The strangles is a disorder standing in much greater need of nursing, and constant stable attendance, than the least medical interposition: the system requires to be kept up by art, and every nutritious attention in proportion as the appetite has been observed to decline. In its earliest stage, no attempt whatever should be made at repulsion, (by external astringents, or any spirituous application whatever;) on the contrary, hot emollient fomentations to the part, (with two sponges dipt in the decoction alternately for a quarter of an hour daily,) followed directly with stimulative poultices of a proper heat, _repeated_ and _patient_ offers of gruel and sweet-wort, mixed a little warm in a pail perfectly clean, and free from grease. Small quantities of mash (prepared of ground malt and bran, equal parts) should, at proper intervals, be placed in the manger: these and the gruel being constantly refused, the case will then require the additional adoption of a pectoral cordial ball, to be dissolved in a pint of gruel, and mildly insinuated about a third part with the horn at each time, till the whole is got down; and this should be repeated three times in every twenty-four hours, till the tumor is broke, and the crisis arrives; when which is observed, if the aperture is too small, it may be a little enlarged with the point of any instrument, that the matter may the more easily run off. To promote this, the poultice, covering a pledget of digestive ointment, should be continued for two or three days, when a cure is soon effected. Two or three doses of physic, or a course of alteratives, is always necessary after this disease.
STRANGURY—is a temporary suppression of urine in horses, brought on more by the indiscretion of their riders or drivers, than any morbid affection, or constitutional defect in the horse. It may proceed from a spasmodic stricture upon the sphincter, or the neck of the bladder, occasioned by a too long retention of urine; in continuing an immoderate length of time on the road, or in the field, during which the distrest animal has no opportunity to stale; as well as from a slight inflammation, or tendency to tumefaction, in the kidnies; likewise from calculous concretions in the bladder, jaggy particles of which may irritate, and painfully plug up the urinary passages. Some horses feel great pain when labouring under the suppression, which, when judiciously managed, seldom proves more than a temporary inconvenience. Instantaneous bleeding will sometimes, by unloading the vessels, take off the stricture, and produce instantaneous effect. If the horse is perpetually straining to stale, evacuating only a few drops, or partial dribblings, two or three cloves of a separated onion, or divided garlic, may be insinuated, and left within each side of the sheath; in addition to which, a large sponge, dipt in very warm water, and repeatedly applied to the neighbouring parts, will assist; those local applications proving salutary and expeditious substitutes for the more tedious process of medicine internally administered. In cases of long continuance, and increasing emergency, more commanding means must be adopted; of which DIURETIC BALLS, with a drachm of _camphire_, and a few grains of _opium_ incorporated with each, and periodically repeated, will be found to answer the most sanguine expectation.