St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-06-11
FARM AND HOME.
THE HORSE DISTEMPER.

THE HORSE DISTEMPER.
Ask the average horseman what is
the matter with his horse and he
will say pink eye" but in nine
cases out of ten he will be wrong,
though, if not broken up in time, it
will turn into that disease, which is
hard to conquer and slow to get out
of the system.
At one farm 20 miles out of Bos-
ton the scourge put in an appearance
10 days ago, and inside of that time
it went round among go head, and
only four of the lot escaped.
1t is in the air, and the sooner it
makes its appearance and is treated
the sooner it will be over. In the
meantime it will stop the training of
horses as take it, and will also pre-
vent sales, as a horse attacked by
the disease is a wobegone looking
animal indeed.
The symptoms are as follows:
The subject will hang his head, re-
fuse to eat and under the nigh side of
his Jaws will be found a little hard
lump, about the size of a marble.
This is the time to take the matter
in hand, for If it is not attended to
the legs will stock up, the tongue
will get hot and the saliva leave the
mouth, the extremities will grow
cold. and the glands of the throat be
swelled, so that the horse cannot
eat or even drink without severe
pain.
In young stock it is liable to turn
into pink eye, when the eye will first
run water and then exude whit1sh
matter, which will fill the eye and, if
not attended to, cause blindness.
What is the cause?
The sudden changes from heat to
cold that marked the last few weeks
in Boston have given slight colds
and rendered the system liable to the
disease which has been brought here
by Western importations. 1t had to
come. Other parts of the country
had felt the distemper, and it is bet
ter that it should develop now than
later.
1t is no sign of poor management
or lack of care. Trained horses, with
systems we'll regulated and in the
pink of health, have been taken down
as we'll a those that have not been
as carefully handled. At Mystic it
has made its appearance, but there
they were looking out for it, and
they handled it at once.
One of the ablest veterinaries in
the country, who only practices his
profession for amusement now, as he
has retired from active service, was
very willing to talk Of the trouble,
and said that as the disease was
bound to be epidemic, being strongly
conta gious, he would give for the
benefit Of the public, cure that
would enable all to treat their horses
themselves, as we'll as the best doctor
in the country. When the first
symptoms are shown the ears of the
animal will be cold, and he will re-
fuse to feed. To break up the disease
get the following: Three ounces
whiskey, three ounces water, one
drachm tincture gentian, quinine
half to one drachm. The amount of
quinine is to be determined by the
severity of the case. Put the horse
in a loose box of moderate temporal
ture, we'll bedded; unblanket him
and rub his throat and under his
jaws with turpentine. This will
make him uneasy and probably
start the perspiration. AS soon as
he is quiet blanket him and leave
him alone. Then mix the following
powder, and divide it into 10 doses,
give one on the tongue every night
and morning: Sulphate of iron 1
ounce, nitrate of potash 1 ounce,
pulv. gentian ounces, powd. nux
vo1nica I ounce.
If the horse does not want to feed,
keep food away from him, giving
him no hay. Give him bran mashes,
and if he eats a little and then leaves
it take it away from him; little
starvation with his stomach in bad
order won't hurt him. When he be-
gins to eat and hold his head up the
disease has been beaten, but the
horse will be weak aud will require
care just the same. Give him a
gentle walking exercise, keeping him
warm. If he is not inclined to move
wait another day. If he is willing,
increase gradually, and he will soon
be ready to go on with his work.
Too much of a hurry will put the
horse back into relapse, and his
legs will swell. and you will waste
weeks where days would have cured
him.
At a glance, the simplicity and eff
cacy of the cure will be seen. The
diluted whisky will stimulate the
stomach; the gentian will act on the
bowels, and the quinine will break
up the fever. The pulse will tell how
the remedy is acting, and the normal
temperature of the tongue and ex-
tremities will tell how the fever has
abated. Avoid all diarrh9tic medi-
cines, as nothing is more dangerous.
One case in point will illustrate
this. A Boston stablekeeper had