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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Dog, by Dinks, Mayhew, and Hutchinson
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Dog
+
+Author: Dinks, Mayhew, and Hutchinson
+
+Editor: William Henry Herbert
+
+Release Date: May 8, 2010 [EBook #32300]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DOG ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Julia Miller, Christine D. and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+  [Transcriber's note:
+
+  The original text was published in 1873. The contents of this text may be
+  dated. If in doubt, consult a Canine care professional.]
+
+
+[Illustration: SETTER AND WOODCOCK.]
+
+
+
+
+THE DOG.
+
+BY
+
+DINKS, MAYHEW, AND HUTCHINSON.
+
+COMPILED, ABRIDGED, EDITED, AND ILLUSTRATED
+
+BY
+
+FRANK FORESTER,
+
+  AUTHOR OF "FIELD SPORTS," "FISH AND FISHING," "HORSES AND HORSEMANSHIP
+  OF THE UNITED STATES AND BRITISH PROVINCES," "THE COMPLETE
+  MANUAL FOR YOUNG SPORTSMEN," ETC., ETC.
+
+Complete and Revised Edition.
+
+  NEW YORK:
+  GEO. E. WOODWARD,
+  191 BROADWAY.
+
+
+
+
+  Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873,
+  BY GEORGE E. WOODWARD,
+  In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
+
+
+
+
+EDITOR'S PREFACE.
+
+
+In offering to the American public a new edition of DINKS and MAYHEW on
+the Dog, which, I am happy to find, is largely called for, I have been
+induced to make a further addition, which will, I think, render this the
+most perfect and comprehensive work in existence for the dog fancier and
+dog lover.
+
+For myself I claim no merit, since, with the exception of one or two
+trivial changes in unimportant recipes in DINKS, and some abridgment of
+the last admirable work of Col. HUTCHINSON on Dog Breaking, which is now
+included in this volume, I have found occasion to make no alterations
+whatever, and, save a few notes, no additions.
+
+I will add, in brief, that while I believe the little manual of Dinks to
+be the best short and brief compendium on the Dog, particularly as regards
+his breeding, conditioning, kennel and field management, and general
+specialities, there can be no possible doubt that Mayhew's pages are the
+_ne plus ultra_ of canine pathology. There is nothing comparable to his
+treatment of all diseases for gentleness, simplicity, mercy to the animal,
+and effect. I have no hesitation in saying, that any person with
+sufficient intelligence to make a diagnosis according to his showing of
+the symptoms, and patience to exhibit his remedies, precisely according
+to his directions, cannot fail of success.
+
+I have this year treated, myself, two very unusually severe cases of
+distemper, one of acute dysentery, one of chronic diarrhoea, and one of
+most aggravated mange, implicitly after his instructions, and that with
+perfect, and, in three instances, most unexpected, success. The cases of
+distemper were got rid of with less suffering to the animals, and with
+less--in fact, no--prostration or emaciation than I have ever before
+witnessed.
+
+I shall never attempt any practice other than that of Mayhew, for
+distemper; and, as he says, I am satisfied it is true, that no dog, taken
+in time, and treated by his rules, _need_ die of this disease.
+
+Colonel Hutchinson's volume, which is to dog-breaking, what Mayhew's is to
+dog-medicining--science, experience, patience, temper, gentleness, and
+judgment, against brute force and unreasoning ignorance--I have so far
+abridged as to omit, while retaining all the rules and precepts, such
+anecdotes of the habits, tricks, faults, and perfections of individual
+animals, and the discursive matter relative to Indian field sports, and
+general education of animals, as, however interesting in themselves, have
+no particular utility to the dog-breaker or sportsman in America. Beyond
+this I have done no more than to change the word September to the more
+general term of Autumn, in the heading of the chapters, and to add a few
+short notes, explanatory of the differences and comparative relations of
+English and American game.
+
+I will conclude by observing, that although this work is exclusively on
+breaking for English shooting, there is not one word in it, which is not
+applicable to this country.
+
+The methods of woodcock and snipe shooting are exactly the same in both
+countries, excepting only that in England there is no summer-cock
+shooting. Otherwise, the practice, the rules, and the qualifications of
+dogs are identical.
+
+The partridge, in England, varies in few of its habits from our quail--I
+might almost say in none--unless that it prefers turnip fields, potatoe
+fields, long clover, standing beans, and the like, to bushy coverts and
+underwood among tall timber, and that it never takes to the tree. Like our
+quail, it must be hunted for and found in the open, and marked into, and
+followed up in, its covert, whatever that may be.
+
+In like manner, English and American grouse-shooting may be regarded as
+identical, except that the former is practised on heathery mountains, the
+latter on grassy plains; and that pointers are preferable on the latter,
+owing to the drought and want of water, and to a particular kind of
+prickly burr, which terribly afflicts the long-haired setter. The same
+qualities and performances constitute the excellence of dogs for either
+sport, and, as there the moors, so here the prairies, are, beyond all
+doubt, the true field for carrying the art of dog-breaking to perfection.
+
+To pheasant shooting we have nothing perfectly analogous. Indeed, the only
+sport in North America which at all resembles it, is ruffed-grouse
+shooting, where they abound sufficiently to make it worth the sportsman's
+while to pursue them alone. Where they do so, there is no difference in
+the mode of pursuing the two birds, however dissimilar they may be in
+their other habits and peculiarities.
+
+Bearing these facts in mind, the American sportsman will have no
+difficulty in applying all the rules given in the admirable work in
+question; and the American dog-breaker can by no other means produce so
+perfect an animal for his pains, with so little distress to himself or his
+pupil.
+
+The greatest drawback to the pleasures of dog-keeping and sporting, are
+the occasional sufferings of the animals, when diseased, which the owner
+cannot relieve, and the occasional severity with which he believes himself
+at times compelled to punish his friend and servant.
+
+It may be said that, for the careful student of this volume, as it is now
+given entire, in its three separate parts, who has time, temper, patience,
+and firmness, to follow out its precepts to the letter, this drawback is
+abolished.
+
+The writers are--all the three--good friends to that best of the friends
+of man, the faithful dog; and I feel some claim to a share in their
+well-doing, and to the gratitude of the good animal, and of those who love
+him, in bringing them thus together, in an easy compass, and a form
+attainable to all who love the sports of the field, and yet love mercy
+more.
+
+FRANK FORESTER.
+
+THE CEDARS, NEWARK, N.J.,
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
+
+
+ Setter and Woodcock,                                       _Frontispiece_
+
+ Beagles,                                                _To face page_ 50
+
+ Group of Dogs,                                                         73
+
+ The Pointer,                                                          241
+
+ Cockers--Butler and Frisk,                                            463
+
+ Setters--Bob and Dinks,                                               579
+
+ The Wolf,                                                         Page 74
+
+ The Jackal,                                                            75
+
+ The Mastiff,                                                          104
+
+ Cuts Illustrating the Administration of Medicine to Dogs,   111, 112, 113
+
+ A Dog under the Influence of an Emetic,                               118
+
+ Head of a Dog,                                                        121
+
+ Brush for Cleaning the Teeth of a Dog,                                188
+
+ A Scotch Terrier,                                                     197
+
+ A Dog Suffering from Inflammation of the Lung,                        211
+
+ A Dog with Asthma,                                                    219
+
+ "  " Chronic Hepatitis,                                               221
+
+ "  " Gastritis,                                                       233
+
+ "  " Colic,                                                           252
+
+ "  " Superpurgation,                                                  263
+
+ "  " Acute Rheumatism,                                                274
+
+ A Rabid Dog,                                                          300
+
+ A Mad Dog on the March,                                               304
+
+ Head of a full-sized Pug Bitch,                                       348
+
+ The Blood Hound,                                                      349
+
+ The Beagle,                                                           350
+
+ The Gravid Uterus,                                                    372
+
+ Parturition Instrument,                                               381
+
+ The Crochet,                                                          384
+
+ The Bull-Dog,                                                         404
+
+ Dog with a Canker-cap on,                                             423
+
+ A Dog Taped or Muzzled for Operation,                                 428
+
+ Bandages for Fractured Legs,                                          445
+
+
+
+
+THE
+
+SPORTSMAN'S VADE MECUM.
+
+BY "DINKS."
+
+CONTAINING FULL INSTRUCTIONS IN ALL THAT RELATES TO
+
+  THE BREEDING, REARING, BREAKING, KENNELLING, AND
+  CONDITIONING OF DOGS.
+
+TOGETHER WITH NUMEROUS VALUABLE RECIPES
+
+FOR THE TREATMENT OF THE VARIOUS DISEASES
+
+TO WHICH THE CANINE RACE IS SUBJECT.
+
+AS ALSO
+
+A FEW REMARKS ON GUNS, THEIR LOADING AND CARRIAGE,
+
+DESIGNED EXPRESSLY FOR THE USE OF
+
+YOUNG SPORTSMEN.
+
+
+
+
+
+TO THE READER.
+
+
+No one work that I am aware of contains the information that is proposed
+for this little treatise, which does not aspire to any great originality
+of idea; but the author having experienced in his early days very great
+difficulty in finding to his hand a concise treatise, was induced to cull,
+from various authors what he found most beneficial in practice, into
+manuscript, and this collection he is induced to make public, in the hopes
+that any one "who runs may read," and, without searching through many and
+various voluminous authors, may find the cream, leaving the skim milk
+behind.
+
+Wherever any known quotation is made, credit has been given to the proper
+persons, but it may be as well to state that most if not all of the
+Receipts are copies, though from what book is in a great measure unknown
+to the author, who extracted them in bygone days for his own use.
+
+With this admission, he trusts that his readers will rest satisfied with
+the little volume which he offers to their indulgent criticism.
+
+"DINKS."
+
+_Fort Malden Canada West_
+
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS OF DINKS' VADE MECUM.
+
+
+  Page
+
+  Breeding of Dogs in general,                                          15
+
+  Setter,                                                               18
+
+  Setter, Russian,                                                      19
+
+  Spaniel,                                                              20
+
+  Spaniel and Cocker,                                                   20
+
+  Retriever,                                                            21
+
+  Beagles,                                                              21
+
+  Breeding,                                                             21
+
+  Bitch in Use,                                                         24
+
+  Bitches in Pup,                                                       26
+
+  Feeding Pups and Weaning.--Lice.--Teats Rubbed,                       27
+
+  Pointer and Setter,                                                   28
+
+  Breaking,                                                             29
+
+  Ranging, how taught,                                                  30
+
+  Quartering,                                                           33
+
+  Feeding,                                                              40
+
+  Condition,                                                            42
+
+  Kennel,                                                               44
+
+  Credit given for Recipes,                                             49
+
+  Recipes,                                                              50
+
+  General Remarks about Dogs in Physic,                                 50
+
+  Recipes for Diseases incident to Dogs,                                51
+
+  Distemper,                                                            58
+
+  Tabular Form of Game Book,                                            68
+
+
+
+
+
+THE
+
+SPORTSMAN'S VADE MECUM
+
+
+
+
+BREEDING OF DOGS IN GENERAL.
+
+
+Before commencing to treat of the most correct methods to be observed in
+the breeding, it will be as well to mention the different varieties of
+sporting dogs, and also the various sub-genera of each species, of which
+every one who knows anything of the subject need not be informed; but as
+this work affects to be a Vade Mecum for sportsmen, young far more than
+old, it is as well to put before the young idea certain established rules,
+not to be violated with impunity, and without following which no kennel
+can be great or glorious. A run of luck may perhaps happen, to set at
+naught all well defined rules, but "breeding will tell" sooner or later;
+and, therefore, it behoves any person who prides himself on his kennel, to
+study well the qualities of his dog or bitch, his or her failings and good
+qualities, and so to cross with another kennel as to blend the two, and
+form one perfect dog. This is the great art in breeding, requiring great
+tact and judgment.
+
+
+
+
+POINTERS.
+
+
+The breed of Pointers, as now generally to be met with, is called "the
+English," distinguished by the lightness of limb, fineness of coat, and
+rattishness of tail. Fifteen or twenty years ago this style of dog was
+seldom seen; but, in place of it, you had a much heavier animal--heavy
+limbs, heavy head, deep flew-jaws, long falling ears. Which of these
+breeds was the best 'tis hard to say, but for America I certainly should
+prefer the old, heavy, English Pointer. Too much, I think, has been
+sacrificed to lightness, rendering him too fine for long and continued
+exertion, too susceptible to cold and wet, too tender skinned to bear
+contact with briers and thorns, in fact, far too highly bred. Not that for
+a moment I am going to admit that American Pointers are too highly bred;
+far from it, for there is hardly one that, if his or her pedigree be
+carefully traced up, will not be found to have some admixture of blood
+very far from Pointer in its veins. Now this mongrel breeding will not end
+well, no matter how an odd cross may succeed, and the plan to be adopted
+is never to breed except from the most perfect and best bitches, always
+having in view the making of strong, well formed, tractable dogs, bearing
+in mind that the bitches take after the dog, and the dog pups after the
+dam, that temper, ill condition, and most bad qualities are just as
+inherent in some breeds as good qualities are in others. Here, then, to
+begin with, you have a difficult problem to solve; for, in addition to the
+defects of your own animal, you have to make yourself acquainted with
+those of the one you purpose putting to it. Is your dog too
+timid--copulate with one of high courage. But don't misunderstand me. In
+this there is as much difference between a high couraged and a headstrong
+dog as between a well bred dog and a cur. Is your dog faulty in ranging,
+may be too high, or may be no ranger at all, mate with the reverse,
+selecting your pups according to what has been stated above. If possible,
+always avoid crossing colors. It is a bad plan, but cannot always be
+avoided, for oftentimes you may see in an animal qualities so good, that
+it would be wrong to let him go past you. But, then, in the offspring,
+keep to your color.
+
+From this general statement it will be easy to see, that in breeding dogs
+there is more science and skill required, more attention to minutiĉ
+necessary, than at first sight appears to be the case. Long and deep study
+alone enables a person to tell whether any or what cross may be judicious,
+how to recover any fading excellence in his breed, or how best to acquire
+that of some one else. We will endeavor to give the experience of some
+fifteen years--devoted to this subject--to our readers, merely resting on
+our oars, to describe the various breeds of sporting dogs most desirable
+for him to possess, together with certain data on which to pin his faith
+in making a selection from a dealer, though as the eye may deceive, it is
+always as well to call in the ear as consulting physician, and by diligent
+inquiry endeavor to ascertain particulars.
+
+The characteristics of a well bred Pointer may be summed up as follows:
+and any great deviation from them makes at once an ill bred, or, at all
+events, a deformed dog. To commence, then, at the head:--the head should
+be broad at top, long and tapering, the poll rising to a point; his nose
+open and large; his ears tolerably long, slightly erect, and falling
+between the neck and jaw bone, slightly pointed at the tip; eyes clear and
+bright; neck and head set on straight; his chest should be broad and
+deep--the contrary clearly shows want of speed and stamina; legs and arms
+strong, muscular, and straight; elbows well in; feet small and hard; body
+not over long, and well ribbed up--if not, he will be weak, and incapable
+of doing a day's work; loins broad at top, but thin downwards; hind
+quarters broad; hind legs strong and large; tail long, fine, and tapering;
+hair short, sleek, and close. Here you have the pure English Pointer, and
+as that is the best type of the dog, we shall not attempt to describe the
+Spanish one, which is not by any means equal to the English, and is,
+moreover, so quarrelsome, that he cannot be kennelled with other dogs.
+Good dogs are of any colors, but the most favorite ones are liver and
+white, white and fawn, pure black, and pure liver. The two first, however,
+are better adapted for this country, being more easily seen in cover.
+
+
+
+
+SETTER.
+
+
+We next come to the Setter. His head, like the Pointer should be broad at
+the top between the eyes; the muzzle though, must be longer and more
+tapering, and not over thick. Towards the eyes he must have a deepish
+indenture, and on the top of his skull a highish bony ridge. His ears
+should be long, pendulous, and slightly rounded. The eyes rather dark and
+full. His nose soft, moist, and large. Some breeds and breeders affect
+black noses and palates; but I must say that there are full as many good
+without the black as with it. I rather incline to the opinion that they
+are the best notwithstanding. Body like the Pointer, only deeper and
+broader, if anything; legs long to knee, short thence downwards; feet
+small, close, and thickly clothed with hair between the toes, ball and toe
+tufts they are termed; tail long, fine, and tapering, thickly feathered
+with long, soft, wavy hair; stern and legs down to feet also feathered.
+His body and feet also should be clothed with long, soft, silky hair,
+wavy, but no curl in it. This last smells badly of water spaniel. Colors,
+black and white, red and white, black and tan. These last I consider the
+finest bred ones. Roan also is good. The Irish setter is red, red and
+white, white and yellow spotted. The nose, lips, and palate always black.
+He is also rather more bony and muscular than the English breed, and ten
+times as headstrong and enduring. He requires constant and severe work,
+under most rigid discipline, to keep in anything like decent subjection.
+
+
+
+
+SETTER, RUSSIAN.
+
+
+The Russian Setter is as distinct from either of the above varieties as
+bulldog from greyhound. It is covered more profusely with long, thick,
+curly, soft, and silky hair, well on to the top of the head and over the
+eyes. He is also more bony and muscular, with a much shorter and broader
+head. What he wants in dash and ranging propensities, he makes up for in
+unwearied assiduity, extreme carefulness, and extraordinary scenting
+powers. The cross between this and either of the other setters is much
+valued by some breeders.
+
+
+
+
+SPANIEL.
+
+
+Of Spaniels there are several varieties, but of these the Suffolk Cocker
+is the only one deserving a notice. All the others are too noisy, too
+heedless, and too quick on their legs. It is almost impossible to keep any
+one of them steady, and, therefore, in this country at least, they are
+totally useless, since you would not see them from the beginning to the
+end of the day. Yaff! yaff! half a mile off, all the time putting up the
+birds, and you unable to stop them. The Suffolk Cocker, on the contrary,
+is extremely docile, can be easily broken, and kept in order. They are
+extremely valuable, thirty-five guineas being a low price for a brace of
+pure bred and well broken ones in England. The right sort are scarce, even
+there. Here, with two exceptions, I fancy they are not.
+
+
+
+
+SPANIEL AND COCKER.
+
+
+In appearance they are much like a raseed setter. The head and muzzle is
+much the same length and size; ears rather more rounded, but not so long;
+body deep, broad, and long; hair long and stiffish; legs and feet
+remarkably short, amounting almost to a deformity, and extraordinarily
+strong; tail short and bushy; it is usually curtailed a couple of joints.
+The purest colors are liver and white, fawn and white, and yellow and
+white. These dogs are slow and sure, remarkably close hunters, and
+obedient; just the things for cock shooting here. Too much cannot be said
+in their favor. They are easily taught to retrieve.
+
+
+
+
+RETRIEVER.
+
+
+A Retriever is a cross breed dog. There is no true type of them. Every
+person has a peculiar fancy regarding them. The great object is to have
+them tolerably small, compatible with endurance. The best I have seen were
+of a cross between the Labrador and water spaniel, or the pure Labrador
+dog.
+
+
+
+
+BEAGLES.
+
+
+In some parts of the States Beagles are used, and it may be as well to
+point out the characteristics of them. First, then, a beagle ought not to
+exceed fourteen inches in height; its head ought to be long and fine; its
+ears long, fine also, beautifully round, thin, and pendulous, rather far
+set back; body not too long; chest broad and deep; loins broad at top, but
+narrow downwards; legs strong, but short; feet small and close; hair short
+and close; tails curved upwards and tapering, but not too fine. There is
+also another sort of beagles, wire-haired, flew-jawed, heavy hung,
+deep-mouthed. They are very true hunters, seldom leaving the trail till
+dead, or run to ground.
+
+
+
+
+BREEDING.
+
+
+It is needless to say that at certain indefinite periods of the year a
+bitch comes into use, as the term is--generally twice a year, and still
+more generally speaking, during the time you most require her services,
+that is, April and September, spring snipe and grouse shooting, in
+consequence of which you must either sacrifice your pups or your sport.
+Now I am aware that in the States, for this reason, a bitch is seldom
+kept. For my part, I do not object to them, for from experience I can so
+regulate their failings as to prevent their family cares from interfering
+with their hunting. The knowledge of this enables me to have my pups when
+I want them, to get the cover of a dog I fancy, when a strange one comes
+my way also. The best time, then, to put the bitch to the dog is early in
+January. By this means you have your pups ready to wean by the middle of
+April. They have all summer to grow in, get strong, and large, and are fit
+to break in October on snipe first, and then quail, finishing off on snipe
+the following spring. After this litter, the bitch probably comes into use
+again in the end of July or in August. Young ones are not so fond of it as
+old ones, and, consequently, for quail shooting, your bitch is all correct
+and well behaved, so far as regards the dam. I look upon the breeding of
+dogs from any except the best and most perfectly formed of their species,
+as an act of great folly. There are times when it must be done to keep up
+the breed, or to acquire one; for no one drafts his best bitches unless he
+is an ass. For my part, I keep five or six constantly, and draft yearly
+all my dog pups but two or three, say one pointer, setter, and cocker. By
+this means I have the pick out of a large number of well bred ones for
+myself, while the drafts pay the expenses of keep and breaking. This is
+impossible for every one to do, and they must pick up their dogs the best
+way they can. It is my intention for the future to draft my setters to New
+York and my pointers westward. My cockers, I fear, will not go off yet, my
+imported dog having taken it into his head to die, and, until he is
+replaced from England--I have no stock for breed. I could only get a
+chance of four while last there out of many valuable kennels. However, I
+have promises of drafts from two or three parties, and ere summer cock
+come in, doubtless a brace or so will dare the perils of the sea for me; I
+have no hesitation in saying that, unless most amply remunerated, I would
+as soon sell my nose as the best pup in the litter, if I wanted it, nor
+would I advise any one else to do it. If done, you have to put up with
+inferior dogs. No; I breed to put a brace or so of the best young dogs
+yearly into my kennel, for my own use, and, while doing this, I also have,
+probably, ten good, well formed dogs to pick from, any one of which were
+one in want, would gladden the heart to get hold of. Sir William Stanley
+used to breed some fifty pointers yearly. Out of this lot, two brace were
+culled for his use. The rest were sold. They paid expenses. Many were
+excellent dogs, but he got the tip-top ones, and so he ought. This is the
+way a man who cannot afford to give great prices for good dogs must do, if
+he is much addicted to shooting. It requires two brace of dogs to do a
+day's shooting as it ought to be done. Each dog at full gallop the whole
+time, except, of course, when on birds; and to do this he must be shut off
+work about noon. Few dogs can go from morn till night without extreme
+fatigue. I never yet saw the dog that I could not hunt off his legs in a
+fortnight's hunt, taking him out every second day only, and feeding him
+on the best and strongest food. However, for general purposes, three brace
+of dogs are sufficient, and, when not often used, two are plenty; but no
+one ought ever to have less than two brace. It may be managed by always
+going out with a friend, he keeping one brace, you the other; he shooting
+to your dogs, you to his. For my part, give me three brace of my own, and
+let those be the best shaped, strongest, best bred, and best workers there
+can be. That is my weakness, and to achieve this I yearly sink a
+sufficient number of dollars to keep a poor man. But all this is
+digressing most fearfully from the nursery of young pointers and setters.
+
+
+
+
+BITCH IN USE.
+
+
+By receipt on a subsequent page, you will see how your bitch is to be
+brought into use. We will suppose her well formed and well bred. If
+faultless, put her to a dog nearly equal, if you cannot get one equal.
+Save the dog pups which will take after the dam. It is well understood
+that by breeding from young bitches you have faster and higher rangers;
+and this also reminds me to say that no bitch ought to be bred from till
+she is full grown, that is to say, till she is two years old. Many people
+breed at twelve months, but it is wrong. The bitch is not full grown, and,
+consequently, the puppies are poor, weak, and miserable. If the bitch has
+faults, find a dog of the same appearance as her, while he excels in those
+points she is deficient in. The bitches are partakers of his qualities.
+Are you short of bone, nose, size, form, temper, look for the excess of
+these. The cross, or, at all events, the next remove from it, will be
+just as you wish. Any peculiarity may be made inherent in a breed by
+sedulously cultivating that peculiarity. Avoid above all things breeding
+in and in brother and sister, mother and son, father and daughter--all
+bad, but the first far worse than either of the others, since the blood of
+each is the same. The other two are only half so. To perfect form should
+be added high ranging qualities, high courage, great docility, keen nose,
+and great endurance. That is the acme of breeding. A few judicious crosses
+will enable you to acquire it for your kennel. To the inattention and
+carelessness of sportsmen to these points are to be attributed the
+innumerable curs we nowadays see in comparison to well bred dogs. Anything
+that will find a bird will do. Far otherwise, to my mind. "Nothing is
+worth doing at all if it is not to be well done," and I would as soon pot
+a bevy of quail on the ground, as think of following an ill bred, ill
+broken, obstinate cur. It may perhaps be as well to state, that when I
+spoke of "crosses," I had not the slightest intention of recommending a
+cross of pointer and setter or bull dog. Far otherwise. Let each breed be
+distinct, but cultivate a "cross," be they pointer or spaniel, from
+another kennel of another breed of the same class of dogs.
+
+With regard to setters, a little separate talk is necessary, for we have
+three sorts, English, Irish, and Russian. The cross of English and Irish
+may and does often benefit both races. So also does the Russian, but I
+would be extremely careful how I put him to one or the other. Extreme
+cases may and do justify the admixture, but the old blood ought to be got
+back as soon as possible. He is of quite a different species to the other,
+though with the same types or characteristics, yet this cross is rather
+approaching to mongrel. Having descanted somewhat largely on the
+preliminary portion, we will pass on to the rearing of the progeny.
+
+
+
+
+BITCHES IN PUP.
+
+
+Bitches in pup ought to be well fed, and suffered to run at large, and I
+am rather of opinion that by hunting them occasionally, or rather, by
+letting them see game while in this state, does not "set the young back
+any." Every one is aware of the sympathy between the mother and the unborn
+foetus, and I for one rather do think it of use.
