CAUSES.- Worms are always occasioned by morbid conditions, such as morbid secretions of mucus, debility of the digestive organs, of unhealthy conditions of the liver and lungs. Many symptoms which are supposed to be caused by worms, are owing to some constitutional disturbance, during which worms multiply to excess.
SYMPTOMS.- Capricious appetite, but usually voracious; the animal hind-bound, and without its natural gloss; the appearance of dry, yellow, or white matter about the fundament, attended by itching, causing the animal to rub its tail or whisk it from side to side; the animal likes the wall and eats earth or dirt of any kind, and the dung is often covered with mucus; colicky pains are sometimes present; but the only infallible sign of the existence of worms is their actual discharge from the bowels.
TREATMENT.- The first thing to do is to give the animal sound, nutritious food, and one or more of the following medicines :-
Cina.- If the animal has a voracious appetite at one time, and poor appetite at another, bowels bound or purged, fetid breath, fits, rough coat, and either worm symptoms. A dose night and morning, one hour before feeding, for several days; and if improvement takes place, continue the medicine till the animal is well.
Arsenicum.- If the above medicine fails to do good, or only partial benefit results from it, give this remedy as directed for Cina, in two-grain doses of the trituration.
Filix Mas.- This is the most effectual remedy for Tape-Worm.
ACCESSORY MEANS.- It should ever be borne in mind that the treatment should not merely be directed towards the destruction or expulsion of the worms, but to the improvement of the digestive organs, and so to prevent their development. Mr. Haycock recommends Rock Salt as a preventive of worms; he advises placing a lump of it in one corner of the hay-rack, so that animal may lick it when they choose to do so.
Windgalls – Puffs.
In the region of the joints, and wherever friction is likely to take place, we find tendons supplied with little sacs (bursoe mucosoe), secreting in health an oily fluid from their internal surface in very small quantities; but when the tendons become strained, or increased action is set up in them from over- exertion, nature comes to the rescue by increasing the bursal secretion, and we then perceive a soft, elastic tumour called Windgall or Puff.
CAUSES.- Tendinous sprains or over-exertion of any kind, and long-continued friction from quick work on hard roads.
SYMPTOMS.- Soft, elastic, circumscribed swellings, at first about the size of a nut, but eventually becoming hard and much larger, which appear in the neighbourhood of some of the joints, such as the knee, hock, or fetlock. To the latter, however, the name is usually restricted, although equally applicable to the former; so that when we say a horse has Windgalls, we mean that he has above, or on each side of, the fetlock, or back sinew, one or more elastic tumours, usually unattended by lameness, or any active inflammation. The seat of these bursal enlargements is either between the perforatus and perforans tendons, or between the latter and the suspensory ligament. There is, however, another fetlock Windgall found on the front of the joints, between it and the extensor tendons; and a similar swelling occurs at the supero-posterior part of the knee, from the distention of the bursa between the perforatus and perforans tendons.
TREATMENT.- As Windgalls alone seldom cause lameness, it is not advisable to thwart nature’s plan by endeavouring to remove them; should any lameness be present, it will generally be found to arise from a sprain of the tendon or neighbouring point, and in this case we shall most likely remove both cause and effect by applying a wet chamois leather bandage with pressure. Nothing tends more to remove bursal enlargements than pressure evenly applied; at the same time the cold and moisture will relieve the inflammation in the tendon or joint. Should this not succeed in removing the lameness and swelling, the bursa should be fomented morning and evening for half an hour with warm water, and, when dry, rubbed with about a tablespoonful of the following lotion: Rhus Tox 3j., Water Oj. If this fail, we may try the following ointment : Mercurius- Biniod. 3j.; Axung, 3j. This should be applied with friction, but not repeated until all the inflammation has subsided. In cases where the Windgall is very large, and not connected with the joint, it may be punctured with a small trocar on its upper surface, and the fluid pressed out. We must then apply a compress and bandage, so as to bring the sides of the sac together, as also to exclude air. The bandage should not be removed for two days; at the end of this time, a piece of lint, saturated with glycerine, and over it some oil-silk and a bandage, should be placed on the Windgall. The dressing must be renewed morning and evening. The horse should be kept in a loose box, and not taken out for at least a fortnight, nor put to work for a month.
