350.  Blaze or star

When we have a pair of horses that match well in every respect, except that one has a blaze or star on the face, it becomes very interesting and important to know how to make their faces match.  Take a piece of oznaburgs the size you want the star or blaze; spread it with warm pitch and apply it to the horses face; let it remain two or three days, by which time it will bring off the hair clean, and make the part a little tender; then take of elixor vitriol a small quantity, anoint the part two or three times; or, take of a very common weed called asmart, a small handful, bruise it, and add to it about a gill of water, use it as a wash until the face gets well, when the hair will grow out entirely white.

351.  Black spots

To spot a white horse with black spots, take litharge 3 oz., quick lime 6 oz., beat fine and mix together; put it into a pan and pour a sharp ley over it; then boil it and you will have a fat substance swim on top, with which anoint the horse in such places as you design to have black, and it will turn to the colour immediately.

352.  Influenza or horse-ail

The first symptom is debility.  The horse appears dumpish, refuses to eat, mouth hot, in six or twelve hours the appetite diminishes, legs and eyelids swell.  This disease may end in chronic cough, a bad discharge from the nose, and in inveterate cases in glanders.

Treatment—­Keep the horse on light food, as mashes, scalded shorts, green grass, &c., and if he is very plethoric, he should be half starved and bled from the mouth.  If the throat is sore, rub it with warm vinegar and salt, or blister; walk him a little for exercise, administer the following:  oil of croton, 5 drops; nitrate of potassa 4 to 6 drachms; potassio-tartrate of antimony, 1 drachm; spirit of nitric ether, 4 drachms to 1 oz; solution of acetate of ammonia 2 to 4 ozs.; and warm water sufficient to make a draught; and when the head is much affected, add a drachm of camphor.  This draught may be administered once and sometimes twice a day, the croton oil being omitted after the first dose; after the first day, 2 drachms of powdered gentian may be added.

353.  Strangles or horse distemper

Symptoms—­A discharge from the nostrils, with a swelling under the throat, a disinclination to eat.  Thirst, but after a gulp or two the horse ceases to drink.  In attempting to swallow, a convulsive cough comes on; mouth hot and tongue coated with a white fur.  The tumor under the jaw soon fills the whole space, and is evidently one uniform body, and may thus be distinguished from glanders or the enlarged glands of catarrh.

Treatment—­Blister over the tumor at once; when the glands remain hard and do not suppurate, it may lead to glanders, in which case rub it with iodine ointment, and give internally, hydriodate of potash in daily doses of 10 to 40 grains, combined with gentian and ginger.  As soon as the swelling is fit, lance it freely and apply a linseed poultice; give bran mashes, fresh grass, &c.