The management and treatment of the horse in the stable, field, and ...

156 The Management and Treatment of the Horse,
and night, for which purpose two thick horsecloths were
constantly placed in boiling water, wrung out and put on
the horse as hot as possible. Chloroform and sulphuric
either were also prescribed ; these were placed on a piece
of sponge and held under the nostrils for the horse to
inhale its fumes. The animal was placed in a stable and
kept moderately warm. This treatment was continued
night and day for three days, at the termination of which
the animal was better. The muscular tension had
diminished, the respiration was perceptibly better, and
the jaws could be opened to the breadth of two fingers.
With this amelioration in the symptoms the animal gave
evidence of relief by frequently drinking oatmeal gruel,
in which ^were large doses of tartar emetic and nitrate of
potash. This treatment was persevered with for ten more
days, and gradually brought about an amendment.
On the twenty-fourth day from the receipt of the
injury, and the thirteenth of medical treatment, the
medicines hitherto administered were discontinued, and
eight grammes of bromide of potassium was given daily
with enemas now and then, and dry frictions were sub-
stituted until the thirtieth day. At this time the
animal began to eat slowly of bran mash, and afterwards
damp forage, but it was not until above two months
from the commencement of convalescence that it had
perfectly recovered. The old fashioned-method of
bleeding for tetanus has almost died out, and many cases
are now on record in which the beneficial effects of
hydrate of chloral have been proved, in many instances
no other agent being used, enemas and hot fomentation
excepted. Dr. Coryllos gives us two cases which he