+
+Few bitches can rear more than six pups, many only four, and do them
+justice. Cull out, therefore, the ill colored, ugly marked bitches first,
+and if you find too many left, after a few days you must exercise your
+judgment on the dogs. I don't like, however, this murdering, and prefer,
+by extra feeding while suckling, and afterwards, to make up for pulling
+the mother down, which having to nurse six or seven pups does terribly. My
+idea always is in the matter, that the pup I drown is to be, or rather
+would be, the best in the litter. It is humbug, I know, but I cannot help
+it. At that age all else but color and markings is a lottery. Oft have I
+seen the poor, miserable little one turn out not only the best, but
+biggest dog. Therefore, I recommend the keeping of as many as possible.
+
+Let the bitch have a warm kennel, with plenty of straw and shavings, or
+shavings alone. Let her be loose, free to go or come. Feed her well with
+boiled oatmeal in preference to corn meal--more of this anon in the
+feeding department, mixed in good rich broth, just lukewarm, twice a day;
+About the ninth day the pups begin to see, and at a month old they will
+lap milk. This they ought to be encouraged to do as soon as possible, as
+it saves the mother vastly. At six weeks, or at most seven, they are fit
+to wean.
+
+
+
+
+FEEDING PUPS AND WEANING.--LICE.--TEATS RUBBED.
+
+
+Feed them entirely on bread and milk, boiled together to pulp. Shut them
+in a warm place, the spare stall of a stable, boarded up at the end.
+Examine them to see whether they are lousy, as they almost always are. A
+decoction of tobacco water (_vide_ receipt) kills them off. Rub the
+bitch's teats with warm vinegar twice a day till they are dried up. If
+this be not done, there is great danger of their becoming caked, besides
+causing her to suffer severely. She must have a mild dose of salts, say
+half an ounce, repeated after the third day. When the weather is fine, the
+young pups should be turned out of doors to run about. Knock out the head
+of a barrel, in which put a little straw, so that they may retire to sleep
+when they feel disposed. Feed them three times a day, and encourage them
+to run about as much as possible. Nothing produces crooked legs more than
+confinement, nothing ill grown weeds more than starvation; so that air,
+liberty, exercise, and plenty of food are all equally essential to the
+successful rearing of fine, handsome dogs. Above all things, never
+frighten, nor yet take undue notice of one over the rest. Accustom them to
+yourself and strangers. This gives them courage and confidence. Remember,
+if you ever should have to select a pup in this early stage, to get them
+all together, fondle them a little; the one that does not skulk will be
+the highest couraged dog, the rest much in the same proportion, as they
+display fear or not. This I have invariably noticed is the case, and on
+this I invariably act when I have to select a pup, provided always he is
+not mis-formed. We have now brought our pups on till they can take care of
+themselves, and while they grow and prosper and get over the distemper, we
+will hark back a little, and say why we object to fall puppies,--simply
+because they are generally stunted by the cold, unless they are
+house-reared. They come in better, certainly, for breaking, but it is not
+so good to have them after September at the latest, unless it be down
+South, where, I fancy, the order of things would, or rather should, be
+reversed.
+
+
+
+
+POINTER AND SETTER.
+
+
+Hitherto I have omitted to compare the respective merits of pointer and
+setter. This I had intended to have done altogether, but fearful lest
+fault should be found with me for doing so, I state it as my deliberate
+opinion, that there is nothing to choose between them "year in and year
+out." A setter may stand the cold better and may stand the briers better,
+but the heat and want of water he cannot stand. A pointer, I admit, cannot
+quite stand cold so well, but he will face thorns quite as well, if he be
+the right sort, and pure bred, but he don't come out quite so well from it
+as the setter does. The one does it because it don't hurt him, the other
+does it because he is told so to do, and his pluck, his high moral courage
+won't let him say no. For heat and drought he don't care a rush,
+comparatively, and will kill a setter dead, were he to attempt to follow
+him. Westward, in the neighborhood of Detroit, the pros and cons are
+pretty equal. I hunt both indiscriminately, and see no difference either
+in their powers of endurance, see exceptions above, or hunting
+qualifications. For the prairies, however, I should say the pointer was
+infinitely superior, for there the shooting--of prairie hen--is in the two
+hottest months of the year, and the ground almost, if not quite, devoid of
+water. Therefore, the pointer there is the dog, and if well and purely
+bred, he is as gallant a ranger as the setter. Eastward, in New Jersey and
+Maryland, I am led to believe that setters may be the best there. Except
+"summer cock," all the shooting is in spring or late fall. Westward, we
+commence quail shooting on September the first. There, I believe, not
+until November the first. Here we have few or no briers or thorned things,
+save and except an odd blackberry or raspberry bush. There they have these
+and cat briers also, and that infernal young locust tree almost would skin
+a pointer. Therefore, for those regions, a setter is more preferable.
+Still more so the real springer.
+
+
+
+
+BREAKING.
+
+
+We will now pass on to the breaking of our young dogs. This may be begun
+when they are four or five months old, to a certain extent They may be
+taught to "charge" and obey a trifle, but it must be done so discreetly
+that it were almost better left alone. Nevertheless, I generally teach
+them some little, taking care never to cow them, one by one. This
+down-charging must be taught them in a room or any convenient place. Put
+them into the proper position, hind legs under the body, nose on the
+ground between their fore-paws. Retaining them so with one hand on their
+head, your feet one on each side their hind quarters, with the other hand
+pat and encourage them. Do not persist at this early age more than a few
+minutes at a time, and after it is over, play with and fondle them. At
+this time also teach them to fetch and carry; to know their names.
+Recollect that any name ending in o, as "Ponto," "Cato," &c., very common
+ones by the way, is bad. The only word ending in o ought to be "Toho,"
+often abbreviated into "ho." This objection will be evident to any person
+who reflects for a moment, and a dog will answer to any other short two
+syllable word equally as well. These two lessons, and answering to the
+whistle, are about all that can or should be taught them.
+
+
+
+
+RANGING, HOW TAUGHT.
+
+Nine months, or better, twelve, is soon enough to enter into the serious
+part of breaking. This is more to be effected by kind determination than
+by brute force. Avoid the use of the whip. Indeed, it never in my opinion
+ought to be seen, except in real shooting, instead of which we would use a
+cord about five or ten yards long. Fasten one end round the dog's neck,
+the other to a peg firmly staked in the ground; before doing this,
+however, your young dogs should, along with a high ranging dog, be taken
+out into a field where there is _no_ game, and suffered to run at large
+without control until they are well practised in ranging. Too much stress
+cannot be laid on this point, as on this first step in a great measure
+depends the future ranging propensities of the dog. Where a youngster sees
+the old one galloping about as hard as he can, he soon takes the hint and
+follows. After a few days, the old one may be left behind, when the pups
+will gallop about equally as well. These lessons should never be too long
+as to time, else the effect is lost. Another good plan also is to accustom
+them to follow you on horseback at a good rate. They will learn by this to
+gallop, not to _trot_, than which nothing is more disgusting in a dog.
+When you have your pup well "confirmed in ranging," take the cord, as
+above directed, peg him down. Probably he will attempt to follow you as
+you leave him, in which case the cord will check him with more or less
+force, according to the pace he goes at. The more he resists the more he
+punishes himself. At last he finds that by being still he is best off.
+Generally he lies down. At all events, he stands still. This is just what
+you desire. Without your intervention he punishes himself, and learns a
+lesson of great value, without attributing it to you, and consequently
+fearing you, to wit:--that he is not to have his own way always. After
+repeating this lesson a few times, you may take him to the peg, and "down"
+or "charge," as you like the term best, close to the peg in the proper
+position. Move away, but if he stirs one single inch, check him by the
+cord and drag him back, crying "down" or "charge." For the future I shall
+use the word "down." _You_ can in practice which you please. Leave him
+again, checking him when he moves, or letting him do it for himself when
+he gets to the end of it, always bringing him, however, back to the peg,
+jerking the cord with more or less severity. Do this for eight or ten
+times, and he will not stir. You must now walk quite out of sight, round
+him, run at him, in fact, do anything you can to make him move, when, if
+he moves, he must be checked as before, until he is perfectly steady. It
+is essential in this system of breaking that this first lesson should be
+so effectually taught that nothing shall induce the dog to move, and one
+quarter of an hour will generally effect this. In all probability, the dog
+will be much cowed by this treatment. Go up to him, pat him, lift him up,
+caress him, and take him home for that day. Half an hour per day for each
+dog will soon get over a long list of them. There is no more severe, I may
+as well remark here, or more gentle method of breaking than this; more or
+less vim being put into the check, according to the nature of the beast. I
+never saw it fail to daunt the most resolute, audacious devil, nor yet to
+cow the most timid after the first or second attempt, for it is essential
+in the first instance that THEY SHOULD OBEY. The next day, and for many
+days, you commence as at first. Peg him down, &c., and after he does this
+properly lift him up and walk him about, holding on to the cord still
+pegged in the ground, suddenly cry "_Down!_" accompanying the word with a
+check more or less severe, as requisite, till he does go down. Leave him
+as before. If he don't move, go up to him, pat him--a young dog ought
+never to move while breaking until he is touched--lift him up, if
+necessary, lead him about, again cry "down," and check him until he falls
+instantly at the word. This will do for lesson No. 2. The next day
+commence at the beginning, following up with lesson 2, making him steady
+at each. Before proceeding to the next step, release the one end of the
+cord from the peg, take it in your hand, cry "down;" if he goes down,
+well; if not, check him, pat him, loose the end of cord in the hand, let
+him run about, occasionally crying "down," sometimes when he is close at
+hand, at other times further off, visiting any disobedience with a check,
+until he will drop at the word anywhere immediately. At these times his
+lesson may last for an hour twice a day. He will get steady more quickly
+and better.
+
+
+
+
+QUARTERING.
+
+His next step is to learn to quarter his ground thoroughly and properly.
+It is the most difficult to teach, and requires more care and ability,
+than any other part of his acquirements, on the part of the preceptor. For
+this purpose select a moderately sized field, say one hundred or two
+hundred yards wide, where you are certain there is no game. Cast him off
+at the word "hold up" to the right or left, up wind. This is essential, to
+prevent their turning inwards, and so going over the same ground twice. (I
+forgot to say that a cord fifteen feet is long enough now; it does not
+impede his ranging, and he is nearly as much at command with it as with
+one twice as long.) If a dog is inclined to this fault of turning inwards,
+you must get before him up wind, and whistle him just before he turns.
+This will in the end break him of that habit. If he takes too much ground
+up wind, call "down," and start him off, after you get to him, in the way
+he should go. You ought also yourself to walk on a line with the direction
+the dog is going. This will accustom him to take his beat right through to
+the fence, and not in irregular zigzags, as he otherwise would do. He must
+now be kept at these lessons in "down," charging, and quartering, till he
+is quite perfect and confirmed, setting him off indiscriminately to the
+right or left, so that when you hunt with another, both may not start one
+way. Much time will be gained, and the dog rendered by far more perfect by
+continuing this practice for some time. It is far better to render him au
+fait at his work by slight punishments, frequently repeated, and by that
+means more strongly impressed on his memory, than by a severe cowhiding.
+This latter process is apt to make him cowed, than which there is nothing
+worse. Many a fine dog is ruined by it. The punishment of the check is
+severe, and, as I said before, whilst it never fails to daunt the most
+resolute, so also it can be so administered as not in the end to cow the
+most timid.
+
+Here it is you are to use your discretion so to temper justice and mercy
+that you cause yourself to be obeyed without spoiling your creature. For
+full a month this ought daily to be done, if fine. It is a good plan to
+feed your young dogs at this stage all together, with a cord round each of
+their necks, making them "down" several times between the trough and their
+kennel. Pat one dog, and let him feed awhile. The rest being "down," call
+him back and make him "down" also, checking him if he does not instantly
+obey. Pat another now, and let him feed awhile, and so on all through one
+day, sending one first then another. They learn by this a daily lesson of
+_obedience_, and also to let another dog pass them when at _point_. After
+your dog is perfectly steady, take him out as before, and when he has run
+off what is termed the wire edge, introduce him to where there are birds.
+Set him off up wind, and most probably he will spring the first bird, and
+chase. Follow him, crying "down." This, in the first ardor of the moment,
+he is not expected to do, but sooner or later he will. You must now pull
+him back to where he sprung the birds. By repeatedly doing this, he will
+chase less and less, always pulling him back to where the bird rises,
+crying "down." Gradually, by this, he will learn to drop at the rise of
+the bird, and ultimately to make a point; though most well bred dogs do
+this the first time. When they do so, cry "down," very slightly checking
+them if they do not. Great caution is necessary here to prevent their
+blinking. It is always advisable to teach all young dogs to "down" when
+they point. When once down, they will lie there as long as you please, and
+are less likely to blink, run in, chase. You ought, if possible, to get
+before the dog when you cry "down." It is less likely also to make him
+blink.
+
+Every dog, old or young, ought to be broken to drop when a bird rises, not
+at the report of the gun. It renders them far more steady. A young dog
+ought to be hunted alone till he is perfectly confirmed in these points.
+It is a very absurd idea to suppose that killing birds prevents their
+chasing, quite "au contraire." Seeing the bird fall in its flight
+encourages them to chase. It is far better to get a bird and peg it down
+so as to flutter and run about before the dog when he is "down." This
+persisted in soon brings them steady. The other plan takes a much longer
+time to accomplish. A young dog may easily be taught to back. Make one dog
+down, and then cry "down" to him, checking him if he does not, and pulling
+him to where he ought to drop. In the field, after a time, you use the
+word "toho," at which also he drops or points. A young dog ought never to
+be hunted with an old one. The latter always has tricks; in fact, is
+cunning; and at that age a bad fault is easily learnt, but not so easily
+forgotten. This is Lloyd's art of breaking. A more sensible one I have
+never seen, nor do I believe is. I have broken many dogs on it, and never
+saw it fail. Patience, practice, and temper are all that is required, for
+dogs can only be taught by lessons frequently repeated. When first you
+shoot over a young dog, an assistant should hold the end of the long line
+to check him, should he attempt to run in when the bird falls. Lloyd says
+further, "I never use a whip on any occasion whatever." He trusts to the
+cord. This is all right while breaking and finishing off a dog, but after
+that one cannot be expected to lug fifteen feet of cord in one's pocket,
+though, doubtless, it is very true that it is more efficacious than the
+whip, and does not make them so apt to blink. Some will sneak away, and
+are not easily caught, after committing a fault, and others are so shy,
+that they would not bear a lash, and yet are readily broken with the cord.
+By this means also dogs are broken to fetch a soft substance, for
+instance, a glove stuffed with wool is put in their mouths, checking them
+till they hold it, calling them to you, checking them if they drop it. By
+degrees you get them not only to hold and bring, but also to fetch it.
+Practice and patience only are required. Any one possessing them, and with
+but a slight knowledge of sporting matters, by following the above plain
+and precise rules, may break his own dogs. I have much pleasure in making
+it known to the American public. Where the article is taken from I cannot
+say. I got it a few years ago in manuscript, and Lloyd, Sir J. Sebright's
+keeper, is the author, and very creditable it is to him. The springer is
+broken by this equally well with the pointer or setter, omitting the
+pointing part; teaching, however, the quartering and "down," in the open,
+most perfectly and thoroughly before ever he goes into covert--till steady
+on birds, dropping the moment a bird rises and a gun is fired--observing,
+though, to teach him to take his quarters much closer and shorter. The
+cocker ought never to be fifteen yards from the shooter, and when two are
+shooting, should take his quarters from one to the other, turning at the
+whistle, and only gaining a few yards each turn. For beagles, kennel
+discipline is of more avail than out-door teaching. They must be taught to
+come and go, when called. To such perfection is this kennel discipline
+carried in England, that I have seen fifty couples of hounds waiting in a
+yard to be fed; the door open, each one coming when called by name;
+leaving his food when ordered "to bed" or "kennel." "Dogs come over," all
+the dogs coming over "Bitches come over," when all the bitches come. To
+do this requires time and patience. Out doors they are taught to follow
+the huntsman to cover, receiving a hearty cut of the whip if they lag or
+loiter by the way, whipped up if they neglect to come to the pipe of the
+horn, if they run to heel, hang too long on the scent, follow false scent,
+fox, rabbit, or anything else they be not hunted to. With them the whip is
+used, and severely too, sometimes. And now I have done with the training
+of dogs, all but the retriever. The cord will apply for him, though in
+addition to this he must be taught to "seek lost" in any direction you
+wave your hand. His lessons, however, will extend over a far greater
+length of time than the others. Age only increases his abilities. The more
+of a companion you make of him, the more tricks in seeking lost you teach
+him, the more valuable he becomes. My brother has one that can be sent
+miles to the house for any article almost, and he brings it. Last winter
+he sent him for the roast before the fire, and after a tussle with the
+cook it came sure enough. He is one of the most knowing dogs I ever saw. A
+large black fellow, of what breed I know not, Newfoundland and setter
+though, I fancy. Four pounds was his price. He is well worth five times
+four. For wounded birds he is invaluable, and has only one fault; he does
+not "charge," which all retrievers, as well as every other sporting dog,
+should do; else while you are loading, and they rushing about like mad,
+the birds get up, and you lose a chance, from either not being ready, or
+your gun being empty. Before concluding, I will state all the words and
+motions requisite to teach your pointers and setters. "Down," "Hold up,"
+"Toho." Holding up your hand open means "down," or "Toho," where another
+dog is pointing. A whistle solus to come in "to heel"--that word for them
+to get behind you; a whistle and a wave of the hand to the right for them
+to quarter that way; ditto whistle and wave to the left to quarter to the
+left. Avoid shouting as much as possible. Nothing is more disgusting than
+to be bawling all the time. If your dog don't heed your whistle, get him
+to heel as fast and as quietly as possible, and administer a little strap,
+whistling to them sharply to impress it on their mind. Never pass by a
+single fault without either rating or flogging. Always make your dogs
+point a dead bird before retrieving it; and nothing is more insane than to
+loo on your dogs, after a wing-tipped bird. Hunt it quietly and
+deliberately. I know it is difficult to restrain yourself sometimes. How
+much more difficult, then, to restrain your dogs. Far better to lose a
+bird, a thing I detest doing, than run the chance of spoiling a young dog.
+Never take a liberty with him, however you may do so with an old one,
+though even he can and will be made unsteady, by letting him chase or have
+his own way. One thing leads to another. I thought I had got through, but
+methinks it is as well to state the best plan to find a dead bird in
+cover, or out also, for that matter. Walk as nearly as possible to where
+you fancy the bird fell; there stand, nor move a step, making the dogs
+circle round you till they find it. Practise them at this as much as any
+other part of their education, calling them constantly back if they move
+off. Should you find a dog going off, notice the direction, but call him
+back. If he should still return there, you may presume it is a runner. Let
+him try to puzzle it out, while you keep the other dog at work close to
+you. By this plan it is extraordinary what few birds you will lose in a
+season. Always hunt a brace of dogs. More are too many; one is just one
+too few. It is too pot-hunterish, too slow. You lose half the beauties of
+the sport seeing your dogs quartering their fields, crossing one another
+in the centre, or thereby, without jealousy, backing one another's
+points--both dropping "to shot" as if shot. You get over twice as much
+ground in a day. This, in a thinly sprinkled game country, is something.
+Where very plentiful, you find them all the quicker.
+
+
+
+
+FEEDING.
+
+With regard to the feeding of dogs, some few words are necessary, and we
+will endeavor to point out the best way to manage them properly, and with
+a due regard to economy. Where only one or two dogs are kept, it is
+presumed that the refuse of the house is ample for them. It will keep them
+in good order and condition; but where more are kept, it will be necessary
+to look further for their supplies. We will therefore treat them as one
+would a kennel, distinguishing town from country; for in the one what
+would be extremely cheap, in the other would be dear. For ordinary
+feeding, then, in town, purchase beef heads, sheep ditto, offal, i.e.
+feet, bellies, &c., which clean. Chop them up and boil to rags in a
+copper, filling up your copper as the water boils away. You may add to
+this a little salt, cabbage, parsnips, potatoes, carrots, turnips, or any
+other cheap vegetable. Put this soup aside, and then boil _old_ Indian
+meal till it is quite stiff. Let it also get cold. Take of the boiled meal
+as much as you think requisite, adding sufficient of the broth to liquefy
+it. This is the cheapest town food. In the country during the summer,
+skimmed milk, sour milk, buttermilk, or whey, may be used in place of the
+soup. In the winter, it is as well to give soup occasionally for a change.
+Never use new Indian flour. It scours the dogs dreadfully. Old does not.
+The plan I adopt is, to buy Indian corn this year for use next, store it,
+and send it to grind as I require it; and as the millers have no object in
+boning the old meal, returning new for it, I insure by this means no
+illness from feeding in my kennel. Although Indian corn has not either so
+much albumen or saccharine matter in it as oats, it does tolerably well
+with broth; but when the greatest amount of work is required in a certain
+given time from a certain quantity of dogs, as in a week's, fortnight's,
+or month's shooting excursion, I always use oatmeal, for two
+reasons:--1st, it is far more nourishing in itself, a less bulk of it
+going further than corn meal:--2nd, you cannot depend on getting old meal
+in the country, nor yet meat always to make soup. The dogs fed on oatmeal
+porridge and milk, which you always can get, do a vast deal of work, and
+have good scenting powers. Using these different articles, I calculate
+each dog to cost me one shilling York currency per week, and I pay fifty
+cents per bushel for Indian corn, six dollars per barrel for oatmeal
+(old), one York shilling for beef head, milk three cents per quart for
+new, probably, one and a half for skim. In a house there are always bones,
+potatoe peelings, and pot liquor. By cleaning the potatoes before
+peeling, and popping all into the dog pot, a considerable saving is
+effected in a year, and the dogs are benefited thereby. Mangel Wurtzel and
+Ruta Bagas, I believe they call them this side the water, are easily
+grown, and are good food, boiled up with soup.
+
+
+
+
+CONDITION.
+
+This brings me on to what is termed "condition," in other words, that form
+of body best adapted to undergo long and continued exertion. It is equally
+certain that a dog too fat, as well as one all skin and bone, is not in
+this state. These are the two forms from which different people start to
+bring their animals to the mark. Of the two, I certainly prefer the fat
+one. During the summer time, dogs should have plenty of air, water, and
+exercise. This is easily managed by taking them out whenever you go
+walking or riding, or letting them be loose all day, kennelling at night,
+and when this is done, by a mild dose of physic a fortnight before the
+season, and additional exercise along a _hard_ road to harden their feet,
+say two or three hours daily, you have your dogs in fair working order.
+When you have a dog too fat, you must purge him, and put him through a
+course of long but slow exercise at first, quickening by degrees, till you
+work off the fat, and leave substance and muscle in its place. With a lean
+dog you have a far harder job to manage, and one which takes a long time
+to accomplish. A mild dose to put him in form first, then the best,
+strongest, and most nutritious food you can get. Oatmeal and strong broth,
+gentle and slow exercise, this is the plan to put beef on his bones
+without fat. As he grows in substance, increase and quicken his work. Any
+person living in the country does or ought to take his dogs out when he
+rides or drives. The pace is fast and severe enough for them, and
+generally lasts sufficiently long. My dogs are exercised this way every
+time the horses go out, and are kept in fine order, if anything too fine,
+perhaps; but, then, what there is, is all muscle and hard flesh. During
+the shooting season, always feed your dogs with warm meals. Three o'clock
+is the best time at that season of the year, and a separate mess kept warm
+for your brace at work, when they return. Nothing conduces more to the
+keeping your dogs in condition than regular feeding hours and regular
+work. One meal a day is sufficient. Three o'clock is the best hour, as the
+dogs have tolerably emptied themselves by the next morning. I omitted to
+mention in the proper place to accustom your pups to the same food as when
+kennelled they will get. For this purpose, as soon as they feed well, give
+them regular kennel food, except that they must have three feeds a day for
+some six months, and after that two, till they are full grown. Use as
+little medicine as possible. Always feed your worked dogs immediately they
+get home. If you wait awhile, and they are tired, they curl themselves up,
+get stiff, and don't feed properly; and if they so refuse their food, and
+are by any accident to be out next day, they will not be up to the work.
+No dogs, however, can stand daily work properly for more than three days,
+and even that is more than enough for them, but they will stand every
+second day, if well attended to, for a considerable time. Always see your
+dogs fed _yourself_. No servant will do it as it should be done. Ten
+minutes or a quarter of an hour devoted to this as soon as you return from
+the field, will be more than repaid when next you use them. If you ride,
+or rather drive to your ground, as is best to do when more than a mile
+away, ride your dogs also; ditto as you return. Every little helps, and
+this short ride wonderfully saves your animals. I invariably do this. But
+when I drive, say twenty miles or so, to a shooting station, I generally
+run one brace or so the whole way, and the other brace perhaps ten miles,
+taking out next day that brace which only ran the short distance. Always
+on a trip of this kind take a bag of meal with you also. You are then
+safe. The neglect of this precaution in one or two instances has obliged
+me to use boiled beef alone, to the very great detriment of the olfactory
+senses of my dogs. Their noses, on this kind of food, completely fail
+them. Greasy substances also are objectionable for the same cause, unless
+very well incorporated with meal. For this reason I object to "tallow
+scrap" or chandlers' graves; but this I sometimes use in summer. Regular
+work, correct feeding, and regular hours, that is the great secret of one
+man's dogs standing harder work than others. A little attention to the
+subject will enable any one to keep his animals pretty near the mark.
+Amongst the receipts will be found one used in England for feeding
+greyhounds when in training, if any one likes to go to the expense of it.
+
+
+
+
+KENNEL.
+
+This treatise would not be complete without making some remarks on that
+very essential thing, the kennel. Where only a brace of dogs are kept, the
+common movable box kennel is sufficient. This should be large enough to
+hold the two comfortably, with a sharp pitch to the roof and projecting
+front; but I should recommend one for each dog slightly raised from the
+ground, sufficiently high for the dog to stand up in, and wide enough for
+him to turn round in. The entrance had better be boarded up, except a hole
+for him to enter and get out by. But where a large number of dogs are
+kept, this plan of separate houses is expensive, and in their place I
+would recommend a brick building sixteen feet long by five feet wide and
+six feet high, or, if brick be not get-at-able, a boarded house will do;
+but it ought to be lined and boarded outside, the space between the two
+filled up with sawdust, and weather-boarded. Besides, this sixteen feet
+must be divided into three compartments right up to the top, one eight
+feet for the dogs, one five for the bitches, and one three feet for the
+worked dogs. The doors should be large enough to admit a man to clean. The
+beds ought to be raised on a bench from the floor, this bench movable on
+hinges at the back, so that it can be hoisted up, and cleaning done below.