Wounds
Animals are often exposed to wounds, which differ in character and importance according to the manner in which they have been produced, the extent of the injury, and the part wounded.
INCISED WOUNDS are produced by instruments with sharp edges; these wounds have no shaggy edges and heal most rapidly.
STAB-WOUNDS may not appear very considerable on the surface, but may be very serious, as important parts may have been injured. If a bowel has been cut, blood is generally discharged from the anus, or the contents of the bowel escape through the external wound. If the parts around a stab-wound soon begin to swell, blood-vessels and intestines have probably been injured, and extravasation of blood takes place.
LACERATED WOUNDS are caused by rough and blunt bodies, have a jagged and uneven appearance, and, although large and important blood vessels have been divided, in general there is but little bleeding.
TREATMENT.- If dirt, wood, glass, sand, shot, or any other substance have got into the wound, remove them by a sponge and cold water; in some cases a syringe may be required for this purpose. If there is much bleeding, this must be arrested by using a sponge wetted in cold water, and gently pressed upon the wound, in order to absorb the blood and expose the extent of the wound. If the arteries have been severed, they will have to be grasped with a pair of forceps, and drawn slightly and gently forward, so that they may be securely tied by means of a strong ligature of silk. The healing of cut-wounds is facilitated by bringing the edges together by means of adhesive plaster, or by stitching them. Before sewing up a wound, the bleeding should have ceased, and the operator must be careful that all foreign bodies, loose shreds of tissue, and clots of blood are carefully removed; otherwise inflammation will be produced, and the stitches will have to be removed.
The sides of the wounds should be first placed closely together as before injury; each thread should be tied by itself, so that if one stitch breaks out others may remain undisturbed. Well-waxed silk or strong thread should be used, and as many stitches inserted as may be necessary to unite the edges of the wound. Afterwards apply cloths saturated with Arnica lotion. These must be renewed several times daily. In deep wounds, injections of Arnica have to be made, and the healing of the edges prevented, lest deep-seated suppurations should set in. In wounds of a severe character, in addition to the proceeding means, Arnica, as prepared for internal use, should be given every or four hours.
Aconitum.- If fever arise, Aconite should be given every three or four hours.
ACCESSORY MEANS.- Rest as complete as possible. The diet should be light and sparingly given.
Other kinds of injuries are treated of under Broken Knees, Sprains, Prick is the Foot, Brushing, Speedy Cut, etc. Reference should be made to the articles under these respective heading in the proceeding pages of this Manual.
Contusions – Bruises
Wounds are said to be contused when the skin is uncut or unbroken, however much the soft part underneath may be crushed or lacerated.
CAUSES.- These injuries may result from falls, blows from sticks, butting from the horns of cattle, or, in the cases of horses, from the pressure of badly-fitting harness, etc.
SYMPTOMS.- Soon after the infliction of the injury the part affected swells, and becomes hot and tender, and may be subsequently attended, especially if neglected, by the symptoms of inflammatory fever, and the development of pus, as in an abscess.
TREATMENT.- The great object is to allay irritation, prevent inflammation, and promote the absorption of any blood that may have been effused. This can be best obtained by the following means:-
As soon as possible after the accident the parts should be bathed freely with Arnica lotion; or they may be covered with four or five folds of white cotton or linen rags saturated with the lotion, the rags to be re-wetted as often as they become dry. If the contusion be in such a position as to be interfered with by work or exercise, the animal should be kept at rest as long as may be necessary. Whilst the local treatment is being carried on, a dose of Arnica internally three times a day will materially expedite the cure. Should matter form at the seat of the injury the case must be treated as a simple abscess (see p.1).
LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS; LICENTIATE IN MIDWIFERY, LONDON AND EDINBURGH, ETC. PHYSICIAN TO THE READING AND BERKSHIRE HOMOEOPATHIC DISPENSARY.
Author of "The Stepping Stone to Homeopathy and Health,"
"Manual of Homoeopathic Treatment". Editor of "The Homoeopathic World."