GIVING HORSES MEDICINE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 32, 6 February 1913, Page 6

GIVING HORSES MEDICINE.

Powders are given either in damp food, in drinking water, placed on the tongue out of a spoon, or mixed with water and given as a drench. The most convenient methods of giving, powders is by mixing them with the food, but when the patient's appetite is riot good, or the drugs taste nasty, other methods must be adopted. When the drug to be administered is in small quantities, and dissolves readily, a very safe and convenient method is to i place it in a- dry spoon, catch the patient's tongue with the left hand, get an assistant to hold the head steady, with the right hand pass the spoon well back into the mouth and upset it, when the drug falls on the root of the tongue, isquickly dissolved by the saliva, and then swallowed. Of course, when the; quantity is largo or the drug does not readily dissolve, this plan is not satisfactory, as the patient will often drop more or less of it out of his mouth, in which case it must be either placed in a capsule or- wrapped in tissue paper and given as a ball, or mixed with water and given as -a drench. The administration of medicines in the form of a ball is much practised,, and requires some skill on the part of the operator. The drug or drugs to bo given in this way are first reduced to powder, and then either placed in a gelatin capsule, or moistened with water, treacle, glycerine, or other moistening substance, rolled into a bolus about three-quarters of an inch in diameter and; two inches long, and wrapped in tissue paper. When administering a ball, it is well to get ah assistant to steady the patient's head. and prevent him from holding it too high. The ball, should be moistened with .oil- or other lubricant, the operator takes the patient's tongue with the left hand and holds it out of the mouth at tha: right side; he grasjksthe ball with the. points of the lingers and thumb-of the right hand, passes the hand back, in the centre of the mouth (being.careful that the workings of tho tongue- do not carry it between the molar, teeth, and drops it into the pharynx, just behind tfc root of the tongue. The horse wili now swallow it, or, in rare cases, givea short, quick cough and expel it intact, in which case another attempt is made to administer it. It requires some practice to enable'a maa to administer a ball without danger of it getting between the molar te^fcfi^ when it will be chewed and most of it expelled. There is ako danger of the hand beings forced between tit? molars, when the patient will close the teeth upon it; but if the tongue is held firmly with the right hand he will not be able to grasp very firmly,. because his owji tongue is between the molars on the other side. In sach a case, if the operator should draw his hand/ forcibly out •of the horse's mouth he will/receive- painful wounds; but if he holds his hands steady and with the left hand still holding thetongue,, endeavors to get the horse- to relax pressure, he will succeeds is liberating tho right., hand with no injury except a; few indentations -Hade' by the teeth.. There are small and inexpensive instruments, called Balling guns, made for this purpose* ami it would proSably be wise for amateurs to use one.

Drenches are saedieine in ftuM form, poured; into the horse's moutk out of a botite or drenching horir. In. order that any animal may be given a drench, it is-necessary to keep the head e-levatsd to such an extent that the mouth is-on a considerably Higher level .than t&o throat, in ordea that the fluid may gravitate backwards •and downwards and reach* the pharynx (a cavity just behind! the root of the-tongue). This is a verr common method of adinimsterine medicines and a very satisfactory method wfesi intelligently perfarmedfetit m order tp avoid too great waste' and danger of- the animal's life, it must be carefully and slowly done