+The dogs ought to be prevented getting under their beds, by a board
+reaching from the outside edge of the bench to the floor. Six or eight
+inches is sufficient raise. The floor of this kennel should slope
+outwards, to carry off wet. The door should have a small hole in it, with
+a swing door, so that by pushing against it, the dogs can get either in or
+out. In front of these two, that is to say, the dog and bitch departments,
+a court-yard, either paved or flagged, both preferable to brick, since
+they dry quicker, and consequently there is less fear of kennel lameness,
+caused by paddling on a damp floor. These courts ought to run out at least
+ten or fifteen feet to the front, and of course the partition kept up
+between the two. This outside court may be palisaded, but it should be at
+least ten feet high, else the dogs are liable to break kennel; and the
+front of the house also at the top should be fortified, to prevent their
+eloping that way. If possible, a stream of running water should be
+conducted through the yards; it aids its daily washing, as well as
+enabling the dogs to get as much pure water as they choose. When this
+cannot be had, a trough must be daily filled for their use. Clean wheat
+straw, removed twice a week, or shavings of pine or cedar when to be had
+are better, must be used for their beds. Always feed your dogs together in
+a V shaped trough, raised slightly from the ground, taking care to
+restrain the greedy and encourage the shy feeders. In a building of this
+sort, they will be perfectly warm and comfortable. Every portion of it
+must be daily cleaned out, and the rubbish carried away. Twice a year it
+should be whitewashed inside and out, and fumigated with sulphur, tobacco,
+&c. This considerably helps to destroy vermin. Nothing conduces more to
+disease than a filthy kennel, nothing vitiates a dog's nose more than
+foetid smells. In the rear of this kennel should be your boiling house, if
+your establishment requires one. All that is required is a copper, set in
+brick, with a chimney, to boil mush and meat in, a barrel to hold soup,
+and a ledge or tray, three or four inches deep, to pour the mush in to
+cool and set; a chopping block, knife, ladle, with long wooden handle, to
+stir and empty the copper with, a few hooks to hang flesh on, when you use
+horse-flesh, &c., in place of heads--equally good, by the way, when you
+can get it--shovel, broom, and buckets. I believe all in this department
+is now complete and requisite, when you keep six or more dogs. The spare
+place is good for breeding bitches, when you do not require it for your
+tired dogs, as also for sick ones. In fact, you cannot well do without it.
+
+And now methinks I may safely add a few words on guns. This, of course,
+especially to the rising generation. I need not tell you not to put the
+shot all in one barrel and the powder in the other, though I have
+frequently seen it done, aye, and done it myself, when in a mooning fit;
+but I will say, never carry your gun at full cock or with the hammers
+down, than which last there cannot be anything more dangerous. The
+slightest pull upon the cock is sufficient to cause it to fall so smartly
+on the cone or nipple as to explode the cap. Positively, I would not shoot
+a day, no, nor an hour, with a man that so carried his gun. At half cock
+there is no danger. By pulling ever so hard at the trigger, you cannot get
+it off; and if you raise the cock ever so little, it falls back to half
+cock, or, at the worst, catches at full cock. Never overcharge your gun.
+Two to two and a half drachms of powder, and one ounce to one and a
+quarter of shot, is about the load. For summer shooting, still less. Never
+take out a dirty gun, not even if only once fired out of, even if you have
+to clean it yourself. After cleaning with soap rubbed on the tow in warm,
+or better, cold water, without the soap, if not over dirty, remove the
+tow, put on clean, and pump out remaining dirt in clean warm water,
+rinsing out the third time in other clean warm water. Invert the barrels,
+muzzle downwards, while you refix your dry tow on the rod. Work them out
+successively with several changes of tow, till they burn again. Drop a few
+drops of animal oil--refined by putting shot into the bottle; neat's foot
+oil is best for this--on to the tow, and rub out the inside of barrels
+with it well. Wipe the outside with oil rag, cleaning around the nipples
+with a hard brush and a stick; ditto hammers and the steel furniture. Use
+boiled oil to rub off the stock, but it must be well rubbed in. Before
+using next day, rub over every part with a clean dry rag. Nothing is more
+disgusting than an oily gun, and yet nothing is more requisite than to
+keep it so when out of use. In receipts you will find a composition to
+prevent water penetrating to the locks, which ought to be as seldom
+removed as possible. I shall not tell you how to do this, for if you do
+know the how, where is the necessity, and if you don't, in all probability
+you would break a scear or mainspring in the attempt, as I did, when first
+I essayed, and after that had to get the gamekeeper to put it together. So
+your best plan in this latter case is to watch the method for a time or
+two, when you will know as much of the matter as I do.
+
+The finest barrels are rusted the most easily, and suffer the more
+detriment by rusting. Of course the fouler the gun the greater the evil
+that arises from its being left foul. In hot weather, barrels suffer
+infinitely more than in cold; and in wet, than in dry. When dampness and
+heat are combined, the mischief is yet augmented; and, probably, the worst
+conditions that can be supposed are when, to dampness and heat, a salt
+atmosphere is superadded.
+
+No man who owns a fine gun, which he values, ought ever to put it aside
+after use without cleaning, even if he have fired but a single shot.
+Again, every man who loves his gun, should make it a point to clean it
+with his own hands. It may do in Europe, where one has a game-keeper at
+his elbow who knows how to clean a gun better than he does himself, and
+who takes as much pride in having it clean as he. Use strong and clean
+shooting powders. Don't use too large, nor yet too small shot. Six, seven,
+and eight are about your mark for ordinary work; for duck, from common
+gun, number four. Never leave your dog whip at home: you always want it
+most on those occasions. A gun thirty-one inch barrel, fourteen gauge, and
+eight pounds weight, is as useful an article as you can have. Never poke
+at a bird, that is, try to see him along the barrels. If you do, you never
+can be a good or a quick shot. Fix your eye or eyes on the bird, lift up
+your gun, and fire the moment it touches your shoulder. Practise this a
+little, and believe me you will give the pokers the go by in a short time.
+It is the only way to be a sharp shot. And now I will have done, trusting
+I have not wasted your time in reading so far to no purpose.
+
+
+
+
+CREDIT GIVEN FOR RECEIPTS.
+
+In the following receipts you will find those of Blaine Youatt, Myres,
+Herbert, and several other people, but as I really don't know to whom the
+credit is due for each individual one, I trust to be forgiven. This much,
+however, I can say, there are not more than one or two of my own. I have
+tried most, if not all, and found them good. Some are not quite as in the
+original, having been amended by a sporting medical man, a friend of mine,
+to suit the new fashion of preparing medicines.
+
+
+
+
+RECEIPTS.
+
+We will commence these by directions to give a dog physic. If he is not
+over large, you can manage by your self. Invert a bucket, and sit on it.
+Set the dog down on his haunches between your legs, holding him up with
+your knees. Tie a cloth round his neck; this falling over his fore-paws is
+pressed against his ribs by your knees. His fore-legs by this dodge are
+hors du combat. With the finger and thumb of one hand force open his jaws,
+elevating his head at the same time with the same hand. If a bolus, with
+the other hand pass it over the root of the tongue, and give it a sharp
+poke downwards. Close the mouth, still holding up the head, till you see
+it swallowed. If a draught, give a mouthful, close the mouth, hold up the
+head, and stop the nostrils. Repeat this, if the draught is too large to
+be taken at once. If the dog is very large, you must have an assistant,
+else in his struggles he will upset physic and yourself into the bargain.
+
+
+
+
+GENERAL REMARKS ABOUT DOGS IN PHYSIC.
+
+Keep them dry and warm, especially when you use calomel or any mercurial
+preparation. Always remove them from the kennel, and put them into an
+hospital apart from the rest, to prevent infection, as well as to insure
+the poor brutes quietness. Study the appearance of the eyes, feet, nose,
+extremities, pulse, &c.
+
+[Illustration: BEAGLES.]
+
+
+_To make a bitch inclined to copulate._--Seven drops Tincture of
+Cantharides twice a day till effect is produced--about six days, probably.
+
+_Mange._--Caused by dirty kennels, neglect, want of nourishing, or
+improper, food. Cure--1 oz. salts, if dog of moderate size. Rub every
+third day well into the skin quantum suf. of the following mixture:--
+
+Train oil--tanner's will do--one quart; spirits turpentine one large
+wineglass full; sulphur sufficient to let it just run off a stick. Mix
+well. Three applications are generally sufficient. Let it stay on the
+animal for a fortnight, when wash well with soap and water. Remember, it
+takes nearly two hours to well scrub the above into the skin. Smearing
+over the hair is no use. It must get well into the skin; and if neatly and
+properly done, the dog scarcely shows the application.
+
+_Worms._--[Rx] Cowhage, half a drachm; tin filings, very fine, four
+drachms. Make into four or six balls, according to size of dog. One daily,
+and a few hours afterwards a purge of salts or aloes. Powdered glass, as
+much as will lie on a shilling, i.e. a quarter dollar, new coin, in lard.
+Repeat once or twice alternate days. Finish off with one to two drachms
+Socotrine Aloes, rolled up in tissue paper. Mind, the glass must be ground
+into the finest kind of powder, else it will injure the coats of the
+stomach.
+
+_To make a dog fine in his coat._--A tablespoonful of tar in oatmeal. Make
+bolus.
+
+_Distemper._--Distemper is caused by low keep, neglect, and changes of
+atmosphere. Symptoms of the disease are as follows:--Loss of spirit,
+activity, and appetite, drowsiness, dulness of the eyes, lying at length
+with nose to the ground, coldness of extremities, legs, ears, and lips,
+heat in head and body, running at the nose and eyes, accompanied by
+sneezing, emaciation, and weakness, dragging of hinder quarters, flanks
+drawn in, diarrhoea, sometimes vomiting. There are several receipts for
+this, the worst and most fatal of all diseases. One is better than
+another, according to the various stages. This first, if commenced at an
+early stage, seldom fails. Half an ounce of salts in warm water, when the
+dog is first taken ill; thirty-six hours afterwards, ten grains compound
+Powder of Ipecacuanha in warm water. If in two days he is no better, take
+sixteen grains Antimonial Powder, made into four boluses; one night and
+morning for two days. If no improvement visible, continue these pills,
+unless diarrhoea comes on, in which case you must use the ipecacuanha day
+about with the pills. If the animal is much weakened by this, give him one
+teaspoonful Huxam's Tincture of Bark three times a day. Keep warm, and
+feed on rich broth. James's Powder is also almost a certain remedy Dose
+four grains; or Antimonial Powder and Calomel, three parts of first to one
+of latter, from eight to fifteen grains; or, after the salts, Ant. Powder,
+two, three, or four grains, Nitrate Potash, five, ten, or fifteen grains;
+Ipecacuanha, two, three, or four. Make into ball, and give twice or three
+times a day, according to appearances. Repeat the purge or emetics every
+fourth day, but avoid too great looseness of bowels. Diarrhoea sometimes
+supervenes, in which case give Compound Powder of Chalk, with Opium, ten
+grains. In case of fits coming on, destroy the animal. The same may be
+said of paralysis. If this disease is taken in its early stage, and
+attended to, and the dog kept warm, there is not much danger. Otherwise it
+is very fatal.
+
+_Wounds._--Poultice for a day or two; then apply Friar's Balsam, covering
+up the place.
+
+_For a Green Wound._--Hog's lard, turpentine, bees' wax, equal parts;
+verdigris, one fourth part. Simmer over a slow fire till they are well
+mixed.
+
+_Purgative Medicines._--Salts, one ounce; Calomel, five grains; or
+Socotrine Aloes, two drachms for moderate sized dog.
+
+_Stripping Feet._--Wash in bran and warm water, with a little vinegar;
+after apply Tincture of Myrrh. Apply sweet oil before he goes out. If his
+feet are tender, wash them in brine, to harden them. When actually sore,
+buttermilk, greasy pot liquor, or water gruel, are best. Brine inflames.
+The dog should be kept at home till feet are healed. Then apply the brine
+and vinegar.
+
+_Canker in the Ear._--Wash well with soap and warm water; fill up the ear
+with finely powdered charcoal or powdered borax. Clean out daily with
+sponge on stick and warm water, and repeat the dusting till it heals. Or,
+perhaps, the best receipt is,--clean out ear with sponge fastened on a
+pliable stick, using warm soap and water. When quite clean, dip the
+sponge in Sulphate of Copper-water, turning it gently round. Put seton in
+the neck just under the ear.
+
+Oak Bark, one pound, chopped fine, and well boiled in soft water. When
+cold, take of the Decoction of Bark four ounces, Sugar of Lead, half a
+drachm. Put a teaspoonful into the ear night and morning, rubbing the root
+of ear well, to cause it to get well into the cavities. This is one of the
+best receipts in this book.
+
+_To make Sulphate of Copper Water._--Sulphate of Copper half a drachm,
+water one ounce. Mix well and keep corked.
+
+_External Canker of Ear._--Butter of Antimony, diluted in milk to the
+thickness of cream, will cure it; or Red Precipitate of Mercury, half an
+ounce, with two ounces of hog's lard, mixed well.
+
+_To make a Seton._--Take a dozen or two strands of a horse's tail; plait
+them; rub blistering ointment on them. Pass it through two or three inches
+of the skin with a curved surgical needle. Tie the two ends together. Move
+daily.
+
+_Bleeding._--You may readily bleed a dog in the jugular vein by holding up
+his head, stopping the circulation at the base of the neck. Part the hair,
+and with the lancet make an incision, taking care not to stick him too
+deeply. If the animal rejoices in a heavy coat, it may be necessary to
+shave away the hair. From one to eight ounces are the quantities; but in
+this, as in most prescriptions, the old proverb is the safest--"Keep
+between the banks."
+
+_For a Strain._--Use Bertine's Liniment; or one ounce Turpentine, half a
+pint of old beer, half a pint of brine; bathe the part and repeat; or Sal
+Ammonia, one ounce, vinegar one pint.
+
+_Bruises or Strains of long standing._--Gall, Opodeldoc, excellent. Shaved
+Camphor two ounces, Spirits of Wine three quarters of a pint. Shake well,
+and cork close, placing it near the fire till the camphor dissolves. Then
+add a bullock's gall. Shake well together. Apply, rubbing it well into the
+part affected till it lathers.
+
+_Dog Poisoned._--Give teacupful of castor oil. After he has vomited well,
+continue to pour olive oil down his throat and rub his belly.
+
+_Staggers and Fits._--This generally happens in warm weather. Throw water
+on them, if convenient. If not, bleed in neck, if you have lancets. If
+not, with your knife slit the ears, which you can cause to adhere together
+again; or run your knife across two or three bars next the teeth. Bitches
+coming off heat are more subject to this than dogs in good health.
+
+_To reduce the time a bitch is in heat._--Give her a little Nitre in
+water, and a dose of Calomel, four grains or thereabouts, followed by
+salts or aloes.
+
+_Bilious Fever._--Is caused by want of exercise and too high feeding.
+Calomel, six or eight grains; or, in an obstinate case, Turpeth Mineral or
+Yellow Mercury, six to twelve grains in a bolus.
+
+_To destroy Lice._--Sometimes the receipt below for fleas will prove
+efficacious, but not always; but a small quantity of Mercurial Ointment,
+reduced by adding hog's lard to it, say an equal quantity, rubbed along
+the top of the dog's back never fails. The greatest care must be taken to
+keep the animal warm.
+
+_Fleas._--Scotch snuff steeped in gin is infallible; but must be used with
+great care, and not above a teaspoonful of snuff to a pint of gin,--as the
+cure, if overdone, is a deadly poison.
+
+_Torn Ears._--Laudanum and brandy, equal parts. Mix well. Apply
+alternately with sweet oil.
+
+_Feed for Greyhounds in training._--Wheat flour and oatmeal, old, equal
+parts. Liquorice, aniseed, and white of eggs. Make into a paste. Make
+loaves. Bake them. Break up into very rich broth.
+
+_Swelled Teats._--Make pomade of Camphorated Spirit, or brandy, and goose
+grease, two or three times a day.
+
+_Inflammation of the Bowels._--Symptoms: Dulness of appearance and eyes;
+loss of appetite; lying on the belly, with outstretched legs; pulse much
+quickened; scratching up of the bed into a heap, and pressing the belly on
+it; desire to swallow stones, coal, or any cold substance not voidable;
+inclination to hide away. It is very dangerous; requires active treatment.
+Bleed most freely, till the dog faints away. Clap a blister on the pit of
+the stomach. Give Aloes, fifteen grains, and Opium, half a grain. Repeat
+dose three times a day. Bleed after twelve hours, if pulse rises again,
+and continue dosing and bleeding till either the dog or inflammation gives
+in. No half measures do in this disease. After determining that it is
+inflammation of bowels, set to work to get the upper hand. When that is
+done, there is no trouble. Otherwise it is fatal. Feed low, and attend
+carefully to prevent relapse.
+
+_Films over the Eyes._--Blue stone or Lunar Caustic, eight grains, spring
+water, one ounce. Wash the eyes with it, letting a little pass in. Repeat
+this daily, and you will soon cure it.
+
+_Films caused by Thorn Wounds_.--Rest the dog till perfectly healed over,
+washing with rose water. If much inflammation, bleed, and foment with hot
+water, with a few drops of laudanum in it--about forty drops of laudanum
+to one ounce of water; or two grains of opium to one ounce of water--one
+as good as the other. Then apply four or five times a day the following
+wash:--Superacetate of Lead, half a drachm, Rose Water, six ounces.
+
+_To extract Thorns._--Cobbler's wax bound on to the place, or black pitch
+plaster or a poultice, are equally good.
+
+_To preserve Gun Barrels from rust of salt water._--Black lead, three
+ounces; hog's lard, eight ounces; camphor, quarter ounce; boiled together
+over a slow fire; the barrels to be rubbed with this mixture, which after
+three days must be wiped off clean. This need not be repeated above twice
+in the winter.
+
+_Bite of a Snake._--Olive oil, well rubbed in before a fire, and a copious
+drench of it also.
+
+_To render Boots or Shoes Water-proof._--Beef suet, quarter of a pound;
+bees' wax, half a pound; rosin, quarter of a pound. Stir well together
+over a slow fire. Melt the mixture, and rub well into the articles daily
+with a hard brush before the fire.
+
+_To Soften Boots._--Use hog's lard, half a pound; mutton suet, quarter of
+a pound; and bees' wax, quarter of a pound. Melt well, and rub well in
+before the fire; or currier's oil is as good, barring the smell.
+
+_Water-proofing for Gun Locks._--Make a saturated solution of Naphtha and
+India rubber. Add to this three times the quantity of Copal Varnish. Apply
+with a fine, small brush along the edges of the lock and stock.
+
+
+
+
+DISTEMPER.
+
+How best to convey to my readers a clear, and at the same time succinct
+account of this disease, has much troubled me. This is now the third
+attempt made to set before my brother sportsmen, who have had little or no
+experience, in the plainest terms, the symptoms and features of the
+disease, as well as the best remedies to be applied to its various stages
+and ever varying types. After considerable doubts on the subject, I fancy
+that by setting before you a series of cases which have come under my own
+treatment, the peculiar features of each case, the remedies prescribed,
+and the termination, whether fatal or otherwise, I shall best serve the
+interests of my readers. I beg expressly to state, that with one or two
+exceptions--the cases of the older dogs--of which I write from
+recollection, after a lapse of several years, and consequently cannot be
+so positive about, the others have all recently passed through my hands,
+and the course of treatment, &c., has been especially noted, and here
+recorded with minute exactness. The range of cases are, I believe,
+sufficiently numerous to meet any form and stage of the disease, from the
+most simple to the most complicated and fatal. With the sole exception of
+chorea or paralysis, a case of which I have never fairly seen through, one
+or two cases are noted, in which this would have been the termination,
+but for the remedies applied. The system pursued has been a combination of
+a great many various receipts, adapted to each peculiar case; and through
+the very severe cases that this year have depopulated my kennel, I have
+been under great obligations to a very talented medical man, whose advice
+I ever found of great service, and whose professional knowledge enabled
+him so to vary the quantities and forms of the medicines as best to
+overcome some particular form or other. Every keeper or sportsman has, or
+professes to have, some never-failing nostrum or other. Believe me, this
+is all stuff. There have been, are, and ever will be, cases incurable; but
+I will venture to say, that ninety-nine out of a hundred who know anything
+of the subject will admit that these remedies contain some one or more of
+the following medicines, all of which are of value:--Epsom Salts, Calomel,
+Jalap, Tartar Emetic, as purgatives or vomits; Antimony, Nitre, James'
+Powder, Ipecacuanha, as sudorifics, diaphoretics, or febrifuges. From
+these medicines, the most used, it is evident to see what tendency the
+course of treatment is designed to have, and when it fails, extra means
+must be employed till that is effected. Here it is that study, practice,
+and an intimate knowledge of medicines and their combinations prove of
+great advantage. At this stage more dogs are lost for want of knowledge
+what next to do than in any other way; for they are either getting worse
+or better, never standing still, and each day's illness tells much against
+the recovery, from the great emaciation and weakness which commences from
+the first, and keeps increasing daily. Never was there a more appropriate
+quotation than "Opus est consulto, sed ubi consulueris mature facto." It
+were idle to speculate on the origin of the disease. Suffice for us that
+we have it, and that we consider it an affection of the mucous membrane,
+solely, in the earlier stages, but ultimately combining itself with
+general mucous affections. But it will not be foreign to our purpose to
+state several influences which are supposed, if not actually to cause, at
+all events, greatly to increase its virulence. They are these:--_Low
+Diet_, _Dirt_, _Confinement in close, unhealthy, damp kennels_, _too great
+a quantity of raw, or even boiled flesh_, _too little exercise_, _sudden
+changes in the atmosphere_, and _contagion_. It cannot be called endemic,
+since it exists everywhere. Neither is it exactly an epidemic, though some
+years it does assume that form, while at other times it does not.
+
+Bleeding we see recommended in the Field Sports. Some practitioners are
+very fond of the lancet. We confess quite a contrary penchant, and hold
+that bleeding is seldom or ever justifiable, except in cases of violent
+inflammations.
+
+In distemper, we would not draw blood, once in a hundred times; for the
+usual course of the disease is so enervating, that in ordinary
+circumstances nature is reduced far more than agreeable; and as purgatives
+must be used under any circumstances, they will in general be sufficient
+to reduce any fever. We will now mention the ordinary symptoms whence we
+determine this complaint. Lowness of spirit, drowsiness, dimness of the
+eyes, staring of the coat, loss of appetite, may be noticed, and
+frequently disregarded. Here we will remark that a mild dose of Epsom
+salts, according to age--vide prescriptions at the end, No. one,--will
+suffice. In a day or two, however, if neglected, sometimes a running at
+the nose will be seen; or the ears and feet will be cold, while the head
+and body will be feverish; the nose will be hard, dry, and cracked. By
+degrees, if neglected, the nose will discharge a thick purulent matter,
+the belly become hotter and distended, the dog will lie full stretch,
+belly to the ground, the hind legs begin to fail. He may also have
+spasmodic and convulsive twitchings, giddiness, foaming at the mouth,
+epileptic fits. Now he will ravenously eat anything cold, drink any
+quantity of water.
+
+
+
+
+FIRST CASE.
+
+_Three Setter pups, two to three months old. Appearance, &c._--_Slight_
+drowsiness, dimness of eyes, staring of coat, fĉces hard. Gave two
+teaspoonfuls No. one, and repeated next day. Intermitted a day. Repeated
+dose to make sure. All well.
+
+
+
+
+SECOND CASE.
+
+_Three Setter puppies, same age at the same time._--Symptoms same, and
+also heat in body and head; coldness of extremities; bodies inclined to
+hardness; fĉces dark and irregular. Gave four teaspoonfuls No. one. Next
+morning, if anything worse, belly still hard and swelling, gave each half
+a grain of Calomel, half a grain of Tartar Emetic. After an hour, no vomit
+having been attained, repeated the dose. At night gave each a
+pill--Antimony, two grains, Nitre, ten grains, Ipecacuanha, three grains.
+
+_Third day._--Saw pups about eight A.M. One had had a fit, another had one
+while we were present, and the third seemed likely to have one. Its eyes
+looked wild; it was unnaturally brisk, and running about; the nose
+discharged more freely, but not yet any foul matter. Gave all three
+Calomel and Tartar Emetic as before, and repeated, it not having produced
+any effect. Between the doses, the two had each a fit, and several, we may
+as well mention, through the day, the earlier ones being the most severe.
+About one hour after the vomit, gave each one tablespoonful Castor oil.
+Fed them with bread and milk. At night gave pill to each--Antimony, three
+grains, Nitre, ten grains, Ipecacuanha, two grains. Next morning two pups
+were better. Gave them No. one, two teaspoonfuls, pill as before, night
+and morning, for two days. No. one the third day. Sent them to kennel. The
+third of this lot we found not to have had fits; but his bowels were hard,
+and his secretions black and improper. Gave him Calomel and Tartar Emetic
+as before, with No. one, usual dose, and pills as above. Gradually he got
+weaker and weaker, and at last he died. The error here was undoubtedly in
+not increasing the calomel, and leaving out emetic, so as to endeavor to
+alter the secretions. A pill, for instance, in this form, would have
+better met the case. Calomel, one grain, Antimony, two grains, Nitre, five
+grains, followed up in three hours by one teaspoonful No. two.
+
+
+
+
+THIRD CASE.
+
+_Two Setter pups, same age as the last._--Case very bad. Fits had taken
+place more than once. Bodies hard, tumid head and belly hot, evidently
+much pain in body; ears and feet icy cold; nose hard and thick, pus in it;
+fĉces not noticed. Gave instantly, vomit as before; Calomel and Tartar
+Emetic, half a grain. Repeated in one hour, not having operated. Half an
+hour after this had taken place, gave two teaspoonfuls No. two to each.
