In inflammation of the neck of the bladder, which is easily known by feeling that organ directly under the rectum, and will be full of urine, the first object must be to relax the spasm, which contracts the neck and compresses the muscles, thus obstructing the free passage of the urine.

Treatment.-Bleed copiously; sometimes this has been done till the animal was exhausted, and the disease has disappeared. The nauseant given in the disease of the kidnies may then be tried; and if the case is obstinate, apply a blister, and give a drachm of opium in a ball.

When the bladder is affected with stone, diuretics are useful to cause a full flow of urine. Cutting for the stone seldom succeeds in horses

DISTEMPER, OR INFLUENZA.

THIS is a species of cold which attacks horses at certain seasons, although it rages with different epidemic symptoms in different years, and is occasionally prevalent only in certain districts. In the spring, when the animals are shedding their hair, easterly winds are more common than at any other season of the year, and the change from wet to dry, from cold to heat, is very irregular; being then more defenceless against cold, this disease often makes its appearance.

Two opinions are held respecting it, some asserting it to be highly contagious, others, again, disputing that point. Gibson, however, tells us of a highly contagious influenza which made its appearance in London in

1732. His account is very precise and excellent. He says

"That the horses were seized suddenly with a drysounding cough, which shook them so violently that they appeared ready to drop with hard straining and want of breath. Their throats were sore, and the glands were much swelled and inflamed, and painful to the touch. For the first two days most of them refused all manner of food as well as water; and had so many other bad symptoms, that when this distemper first broke out it seemed to threaten a mortality among them. Indeed, the only good sign they had was a running at the nose, which generally began on the third day, and continued in a very profuse degree for five or six days. While this secretion continued they could not feed much, though their appetites were not deficient. Hence they lost their flesh exceedingly, whilst the violence of the complaint lasted; but as soon as the distemper abated, they began to eat voraciously, and soon recovered. This distemper, though seldom fatal, yet was so very catching, that when any horse was seized with it, those horses that stood on each side of him were generally infected as soon as he began to run at the nose. While this sickness lasted, about one hundred troop-horses under my care were seized with it. I always caused the sick horses to be separated from those in health, and in one troop of horse-grenadiers we filled a stable of thirty-six stalls in three days, and another of eighteen in three or four days more; nevertheless, all of them recovered in a short time. And many other horses belonging to private gentlemen that were placed under my care did well, without any remaining injury from the distemper; and it was remarkable that some which had been subject to a dry cough before this sickness continued, were

free from it for some time afterwards, though I do not remember that any of them were absolutely cured of it.

"The horses that chiefly escaped the distemper were those that had been kept in constant strong exercise, or full aged horses, many of which remained uninfected though very much exposed to it. The method of treating the malady, as may be supposed, was simple and easy. As soon as the horses were attacked, they were bled plentifully, which evidently gave them relief, many of them being feverish and very shortbreathed.

"Afterwards mucilaginous drinks, in which linseed, liquorice, and garlic were predominant materials, were exhibited, and with these were given balls made of the aromatic powders mixed with honey, balsam of sulphur, and the oils of aniseed. In some cases it was thought necessary to give about half a pint of white wine with a few ounces of oxymel and squills. After they began to run at the nose, the complaint began to abate; and as soon as the horse looked somewhat lively, and began to eat, the use of the medicines was suspended, and he was allowed plenty of water, with free air and exercise.

"This disease it seems began near London about the middle of September. It became general in about six weeks or two months, and made so swift a progress, that in the space of one week there was scarcely a stable without the infection. The time of its continuance in each horse was but short. Some horses were perfectly recovered in a week or ten days, some in a fortnight, and few continued under it longer than three weeks or a month before they recovered their flesh, and their usual strength and vigour. Scarcely any indeed did amiss, except such as had been uns"-"

fully treated, by syringing their noses with sharp stimulating liquids, which, by irritating the membranes already too much inflamed, brought on ulcerations and a continued discharge of purulent matter that could not be stopped, with swellings of the glands, which ended in caries of the bones.

"About ten years afterwards, in 1734, another epidemical disease happened. This proved more fatal than the former, though from its short continuance it was much less noticed, for many horses recovered so far as to be out of danger in two or three days. this the horse coughed violently, and many of the hackney-coach horses and cart-horses that were obliged to work were observed to run greatly at the nose.

In

"Some were seized suddenly with a high degree of fever, and their flesh apparently seemed so sore and tender, that they could scarcely bear to be touched. They were generally costive, staled but little, and that with pain and straining, and the urine was of a very high colour. They refused all manner of sustenance, and were so extremely sick that they could not drink, neither would many of them lie down, till the disease came to a crisis; yet with treating them with cooling and opening medicines, and with plentiful bleeding, they generally recovered. Some of the horses affected with it had very hot and inflamed eruptions, which broke out in several parts with blisters resembling erysipelas. Those that came to maturity appeared generally on the inside of the arm or fore-legs, near the elbow or towards the neck; and some of them had large bags of water collected on their sides or bellies, or towards their flanks near the inguinal glands, constituting what the farriers called the Water-farcy. Some had been costive before they were seized, for their dung was extremely hard and black. Under

these circumstances, soft and oily clysters were injected to relax the bowels, and in some cases the bleeding was repeated; cooling infusions were given, with nitre, cream of tartar, &c., with a view to promote both dung and urine, and by that means to abate the febrile heat. This, in fact, not only took off the fever, but caused critical discharges from the boils, which at first had but a very indifferent aspect, to digest into good matter; so that none of the horses that were thus treated did amiss; and where some died in the hands of unskilful persons, it was generally owing to their giving them cordials before the fever abated, and their stomachs were in a condition to receive food."

Causes. This disorder appears from general observation to arise from the liability of the constitution to be affected at particular times of the year, as the spring and fall, &c.

Treatment. This must depend entirely on the violence of the attack and the symptoms exhibited; generally there is a slight fever, and if the animal has a cough which does not materially distress or weaken him, after taking a little blood, and attending to the state of his bowels and keeping them open, hopes may be entertained of a speedy recovery to his former state of good health. Should the soreness of the throat cause a difficulty in swallowing, and show symptoms of great inflammation, when the glands under the ears become swelled, likewise a blister may be applied, and bleed according to the condition of the horse. The bowels must be opened, but not purged. A clyster may be given, and if the bowels appear obstinate to give the following aperient

M