Encyclopaedia Britannica; or, A dictionary of arts and sciences, compiled upon a new plan … > Volume 2, C-L

F A H H
A'fl that can l>e done is to empty the vefleJs as fpeediiy
nas poffibie, 'by ftriking the veins in ftverail parts at once,
bleeding to four or five quarts, and to raife up the horfe’s
bead and (boulders, fupportmg them with plenty of draw.
IF he furvives He fit, cut feveral rowels; give him night
-and morning glyfters prepared with a ftrong dtco<51ioo of
fenna and fait, or the purging glyder mentioned in the
■direftiocs ; blow once a-day up his noftrils a dram of
powder of afarabacca, which will ..promote a great dif-
charge; afterwards two or three aloetic purges (hould be
given ; and to fecure him from a relaple, by attenuating
and thinning his blood, give him an ounce of equal pans
of antimony and crocus metaflorum for a month; or,
which is preferable, the fame quantity of cinnabar of.an-
timony and gum guaiacum.
If the lit proceeds only from fulnefs of blood, high
feeding, and want of fufficient exercife, or a fizy blood
(which is often the cafe with young horfes, who though
they reel, dagger, and fometimes fuddenly fall down,
yet are eafily cured by the above method}, an opening diet
with fcalded bran and barley will be neceflary for fome
time ; and the bleeding may be repeated in fmall quantities.
As to the other dilorders of the head, fuch as lethargy
or deeping evil, epilepfy or falling-ficknefs, vertigo,
frenzy, and madnefs, convulfions, and paralytica! difor-
-ders, as they are mod of them to be treated as the apo¬
plexy and epilepfy, by bleeding and evacuations with
the alteratives there directed, we (hall wave treating of
them feparately, but mention fome particular rules to di-
dinguilh them, according to the plan we laid down, and
then offer fome general remedies for the feveral pur-
pofes.
In an epilepfy, or fading ficknefs, the horfe reds and
daggers, his eyes are fixed in his head, he has no fenfe
of what he is doing, he dales and dungs infenfibly, he
runs round and falls fuddenly; fometimes be is immove¬
able, with his legs dretched out as if be was dead, ex¬
cept only a quick motion of his heart and lungs, which
caufes a violent working of his flanks; fometimes he has
involuntary motions, and (baking of his limbs, fo drong,
that he has not only beat and (purned his litter, but the
•pavement with it; and with thefe alternate fymptoms a
horfe continued more than three hours, ?nd then he has
as furprifingly recovered ; at the going off of the fit, he
generally foams at the mouth, the foam being white and
■dry, like what comes from a healthful horie when he
champs on the bit.
But in all kinds of gripes, whether they proceed from
diforders in the guts, or retention.of urine, a horfe is of¬
ten up and down, rolls and tumbles about; and when he
goes to lie down, generaly makes feveral motions with great
Teeming carefulnefs, which (hews he has a fenfe of his
pain; and if he lays dretdied.out for anytime, it is gene¬
rally but for a fhort fpace.
Epilepfies and convulfions may arife from blows on the
head, too violent exercife, and hard draining ; and from
a fulnefs of blood, or impoveriflied blood, and furfeits;
which are fome of the caufes that denote the original dif-
order.
In lethargic diforders, the horfe generally reds his head
with his mouth in the manger, and his pole often reclined
Yol. II. No. 49.
T
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to one fide ; he will (hew an inclination to eat, but gene¬
rally falls adeep with his food in his mouth, and he fre¬
quently fwallows it whole, without chewing.: emollient
glyders are extremely neceffary in this ca(e, with the
nervous balls recommended for the flaggers and convul¬
sions; drong purges are not requifite, nor mud you bleed
in too large quantities, unleis the horfe be young and
ludy. In old horfes, rowels and large evacuations are im¬
proper; but volatiles of all kinds are of ufe, when they
can be afforded: the alterative purge (p 554. col. 2.
par. 2. from the bottom) may be given, and repeated on
his amendment.
This didemper is to be cured by thefe means, if. the
horfe is not old p.n3 pad his vigour. It is a good fign if
he has a tolerable appetite, and drinks freely without
dabbering, and if he lies down, and rids up carefully,
though it be but feldom.
But if a lethargic horfe does not lie down; if he is
altogether dupid and cardefs, and takes’ no notice of any
thing that comes near him ; if he dungs and dales feldom,
and even while he deeps and dozes, 11 is a bad fign : if
he runs at the nofe thick white matter, it may relieve
him; but'if a vifeid gleet, that dicks to his codrils like
glue, turn to a profufe running of ropy, reddifli and
greenilh matter, it is an infallible fign of a great decay
of nature, and that it will prove deadly.
Young horfies from four to fix years, arc very fubje.dt
to convulfions, from bots in the fpring ; and the large
coach breed, more than the (addle They are feized with¬
out any previous notice ; and if bots and worms are dif-
covered in their dung, the caufe feems to be out of doubt;
more efpecially if they have lately come out of a dealer’s
hands.
When this convulfion proceeds from a didemperature
of the midriff, or any of the principal bowels, it is to be
didinguifhed from bots and vermin by previous fymptoms ;
the horfe falls off his domach, and grows gradually weak,
feeble, and difpirited in his work, and turns (hort-breath-
ed with the lead exercife.
The lively defeription of thatuniverfal cramp or convul¬
fion, called by fome the dag-evil, which feizes all the mufcles
of the body at once, and locks up th'e jaws, fo that it is im-
poffible almod to force them open, we (hall give in Mr
Gibfon’s own words, who fays: As foon as the horfe is
feized, his head is raifed with his nofe towards the rack,
his ears pricked up, and his tail cocked, locking with
eagernefs as an hungry horfe when hay is put down to
him, or like a high-fpirited horfe when he is put upon
his mettle ; infomuch, that thofe who are drangers to
fuch things, when they fee a horfe (land in this manner,
will fcarce believe any thing of confequence ails him;
hut they are fbon convinced, when they fee other fymp¬
toms come on apace, and that his neck grows diff,
cramped, and almod immoveable ; and if a hoife in this
condition ‘lives a few days, feverai knots will arife on
the tendinous parts thereof, and all the nviifcies both
before and behind will be fo much pulled and cramped,
and fo dretched, that he looks as if he was nailedtto the
pavement, with his legs diff, wide, and dradling;-his (kin
is drawn fo tight on all parts of the body, that it isalmod
inipoffibie to move it; and if trial be made to-make hite
2 5-Z walk,/