+This purged very quickly. One of the puppies appeared to be in much pain.
+Gave it a saltspoonful of mustard in a little milk. Fits constantly
+occurring, with intervals of one or two hours, repeated the mustard, and
+gave Spirits of Hartshorn, six drops, Camphor water, sixty drops, Sweet
+Spirits Nitre, twenty drops, Laudanum, six drops. Repeated this dose in
+six hours' time. Kept them all night by the kitchen stove. Slightly better
+next morning. Gave pill--Antimony, three grains, Calomel, one grain,
+Nitre, ten grains. Three hours after, two teaspoonfuls No. two. Fits had
+ceased before night. Gave pill--Antimony, two grains, Ipecacuanha, three
+grains, Nitre, ten grains, each night and next morning. Next day
+improvement visible. Wildness of the eye abated; fever in body and
+coldness of extremities much diminished: secretions, however, still
+irregular; nose dry and hard. At night gave pill--Ipecacuanha, three
+grains, Nitre, ten grains, Ginger Essence, five drops. Next morning gave
+two teaspoonfuls No. two. At night, half teaspoonful diluted Quinine
+Mixture. Next day gave Quinine twice. Day after, two teaspoonfuls No. one.
+Sent well to kennel. These were the worst cases of epileptic fits we ever
+saw. The pair could not have had less than twenty fits each, which lasted
+from a quarter to half an hour, during which they uttered most piercing
+howlings.
+
+
+
+
+FOURTH CASE.
+
+_Pointer puppy ten months old._--Brought in from kennel: food chiefly raw
+flesh. Condition high. Appearance--Eyes very dull; drowsy; nose hard, dry,
+with thick mucous effusion; evacuations very offensive. Should consider
+this the putrid type. Gave half an ounce of salts in warm water. Two days
+after, gave ten grains Compound Powder of Ipecacuanha. No better: nose
+running a thick, heavy matter; fĉces very offensive. Two days after giving
+last medicine, gave four grains Antimonial Powder, night and morning, for
+two days. Dog died.
+
+_Remarks._--This case happened years ago, when we were young. Our
+treatment was bad from the commencement, but the case was a vile one also.
+The following formulĉ would have been more befitting:--Calomel, half a
+grain, Tartar Emetic, half a grain, repeated with intermissions of an
+hour, till a vomit was secured. Wineglassful of No. two in an hour
+afterwards. At night, Antimony, four grains, Nitre, ten grains, repeated
+next morning. If secretions then offensive, Calomel, two grains, followed
+by wineglass No. two, in three hours. Then use Antimony, Nitre, and
+Ipecacuanha, more or less, according as you wish to act on the skin, or on
+the lungs or kidneys. If the cough is bad, increase the Ipecacuanha. If
+fever prevails, add to the Antimony. Nitre acts on the bladder.
+
+
+
+
+FIFTH CASE.
+
+_A Terrier bitch in very low condition, pups having been lately weaned.
+Age, two or three years._--Symptoms very mild. Gave half an ounce of
+salts, and two days after, ten grains Ipecacuanha, followed up by four
+grains Antimonial Powder, for two days. Results: bitch was cured of
+distemper, but so dreadfully weak, could not feed itself. Gave one
+teaspoonful of Huxam's Tincture of Bark, three times a day. Hand-fed her
+frequently with rich beef soup, milk, and bread. After a very hard fight,
+brought her round.
+
+_Remarks._--Could not have done better much, except would have given a
+combination of Antimony, Ipecacuanha, and Nitre at first, i.e. after
+purging with salts. Got great credit at the time for the cure, more
+deserved for nursing well.
+
+From these cases you will be able to see, that for a simple purgative we
+prefer salts, as being a very cooling dose, and suiting a dog's
+constitution well. In the earlier stages, it sometimes effects a cure.
+Where there is a discharge of the nose, you must, after purging, work on
+the lungs. Where there is fever, you must double your purging, i.e. clean
+them out front and rear as quickly as possible. Where to this is added a
+visible disorganization of the secretions, you ought to call in Calomel in
+large doses, one or two grains, repeated, and this you may continue with
+Antimony, and so at the same time subdue the inflammation of the lungs. In
+the earlier part of spring and in fall, there is little fear of diarrhoea
+supervening. A slight attack of it will not be of much consequence
+provided you take care to keep it well in hand. Opium must be used with
+great caution; it rather tends to epileptic fits, which, by the way, we
+consider to result from an almost stoppage of the bowels. Compound Powder
+of Chalk, Quinine Mixture, Rhubarb, Catechu, will generally be sufficient.
+
+In the Field Sports is the following receipt, and as we have invariably
+found Blaine and Youatt's horse and dog receipts the most reliable, we
+quote it. It is new to us, and so is a violent case of diarrhoea, for that
+matter.
+
+[Rx] Magnesia, one drachm; powdered Alum, two scruples; Powdered
+Calumba,[1] one drachm; P. Gum Arabic, two drachms. Mix with six ounces
+boiled starch, and give a dessert or table spoonful every four or six
+hours, pro re natâ.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[1] Catechu, one drachm, will be better than the Calumba. It is far more
+efficacious.--_Dinks._
+
+
+
+
+CASE.
+
+We will now suppose a case, for our practice of late years has been
+confined to young puppies. Ears and feet cold; body and head very hot;
+body hard and distended; nose hard, dry, and almost stopped up with thick
+matter; dry, husky cough; fĉces, hard; pulse rapid, evidencing much fever.
+Give instantly, Calomel and Tartar Emetic, half a grain each, repeating it
+with intermissions of an hour, till you get a vomit. One hour after, give
+wine glass No. two. Twelve hours after, if fever has not abated, give
+three grains Calomel, followed in three hours by wine glass of No. two. If
+the next day you find any fever still lingering, give Calomel, three
+grains, as before, Antimonial Powder, eight grains. This will, with, in
+three hours, the usual quantity of No. two, be pretty sure to be
+successful. You must now address yourself to the cold and other symptoms;
+and you may give large doses of Ipecacuanha and Nitre. Keep the bowels
+open, but avoid active purging, except in cases of fever. If you find at
+any time the body getting hard and distended, administer the emetic. Let
+the dog out into the air whenever it is fine and warm, keep his nose well
+cleaned out, and change his bed daily. Encourage him to drink fresh water,
+if he will.
+
+The receipts alluded to in the previous pages are as follows:--
+
+_No. 1._--_For young pups up to six months old._--Of Epsom salts, take two
+ounces; of water, one quart. Mix well, and keep close corked.
+
+_No. 2._--Eight ounces of Saturated Solution of Epsom salts, in water;
+thirty drops Sulphuric Acid. Mix well, and cork close.
+
+Antimony is preferable, when there is fever. It is an antiphlogistic.
+Ipecacuanha, when there is much debility. The last also affects the lungs,
+and is more efficient in removing cold.
+
+Half an ounce of salts is a fair dose for a dog from nine months to any
+age. No. 2 is particularly recommended, whenever an early action is
+required. It is essentially short, sharp and decisive.
+
+
+
+
+FORM OF GAME BOOK.
+
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  | Total |                        | Date.                   |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Deer.                   |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Turkey.                 |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Ruffed Grouse.          |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Pinnated Grouse.        |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Quail.                  |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Snipe.                  |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Woodcock.               |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Duck.                   |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Teal.                   |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Rail.                   |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Plover.                 |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Guns.                   |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Shots.                  |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | Place where shooting.   |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |       |                        | No. of Head to own Gun. |
+  +-------+------------------------+-------------------------+
+  |                                | REMARKS.                |
+  |                                |                         |
+  |                                |                         |
+  |                                |                         |
+  +--------------------------------+-------------------------+
+
+This will be found as convenient a form as any for recording the season's
+bag, and I would suggest as a means to accurately determine the number of
+shots, to put a given number, say 50 or 80 caps, into your cap pocket
+every day on going out, deducting any miss-fired and wasted ones from the
+balance left on returning. This will give you an exact idea of your
+average shootings, which will be found not to exceed three out of five
+shots. In the column of remarks you can state your companion, quantity of
+game seen, &c.; in fact, any point worthy of notice, and to which
+afterwards you can refer. The writer's book dates back to 1845, and
+records every head of game killed while he was out, by his own, as also
+his friend's gun, remarks on the weather, curious ornithological
+observations, &c.
+
+
+
+
+DOGS,
+
+AND THEIR MANAGEMENT;
+
+  BEING A NEW PLAN FOR TREATING THE ANIMAL,
+  BASED UPON A CONSIDERATION OF
+
+HIS NATURAL TEMPERAMENT.
+
+
+Illustrated by numerous Engravings,
+
+  DEPICTING THE CHARACTER AND POSITION OF THE DOG
+  WHEN SUFFERING DISEASE.
+
+
+BY EDWARD MAYHEW, M.R.C.V.S.
+
+
+SECOND AMERICAN EDITION.
+
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+In the following pages is laid before the public the result of several
+years' study. The Author hopes to be able, ultimately, to perfect a system
+of treatment which shall change only with the progress of the science, of
+which it can be no more than an offshoot. Saying this, the writer cannot
+be accused of self-glorification, since there is in the field no living
+author over whom he might appear to triumph.
+
+The book was also written with the hope of inducing the gentlemen of the
+Author's profession to study more carefully the Pathology of the Dog. This
+is at present not properly taught, nor is it rightly understood by the
+Veterinarians who profess to alleviate canine afflictions. Of all the
+persons who accept such offices, there is but one who, to the Author's
+knowledge, devotes the time, attention, or care which disease in every
+shape demands; and the individual thus honorably distinguished, is MR.
+GOWING of Camden Town.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS OF MAYHEW'S MANAGEMENT.
+
+
+                                                                      Page
+
+  General Remarks,                                                      73
+
+  Distemper,                                                           120
+
+  Mouth, Teeth, Tongue, Gullet, &c.,                                   179
+
+  Bronchocele,                                                         198
+
+  Respiratory Organs,                                                  200
+
+  Hepatitis,                                                           221
+
+  Indigestion,                                                         227
+
+  Gastritis,                                                           233
+
+  St. Vitus's Dance,                                                   240
+
+  Bowel Diseases,                                                      246
+
+  Paralysis of the Hind Extremities,                                   270
+
+  Rheumatism,                                                          274
+
+  The Rectum,                                                          278
+
+  Fits,                                                                295
+
+  Rabies,                                                              299
+
+  Generative Organs--Male,                                             313
+
+       "        "    Female,                                           337
+
+  Skin Diseases,                                                       410
+
+  Canker within and without the Ear,                                   419
+
+  The Eye,                                                             429
+
+  Diseases of the Limbs,                                               437
+
+  Fractures,                                                           444
+
+  Operations,                                                          450
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+DOGS: THEIR MANAGEMENT.
+
+
+
+
+GENERAL REMARKS.
+
+
+There is no animal so widely distributed as the dog. The like assertion
+could not be made of any other domesticated creature. In countries
+subjected to the extremes of heat or cold, in the centre of Africa, and at
+the Northern Pole, the horse is absent; but wherever man is able to exist,
+there, in some shape or other, the dog is represented. Various have been
+the speculations as to its original. There is no animal in any way
+approaching in outward appearance to the Canine Species (properly so
+called), but has been assumed to be the original parent of the family.
+Some have even fancied the fox was father to all the dogs that trot by the
+side of man; but this idea seems too preposterous to be maintained.
+Others, with more reason, have supposed the prototype of the dog was
+discovered in the wolf. There are, however, many differences to reconcile
+before this hypothesis can be received. The formation of the two animals
+is distinct,--their anatomy presents positive differences,--their time of
+breeding does not agree,--their habits are opposite, and their outward and
+inward character is entirely dissimilar. The above engraving is the
+portrait of the wolf. Is the reader in any danger of mistaking it for that
+of a dog?
+
+[Illustration: THE WOLF.]
+
+Thus the apparent separation of the two species appears to be so wide,
+that a child could point it out, and none but a philosopher could confound
+it. Others, again, have gone to warmer climates for the founder of the
+kind, which they have, to their own satisfaction, discovered in the
+jackal: but there are very many obstacles to be surmounted, before this
+supposition can be acknowledged. In the first place, although the dog is
+to be found in warm climates, he thrives least in those to which the
+jackal is entirely confined. Then all that has been urged against the
+fancy which conceived the prototype of the dog was to be found in the
+wolf, applies with even greater force to the jackal. However, to settle
+the dispute, we here give the likeness of the beast, and leave to the
+reader to point out the particular breed of dogs to which it belongs.
+
+[Illustration: THE JACKAL.]
+
+Beyond the circumstance of the habitats of the animals being distinct, is
+the well-known fact that all domesticated animals have a disposition to
+return to their original formation; but who ever heard of a dog, however
+neglected, or however wild, becoming either a wolf or a jackal?
+
+The dog is spread all over the world, and not only is the animal thus
+widely distributed over the face of the earth, but there is no creature
+that is permitted with such perfect safety to the human race to have such
+continual and intimate intercourse with mankind. It is found in every
+abode: the palace, the warehouse, the mansion, and the cottage, equally
+afford it shelter. No condition of life is there with which the dog is not
+connected. The playmate of the infant, the favorite of the woman, the
+servant of the man, and the companion of the aged, it is seen in and
+around every home.
+
+Thus brought into intimate connexion with the human race, and continually
+subject to observation, it is not a little strange that the dog should be
+universally misunderstood. There is no quadruped which is more abused;
+whether treated kindly or otherwise, the dog is equally made to suffer;
+and probably the consequences of over indulgence are more cruel in their
+result than is the opposite course of treatment. The health of the beast
+is perhaps best preserved when neglect deprives it of man's attention;
+then it may suffer from want, but it escapes many of the diseases which
+caprice or ignorance entail upon the generality of the tribe. There exists
+no creature more liable to disorder, and in which disease is prone to
+assume a more virulent or a more complicated form. To minister to its
+afflictions, therefore, demands no inconsiderable skill; and it becomes
+the more difficult to alleviate them, since canine pathology is not fully
+comprehended, nor the action of the various medicines upon the poor beast
+clearly understood; yet there are few persons who in their own estimation
+are not able to vanquish the many diseases to which the dog is liable.
+About every stable are to be met crowds of uneducated loiterers,
+possessors of recipes and owners of specifics, eager to advise and
+confident of success. I seldom send a diseased dog into the park for
+exercise, that my servant does not return to me with messages which
+strangers have volunteered how to cure the animal. I hear of medicines
+that never fail, and of processes that always afford relief. Persons often
+of the upper rank honor me with secret communications which in their
+opinion are of inestimable value; ladies frequently entreat me to try
+particular nostrums, and sportsmen not seldom command me to do things
+which I am obliged to decline. In fact, the man who shall attempt to treat
+the diseases of the dog, will have no little annoyance to surmount. He
+will soon discover that science unfortunately can afford him but partial
+help, while prejudice on every side increases the difficulties with which
+he will have to contend.
+
+Happily, however, the majority of pretended cures are harmless. A roll of
+sulphur in the animal's water may be permitted, since it amuses the
+proprietor while it does not injure his dog. Some of these domestic
+recipes, nevertheless, are far from harmless, and they are the more to be
+deprecated, because those which most people would imagine to be safe are
+the very ones which are attended with the greatest danger. Common salt is
+a poison to the dog; tobacco is the source of many a death in the kennel;
+castor oil often does the ill which months of care are needed to efface,
+even if the life be not destroyed. In the majority of cases vomits are far
+from beneficial; bleeding is very seldom required, and the warm bath has
+sealed the doom of innumerable animals.
+
+The foregoing observations will have informed the reader of the reasons
+that prompt the publication of the present work, which is put forth only
+as a step towards the point the author does not yet pretend to have fully
+attained. The study of years will be required to perfect that which is now
+commenced, and further experience will probably demand the retraction of
+many of the opinions herein advanced. The reader will understand, the
+author in the present work asserts only that which he now believes. It
+must not be imagined, however positive may read the language in which his
+sentiments are expressed, that the writer is pledged to uphold any of the
+conclusions at which he may have arrived; knowledge is in its nature
+progressive, and canine pathology is not yet clearly made out. The
+advantages which accompany the study of anatomy, physiology, and
+therapeutics have yet to be more largely applied to the diseases of the
+dog, and until this has been accomplished, science, not reposing upon
+truth, will be constantly subjected to change. The present work,
+therefore, will be accepted only as a contribution to veterinary
+literature, and its contents will be viewed as doing nothing more than
+declaring the temporary convictions of one, who, desirous of truth, does
+not conceal that his mind is oppressed by many doubts.
+
+In the following pages advantage will be freely taken of the labours of
+those authors who have written upon the subject; nor must it be supposed,
+because the writer may feel himself obliged to dissent from, he therefore
+undervalues the genius of Blaine or Youatt. Before Blaine collected and
+arranged the knowledge which existed concerning the diseases of the dog,
+canine pathology, as a separate or distinct branch of veterinary science,
+hardly existed. The task he accomplished; but if after the lapse of years
+some of his opinions are found to be unsound, and some of his statements
+discovered to require correction, these circumstances may be regarded as
+the natural consequences of progression, while they in no way deteriorate
+from the honor due to his name. Youatt enlarged and softened the teaching
+of his master, and by the liberality of his communications, and the
+gentleness of his example, improved and adorned the science to which he
+was attached. To others than these two great men I have no obligations to
+acknowledge. For their memories I take the opportunity of expressing the
+highest respect, and confess that to their instruction is fairly due any
+novelty which the present pages may contain; since but for those
+advantages their teaching afforded, it is more than doubtful if I had
+perceived the facts herein made known.
+
+Before any mention is made of the diseases of the dog, it will be proper
+to take some notice of the temperament of the animal, as without regarding
+this the best selected medicines, or the most assiduous attention, may be
+of no avail. Any one who will observe the animal will soon be made aware
+of its excessive irritability. The nervous system in this creature is
+largely developed, and, exerting an influence over all its actions, gives
+character to the beast. The brain of the dog is seldom in repose, for even
+when asleep the twitching of the legs and the suppressed sounds which it
+emits inform us that it is dreaming. No animal is more actuated by the
+power of imagination. Who is there that has not seen the dog mistake
+objects during the dusk of the evening? Delirium usually precedes its
+death, and nervous excitability is the common accompaniment of most of its
+disorders. To diseases of a cerebral or spinal character it is more liable
+than is any other domesticated animal. Its very bark is symbolical of its
+temperament, and its mode of attack energetically declares the
+excitability of its nature. The most fearful of all the diseases to which
+it is exposed (rabies), is essentially of a nervous character, and there
+are few of its disorders which do not terminate with symptoms indicative
+of cranial disturbance. This tendency to cerebral affections will, if
+properly considered, suggest those casual and appropriate acts which the
+dog in affliction may require, and which it would be impossible for any
+author fully to describe. Gentleness should at all times be practised; but
+to be truly gentle the reader must understand it is imperative to be firm.
+Hesitation, to an irritable being, is, or soon becomes, positive torture.
+
+He who would attend upon the dog must be able to command his feeling, and,
+whatever fear he may be conscious of, he must have power to conceal his
+emotion. The hand slowly and cautiously advanced, to be hastily retracted,
+is nearly certain to be bitten. Whatever therefore is attempted should be
+done with at least the appearance of confidence, and the determination of
+the man will, in the generality of cases, check the disposition of the
+beast. There should be no wrestling or fighting. The practitioner should
+so prepare his acts as to prevent the dog in the first instance from
+effectually resisting, and the animal mastered at the commencement is
+usually afterwards submissive. If, however, from any cause, the primary
+attempt should not be effective, the attendant, rather than provoke a
+contest which can be productive of no beneficial result, should for a
+brief period retire, and after a little time he may with better success
+renew his purpose.
+
+Strange dogs are not easily examined in their own homes, especially if
+they be favorites and their indulgent owners are present. Like spoiled
+children, the beasts seem to be aware of all the advantages which the
+affections of their master give to their humors. They will assume so much,
+and play such antics, as renders it impossible to arrive at any just
+conclusion as to the actual state of their health. Dogs in fact are great
+impostors, and he who has had much to do with them soon learns how
+cunningly the pampered "toy" of the drawing-room can "sham." For
+deception, consequently, it is necessary to be prepared, and practice
+quickly teaches us to distinguish between what is real and that which is
+assumed. The exertion, however, required to feign disturbs the system, and
+the struggle which always accompanies the act renders it frequently
+impossible to make the necessary observation with requisite nicety. Petted
+dogs are, therefore, best examined away from their homes, and in the
+absence of any one who has been in the habit of caressing them.
+Frequently I have found it of no avail to attempt the examination of these
+creatures at the residences of their owners; but the same animals brought
+to my surgery have, without a struggle, allowed me to take what liberties
+I pleased. I usually carry such dogs into a room by myself, and commence
+by quickly but gently lifting them off their legs and throwing them upon
+their backs. This appears to take the creatures by surprise, and a little
+assurance soon allays any fear which the action may have excited. The dog
+seldom after resists, but permits itself to be freely handled. Should,
+however, any disposition to bite be exhibited, the hand ought immediately
+to grasp the throat, nor should the hold be relinquished until the
+creature is fully convinced of the inutility of its malice, and thoroughly
+assured that no injury is intended towards it. A few kind words, and the
+absence of anything approaching to severity, will generally accomplish the
+latter object in a short period, and confidence being gained, the brute
+seldom violates the contract.
+
+Dogs are intelligent and honorable creatures, and no man will have reason
+to regret who teaches himself to trust in their better qualities. I have
+hitherto, in a great measure, escaped their teeth, and being slow and
+infirm, my good fortune certainly cannot be attributed to my activity.
+Kindness and consideration work upon animals; nor do I believe there are
+many of the lower creatures that will not appreciate such appeals. It is
+better, therefore, to work upon the sympathetic nature of the brute, than
+to compete with it in strength, or endeavor to outvie it in agility.
+Manual dexterity will often fail, and is seldom employed save when danger
+is present. Mental supremacy appealing to the source of action ensures
+safety, by subduing, not the resistance, but the desire to resist.
+
+It is easy to ascertain when the dog has regained that tranquillity which
+would allow of its being trusted with security. The eye need alone be
+consulted, and a little observation will speedily instruct any one to read
+its meaning correctly. When the creature is irritated, the pupil
+invariably dilates, and by singly marking this circumstance, the temper of
+the beast may be correctly ascertained. Nor should caution be discarded
+until the contracted circle assures that the agitation has passed away.
+
+With the smaller kind of spaniels and the generality of petted animals,
+the indications of the eye may be depended upon; but with the more robust
+and less familiarized species it is safest to take some precaution, even,
+while the sign of sagacity is exhibited. Certain dogs, those of coarse
+breeds and large size, are exceedingly treacherous, and sometimes are not
+safe even to their masters. Creatures of this kind are, however, usually
+as devoid of courage as they are deficient of magnanimity; and by the
+display of resolution are to be readily subdued.
+
+When, however, really sick, there are few dogs which may not be
+approached. Under such circumstances, the utmost gentleness should be
+employed. The stranger should advance quietly, and not bustle rudely up to
+the animal. He should speak to it in accents of commiseration, which will
+be better comprehended than the majority of reasonable beings may be
+willing to admit.
+
+The hand after a little while should be quietly offered to the dog to
+smell, and that ceremony being ended, the pulse may be taken, or any other
+necessary observation made, without dread of danger. Every consideration,
+however, ought to be given to the condition of the beast. No violence on
+any account should be indulged; it is better to be ignorant of symptoms
+than to aggravate the disorder by attempting to ascertain their existence.
+If the brain should be affected, or the nervous system sympathetically
+involved, silence is absolutely imperative. No chirping or loud talking
+ought under such circumstances to be allowed, and the animal should not be
+carried into the light for the purpose of inspecting it. The real
+condition of the patient, and the extent or nature of its disease, will be
+best discovered by silently watching the animal for some time, and
+attentively noting those actions which rarely fail to point out the true
+seat of the disorder. Consequently manual interference is the less needed,
+and in numerous instances I have, when the creature has appeared to be
+particularly sensitive to being handled, trusted to visible indications,
+and done so with perfect success. The hand certainly can confirm the eye,
+but the mind, properly directed, can often read sufficient without the
+aid of a single sense.
+
+Having made the foregoing remarks, which the intelligence of the reader
+will readily enlarge, it will next be necessary to describe in what way
+the dog should be examined. Simple as this operation may appear, it is one
+which few persons properly comprehend; and as upon it everything depends,
+it will not be out of place to devote a few lines to its explanation.
+
+The dog, in the first place, should be permitted to run about, released
+from every restraint, or only so far confined as is necessary to prevent
+his escape from the limits of observation. No attempt should be made to
+attract the animal's attention, but the practitioner, seating himself in
+one corner, ought to be perfectly still and silent. The way in which the
+creature moves; whether it roams about, stands motionless, appears
+restless or indifferent, avoids the light, seems desirous of
+companionship, or huddles itself into some place as far as possible
+removed from inspection; whether it crouches down, curls itself round,
+sits upon its haunches, turns round and round trying to bite its tail,
+drags itself along the floor, or lies stretched out either upon its side
+or belly; in what manner the head is carried, and to what part it is
+directed; if any particular place is licked, bitten, or scratched; if
+thirst is great, or the dog by scenting about shows an inclination for
+food; the nature of the breathing, the expression of the countenance, the
+appearance of the coat, and the general condition of the body, should all
+be noted down. When such points have been observed, the animal is
+addressed by name, and attempts may be made to approach and to caress it;
+the way in which it responds, submits to, or resents such advances being
+carefully remarked.
+
+The dog may then be handled. The eyes and their membrane are inspected, to
+see if the one be dull or moistened by any discharge, and if the other be
+reddened, pallid, yellow, or discolored.
+
+The ears are next felt around, their edges lifted to discover if any
+blackened wax or soreness be present in their convolutions, and slightly
+squeezed to ascertain if any crackling sensation is communicated to the
+fingers, or sign of pain evinced by the animal.
+
+The nose is now to be remarked. If it be moist or dry; and if dry, whether
+it is at all encrusted. The back of the hand or side of the cheek should
+be applied to the part to ascertain its temperature.
