
porations-among their inanimate prop
erty, must be conceded. With many
such, it is a mere question OF money, and
the only point of interest to the stock
holders, being the one which Indicates
the dividend, the question of humanity is
not an active principe; ana nence Ghe
disabled horse, and the disabled car or
stage, are placed in the same category !!
Indeed, the careful housing, washing,
oiling and repairing of the senseless We
hicle has often appeared to me to be ia
marked contrast to the inadequate con-
sideration bestowed on the weary, maim-
ed and emaciated creature which, with
dropping head and supplicating look, re-
mains in the pelting storm, or is domi-
ciled in the damp, dark, foul-smelling
cellar below the street.
This is not only Improbable, it is
something more-it is crime. The
horse, ever since his domestication, has
been one of the greatest elements of hui
man progress and happiness, and it is
not exaggerating his Importance to say
that civilization would be almost impos
sible without him. Pray heaven this
truth may never be made practically eFi=
dent by the humiliation of this precious
friend of our race.
His feed, moreover, which should be
of the1best quality, is generally COM
position wherein economy is most con-
spicuous and this is furnished to ami