+
+The lips should next be raised, and the state of their lining membrane,
+with the condition of the teeth, observed.
+
+The jaws should then be separated, that the tongue may be seen
+sufficiently to note its color, and the breath smelt.
+
+The hand should subsequently be passed over the head and along the back,
+to feel the hair, and discover whether there exist any sore places or
+tumors concealed beneath it. The coat may now be generally examined, to
+find whether in any part the covering is thin or deficient. Its firmness
+should afterwards be tried, and the itchiness of the skin tested by the
+nails, as well as its thickness and pliancy ascertained between the
+fingers.
+
+The hand should also be applied to the throat, and carried along the
+course of the windpipe, feeling for any swelling of the salivary glands,
+or enlargement of the thyroid. It is next passed to the abdomen, and the
+inferior part of the cavity is gently pressed upwards, to ascertain if the
+rectus abdominis muscle be contracted, or the animal shows symptoms of
+tenderness. The abdomen may subsequently be kneaded between the fingers.
+The amount of fat should not be unnoticed, nor should the firmness of the
+muscles pass unobserved.
+
+When all this is accomplished, the dog is laid upon its side or back, and
+the tail being elevated, the anus is inspected and felt, to see whether it
+be inflamed or protruded, and to feel if it be indurated or thickened.
+
+The feet are now taken up, and the length and shape of the nails, with the
+condition of the dew claws, inspected, to see whether they are growing
+into the flesh, or by their shortness indicate the animal has been
+accustomed to healthful exercise. The pad and web also receive a glance.
+
+If the animal be a male, the prepuce is first pressed and then withdrawn,
+to perceive if any discharge be present, or if the lining membrane be
+inflamed or ulcerated.
+
+Should it be a bitch, the vulva are inspected, to observe if they are
+moistened by any exudation, or if they are swollen and excited by the
+touch. They are separated to observe the color of the lining membrane.
+
+The mammĉ are then felt, to know if the animal has ever borne pups, or if
+any of them are hardened. At the same time the parts are squeezed, to
+discover whether or not they contain milk.
+
+Such is a general description of the manner of proceeding, but there are
+many possibilities which the above directions, lengthy and minute as they
+may read, do not include. Such, for instance, as hernia, and disease of
+the testicle or scrotum. All, however, it would not be necessary to
+describe at length, and the foregoing instructions will lead the eye to
+any extraordinary appearances should they exist. The experienced
+practitioner probably will do less than is here set down, being educated
+to a promptitude which enables him to leap as it were at once to those
+parts which deserve his attention. For such the above is not intended; but
+he who has not made the dog his special study, will certainly find his
+advantage in going through the whole ceremony; nor will the most
+experienced practitioner habitually neglect any portion of it, without
+having cause to lament his inattention. To examine the dog properly, is
+perhaps even more difficult than to perform the same office upon the
+horse, and certainly it is a duty which there are few persons qualified to
+discharge.
+
+Having spoken of the proper manner of examining the animal, before I
+proceed to describe its diseases, I shall touch upon some of those
+matters which are essential to its health. It will, however, be understood
+that I do not here pretend to treat of hounds, which for the most part are
+well attended to, and fed, exercised, &c., according to the judgment of
+the individual entrusted with the superintendence of the kennel. Little
+probably could be written which would materially amend the condition of
+these creatures; but petted and housed dogs are commonly treated after a
+fashion with which judgment has nothing to do. Persons are indulgent to
+their animals, and imagine that they are also kind, when too often they
+oppose the dictates of their reason to gratify the weakness of their
+momentary impulses. A little reflection will convince such people that
+humanity does not consist in the yielding to every expression of desire.
+The dog, in a state of nature, being carnivorous, and obliged to hunt for
+its food, in all probability would not feed every day; certainly it would
+seldom make more than one meal in twenty-four hours. When the prey was
+caught, it would be torn to pieces, and with the flesh much earth would be
+swallowed. The animal, however, is now to be regarded as subjected to man;
+but while so viewing it, nothing will be lost by keeping in sight its
+primitive habits.
+
+The dog can fast for a great number of days. Abstinence for forty-eight
+hours seldom injures it; but it is a practice which ought not to be too
+frequently adopted, as by its repetition the digestion is weakened. One
+meal, however, is sufficient, in every case, for the twenty-four hours.
+Animals not worked, but kept as favourites, or allowed only to range at
+pleasure, should not have any meat, nor be permitted to consume any large
+quantity of fatty substances. Butter, fat, or grease, soon renders the
+skin of the dog diseased and its body gross. Milk, fine bread, cakes, or
+sugar, are better far for children, and can be on the human race bestowed
+with advantage; while given to the brute they are apt to generate
+disorders, which a long course of medicine will not in every case
+eradicate. Beer, wine, or spirits, all of which the dog can be induced to
+drink, show rather the master's ignorance than the creature's liking. Nice
+food, or that which a human being would so consider, is in fact not fitted
+to support the dog in health. It may appear offensive to ladies when they
+behold their favourites gorge rankly, but Nature has wisely ordained that
+her numerous children should, by their difference of appetite, consume the
+produce of earth. The dog, therefore, can enjoy and thrive upon that which
+man thinks of with disgust; but our reason sees in this circumstance no
+facts worthy of our exclamation. The animal seeking the provender its
+Creator formed its appetite to relish, is not necessarily filthy or
+unclean; but could dogs write books, probably the opinions of these beasts
+upon many of the made dishes and tit-bits of the fashionable circles,
+would be opposed to the ideas which delicate epicures entertain concerning
+such luxurious fare. The spaniel which, bloated with sweets, escapes from
+the drawing-room to amuse itself with a blackened bone picked from a
+dung-hill, follows but the inclination of its kind; and while tearing with
+its teeth the dirt-begrimed morsels, it is, according to its nature,
+daintily employed. Could we read its thoughts, probably the perverse
+little pet, even while it is provoking its mistress's horror, is
+reflecting upon the nasty trash which the human stomach can endure, and
+upon the tempting relishes which mankind know not, like dogs, how to
+appreciate. An occasional bone and a little dirt are beneficial to the
+canine race, while food nicely minced and served on plates is calculated
+to do harm. Such keep fattens to excess, destroys activity, renders the
+bowels costive, and causes the teeth to be encrusted with tartar.
+
+A bone is of great service to the animal, which cannot employ a
+tooth-brush; and the larger it be and the less meat upon it, the better it
+will prove for little high-fed favorites. A dog in strong health may
+digest an occasional meal of bones; but the pet has generally a weak and
+often a diseased stomach, which would be irritated by what would otherwise
+do it no harm. The animal, nevertheless, true to its instinct, has always
+an inclination to swallow such substances, provided its teeth can break
+off a piece of a size fitted for deglutition. Game and chicken-bones,
+which are readily crushed, should therefore be withheld, for not
+infrequently is choking caused by pieces sticking in the oesophagus;
+though more often is vomiting induced by irritation of the stomach, or
+serious impactment of the posterior intestine ensues upon the feebleness
+of the digestion.
+
+The bone, therefore, should be large, and on it there should be nothing
+which the knife can remove. It ought to be thrown upon the earth, and the
+animal should be allowed to gnaw it at leisure. During the act, a
+considerable quantity of earth and saliva will be swallowed, and little
+actual food be added to an already loaded stomach. In all points of view
+the animal is benefited. The soil is always slightly alkaline, and so is
+the saliva; any undue acidity is by both in some measure counteracted; but
+the earth is also of further service. Food too highly or purely nutritive
+will not support life; but to render it healthy, a certain quantity of
+indigestible or refuse matter is imperative. The latter portion acts
+mechanically as a stimulant to the intestines, and hence, gentlemen by
+choice consume bread in which a portion of the husk is mingled, finding it
+prevents the costiveness that the baker's "best" induces. Dogs are here
+very like men, but they require more of the mixture than the human being
+could bear. The animals, therefore, should not be fed off plates.
+
+The better practice is to take the day's allowance and throw it upon the
+ground, letting the beast eat it with what addition it may please. Neither
+should the nature of the food itself be disregarded. Oatmeal or
+ship-biscuit ought always to be given, if alone the better, else rice upon
+which gravy has been poured. Meat, when allowed, should be lean, and the
+coarser the better. Paunch or tripe is excellent food for dogs, and for a
+continuance I have found nothing agree so well. Horse-flesh or any such
+filth is never to be allowed; this kind of food being very apt to generate
+diseases of the skin. Dogs will thrive on liver, but it is too valuable an
+article of diet for these creatures to be regularly given. When only
+occasionally administered it has a well-marked laxative property, and on
+this account will often be of service in rendering needless the use of
+medicinal agents. In the raw state, if the animal will take it, its action
+is more powerful; but after it has been boiled it generally is
+sufficiently operative. The meat, whatever it may be, should, for animals
+not in work, be boiled, raw flesh being more stimulative than their
+comparatively idle pursuits demand. Such animals, in fact, may be said to
+lead sedentary lives, and their diet must be lowered to suit their habits.
+For the pointer, &c., during the season, raw flesh is actually to be
+preferred, nor should the quantity be limited. The exertion is great, and
+the utmost indulgence in this respect will seldom do harm; but my own
+experience teaches me that the sporting dog is often crippled by being
+under-fed. It cannot consume too much, neither can that much be too
+nourishing, especially if the country to be shot over is of a hilly
+nature. It is one of the prejudices of most men to believe that a feed of
+oats to the horse, or a meal of flesh to the dog, just before starting,
+gives strength for the labor which is to be endured. We cannot, however,
+make strength as beds are made, at any moment, but the invigoration of a
+living body must be the result of a slow and a long process. On the day of
+work it is of less consequence what food is given than is the diet which
+has been allowed the many previous weeks.
+
+Regularity in the hour of feeding should equally be observed; and if this
+matter be generally attended to, there will be no danger of its being
+forgotten, since dogs' stomachs are excellent time-keepers, and the brutes
+are not by any delicacy of feeling restrained from asking. The hour, after
+a little while, will always for the sake of peace be kept, and the animals
+will soon learn the rules to which they are subjected.
+
+For home-kept dogs there is no possibility of stating the quantity of food
+that ought to be allowed. No two animals in this respect are alike. One
+eats much, and its fellow consumes but little; yet the small feeder in
+most cases thrives the best even where neither is stinted. The quantity,
+therefore, cannot be measured. The only rule to be observed is, that there
+be enough placed before the animal at a stated hour. Let him eat of this
+till the slackening of the jaws' movement and the raising of the head
+indicate that hunger has been for the present appeased. So soon as this is
+remarked the food ought to be withdrawn. On no account should the creature
+be allowed to gorge to repletion, or eat after its healthy craving has
+been satisfied. While the dog eats it should therefore be watched; and
+this custom works well, as the failure of the appetite often gives to the
+attendant the earliest indication of disease.
+
+The dog that neglects its day's allowance should not be coaxed to feed,
+but ought to be left alone for some minutes, or until its companions have
+finished their meal. It should then be examined, and if nothing can be
+detected, perhaps the abstinence of a day may restore it. Until the proper
+hour arrives on the following day, nothing ought to be given to the
+animal, nor should any inclination on its part for food be noticed.
+
+Where eating is concerned, dogs have lively sympathies. The animal which
+at its own kennel has feasted to satiety, will wake from its digestive
+slumber to taste anything of which it sees its master partaking. These
+creatures are so peculiarly sensitive in this respect, that they will do
+violence to their feelings rather than be left out when eating is going
+forward. Dogs moreover are most pertinacious beggars, and they soon learn
+the cunning of the trade. On no account should they be permitted to
+frequent the kitchen. If properly reared, they will be rigidly honest,
+but, like the "audacious cats," they offer a ready excuse to dishonest
+kitchen-maids, who will sometimes do injury by subjecting the animal to
+undeserved chastisement.
+
+Where the servants are trustworthy this danger will not arise; but good
+servants mostly have tender hearts, and dogs have a peculiar tact in
+appealing to female weaknesses. However strict may be the orders, and
+however sincere may be the disposition to observe them, bits will
+fall,--scraps will be thrown down,--dishes will be placed upon the ground,
+and sometimes affection will venture to offer just "the little piece,"
+which no one could call feeding. It is astonishing how much will in this
+way be picked up, for the dog that lies most before the kitchen fire is
+generally the fattest, laziest, and at feeding time the best behaved of
+his company. Consequently no dog should be allowed to enter the kitchen,
+for their arts in working upon mortal frailty can only be met by insisting
+on their absence. The dog that is well fed and not crammed, should not
+refuse bread when it is offered. If this be rejected, while sugar is
+eagerly snapped up, it will be pretty certain that the animal is either
+too much indulged, or that its health requires attention.
+
+Some writers recommend pot-liquor for dogs. It is not advisable to use
+this. The water in which salt meat has been boiled ought never to be
+employed. Greens are not nutritious, but they often purge; and if the
+animal will eat them, they can sometimes be given when liver cannot be
+obtained. Potatoes will, with other substances, agree with animals not
+required for work, but the rice I have recommended will be found for
+general purposes the best, and not the most expensive food upon which the
+animal can be sustained. Persons having lap-dogs will moreover find the
+keep upon rice, properly seasoned, or soaked in gravy, less liable to
+render these creatures strong or tainted than the provender which is
+choicely selected from the joint provided for the family dinner. The warm
+meat too often presented to these creatures is apt to enfeeble their
+digestions; for their stomachs are soon deranged, and they never should be
+allowed to taste any kind of food which is not perfectly cold.
+
+The food for diseased dogs should be prepared with extreme care, and no
+disregard of cleanliness; in fact, it should in every respect be such as a
+human being could partake of, provided the ingredients were not repugnant
+to his taste. Sickness cannot be relieved without trouble, and in many
+cases an animal requires as much attention as a child. To gain success,
+neither time, labor, nor expense must be begrudged; but the attendant must
+be assiduous and the cook skilful. Nothing smoked or burnt, no refuse or
+tainted flesh, must on any account be made use of. The meat may be coarse,
+but it should be fresh and wholesome. Dirty saucepans or dishes ought not
+to be employed; and so very important are these circumstances, that the
+practitioner who engages in dog practice will often surprise his
+acquaintances by being seen at market, or busied over the fire. Beef tea
+is one of the articles which in extreme cases is of great service. Few
+servants, however, make it properly, and when a dog is concerned there are
+fewer still who will credit that any pains should be bestowed upon the
+decoction. I generally either prepare it myself or superintend the person
+who undertakes that office, and not unfrequently give serious offence by
+my officiousness; or, spite of studious attention, fail in procuring that
+which I desire. Still, as in the last extremity food is even of more
+importance than medicine, my anxiety cannot be conquered by such
+schooling, and I am therefore content to bear the sneers of those who
+cannot understand my motives.
+
+To make beef-tea properly, take a pound and a half of coarse, lean beef:
+that cut from the neck or round is best. The leg does not answer so well,
+however excellent it may be for soup. The rump steak is good for the
+purpose, but no better than other and cheaper parts; though I often use it
+when nothing else can be obtained so well suited for this beverage. Let
+the flesh be carefully separated from every portion of skin or fat, and
+chopped as fine as for sausage meat--the smaller the better--it cannot be
+too minutely minced. Without washing it, put the flesh into a clean
+saucepan, with a pint of water, and so place it upon the fire that it will
+be half an hour at least before it boils. When it boils, allow it to
+remain in that state for ten minutes, and then remove it, pouring off the
+liquor, which should be set aside to cool. When cold, any fat upon the
+surface should be removed, and, no salt or seasoning of any kind being
+added, the beef-tea is fit for use.
+
+To the meat, which has been drained of moisture, the skin and fat may now
+be added and a pint and a half of water, which should be allowed to boil
+till it is reduced to a pint. This being set aside and afterwards cleared
+of fat, will be of some service if used instead of water when the next
+potion is required; and there is no limitation in the quantity which may
+be needed.
+
+Besides beef-tea, wheaten flour, oatmeal, arrow-root, starch, biscuit
+powdered, and _ground rice_ are also to be employed. These are to be mixed
+with water, or more often with beef-tea, and boiled; but for sick animals
+the compound should not be made too thick. The ordinary consistence of
+gruel will be about the proper substance, and a little only should be
+administered every hour or half-hour, as the case may require. From half a
+pint to a quart, divided so as to allow of a portion being given at the
+stated periods, will be sufficient for a large or small animal, the
+quantity being proportioned to the size. When the creature is so far
+exhausted that it is no longer willing or able to lap, the nourishment
+should be administered by means of a tube passed down the throat or into
+the oesophagus; for if given with a spoon, as the breathing is always
+disturbed, the consequence may be fatal, from the fluid being drawn into
+the lungs. The food should always be made fresh every morning; and none
+left from the previous day ought on any account to be mixed with it, more
+especially if the weather be at all warm.
+
+These directions may to some appear needlessly particular; but so rapid
+are the terminations of canine diseases, and so acute are they in their
+development, that while the tax upon the patience is not likely to be of
+long duration, the care demanded during their existence must be
+unremitting.
+
+_Exercise_ is next to food, and if of one dogs generally have too much, of
+the other few have enough. In towns, if dogs are kept, a chain and collar
+should always be at hand. The servants should be ordered to take the
+creatures out whenever they go upon their errands, and an occasional free
+journey with the master will be a treat which will be the more enjoyed
+because of the habit thus enforced.
+
+_Washing dogs_ is not a custom deserving of half the consideration which
+is bestowed upon it. The operation is not so necessary as it is generally
+imagined. Soap and water make the hair look white; but the coat usually
+becomes soiled the quicker because of their employment.
+
+The use of alkalies, soda, or potash, in the water, renders the immediate
+effects more conspicuous; but unfortunately these substances also make the
+after-consequences more vexatious. They take the sebaceous or unctuous
+secretion from the coat. The skin is deprived of its natural protector in
+this animal; the cuticle grows weak and dry. The hair is rendered rough;
+is prepared to catch the dirt; and not unfrequently the skin itself, by
+nature striving to counteract the effect of its deprivation, pours forth a
+secretion that aids in causing it to appear foul. Above all, the warmth,
+so repeatedly and often inhumanly applied to the entire surface of the
+body, debilitates the system of the creature, and generates in the long
+run certain disease, even if by the drying immediate disorder be not
+engendered. The warm-bath to the dog is peculiarly debilitating, and the
+heat which the hand of a cook would endure with a sense of comfort, will
+sometimes cause the dog to faint. Panting is a sign of sensible weakness
+in this animal, and few of these creatures are washed without exhibiting
+it. If washing is insisted upon, the water should never be warm, and in
+cold weather only should the _chill_ be taken off. The soap ought to be of
+the mildest quality; but the yelk of an egg is much to be preferred, and
+in its effects is every way more beneficial where the hair, either of man
+or beast must be cleansed. A small dog will require the yelk of one egg;
+and a Newfoundland the yelks of a dozen eggs. The yelks are to be
+separated from the whites and smeared well into the hair. A little water
+is then to be poured upon the back, and the hand is to be rubbed upon the
+coat till a lather covers the body, after which the hair may be cleared by
+copious ablutions. This process is much to be preferred, and the dog
+dislikes it far less than when soaps are employed. His eyes are not made
+to smart, or his skin to burn, and if he tastes the substance he does not
+therefore sicken. Moreover, when the business is ended, even if some
+portion of the egg should cling to his hair he will not on that account
+neglect his personal appearance. The coat will be found to look bright,
+and to remain clean for a longer period than after the adoption of the
+customary thoughtless process.
+
+Washing, however, is not constantly required, if a dog be kept combed and
+brushed every morning, and does not reside in a very filthy locality. A
+little dirt after a walk is easily removed, if it be allowed to dry
+perfectly, and the hair is then rubbed and picked by the hand of its
+attendant, when the comb will complete the proceeding. A bath every
+morning does the generality of dogs good; but it should be cold, and the
+animal ought not to be punished by having its head submerged. It should be
+plunged up to the neck, the head being held above the surface. While in
+the water the coat should be well rubbed with the hand, that every
+portion of the hair may become thoroughly soaked. This over, no attempt
+should be made to dry the dog, for that is not by any industry to be
+perfectly accomplished. Neither ought the dog to be wrapped up, placed
+before the fire, or suffered to lie about, which it is always by a sense
+of discomfort induced to do, if not made to move. The animal ought
+immediately to be started for a scamper, and never allowed to remain
+quiescent until its activity has driven every trace of moisture from its
+body. Not until this is thoroughly effected should the creature be brought
+in-doors, or be suffered to rest for a moment. If healthy it will require
+little exertion on its attendant's part to make it jump and run about; but
+some of these little animals have to carry a burthen of fat which no sense
+of uneasiness can provoke them to move under of their free wills. An
+active lad with a chain may, in these last cases, be of much use; but he
+should be told to exercise his charge in some spot open to the master's
+eye, else the boy may play while the animal shivers.
+
+Some dogs show a great dislike to, strenuously fighting with, the collar
+and chain; others will exhibit the most piteous distress, by squatting
+upon their hocks, and whining, while they pant vehemently, and look
+imploringly up to the face of their leader. The first are probably not
+aware of the intention of the bonds to which they are subjected, and
+should not be harshly rebuked. The voice ought to assure them, and means
+be resorted to calculated to allay their fears. Gentleness and firmness
+will in two or three days render such animals perfectly submissive for
+ever after. The last kind are rank impostors. No one not familiar with
+these animals would credit the arts which they can with such excellent
+effect and apparent genuineness practise to gain their ends. They have
+been used to be carried, and they prefer riding in the arms of a human
+being. Their insinuating tricks ought to be rewarded only by laughter,
+accompanied with an admonition.
+
+Dogs are very intelligent. They understand much more than men choose to
+give them credit for. Their pride is enormous, and through this feeling
+they are easily moved. Laughter, when directed against himself, no dog can
+endure, and the slightest reprimand is always answered by an immediate
+change of aspect. Rather than have their dignity offended, dogs will
+quickly become honest, especially when deceit is experienced to be of no
+avail. People who are physiognomists may detect this sentiment impressed
+upon the countenance. Upon the next page is a portrait of a Mastiff. Mark
+the absolute Asiatic dignity, only outwardly slurred over by a
+heedlessness of behaviour. Does it not seem as though the creature,
+through very pride reposing upon strength, was above forms? Who could
+think of laughing at such gravity? Would it not be like ridiculing nature
+to insult one who has such outward claims to our respect?
+
+Sporting dogs will always take the exercise that is beneficial, and for
+such the cold bath is much to be recommended. Only in skin diseases should
+the tepid bath be resorted to. It is of much service when the skin is hot
+and inflamed, but after it, exercise ought not to be neglected. For
+healthy animals the hot or warm bath should never be employed; but the sea
+is frequently as beneficial to dogs as to their owners; only always
+bearing in mind that the head should be preserved dry.
+
+[Illustration: THE MASTIFF.]
+
+Vermin often are very troublesome to dogs, and I have known these animals
+destroyed because their owners were ignorant of the process by which the
+annoyance might have been readily conquered. There are many powerful drugs
+recommended by different writers to effect this end; but though all of
+them are sufficiently potent to annihilate the parasite, most of them are
+also strong enough to kill the dog. When fleas are numerous, the dog must
+be taken from the place where it has been accustomed to sleep. The bed
+must be entirely removed, and the kennel sluiced--not merely washed--with
+boiling water, after which it ought to be painted over with spirits of
+turpentine. The dog itself ought to be washed with eggs and water, as
+before directed; but with the yelk of every egg a teaspoonful of spirits
+of turpentine should be blended. After this, the animal should have pine
+shavings to sleep upon, and if these are frequently renewed, the annoyance
+will seldom be again complained of. As, however, exceptional cases will
+always start up, should the tribe not be entirely dispersed, the washing
+must be repeated; or if from want of time or other cause it be
+inconvenient to renew that operation, a little powdered camphor rubbed
+into the coat will mostly abate and often eradicate the nuisance.
+
+Lice often cover the body of the dog, and especially crowd upon its head
+around the eyes and lips. There need be no dread of their presence, since
+these vermin will not live upon the human being, though similar to the
+kind which will. When they are perceived, the dog should be carried into
+some place in which grease stains are not of much consequence. It ought
+then to be covered with castor oil till the hair is completely saturated.
+In this state it should be allowed to remain at least twelve hours, at the
+expiration of which time the oil may be removed with yelk of eggs and
+water: only an additional number of eggs will be required. As to the
+quantity of castor oil which may be necessary, a moderate-sized dog with a
+long coat will require about a pound, and a large Newfoundland four times
+that amount. The process, as might be anticipated, operates upon the
+bowels; but I have never found it to do so with any dangerous power; on
+the contrary, the laxative effect is generally in these cases beneficial.
+
+Medicine to the dog requires to be administered with caution. The nostrums
+which are so particularly recommended by grooms and farriers ought never
+to be made use of. The veterinary surgeon is less likely to commit error;
+but there are, however, few of the profession who devote attention to the
+dog with the zeal which the comprehension of its diseases and their
+treatment demand. Huntsmen and gamekeepers are generally from practical
+experience not altogether inapt dog doctors, where the larger and more
+robust kind of animal is to be treated, but for the smaller and petted
+species these persons ought not to be consulted. Many of their receipts
+are harsh--not a few of them inoperative--and some even dangerous; while
+all for the most part are pushed down at random, or in total ignorance of
+any effect the agents employed may induce beyond the intended one of doing
+good or working a certain cure. Nevertheless, with the kind of animals
+generally entrusted to their charge, such persons are so far successful
+that, in the absence of better advice, they deserve to be consulted for
+the larger species of dogs. The human physician will also, on occasions,
+be enabled to prescribe advantageously for the canine race; but not
+knowing the treatment of the diseases, and the symptoms being too often
+deceptive, the highest opinions are by no means to be absolutely relied
+upon.
+
+Dog-doctoring is, in fact, a separate branch of science so intricate as to
+call for intense study strengthened by constant observation. No one not
+attached to the animal should attempt to master it, for success in such a
+case would be hopeless. The annoyances are so great that the patience is
+continually being tried; and the facts on which reliance can be placed are
+so few, that he who is content to depend upon the received assertions will
+never be able to realize his expectation. Nothing is more erroneous than
+to believe that there is any close analogy between man and the dog in the
+operation of medicinal substances. Aloes, rhubarb, &c., are not purgatives
+to the dog; but castor oil, which to the human being is a gentle laxative,
+to the dog is an active purge; while Epsom salts are a violent hydragogue
+to the canine patient, producing copious and watery stools. Common salt is
+in large doses a poison, and in apparent small quantities is so strong an
+emetic as to be dangerous. Salivation speedily ensues upon the use of
+minute quantities of mercury, which therefore cannot be considered safe in
+the hands of the general practitioner. Secale cornutum has little specific
+action beyond that of inducing vomiting; and strychnia cannot be with
+security administered, on account of its poisonous operation upon the
+animal. Other instances, casting more than suspicion upon the inferences
+which every writer upon Materia Medica draws from the action of drugs
+given to dogs, could easily be quoted, but they would here be somewhat
+out of place; and probably sufficient has been said to check a dangerous
+reliance upon results that admit of no positive deduction.
+
+It is painful to peruse the "_experiments_" made especially by the French
+authors. We read that so much of some particular agent caused death to a
+dog in such a period; but he must be wise indeed who learns anything from
+statements of this kind. The word dog represents animals of various sizes
+and very diverse constitutions; therefore no conclusion can be drawn from
+an assertion that does not embrace every particular. Unfortunately,
+however, the operators think it no disgrace to their scientific
+attainments to put forth such loose and idle assertions; nor do they seem
+to hold it derogatory to their intelligence that they assume to reach a
+show of certainty by experimentalising upon a creature about which, as
+their reports bear witness, they literally know nothing. Equally
+unsatisfactory are the surgical and physiological experiments made upon
+these creatures. No results deduced from such acts can be of the slightest
+importance. The anatomy of the dog is not by them generally understood.
+There is no book upon this subject that is deserving of commendation; and,
+to instance the ignorance which prevails even in places where a
+superficial knowledge ought to exist, I will mention but one circumstance.
+
+At the Royal Veterinary College there is a professor of Particular
+Anatomy, whose duty it is specially to instruct the pupils concerning the
+dog. The lectures, however, embrace but little, and that little is
+principally devoted to wandering remarks upon the osseous structure. Of
+the value of such teaching some opinion may be formed when the skeleton at
+the College actually exhibits the bones placed in wrong or unnatural
+situations. After the proof thereby afforded, with what reliance can any
+sane mind accept the awful declarations of those anatomists who, upon the
+living bodies of these creatures, have, according to their own accounts,
+exhibited a nicety and certainty of skill which the profoundest
+acquaintance with the various structures and parts would still leave
+incomprehensible? Such reports evidence only the presumptuous folly of
+individuals--the publication of such records testifies no more than the
+ignorance of the age.
+
+_To give medicine to the Dog_ often creates more bustle than the magnitude
+of the creature appears to justify. Moreover, if the parties concerned in
+the undertaking are not quite up to their business, the animal, which,
+between its gasping, howling, and struggling, will find time to bite,
+increases the activity by provoking human exclamations. I have known this
+species of confusion to have been continued for half an hour; during which
+work was stopped in a forge, and three brawny smiths joined a veterinary
+surgeon's efforts to give a pill to a little spaniel that could not have
+weighed above eight pounds. The dog was beaten and hands were bitten, but
+after all no pill was swallowed. The result was the natural consequence of
+the manner of proceeding. No man should contend with an animal, and
+especially with a dog, whose excitement soon renders it incapable of
+obedience.
+
+With brutes of every kind, if the mastery cannot, by a bold stratagem, be
+gained at once, it should be only established through the confidence of
+the animal, which a few acts of kindness will, in the majority of cases,
+easily win. I have had dogs brought to me which seemed disposed rather to
+part with life than permit their jaws to be handled. The poor beasts had
+been harshly used by the persons who had previously undertaken to treat
+them. These creatures have remained with me, and in a little time have
+grown so submissive that my shop-boy could with ease give any kind of
+physic which I ordered to be prepared. Firmness and kindness were the only
+stratagems I employed. I took care never to give the dog a chance of
+mastery, but while ensuring my victory, I was careful that the conquest
+caused no sense of pain. A few pats, with a kind word, and an occasional
+reward in the shape of a bit of meat, induced the creature more willingly
+to submit when the next dose came round.
+
+A small dog should be taken into the lap, the person who is to give the
+physic being seated. If the animal has learned to fight with its claws, an
+assistant must kneel at the side of the chair and tightly hold them when
+the dog has been cast upon its back. The left hand is then made to grasp
+the skull, the thumb and fore finger being pressed against the cheeks so
+as to force them between the posterior molar teeth. A firm hold of the
+head will thus be gained, and the jaws are prevented from being closed by
+the pain which every effort to shut the mouth produces. No time should be
+lost, but the pill ought to be dropped as far as possible into the mouth,
+and with the finger of the right hand it ought to be pushed the entire
+length down the throat. This will not inconvenience the dog. The
+epiglottis is of such a size that the finger does not excite a desire to
+vomit; and the pharynx and oesophagus are so lax that the passage presents
+no obstruction.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+When the finger is withdrawn, the jaws ought to be clapped together, and
+the attention of the creature diverted. The tongue being protruded to lick
+the nose and lips will certify that the substance has been swallowed, and
+after a caress or two the dog may be released. Large brutes, however, are
+not thus easily mastered. Creatures of this description must be cheated,
+and they fortunately are not so naturally suspicious as those of the
+smaller kind. For months I have thus deceived a huge, ferocious, but noble
+guardian of a yard, who appeared incapable of conceiving that deception
+was being practised. The dog bolts its food, and, unless the piece be of
+unusual size, it is rarely masticated. The more tempting the morsel, the
+more eagerly is it gorged; and a bit of juicy or fat meat, cut so as to
+contain and cover the pill, ensures its being swallowed. Medicine,
+however, which in this manner is to be administered, ought to be perfectly
+devoid of smell, or for a certainty the trick will be discovered. Indeed,
+there are but few drugs possessed of odour which can be long used in dog
+practice, and even those that are endowed with much taste cannot be
+continuously employed. When the dog is very ill, the intelligent beast
+becomes conscious of its danger, and almost any kind or any form of
+medicine will be accepted. There is no difficulty generally then; but in
+chronic diseases, that only vex the temper and scarcely lower the spirit,
+the ingenuity will mostly need to be exerted. Some medicines, however, can
+be dissolved in the water; others may be smeared upon the food; and
+fortunately the majority of those drugs appropriate to slow and inveterate
+disorders admit of being thus exhibited. Fluids are perhaps more readily
+than solids given to dogs, by the generality of inexperienced persons. To
+administer liquids, the jaws should not be forced open and the bottle
+emptied into the mouth, as when this method is pursued the greater portion
+will be lost. The animal's head being gently raised, the corner of the
+mouth should be drawn aside, so as to pull the cheek from the teeth. A
+kind of funnel will thus be formed, and into this a quantity of the
+medicine equal to its capacity should be poured. After a little while the
+fluid will, by its own gravity, trickle into the pharynx, and oblige the
+dog, however unwilling it may be, to swallow. A second portion should then
+be given in the like way, and thus, little by little, till the full dose
+is consumed. Often dogs treated in this fashion swallow a draught very
+expeditiously; but others will remain a considerable time before they
+deglutate. Some, spite of every precaution, will manage to reject the
+greater part, and others will not waste a drop. The dexterity of the
+practitioner makes some difference; but no skill can ensure the drink
+being taken. Patience, however, is here of most avail; but when the mouth
+is full of fluid, by gently separating the jaws the animal may be caused
+to deglutate.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Two pieces of tape, one passed behind the canine teeth or tusks of the
+upper, and the other in like manner upon the lower jaw, have been
+recommended. The tapes are given to an assistant, who, pulling at them,
+forces the mouth open, and holds it in that position. In certain cases
+this may be adopted for pills; indeed every stratagem will be needed to
+meet the multifarious circumstances that will arise. For ordinary
+occurrences, however, the practice is not to be commended, and should
+never be embraced when drinks have to be given: the animal cannot swallow
+while the jaws are held asunder; but for solids this plan answers better.
+There are several objections, however, to be urged against its constant
+use. The operation is violent, and the restraint it necessitates not alone
+prevents the poor animal deglutating fluids, but also terrifies the brute,
+who, on the next occasion, naturally is the more resistful. Difficulties,
+therefore, increase, and the dog generally is not long before it learns to
+baffle the attempt to confine it. Moreover, unless the assistant be very
+well up to his business, his steadiness cannot be depended upon, and the
+hand often is wounded by the teeth of the patient.
+
+I therefore do not, as a general custom, resort to the tapes, and I advise
+others only to employ them upon necessity. There are some creatures so
+artful and so resolute that any attempt to give them physic is certain to
+be frustrated. These are mostly small dogs that have been tutored by
+severity, and such animals are not subdued by any amount of suffering. The
+poor beasts fear the doctor more than the disease; and, though gentle in
+their dispositions, are resolute in their resistance. For such cases I
+employ the stomach pump, and by its aid introduce a dose of sulphate of
+magnesia; for in general it is only purgatives that require to be given in
+bulk. Other drugs may be either disguised, or exhibited by injection.
+Enemata are of great service to this animal, and I make much use of them.
+In their exhibition, care should always be taken to introduce the pipe
+without any force; having previously greased the tube to ensure its
+passing the more readily. While the instrument is in the rectum the dog
+should be firmly held, else, in its struggles, the intestine may be
+injured. The fluid should be gently thrown up, even when a large quantity
+is employed. For those injections, however, which it is desirable to have
+retained, from an ounce to a quarter of a pound will be sufficient. Warm
+water ought not to be used as an injection, since it washes away the
+mucus, renders the intestinal surface harsh, and prevents the passage of
+the foeces. Linseed tea or any mucilaginous fluid answers the purpose
+better, and a solution of soap is excellent in many cases, when only a
+laxative effect is desired. The form, however, as will in the course of
+this work be explained, must be repeatedly varied, since this agent may be
+rendered medicinal or nutritive.
+
+Purgatives are most valuable, but are not free from danger. The digestive
+canal of the dog is peculiarly irritable, and no less sensitive to the
+action of medicine. There are few diseases in which the stomach and
+intestines are not involved, and very many in which purgatives are
+directly contra-indicated. No one should get into the habit of thrusting
+physic of this nature down the throats of his animals; and sportsmen may
+rest assured that, to the dog at all events, preparatory doses are not
+necessary to condition. Those, however, who persist in using such stuffs
+will do well not to employ the compounds in general use. The mixture of
+poppies, buckthorn, and castor oil is a filthy mess; and I do not
+understand the principles upon which the abomination is based. A better
+and more cleanly mixture is thus made:--
+
+  Ol: Ricini      4 parts.
+  Ol: Olivĉ       2   "
+  Ol: Anisi       Q. s.    Mix.
+
+A little pounded sugar added to this will often render it palatable,
+which, being of a fluid consistency, is without difficulty exhibited. The
+compound, however, flows the more readily if it be slightly warmed, and in
+winter it even requires to be thus prepared. Sulphate of magnesia I rarely
+employ; and, as a general purgative, it is not suited to the dog, though
+in exceptional cases it will be seen I recommend it. Should pills be
+preferred, the following will be found to answer every purpose:--
+
+  Ext: Col:          Half a scruple.
+  Pulv: Colch:       Six grains.
+  Pil: Hydrarg:      Five grains.
+
+This is for one pill, which is a dose for a small dog of seven or eight
+pounds weight. Three times the quantity would be required for a
+Newfoundland. It is not very powerful in its action; its effect upon the
+system being quite as much alterative as laxative. The animal under its
+operation is evidently nauseated, and refuses food for about twelve hours;
+at the expiration of which time relief is afforded by a not very copious,
+but bilious evacuation. It is, however, important that, after the
+administration of a purgative, the dog should be permitted to remain
+perfectly quiet; since, if put to exercise, or much excited, the medicine
+will in all probability be ejected.
+
+Emetics are shamefully abused, being so universally employed by the owners
+of dogs, and so strenuously recommended by writers upon their treatment,
+that one might think these agents were held to possess some charmed power
+over the health of the animal. Lecturers are marvellously fluent upon the
+subject of the dog's vomiting, which they dwell upon with such delight
+that their auditors must suppose the act of revulsion in the canine
+species is a pleasurable performance. Let any one, however, possessed of
+sense and reason, observe the creature in the act of being sick. The
+attitude is not characterised by ease; but the body is drawn up
+preparatory for some unusual effort. The countenance does not bespeak
+tranquillity; but the face is expressive of inward oppression. The
+animal's frame is shaken by convulsive spasms, each throe being announced
+by a deep pectoral sound, and only after this has repeatedly been heard
+is the stomach able to cast off its contents.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The description denotes nothing calculated to suggest that the organ whose
+derangement is so marked should be rudely tampered with. It is true the
+dog can readily be made to vomit. No creature is more easily moved in that
+way; but in such a circumstance reason should perceive no license to
+thrust emetics down the animal's throat. The organ which is so readily
+excited, by the fact asserts its sensibility, and on that very account
+ought to be the more respected. I have found oftener difficulty to check
+this tendency than reason to provoke it. Repeatedly are tonics rejected,
+and only by the reduction of the dose can the dog's stomach be made to
+retain the medicine. The emetics in common use are, moreover, far too
+violent. Antimonial wine, from half a teaspoonful to a dessertspoonful, is
+much preferable to tartar emetic and calomel.
+
+On no account should such doses as Blaine prescribes ever be exhibited.
+Youatt in his recommendation is much better, but even the amount he orders
+is too great. A quarter of a grain of tartar emetic in solution is
+sufficient for a middling sized dog; and four grains of ipecacuanha is
+equally effective. If in two hours (which rarely happens) no effect is
+produced, it is better to repeat the dose, and continue even to do so,
+than to commence with a larger quantity in the first instance. These
+animals in their constitutions are so various, and the practitioner has so
+little to guide his judgment, that the utmost caution will not in every
+instance protect him from self-reproach; and in no case is he warranted in
+closing his mind against the suggestions of prudence. It is true the
+primary effects of an emetic are generally gratifying, but the after
+consequences, if carefully traced, will not be found to be equally
+satisfactory. Often the purge and the vomit, with which every dabbler
+commences his treatment of a "dog-case," appear to give relief; but,
+commonly, when the immediate excitation which their first operation
+naturally calls forth passes away, debility ensues, and the termination is
+not in harmony with the beginning. I once was very partial to emetics. I
+now rarely make use of them, and have no reason to lament my change of
+practice.
+
+No notice will be bestowed upon those mysterious compounds known as
+alteratives, sedatives, &c., which are given merely because habit has
+sanctioned their administration. Names are in medicine dangerous things,
+and give a currency to error which, to man and beast alike, has proved
+fatal. Neither will any attempt be made to classify diseases; which
+custom, though it has some advantages, is likely to mislead, by setting up
+a system where no positive connexion can be demonstrated. The disorders
+of the dog in this work will be treated of after no formal plan; but the
+index must supply that want of arrangement, the absence of pretence to
+which probably will give offence to regular students.
+
+
+
+
+DISTEMPER.
+
+Of all the diseases to which the dog is subject, this one is the most
+dreaded. Writers have agreed it is the scourge of the canine race. Blaine
+and Youatt speak of it as capricious and untractable; the French regard it
+as incurable. The owners of dogs, despairing of benefit from regular
+means, have for a long time been content to trust in charms and specifics.
+Folly and cruelty have been embraced to accomplish that which kindness and
+science appear unequal to perform; and one general feeling seems to be
+entertained with regard to the distemper--most persons being agreed that
+the disorder is not to be subdued by medicine, and that its fatality is
+independent of the best efforts of man to check it.
+
+My experience does not corroborate these various but harmonious accounts
+and opinions. In my conviction, the disorder is feared only because it is
+not understood, and is rendered worse by the injudicious attempts to
+relieve it. I find it tractable, easily mastered, and when submitted to me
+before the system is exhausted, I am very seldom disappointed by the
+result of my treatment. It has for some time been my custom to tell those
+who bring me an animal affected with this complaint, that if my
+directions are strictly followed, the creature "_shall not die_." When
+saying this, I pretend not to have life or death at my command, and the
+mildest affections will sometimes terminate fatally; but I merely mean to
+imply, that when proper measures are adopted, distemper is less likely to
+destroy than the majority of those diseases to which the dog is liable.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Distemper has been hitherto regarded as an inflammatory disorder, which
+was to be conquered only by antiphlogistic remedies. Bleeding, purging,
+vomiting, sedatives, blisters, and setons were employed; and the more
+acute the attack, the more violent were the means resorted to for the
+purpose of its conquest. Under such treatment I do not wonder at the evil
+character which the malady has obtained; for in proportion as the efforts
+made were great, so would be the probability of the disease proving
+destructive. There can be no doubt that more dogs have been killed for the
+distemper than would have died from it if nature had been suffered to
+take her course; and yet there is no disease that more requires help, or
+rewards the practitioner more largely for the assistance he affords.
+
+The reader is entreated to dismiss from his mind all he may have read, or
+heard, or thought of this affection. Let the many tales about
+never-failing receipts, and the only proper modes of treatment, be for a
+time at all events forgotten, that the author, who undertakes to oppose
+prejudice and to contradict authority, may at least have a patient
+hearing. There is no reason to doubt that many cases which have been
+called distemper have, to all appearance, been saved by each of the
+reputed methods of cure. A pillet of tobacco, a tea-spoonful of salt, a
+dose of castor oil, an emetic, rubbing the nose with syrup of buckthorn,
+&c., &c., or anything that is famed for the purpose, may have often seemed
+to check the disease; but no one who has been accustomed to depend on
+these charms can deny he has frequently witnessed their failure. That they
+should sometimes have seemed to do good is easily explained. In the first
+place, there are very few persons who know how to recognise the early
+symptoms of the malady; but it is usual for every young dog that is a
+little poorly to be pronounced sick with the distemper.
+
+The unfounded belief that all of these animals must have the disease makes
+every one anticipate its advent, and tempts them to call every ailment by
+the name suggested by their expectations. Two-thirds, at least, of the
+cases which are so quickly cured by nostrums and specifics would on
+inquiry prove to have been mistaken; and as, in the instances where a
+single dose is depended upon, nature is pretty much left to herself, the
+chances are that a fair share of the rest would get well of themselves.
+The recovery, however, could in no way be expedited by that which is
+credited for its accomplishment; since the little done is mostly
+calculated to aggravate and not to alleviate the symptoms, while there is
+no possibility it should eradicate the disorder.
+
+In its character, distemper approaches very near to "continued fever" in
+the human subject; the chief difference being consequent upon the more
+delicate constitution and more irritable temperament of the dog, which
+prevents the two diseases from appearing exactly the same. It consists in
+a general fever, which produces a morbid excitement of all the mucous
+membranes. The digestive track is the principal seat of the disease, but
+of course its presence is most easily recognised at those parts which are
+most exposed to view. Thus the membrane of the eye, being a comparatively
+large surface, and by its delicacy well calculated to denote every
+variation of the system, is usually the first observed, and often the only
+place inspected. If this be cloudy or watery, the nature of the malady is
+at once concluded; the membrane of the nose also, though less palpable, is
+under observation; and if its secretion be copious and opaque, the fact is
+generally imagined to be established. The alterations, however, exhibited
+by these membranes are no more than sympathetic derangements, they being
+continuous with the more important organs; and when proofs are found in
+the eyes or nose, the disorder is generally confirmed, or has taken hold
+of the system. Some have supposed the disease originated in the nose, and
+thence extended to other parts; now I shall not stop here to consider so
+groundless an hypothesis. It essentially is fever affecting the entire of
+the mucous surfaces, but especially those of the alimentary canal.
+
+The causes cannot be well ascertained. Contagion has been by the majority
+of writers supposed to be its principal source, but I cannot say my
+experience has corroborated that opinion. My own little cur never had the
+distemper, and yet she lived where the disease was scarcely ever absent.
+Animals virulently affected were daily brought to me, and not a few were
+left in my charge. From these she was not kept separate; they were her
+acquaintances and companions; she played with them, and often by choice
+shared their beds; and nevertheless she died without exhibiting the
+disease. I do not generally put those dogs by themselves which are
+affected with distemper; yet I cannot bring to mind the instance of an
+animal while under my care having caught the disorder. I doubt whether
+there is any justice in the general opinion. It would be hard to prove the
+prevailing notion was a prejudice, yet there can be no doubt that it is
+much more insisted upon than it deserves to be.
+
+With regard to other causes, I know of none. I have not been able to
+observe that any circumstance can induce the disease, though at particular
+ages the animals are predisposed to its exhibition.
+
+During the latter period of dentition--that is, when the second set of
+incisors are well up, and the permanent tusks are about half-grown, the
+temporary ones being still retained--is the time when pups are most
+disposed to display this disorder. I cannot state the precise age, because
+mouths are not regular in their appearances even as to mouths; but the
+aspect of the teeth will sufficiently mark the period when an individual
+may be expected to be attacked. The season certainly, in no little degree,
+influences the disease. In winter it is not usually seen; in the spring it
+is more common; in summer is rare, but less so than in winter. During the
+autumn, however, especially if much rain should fall, it is very frequent,
+and always more prevalent than at any other periods. Spring and autumn,
+therefore, are the times when it is to be looked for, but in the latter it
+is to be anticipated.
+
+When treating of a subject like the present, there would seem to be a
+disposition to string together a number of words which do duty for
+information. Cold, wet, bad food, foul air, excessive exertion, fear, &c.,
+are grouped together, and put forth for almost every "ill that flesh is
+heir to;" but I have to learn that these accepted terms have any connexion
+with the development of this disorder. Dogs that are starved, neglected,
+and cruelly tortured--animals that are judiciously fed, properly housed,
+and sensibly treated--as well as favorites that are crammed, nursed, and
+humored--all equally are its victims; and those which are most cared for
+fall most frequently, while those which are least prized more generally
+survive. If, therefore, privation or exposure be of any importance, the
+facts seem to infer their tendencies are either to check or mitigate the
+attack.
+
+Exercise and food, however, do influence the complaint. The dog that is
+free suffers much less severely than the one that is confined. The animal
+that never tastes flesh has a much lighter attack than the one which
+subsists entirely upon meat. This last fact I have often proved. When the
+distemper has made its appearance, the opportunity for changing the diet
+has passed away. We have, then, only a choice of dangers. To remove the
+flesh to which the animal is accustomed is to cause it to pine and to
+weaken the strength, at a time when vigor is of every importance; whereas
+to continue the meat is mostly certain death; in this position I generally
+take away the flesh, for by so doing I give the patient a chance of
+recovery; and however desperate that chance may be, nevertheless it is to
+be much preferred to no chance at all.
+
+The symptoms in the very early stage are not well marked or by any means
+distinguished for their regularity. They may assume almost any form;
+dulness and loss of appetite, purging, or vomiting, are very frequently
+the first indications. The more than usual moisture of the eyes, and a
+short cough, are often the earliest signs that attract attention. In the
+bitch a desire for copulation, with a disinclination to accept the dog,
+is to be regarded with suspicion; as is also a display of peevishness and
+a wish to be undisturbed in full-grown animals. These things denote no
+more than the derangement of the system; but if, conjoined with them, the
+inner surface of the lower eyelid should appear to be more red than usual,
+and the pulse should be increased in number without being materially
+altered in character--ranging from one hundred and twenty to one hundred
+and thirty in puppies, and in dogs from one hundred and ten to one hundred
+and twenty-five--the probability of distemper making its appearance is the
+greater, though even then by no means certain.
+
+The period of the year, however, will also have to be taken into
+consideration; and inquiry should always be made whether any animals in
+the immediate neighborhood are known to have exhibited the disorder;
+because the disease is then proved to be in the locality. At this stage
+the practitioner is always more or less in the dark; and therefore he
+contents himself with such measures as he concludes are adapted to the
+symptoms, and waits for further instructions which nature will speedily
+develope.
+
+When the disease is established, the animal is sensitive to cold. It seeks
+warmth, and is constantly shivering; when taken hold of, it is felt to
+tremble violently, so much so that the pulse cannot be accurately counted.
+The bowels are generally constipated. A thick purulent discharge flows
+from the eyes; and the white around the eye, if the upper lid be
+retracted, will be seen covered with numerous small and bright red
+vessels, giving to the part the appearance of acute inflammation. The
+vessels now spoken of are not to be confounded with the veins which are
+natural to this organ. These last are large, and of a purple hue, while
+their course is in the direction of the circumference of the cornea. The
+small vessels, indicative of distemper, are fine, bright in color, and
+their course is towards the centre, or in a line directly the opposite to
+that indicated by the veins. They are never present during health, though
+they are often to be witnessed in other diseases besides that which is
+here treated of. A glairy mucus, or yellow fluid, moistens the nostrils,
+and if the ear be applied to the head, the breathing will be discovered to
+be accompanied with an unusual sound. The cough is often severe and
+frequent; it is sometimes spasmodic--the fits being almost convulsive, and
+terminating with the ejection of a small quantity of yellow frothy liquid,
+which is thrown off by the stomach. The digestion is always impaired, and
+sickness is not unusual; the matter vomited having an offensive smell, and
+never being again consumed by the animal, as is generally the case when
+the creature is in health. The nose is dry and harsh; the coat staring and
+devoid of gloss: the skin hotter than is customary, and the paws warm. The
+pulse is perhaps quicker by twenty beats than during the prior stage, but
+less full--the artery feeling sharp, short, and thin under the finger.
+
+When the symptoms described are apparent, the distemper is easily
+recognised, but it is not likely to continue stationary for any long
+period. In the course of a week it generally changes its character, and
+sometimes appears to subside altogether; the cases in which the disease
+steadily progresses, becoming day by day more severe, being comparatively
+rare.
+
+When no abatement is witnessed, the case is not to be despaired of, but it
+requires to be anxiously watched; for often it will take a sudden turn,
+sometimes favorable, but more frequently demanding immediate assistance to
+prevent a fatal termination. The symptoms become aggravated. The eyes are
+clogged by a thick matter which glues the lids together, especially in the
+morning. The nostrils are plugged up by an accumulation of tenacious
+discharge, which becomes encrusted over the lips and nose, and impedes the
+breathing. The body rapidly wastes, though the appetite may return, and
+even be voracious. The shivering is constant. The dog seeks repose and is
+disinclined to move; though at times it may be playful, and in some
+instances will never exhibit any diminution of spirit. The cough may
+continue; but it more often ceases, or is only heard at irregular and
+distant intervals. The animal makes repeated and desperate efforts to
+expel the accumulated matter from the nose, and uses its paws evidently
+with an intention to remove the annoyance. Day by day, if not attended to,
+these signs grow more aggravated; the breath becomes very offensive;
+ulcers appear on the lips; the eyes become white; the discharge from the
+nostrils changes its color, and is mingled with blood and scabs, having
+an offensive odor. The creature at last begins to "yap," or utter short
+sharp cries. It becomes more weak, till at length it cannot walk, but lies
+upon its side; the noise being continued for hours, and then ceasing only
+to be again commenced. Constipation has usually been present, but at last
+diarrhoea sets in; the fĉces have that peculiar smell which in the dog is
+characteristic of the latest stage of all; and gradually death, without a
+seeming struggle, closes the scene of suffering.
+
+More frequently--indeed, in the majority of cases--the distemper is hardly
+well developed before it all at once seems to disappear. This peculiarity
+in the disorder has no doubt given strength to the general faith in
+specifics for this disease. The animal suddenly so far recovers, or
+appears to recover, after having been seriously affected, that the
+inexperienced naturally conclude the dog is either quite well, or
+evidently so far cured that the efficacy of the remedy administered is not
+to be disputed. For two or three weeks this deceptive appearance may
+continue, and in some cases no return of the symptoms may be witnessed;
+but in the majority of instances the disorder is only dormant, and again
+starts up as if it had been strengthened by its treacherous repose. The
+running from the nose comes back in excessive quantities, and either the
+bowels are singly inflamed, or with them the brain is involved, and fits
+or diarrhoea, or both united, speedily terminate in death, to arrest which
+medicine has seldom the power. The loss is on these occasions rarely
+attributed to distemper, which is thought to have been subdued; but death
+is commonly set down to fits, or to poison, or to inflammation of the
+bowels, or to anything else which the imagination of the proprietor may
+conceive. Hence we get an insight into the value of a large number, and
+perhaps into all, of the reputed nostrums; and hence it is the more
+necessary the reader should be made aware of those indications which
+denote the virus is not eradicated, but only latent as it were, lurking,
+to spring with greater certainty upon its victim. No one must conclude the
+distemper is mastered if the dog continues to lose flesh, or if the animal
+does not rapidly repair the waste consequent upon the earlier stages of
+the disorder. This tendency to stand still or decline should be carefully
+observed, and it will seldom deceive. When it is remarked, or even
+suspected, let the owner be upon his guard. When the distemper is actually
+overcome, there is a marked disposition to fatten; indeed, so strong is it
+at this time that, should it not be evident, there can be no doubt as to
+the cause, especially if a short and slight attack of the disorder has
+been known to have occurred a little time before. A warning, equally clear
+to those who will look for and can read it, is to be obtained from the
+eyes. These may be bright, and even peculiarly transparent; the face have
+a more animated expression than it displayed during previous health; but
+if the eyelids are retracted, the membranes will be found red, and the
+vessels before observed upon will be seen running over the white of the
+eye. When these things are present, although the coat may be beautifully
+smooth, the discharge dried up, the shivering gone, the appetite strong,
+and the spirits boisterous, still there is in the system the seeds of a
+disease which at no distant period will reappear in its most dangerous
+form.
+
+Commonly, after the second stage, there is an abatement of the symptoms,
+without any actual cessation in the discharges. The dog is concluded to be
+better, and thought to be doing well, but it will not be long before
+something to excite alarm is witnessed. The eyes or nerves, or lungs or
+liver, or stomach or intestines may be attacked; or a pustular eruption,
+or actual mange, or a disposition in the animal to eat its own flesh, or
+choroea, or paralysis may appear, and all of these possible varieties
+require to be separately dwelt upon.
+
+The eyes lose their transparency, the surface is white and opaque, the
+sight is impaired, and the lids are nearly constantly closed. One or both
+of the organs of vision may be thus affected; usually the two are
+simultaneously affected, but seldom with the like intensity. After a few
+days, and sometimes at the commencement, a small circular depression is to
+be seen upon the very centre of the eyeball. It is round, and varies in
+size from that of a pin's head to that of a small pea, but rarely becomes
+larger. The depression, if nothing be done to check it, deepens till a
+little shallow pit is exhibited. At other times the hole grows larger and
+deeper, till the outer covering of the eye is absorbed, or, in common
+phrase, is eaten through, and the water escapes: this gives relief. If,
+however, the animal survives, the eye is often perfectly restored, though
+very frequently a white speck marks the spot which was ulcerated; or the
+dog is left with weakened eyes, and has a tendency to cataract, which may
+ultimately render it blind.
+
+The affection of the lungs is denoted by the dog breathing more quickly,
+and often making a small plaintive or whistling noise during respiration.
+Though cough is quite as often absent as present; but if present it is
+usually severe; the pulse is increased, but small and thready, and the
+appetite may not be impaired. The animal is, however, disinclined to move,
+if put down at liberty, it always gets into some place where it hopes to
+be allowed to remain undisturbed. As the symptoms become more intense, the
+animal constantly sits upon its haunches; but I have not seen it carry the
+head erect, although authors state this to be one of the indications.
+There is a desire for fresh air, and the dog will always leave the house,
+or get to the window or door, if he have an opportunity of so doing. These
+signs are hardly to be mistaken, but they are easily confirmed. If the ear
+be applied to the side of a healthy dog's chest, no sound can be detected;
+but when the lungs are diseased, a very plain noise is readily heard. The
+presence, therefore, of any murmur, or of anything like air escaping over
+a dry rough surface, is indicative of disease, and the certainty that the
+lungs are involved is confirmed.
+
+Dogs of late years have not commonly died of pneumonia during the
+distemper; but authors speak of the pulmonary form of the disorder as
+having formerly been a common cause of death. I know it only as a mild
+variation of the ordinary symptoms. It has not in any case under my
+observation proved fatal, but has readily yielded to gentle measures,
+aided by attention to simple diet.
+
+The liver is generally involved. After the termination of a fatal case,
+this gland is found either soft or more brittle than it ought to be, else
+it is discovered much enlarged. I never saw it of less than its natural
+size. Generally it is discolored, mostly of a pale tint; which sometimes
+exists all over the organ, though the pendulous edges of the lobes are
+very generally seen of the bright red, suggestive of inflammation. The
+gall-bladder is always distended with a thin dark-green fluid or impure
+bile; and a large quantity of the same secretion, but of greater
+consistency, is distributed over the lining membrane of the anterior
+intestines. The liver obviously is the cause of the yellow distemper,
+which is no more than jaundice added to the original and pre-existing
+disease. Yellow distemper is by writers treated of as a distinct disorder,
+but I have not yet met with it in that form. When it has come under my
+notice, it has been no more than one of the many complications which the
+symptoms are liable to assume. The dog has been ill before his skin became
+discolored; but the eyes not exhibiting that ordinary discharge which
+denotes the true character of the affection under which he labored, the
+distemper was not detected.
+
+Everything concerning distemper is by the generality of the public
+misunderstood. Most people imagine a dog can have the distemper but once
+in its life; whereas I had a patient that underwent three distinct attacks
+in one autumn, that of 1849. The majority of persons who profess an
+intimate knowledge of the dog will tell you distemper is a disorder
+peculiar to the young; whereas I know of no age that is exempt from its
+attack. I have known dogs, high-bred favorites, to be left with men
+selected because of their supposed familiarity with dog diseases; and
+these very men have brought to me the animals in the fits which are the
+wind-up of distemper, yet notwithstanding have been ignorant that their
+charges had any disease whatever. All the stages and symptoms of ordinary
+distemper may appear and depart unnoticed; but it is widely different with
+yellow distemper, for when the yellowness appears, it is so marked that no
+description of a peculiar symptom need be inserted, since it cannot be
+overlooked or mistaken. It is attended with excessive debility, and,
+unless properly combated, is rapidly fatal.
+
+The stomach and intestines are always involved; I have never known a case
+in which either escaped. The affection of the first is generally shown by
+sickness during the earliest stage; when also the derangement of the last
+is denoted by either costiveness or relaxation, the bowels never being
+perfectly regular; towards the latter stages, or about the third or fourth
+week, the appetite sometimes becomes enormous; the craving for food is
+then unnatural, and is so intense that no quantity can appease the hunger.
+The animal will eat anything; dry bread is taken with avidity, and stones,
+cinders, straw, and every species of filth are eaten with apparent relish.
+Such, however, is not always the case, since it is not unusual for the
+appetite entirely to fail. In either instance the dog rapidly wastes; the
+flesh seems to melt as it were away, and the change produced by a few days
+is startling; from having been fat, a thinness which exposes every bone is
+witnessed in a shorter time than would be supposed possible. At this
+period vomiting may come on; but when the animal is morbidly ravenous, the
+stomach does not generally reject its contents. After death I have found
+it loaded with the most irritating substances, and always acutely
+inflamed; but no sickness in any instance of this kind has been observed.
+Vomiting is most generally absent, but the protruded and reddened
+appearance of the anus will give a clue to the actual condition of the
+alimentary tube. The stomach is inflamed, not throughout, but in various
+parts which are in different stages of disease. The pyloric orifice is
+always more affected than the cardiac; the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum,
+are inflamed; the cĉcum is enlarged, inflamed, and generally impacted. The
+rectum, however, suffers most severely; it is much reddened and thickened,
+often to an extraordinary degree. I have known blood to be exuded from the
+surface of this bowel in such quantities as to destroy the life from
+actual hemorrhage. In one case, however, a spaniel vomited more than
+half-a-pint of blood previous to its death, which took place two hours
+afterwards. A small quantity of blood is ordinarily passed with the fĉces
+toward the latter stage; but in several cases a large amount of pure
+blood, partly coagulated and unmingled with any fĉcal matter, has flowed
+from the body in a continued stream, to which there will be cessation only
+as death approaches. The possibility of this occurring will give the
+reader some idea of the extent and degree in which the bowels are or may
+be diseased; the symptoms, nevertheless, are not such as would suggest the
+danger which may be shortly violently exemplified. Irregularity of the
+intestines may be remarked; but it is not so characterised as to force
+itself upon the attention. The belly during distemper mostly appears
+tucked up and small; the intestines, even when costiveness exists, are
+seldom loaded, but all except the rectum may feel empty. The animal is
+always bound when the bowels are acutely attacked. The first indication we
+get of this is often colic. The cries are high and yet full at first; but
+they only occur at periods, between which the dog seems easy and inclined
+to sleep; gradually the exclamations become more sharp and short, a
+quantity of dark-coloured fĉces are voided, and relief is for a time
+experienced; the cries, however, return and become continuous; diarrhoea
+sets in; the excretions become more and more liquid, by degrees mixed with
+blood, and of a lighter color. Whenever they are discharged, pain is
+expressed; but as the animal sinks the cries grow less frequent, till at
+last the excrements pass involuntarily, and death soon takes place.
+
+The cries, however, are not heard in every instance even of this kind, and
+the abdomen is not generally sensitive to pressure. When the belly is
+handled, the dog, by contracting the muscles covering the parts, may
+denote some small degree of resistance; but I have never known it to
+struggle during the operation. The curving of the spine, the occasional
+looks towards the seat of agony, and the efforts made to press or draw the
+belly upon the ground, will indicate the inflammatory character and the
+locality of the disease. The pulse does not materially aid the judgment;
+it becomes quicker and more sharp, but hardly to such an extent that
+dependence can be placed on its indications. The discharges often cease
+when the disease, in an acute form, becomes concentrated upon the contents
+of the abdomen; but the nose is almost always hot and harsh, though in a
+few cases I have known the part remain cold and moist even to the last. As
+the close draws near, a very peculiar smell, not absolutely powerful, but
+more sickly than offensive, is emitted. This odor is consequent upon the
+fĉces, and when it is detected the animal seldom or never survives.
+
+The brain, both Blaine and Youatt speak of as subject to inflammation
+during the latter stage of distemper. As diseases are peculiarly liable to
+change, and the appearances assumed at different times are by no means
+uniform, I may not say those estimable writers never beheld it in such a
+state; but I am certain I have never seen it in a similar condition; I
+have found it congested, but far oftener have I discovered it perfectly
+healthy. One of its coverings (the dura mater) has exhibited a few spots
+of congestion, but these have been small, each not larger than the head of
+a moderate sized pin, and in number about ten or twelve; generally they
+are situated towards the anterior of the cranium (on either side or falx),
+and near to the crista galli.
+
+The bones forming the roof of the skull have, however, been highly
+vascular--loaded with dark blood--so that if dried they become of almost a
+black hue; and without disputing the accuracy of either of the authorities
+I have mentioned, these appearances to my mind account more satisfactorily
+for symptoms which no one asserts ever border upon phrenitis. The brain
+seems to me to be only sympathetically affected, not absolutely involved
+in this disease. When this is threatened, there is generally some notice
+given before the fits, succeeded by stupor, are displayed. The eye will
+sometimes brighten, and the discharge from the nose will cease. This,
+however, is by no means constant; as it is not rare for both to continue,
+or even to become more copious; but if one only should remain, the nose is
+certain to be the part whence the deflexion will issue. No positive
+dependence, therefore, can be placed upon the discharges from the eye or
+nose. The eye, nevertheless, is certain to denote that which is on the eve
+of happening. The pupil may be small; and when it is so, its decrease of
+size will be marked, and it will have little disposition to enlarge.
+This, however, is rarely witnessed. Generally the pupil is much enlarged,
+so much as to conceal the iris, and alter the character of the organ. The
+eye is moreover retracted, and the dog has a very peculiar expression of
+mingled pain and stupidity. If the hand be placed upon the head, it will
+be sensibly hot. No matter how thick the coat may be, the heat will be
+apparent, and the carotid arteries will sensibly throb. The coat feels dry
+and is warm, although the animal may be trembling to such a degree as
+prevents the pulse being counted. Yet the dog seems lively; it is active
+now, though perhaps a little while ago it was dull; every trivial
+circumstance now attracts its notice. The appetite is generally ravenous.
+The dog which only the day before was disinclined to feed, is suddenly
+disposed to eat more than it ever was known to consume; and it will gnaw
+and swallow the hardest wood for want of better provender. The amended
+appetite is mostly one of the symptoms, but it is not invariably
+witnessed; for occasionally increased activity, and the strange appearance
+of the eye, are all that indicate the approach of fits. It will not be
+long, however, before something shall be added which is more definite in
+its meaning. The dog which was running about suddenly stands still, and
+begins to smack its lips and champ its jaw. It keeps stationary while
+doing this, and continues so until a quantity of froth and thick saliva
+falls from the mouth, drops upon the ground, and then the action ceases.
+The animal looks around with a vacant stare, evidently not conscious
+where it is, and starts away, hitting itself perhaps against anything
+which may oppose its progress. If caught it struggles to get loose, and
+may even bite the hand which, when conscious, it would perish to defend.
+Almost immediately, however, it regains its faculties, and then seems
+quite as well as it appeared to be before the attack came on. It may
+continue subject to be thus seized for several days; or soon after the
+first attack, fits or convulsions may start up. During the champing colic
+may set in, which will only yield when the fits are established. The
+duration of the champing is not regular; it may be only for a few moments,
+or for several minutes. The attacks may be no more than one or two in the
+day, or twenty may occur in a single hour. Generally they remain about
+three days, but here also there is no rule. I have known them to be
+present for a week, and also to exist only for a few hours. In these
+latter cases the condition of the dog is generally not understood. It is
+taken out for a long walk, or it is indulged with a hearty meal; and in
+the middle of the one, or shortly after the other, it begins to champ,
+utters a loud sharp cry, which is suddenly cut short as if the animal was
+choked. The eyes glare, the mouth is open, and before perfect
+insensibility ensues, the dog bites at every object near it, then falls
+down convulsed, the limbs stiffen, the head is drawn back or twisted to
+one side, the urine and dung are voided; and a slate of unconsciousness,
+which may cease in a few minutes, or continue for hours, during which the
+body is in contortions, and the saliva flows freely from the mouth,
+stretches the poor brute upon the earth. When this is over, the dog
+recovers as from a trance, being always disposed to ramble, and should its
+strength permit, will start away at its utmost speed. There is neither to
+the number nor duration of these fits any limit; they may be few or
+frequent, and long or short. The second may end the life; or every five
+minutes, nay oftener, they may occur, and the animal survive for days. Any
+excitement will bring them on, and the passage of the fĉces invariably is
+accompanied by an attack. Diarrhoea always begins when they commence, and
+the dog soon loses strength, and lies upon its side unconscious and
+incapable of motion; the pulse is not to be felt, and gradually without a
+struggle it expires. Let no man, however, be hasty in saying positively
+when death has taken place. Often has the life seemed gone, for the heart
+has been still; but minutes afterwards the animal has gasped, and then
+began to breathe once more. Death, however, comes at last, for if the dog
+sinks to such a state, I have never known it to revive.
+
+A pustular eruption is often witnessed during the existence of distemper,
+and I have not seen the same phenomenon distinct from the disease. The two
+appear to be united, and yet we do not know the manner in which they are
+connected. The other symptoms are not mitigated when the pustules are
+matured, nor does their appearance denote any particular crisis or stage
+of the disorder. I have, however, most frequently seen them towards the
+latter or confirmed stages of distemper, and often they have immediately
+preceded the fits. The first indication given is a little redness, which
+is strictly local or confined to a particular spot. This place is not very
+red, but, nevertheless, it is obviously inflamed and tender; there is not
+much swelling, but a slight hardness can be detected. A day or two
+afterwards the redness dies away, and a globular eminence, perfectly
+round, and generally about the size of a split pea, is beheld. If it be
+opened, a proportionate quantity of thick pus of a healthy character
+escapes, and a comparatively large incrustation forms over the part; if
+not opened, the pustule bursts and the scab follows, but larger than in
+the previous case. Mostly the eruption appears on the belly and inside of
+the thighs, but it is seldom strictly confined to those parts. Often it
+affects the trunk and tail, but does not usually attack the head and
+fore-limbs. There is no proof that any benefit attends its development, or
+any known reason for attributing it to any cause; save only such as can be
+drawn from the statement, that I have commonly observed it in pups of a
+weakly constitution and emaciated condition.
+
+The disposition to eat or gnaw some part of the body is often shown to an
+alarming degree, but is seldom exhibited save in the latter stage of the
+disease. The dog is observed to lick one of its paws, or mumble at its
+tail, for some days. The part is always one of the extremities, and is
+evidently tormented with a violent itching which cannot be allayed. The
+animal at length, irritated by the torture, attacks the member with its
+teeth. The skin is first removed, and then the flesh. The mouth may be
+covered with blood, the teeth clogged with hair, and the very bones
+attacked; but the pain which the sight of the mangled surface suggests to
+the spectator seems not to be felt by the dog, which appears desirous only
+of destroying its own body. I have known two of the toes of one fore-paw
+to be thus consumed, so that amputation was afterward imperative, portions
+of the metacarpal bones being laid bare. In several instances the root of
+the tail has been eaten, until the sacrum and first tail bones, with the
+nerves, were exposed. The rage cannot be overcome, and, unless the
+disposition be prevented by mechanical means, the consequence will be
+fatal. No author that I am acquainted with has noticed this peculiarity;
+and in general it is attributed to other causes than distemper, which is
+either not observed, or is supposed to have been got over.
+
+Tumors on various parts of the body, and of different kinds, sometimes but
+not usually accompany the disease; but as I have not been able to satisfy
+myself they are peculiar to the disorder, or induced by any other cause
+than the debility attendant on distemper, there is in this place no
+occasion to more than point out the possibility of their appearance. They
+are unfavorable as indications of general weakness, but they do not seem
+to possess any further or direct influence over the course of the
+affection.
+
+The genital organs rarely escape altogether. A thick purulent discharge,
+or one of a glairy nature, is often present in the male throughout the
+attack, and nearly always during recovery. In both sexes the bladder in
+the latter stages is apt to be paralysed, and the accumulation of the
+urine then becomes a prominent symptom. The recovery often commences after
+relief has been obtained, but if the necessity be overlooked, death
+generally ensues.
+
+Paralysis of the hind extremities is occasionally witnessed, and when seen
+is generally sudden in its appearance. Sometimes, however, the loss of
+power is gradual, and when such is the case the hopes of a cure are always
+diminished. If the power of motion be lost suddenly, costiveness mostly
+exists; and if, on the other hand, it should be gradual, there may be
+diarrhoea, which will terminate in death.
+
+Twitches, chorĉa, or Saint Vitus's dance, are not very usual, and may
+continue for months after every other symptom has subsided. All four limbs
+are sometimes violently agitated, and even during sleep are not quiescent.
+The motion is incessant, and when this is the case the animal dies, worn
+out by the want of bodily rest. In the majority of instances only one limb
+is affected; and a species of independence of volition, or incapability of
+controlling its movements, accompanies the affection. Though never still,
+the leg is comparatively useless, and is carried in a manner which denotes
+this fact. The muscles of the trunk are less commonly attacked, but they
+do not always escape. When the legs have not been thus affected, I have
+known the abdominal and thoracic muscles to be troubled by continuous
+twitchings; which, however, have been for the most part slight, and have
+subsided more quickly than have those of the extremities, when they have
+been diseased. Cholera comes on gradually; its commencement is hardly to
+be perceived, and it is seldom observed before the distemper is fully
+developed--even sometimes only when the disorder appears to be subsiding.
+It is not rare for it to start up while the animal is apparently
+recovering; and when it does so, it is always most difficult to remove. No
+pain is felt in the affected limb; the part rather seems to lose some
+portion of its sensibility.
+
+When the hind parts are paralysed, feeling may be entirely gone; so that a
+pin thrust into the flesh of those parts does not even attract the notice
+of the dog. This does not occur in chorĉa, but the consciousness is dulled
+by that affection. The convulsed limb may be more roughly handled than the
+healthy ones; but violence will excite those answers which truly indicate
+that insensibility is not established in it. If nothing be done for the
+twitchings, the limb will waste; at last the general system will be
+sympathetically involved, and the body will grow thin. This, however, may
+not happen until long after all signs of distemper have disappeared; for
+chorĉa, though well known to be often fatal, is always slow in its
+progress, and never attended with immediate danger.
+
+Such is an outline of the leading symptoms; and it now remains only to
+more particularly point out those which indicate death and denote
+recovery. The third or fourth week is the time when the dog mostly dies,
+if the disorder terminates fatally; and six weeks is the average
+continuance of the attack. Rapid loss of flesh is always a bad sign, and
+it is worse in proportion as the appetite is good, because then nature has
+lost the power of appropriation. The presence of vermin is likewise a
+circumstance which in some measure is deserving of notice. If a dog
+becomes, during the existence of this disorder, unusually infested with
+fleas, or more especially if lice all at once cover its coat,--as these
+parasites ever abound where the body is debilitated and the system
+unhealthy,--they are at such a period particularly ominous. The coat
+cannot, while the disease prevails, be expected to look sleek; but when it
+becomes more than usually harsh, and is decidedly foul, having a peculiar
+smell, which is communicated to the hand when it is passed over the body,
+the anticipations are not bright. The most marked indication is, however,
+given by the tongue. When this is only a little whiter than it was in
+health, we may hope for recovery; but if it becomes coated, discolored,
+and red and dry at its tip and edges, the worst may be foretold. The
+warning is the more decided if the breath be hot and tainted, and the
+belly and feet cold to the touch. While the dog can stand and walk,
+however feebly, there is no reason to despair; but when it falls down, and
+lies upon its side, rarely is medicine of much avail. Even then, however,
+it will sometimes recover; but if, while in this state, injections are
+returned as soon as they are administered, the chance that it can survive
+is indeed remote.
+
+Recovery, in extreme cases, usually commences after diarrhoea which had
+set in has subsided, rather than during its attack. This is the only
+semblance to anything approaching a crisis which has come hither under my
+observation. If simultaneously the eyes lose their red and glassy aspect,
+and the cough returns, the danger may be supposed to have been passed. For
+weeks, however, the animal will require attention; for the convalescence
+is often more difficult to master than the disease itself is to cure; and
+relapses, always more dangerous than the original attack, are by no means
+unusual. The recovery may not be perfect before one or even two months
+have expired; but usually it is rapid, and the health is better than it
+was previous to the disease. A dog which would before never make flesh,
+having had the distemper, will often become fat. I once tried all in my
+power to relieve a Newfoundland dog of worms, but though I persisted for
+months, I was at last reluctantly obliged to admit the case was beyond any
+treatment I dared employ. A fortnight after I had given it up, the same
+animal was brought to me, suffering under evident distemper. I was not
+displeased to see it in that state, for I felt I could overcome the
+disease; and I told the proprietor that with the distemper the worms would
+depart. So it proved, and the dog has not since been subject to the
+annoyance.
+
+When the violence of the disorder has declined, the skin generally peels,
+the cuticle is cut off, and the hair is scurfy. I have even known the
+soles of the feet to cast their outer covering, and in one case three of
+the nails were shed. The teeth, also, are coated with a thick fur, and the
+breath is offensive; but as the strength returns at the same time, these
+circumstances are not to be viewed in a serious light. In one or two
+instances, where the system seemed to be so shaken that it retained no
+strength to cast off the lingering remnant of the distemper, mange has
+burst forth, and proceeded very rapidly; but it yielded with equal speed
+to mild external remedies, and is therefore only to be feared inasmuch as
+it disfigures the dog for a time, retarding the ultimate restoration to
+health by further taxing the enfeebled body.
+
+During the recovery from distemper, small and delicate animals--terriers
+and spaniels--are very liable to faint; the dog is lively, perhaps
+excited, when suddenly it falls upon its side, and all its limbs stiffen.
+A series of these attacks may follow one another, though generally one
+only occurs; when numerous and rapid, there is some danger, but, as a
+general rule, little apprehension need be entertained. The fainting fits
+are of some consequence, if they exist during a sickening for, or maturing
+of, distemper. In pups that have not passed the climax of the disease,
+they are not unseldom the cause of death; but, even in that case, I have
+never been convinced that the measures adopted for the relief did not kill
+quite as much or even more than the affection. When the symptom is
+mistaken, and wrong remedies are resorted to, the fainting fit will often
+continue for hours, or never be overcome. When let alone, the attack
+mostly does not last longer than a quarter of an hour, and under judicious
+treatment the consciousness almost immediately returns. When the fainting
+fits occur during the progress or advance of the disease--that is, before
+the symptoms have begun to amend--it is usually preceded by signs of
+aggravation. For twelve or twenty-four hours previously the dog is
+perceptibly worse; it may moan or cry, and yet no organ seems to be
+decidedly affected more seriously than it was before. I attribute the
+sounds made to headache; and, confirming this opinion, there is always
+some heat at the scalp. The animal is dull, but immediately before the
+collapse it attempts to wander, and has begun to move, probably panting at
+the same time, when it falls without a cry, and stiffens. In this
+state--the rigidity occasionally being less, but the unconsciousness
+continuing unchanged--it will remain; the eyes are turned upward or into
+the skull, the gums and tongue are pallid, the legs and belly cold: the
+appearances are those of approaching death, which, unless relief is
+afforded, may in a short time take place. When the fainting occurs after
+convalescence is established, the attack is sudden, the symptoms are less
+violent, and the coma of shorter duration. In this last case there is
+generally little danger, but there is always sufficient reason for alarm,
+and help ought never to be delayed. These attacks are commonly confounded
+with true distemper fits, from which they are altogether distinct; and
+from which they may be readily distinguished by the absence of the
+champing of the jaw, the want of any disposition to bite, the immediate
+insensibility which ensues, the shrieks not being heard, and the urine or
+fĉces not being voided. Nevertheless, the two are usually confounded, and
+hence many persons are found asserting that distemper fits are easily
+cured; and several dogs have been shown to me at different times, which
+their owners were confident had been attacked by distemper fits, and
+radically cured by the most simple, and often ridiculous specifics. I have
+sometimes in despair--even against my reason--tried these boasted
+remedies, but in no instance has the result rewarded me. Where there was
+real occasion for a potent medicine, and little hope that any drug could
+benefit, the nostrums have, without a single exception, belied the
+confident recommendations with which they were offered, and either have
+done harm or proved inoperative.
+
+The symptoms of distemper, as the reader will, after wading through the
+foregoing description, have perceived, are numerous and complicated; they
+admit of no positive arrangement, being both eccentric in their order and
+appearances. Redness of the eyes, with discharge from both eyes and nose,
+accompanied with ordinary signs of illness, are the early indications; but
+even these are not to be sought for, or to be expected in any single form.
+The judgment must be exercised, and study strengthened by experience will
+alone enable any man to pronounce the presence of distemper in many cases;
+while, perhaps, without knowledge or practice any person may recognise it
+in the generality of instances.
+
+The treatment is rendered the more difficult because of the insidious
+nature of the disorder, and the uncertain character of its symptoms; under
+such circumstances, it is no easy task to make perfectly clear those
+instructions I am about to give. I am in possession of no specific; I do
+not pretend to teach how to conjure; I am going only to lay down certain
+rules which, if judiciously applied, will tend to take from this disease
+that fatal reputation which it has hitherto acquired. I shall be obliged,
+however, to leave much to the discretion of the reader; for it would
+employ too great a space, did I attempt to make provision for all possible
+accidents and probable combinations.
+
+The diet is of all importance; it must be strictly attended to. In the
+first place, meat or flesh must be withheld. Boiled rice, with a little
+broth from which the fat has been removed, may be the food of a weakly
+animal, but for the majority bread and milk will be sufficient; whichever
+is employed must be given perfectly cold. Sugar, butter, sweet biscuits,
+meat, gravy, greens, tea or pot liquor--either luxuries or trash--must be
+scrupulously denied in any quantity, however small. Skim-milk, if
+perfectly sweet, is to be preferred, and coarse bread or ship biscuits are
+better than the same articles of a finer quality. These will form the
+diet, when the dog can be brought to accept them; and to rice, the
+favorite--however great may be the pity he elicits, or however urgent may
+be his solicitations for a more liberal fare--must be rigidly confined.
+If, after a few trials, the dog stubbornly refuses such provender, meat
+must of necessity be given, but it should be of the very best description,
+and rather underdone. Of this kind, it ought to be minced, and mixed with
+so much rice or ship biscuit as the animal can at first be made to eat
+with it; the rice or biscuit may then be gradually increased; and in the
+end the vegetable substance will constitute, at all events, the major part
+of the support. Water, constantly changed--a circumstance too little
+attended to where dogs are concerned--must be the only drink; the bed must
+be warm and dry, but airy. Cleanliness cannot be carried to too nice an
+extent; here the most fastidious attention is not out of place. Let the
+kennel be daily cleared, and the bed regularly changed at least
+thrice-a-week; straw or hay is better for the dog to sleep upon than
+cushions or blankets, which, being more expensive, are not so frequently
+replaced. Too much hay or straw cannot be allowed, but, on the other hand,
+it is difficult to regulate the quantity of the finer articles. In the
+last kind of bed the animal is often almost smothered, or else he scrapes
+them into a lump, and lies shivering on the top; whereas, when he has
+straw to lie upon, he can either creep beneath it, and shelter himself
+when sensible of cold, or expose himself to the air when oppressed by the
+fever. The sensations being the only guide, it is best to leave the dog,
+as much as possible, capable of obeying its instinct; but always let the
+bed be ample, as during the night the shivering generally prevails, and
+the cold fit is entirely independent of the heat to be felt at the skin,
+or the temperature of the season. Let the dog be kept away from the fire,
+for, if permitted, it will creep to the hearth, and may be injured by the
+falling cinders, when the burn will not perhaps readily heal. A cold or
+rather cool place is to be selected--one protected from wet, free from
+damp, and not exposed to wind or draughts. The kennel, if properly
+constructed, is the better house, for dogs do best in the open air; the
+only objection to which is, the chance it offers of the animal being
+drenched with rain. If the kennel can be placed under an open outhouse, I
+should always have it put there; and what else I would recommend is, of
+course, told by the line of conduct which I pursue.
+
+Medicinal measures are not to be so quickly settled. A constant change of
+the agents employed will be imperative, and the practitioner must be
+prepared to meet every symptom as it appears. The treatment is almost
+wholly regulated by the symptoms, and as the last are various, of course
+the mode of vanquishing them cannot be uniform. To guide us, however,
+there is the well-known fact, the disease we have to subdue is of a
+febrile kind, and has a decided tendency to assume a typhoid character;
+therefore, whatever is done must be of a description not likely to
+exhaust,--depletion is altogether out of the question. The object we have
+to keep in view is the support of nature, and the husbanding of those
+powers which the malady is certain to prey upon: in proportion as this is
+done, so will be the issue. In the very early stage, purgatives or emetics
+are admissible. If a dog is brought to me with reddened eyes, but no
+discharge, and the owner does no more with regard to the animal than
+complain of dulness, a want of appetite, and a desire to creep to the
+warmth, then I give a mild emetic such as is directed, page 119; and this
+I repeat for three successive mornings; on the fourth day administering a
+gentle purge, as ordered, page 116. The tartar emetic solution and
+purgative pills I employ for these purposes, in preference to castor oil
+or ipecacuanha, and during the same time I prescribe the following
+pills:--
+
+  Ext. belladonna         Six to twenty-four grains.
+  Nitre                   One to four scruples.
+  Extract of gentian      One to four drachms.
+  Powdered quassia        A sufficiency.
+
+Make into twenty-four pills, and give three daily; choosing the lowest
+amount specified, or the intermediate quantities, according to the size of
+the animal.
+
+Often under this treatment the disease will appear to be suddenly cut
+short. With the action of the purgative, or even before it has acted, all
+the symptoms will disappear, and nothing remains which seems to say any
+further treatment is required. I never rest here, for experience has
+taught me that these appearances are deceptive, and the disorder has a
+disposition to return. Consequently strict injunctions are given as to
+diet, and a course of tonics is adopted:--
+
+  Disulphate of quinine      One to four scruples.
+  Sulphate of iron           One to four scruples.
+  Extract of gentian         Two to eight drachms.
+  Powdered quassia           A sufficiency.
+
+Make into twenty pills, and give three daily.
+
+At the same time I give the liquor arsenicalis, which I prepare not
+exactly as is directed to be made by the London pharmacopoeia, but after
+the following method:--
+
+Take any quantity of arsenious acid, and adding to it so much distilled
+water as will constitute one ounce of the fluid to every four grains of
+the substance, put the two into a glass vessel. To these put a quantity of
+carbonate of potash equal to that of the acid, and let the whole boil
+until the liquid is perfectly clear. The strength is the same as the
+preparation used in human practice; the only difference is, the coloring
+and flavoring ingredients are omitted, because they render the medicine
+distasteful to the dog. The dose for the dog is from one drop to three
+drops; it may be carried higher, but should not be used in greater
+strength, when a tonic or febrifuge effect only is desired.
+
+Of the liquor arsenicalis I take ten or twenty drops, and adding one ounce
+of distilled water, mingled with a little simple syrup, I order a
+teaspoonful to be given thrice daily with the pills, or in a little milk,
+or in any fluid the creature is fond of. The taste being pleasant, the dog
+does not object to this physic, and it is of all importance that it
+should be annoyed at this time as little as may be possible.
+
+Numerous are the cases which have thus been shortened by this method; and
+the advantage gained by this mode of treatment is, that if the measures
+employed be not absolutely necessary, they do no harm, and if required,
+they are those which are calculated to mitigate the violence of the
+disease; so for three or four weeks I pursue this course, and should all
+then appear well, I dismiss the case.
+
+Most generally, however, the dogs brought to us with the distemper have
+the disease fairly established before we see them. Then I never purge or
+vomit: the time when such agents could be remedial has passed, and if now
+used, though they will seem to do some immediate good, the after
+consequences are always to be regretted. The action of the purgative has
+scarcely subsided before the distemper assumes a more virulent form, and
+the probability of the termination is rendered more dark. During the
+distemper I pay little attention to the bowels; and, however great may be
+the costiveness, I never venture to resort even to a laxative, though,
+should I discover the rectum to be impacted with hard fĉces, an enema may
+be employed. That which I use on these occasions is composed of gruel, to
+which some sulphuric ether and laudanum has been added.
+
+  Take of cold gruel           One quart.
+          Sulphuric ether      Four drachms.
+          Laudanum             One scruple.
+
+The above quantity will be ample for the largest dog--one-eighth will be
+enough for a small animal--and for a mere pup, an ounce of the fluid is
+often sufficient. In these cases, however, I always continue the injection
+until it is returned, the object not being to have it retained; but simply
+to lubricate the part, and thereby facilitate the passage of the fĉces,
+while by distending the rectum, that intestine is stimulated to expel its
+contents. The ether and laudanum are introduced to guard against the
+possibility of irritation. If a more than usual disposition to costiveness
+be observed, twice a week a meal of liver, chopped very fine, is allowed;
+but even this should be given only after there is absolute proof of its
+necessity.
+
+Of the cough, however distressing it may be, I take no notice. I do
+nothing for its relief, but persevere in the tonic treatment, and become
+more strict in my directions concerning diet. The cough is only one of the
+symptoms attendant on the disorder, and the measures likely to mitigate
+its severity will aggravate the disease; while by attacking the disorder,
+we destroy the cause, and with that the effect also disappears.
+
+The eyes I treat, or rather refuse to treat, upon the same principle.
+Whatever may be the appearance they present--even though the animal should
+be actually blind, the eye of a dull thick white color on its entire
+surface, and the centre of the cornea ulcerated--nevertheless I let them
+alone, and turn a deaf ear to the entreaties which call on me to relieve
+so terrible an affliction: I forbid even the discharge to be washed off.
+Nothing must go near them; but the treatment must be pursued as though we
+were ignorant that the parts were affected. Any excessive accumulation may
+be gently picked off with the fingers once a-day; but even this must be
+performed with the utmost caution, and in most instances had better be let
+alone. It can only be necessary in dogs that have very long hair which
+becomes matted and glued together upon the cheeks; for other animals it is
+not imperative. If the lids should be stuck together, the fastening
+substance may be removed; but it should not be too quickly done even then.
+All water, either warm, tepid, or cold--every kind of lotion, or any sort
+of salve or powder--will do harm, by either weakening or irritating the
+organs. As to bleeding, blistering, and setoning, which have been advised,
+they are contrary to the dictates of humanity, and as a necessary
+consequence, are injurious. In medicine, at least with the dog, that which
+is not kind is not good. With these animals the feelings are much safer
+than the reason; and a lady, consulting the impulses of her heart, would
+be more likely to save her favorite than a veterinary surgeon, who
+proceeded upon the practice of that which he supposed was his science. Let
+the eyes of the sufferer alone--we cannot alleviate the pain, or shorten
+its duration. The disease regulates the torture, and to that we must give
+attention. If the distemper is conquered, the sight will mostly be
+restored; but if the eyes are tampered with, consequences may ensue which
+are not natural to the disease, but are induced by the crude and cruel
+prejudices of the doctor. The man who, during distemper, seeing an ulcer
+upon the cornea, under the imagination that by so doing he will set up a
+healthy action, presumes to touch it with lunar caustic, will in the
+resistance of the poor patient be rebuked, and, by the humour of the eye
+squirting into his face, probably be informed that he has accomplished the
+very object he intended to prevent, while a fungoid mass will spring up to
+commemorate his achievement.
+
+When the lungs are attacked, all kinds of mistaken cruelties have been
+perpetrated. No wonder the disease has been so fatal, when it has been so
+little understood. I cannot conceive that any dog could survive the
+measures I was by my college tutor taught to pursue, or the plan which
+books told me to adopt. Needlessly severe, calculated to strengthen the
+disease, and to decrease the power of the animal to survive, as the
+general practice decidedly is, I entreat the reader to reject it. In
+truth, the involvement of the lungs is in distemper a very slight affair;
+no symptom yields more quickly or to milder means. Do not forget the diet,
+but let it be both low and small. The system cannot endure depletion,
+therefore we must gain whatever we can through abstinence. Do not starve,
+but be cautious not to cram the animal; only keep it so short that it
+remains always hungry. The meal must now never be full, or sufficient to
+satisfy the appetite, which is usually large. A loaded stomach would do
+much injury, therefore little and often is the rule. The amount for the
+day must be cut off in the morning; and during the day, at as many times
+as the owner pleases, it may little by little be offered, but no more must
+be allowed. If the dog should not be inclined to eat, which is not often
+the case at this particular period, the circumstance is hardly to be
+regretted; he is not, save under the direction of one qualified to give
+such an order, to be enticed or forced. As for medicine, let the following
+pill be given thrice daily:--
+
+  Extract of belladonna      One to four grains.
+  Nitre                      Three to eight grains.
+  James's powder             One to four grains.
+  Conserve of roses          A sufficiency.
+
+This will be the quantity for one pill; but a better effect is produced if
+the medicine be administered in smaller doses, and at shorter intervals.
+If the dog can be constantly attended to, and does not resist the
+exhibition of pills, or will swallow them readily when concealed in a bit
+of meat, the following may be given every hour:--
+
+  Extract of belladonna      A quarter grain to one grain.
+  Nitre                      One to four grains.
+  James's powder             A quarter grain to one grain.
+  Conserve of roses          A sufficiency.
+
+With these a very little of the tincture of aconite may be also blended,
+not more than one drop to four pills. The tonics ought during the time to
+be discontinued, and the chest should be daily auscultated to learn when
+the symptoms subside. So soon as a marked change is observed, the tonic
+treatment must be resumed, nor need we wait until all signs of chest
+affection have disappeared. When the more active stage is mastered by
+strengthening the system, the cure is often hastened; but the animal
+should be watched, as sometimes the affection will return. More
+frequently, however, while the lungs engross attention, the eyes become
+disordered. When such is the case, the tonics may be at once resorted to;
+for then there is little fear but the disease is leaving the chest to
+involve other structures.
+
+Diarrhoea may next start up. If it appears, let ether and laudanum be
+immediately administered, both by the mouth and by injection. To one pint
+of gruel add two ounces of sulphuric ether, and four scruples of the
+tincture of opium; shake them well together. From half an ounce to a
+quarter of a pint of this may be employed as an enema, which should be
+administered with great gentleness, as the desire is that it should be
+retained. This should be repeated every third hour, or oftener if the
+symptoms seem urgent, and there is much straining after the motions. From
+a tablespoonful to four times that quantity of the ether and laudanum
+mixture, in a small quantity of simple syrup, may be given every second
+hour by the mouth; but if there is any indication of colic, the dose may
+be repeated every hour or half hour; and I have occasionally given a
+second dose when only ten minutes have elapsed. Should the purgation
+continue, and the pain subside, from five to twenty drops of liquor
+potassĉ may be added to every dose of ether given by the mouth; which,
+when there is no colic, should be once in three hours, and the pills
+directed below may be exhibited at the same time:--
+
+  Prepared chalk           Five grains to one scruple.
+  Powdered ginger          Three to ten grains.
+  Powdered carraways       Three to ten grains.
+  Powdered capsicums       One to four grains.
+  Confection of roses      A sufficiency.
+
+To the foregoing, from two to eight grains of powdered catechu may be
+added should it seem to be required, but it is not generally needed. Opium
+more than has been recommended, in this stage, is not usually beneficial;
+and, save in conjunction with ether, which appears to deprive it of its
+injurious property, I am not in the habit of employing it.
+
+I have been more full in my directions for diarrhoea than was perhaps
+required by the majority of cases. Under the administration of the ether
+only I am, therefore, never in a hurry to resort even to the liquor
+potassĉ, which, however, I use some time before I employ the astringent
+pills, and during the whole period I persevere with the tonic. The diet I
+restrict to strong beef tea, thickened with ground rice, and nothing of a
+solid nature is allowed. Should these measures not arrest the purgation,
+but the fĉces become offensive, chloride of zinc is introduced into the
+injection, and also into the ether given by the mouth. With the first,
+from a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful of the solution is combined, and
+with the last half those quantities is blended. A wash, composed of two
+ounces of the solution of the chloride to a pint of cold water, is also
+made use of to cleanse the anus, about which, and the root of the tail,
+the fĉces have a tendency to accumulate. Warm turpentine I have sometimes
+with advantage had repeatedly held to the abdomen, by means of flannels
+heated and then dipt into the oil, which is afterwards wrung out. This,
+however, is apt to be energetic in its action; but that circumstance
+offers no objection to its employment. When it causes much pain, it may be
+discontinued, and with the less regret, as the necessity is the less in
+proportion as the sensibility is the greater. Should it even produce no
+indication of uneasiness, it must nevertheless not be carried too far,
+since on the dog it will cause serious irritation if injudiciously
+employed; and we may then have the consequences of the application to
+contend with added to the effects of the disease. When it produces violent
+irritation, a wash made of a drachm of the carbonate of ammonia to half a
+pint of water may be applied to the surface; and when the inflammation
+subsides, the part may be dressed with spermaceti ointment. The fits are
+more to be dreaded than any other symptom; when fairly established, they
+are seldom mastered. I have no occasion to boast of the success of my
+treatment of these fits. All I can advance in favor of my practice is,
+that it does sometimes save the life, and certainly alleviates the
+sufferings of the patient; while of that plan of treatment which is
+generally recommended and pursued, I can confidently assert it always
+destroys, adding torture to the pains of death. In my hands not more than
+one in ten are relieved, but when I followed the custom of Blaine none
+ever lived,--the fate was sealed, and its horrors were increased by the
+folly and ignorance of him who was employed to watch over, and was
+supposed to be able to control. Let the owners of dogs, when these animals
+have true distemper fits, rather cut short their lives than allow the
+creatures to be tampered with for no earthly prospect. I have no
+hesitation when saying this; the doom of the dog with distemper fits may
+be regarded as sealed; and medicine, which will seldom save, should be
+studied chiefly as a means of lessening the last agonies. In this light
+alone can I recommend the practice I am in the habit of adopting. When
+under it any animal recovers, the result is rather to be attributed to the
+powers of nature than to be ascribed to the virtues of medicine; which by
+the frequency of its failure shows that its potency is subservient to many
+circumstances. Blaine and Youatt, both by the terms in which they speak
+of, and the directions they lay down for, the cure of distemper fits,
+evidently did not understand the pathology of this form of the disease.
+These authors seem to argue that the fits are a separate disease, and not
+the symptoms only of an existing disorder. The treatment they order is
+depletive, whereas, the attacks appearing only after the distemper has
+exhausted the strength, a little reflection convinces us the fits are the
+results of weakness. Their views are mistaken, and their remedies are
+prejudicial. They speak of distemper being sometimes ushered in by a fit,
+and their language implies that the convulsions, sometimes seen at the
+first period, are identical with those witnessed only during the latest
+stages. This is not the fact. A fit may be observed before the appearance
+of the distemper; and anything which, like a fit, shows the system to be
+deranged, may predispose the animal to be affected; but, between fits of
+any kind, and the termination of the affection in relation to distemper,
+there is no reason to imagine there is an absolute connexion. The true
+distemper fit is never observed early--at least, I have never beheld
+it--before the expiration of the third week; and I am happy in being able
+to add, that when my directions have from the first been followed, I have
+never known an instance in which the fits have started up. Therefore, if
+seldom to be cured, I have cause to think they may be generally prevented.
+
+When the symptoms denote the probable appearance of fits, although the
+appetite should be craving, the food must be light and spare. At the
+Veterinary College, the pupils are taught that the increase of the
+appetite at this particular period is a benevolent provision to strengthen
+the body for the approaching trial. Nature, foreseeing the struggle her
+creature is doomed to undergo--the teacher used to say--gives a desire for
+food, that the body may have vigor to endure it; and the young gentlemen
+are advised, therefore, to gratify the cravings of the dog. This is sad
+nonsense, which pretends to comprehend those motives that are far beyond
+mortal recognition. We cannot read the intentions of every human mind, and
+it displays presumption when we pretend to understand the designs of
+Providence. There are subjects upon which prudence would enjoin silence.
+The voracity is excessive, but it is a morbid prompting. When the fits are
+threatened, the stomach is either acutely inflamed, or in places actually
+sore, the cuticle being removed, and the surface raw. After a full meal at
+such a period, a fit may follow, or continuous cries may evidence the pain
+which it inflicts. Nothing solid should be allowed; the strongest animal
+jelly, in which arrowroot or ground rice is mixed, must constitute the
+diet; and this must be perfectly cold before the dog is permitted to touch
+it: the quantity may be large, but the amount given at one time must be
+small. A little pup should have the essence of at least a pound of beef in
+the course of the day, and a Newfoundland or mastiff would require eight
+times that weight of nutriment: this should be given little by little, a
+portion every hour, and nothing more save water must be placed within the
+animal's reach. The bed must not be hay or straw, nor must any wooden
+utensil be at hand; for there is a disposition to eat such things. A
+strong canvas bag, lightly filled with sweet hay, answers the purpose
+best; but if the slightest inclination to gnaw is observed, a bare floor
+is preferable. The muzzle does not answer; for it irritates the temper
+which sickness has rendered sensitive. Therefore no restraint, or as
+little as is consonant with the circumstances, must be enforced. Emetics
+are not indicated. Could we know with certainty that the stomach was
+loaded with foreign matters, necessity would oblige their use; but there
+can be no knowledge of this fact--and of themselves these agents are at
+this time most injurious. Purgatives are poisons now. There is always
+apparent constipation; but it is confined only to the posterior intestine,
+and is only mechanical. Diarrhoea is certain to commence when the rectum
+is unloaded, and nothing likely to irritate the intestines is admissible.
+The fluid food will have all the aperient effect that can be desired. As
+to setons, they are useless during the active stage; and if continued
+after it has passed, they annoy and weaken the poor patient: in fact,
+nothing must be done which has not hitherto been proposed.
+
+When signs indicative of approaching fits are remarked, small doses of
+mercury and ipecacuanha should be administered.
+
+  Grey powder      Five grains to one scruple.
+  Ipecacuanha      One to four grains.
+
+Give the above thrice daily; but if it produces sickness, let the quantity
+at the next dose be one-half.
+
+  Tincture of hyoscyamus      One part.
+  Sulphuric ether             Three parts.
+
+This should be mixed with cold soup, ten ounces of which should be mingled
+with one ounce of the medicine. Give an ounce every hour to a small dog,
+and four ounces to the largest animal. A full enema of the solution of
+soap should be thrown up; and the rectum having been emptied, an ounce or
+four ounces of the sulphuric ether and hyoscyamus mixture ought to be
+injected every hour. Over the anterior part of the forehead, from one to
+four leeches may be applied. To do this the hair must be cut close, and
+the parts shaved; then, with a pair of scissors, the skin must be snipped
+through, and the leech put to the wound: after tasting the blood it will
+take hold. To the nape of the neck a small blister may be applied; and if
+it rises, the hope will mount with it. A blister is altogether preferable
+to a seton; the one acts as a derivative, by drawing the blood immediately
+to the surface without producing absolute inflammation, which the other as
+a foreign body violently excites. The effects of vesicants are speedy,
+those of setons are remote; and I have seen fearful spectacles induced by
+their employment. With dogs setons are never safe; for these animals, with
+their teeth or claws, are nearly certain to tear them out. In cases of
+fits, if the seton causes much discharge, it is debilitating and also
+offensive to the dog, and the ends of the tape are to him an incessant
+annoyance. It is not my practice to employ setons, being convinced that
+those agents are not beneficial to the canine race; but to blisters, which
+on these animals are seldom used, I have little objection. With the
+ammonia and cantharides, turpentine and mustard, we have so much variety,
+both as to strength and speed of action, that we can suit the remedy to
+the circumstances, which, in the instance of a creature so sensitive and
+irritable as the dog, is of all importance. The blister which I employ in
+distemper fits is composed of equal parts of liquor ammoniĉ and
+camphorated spirits. I saturate a piece of sponge or piline with this
+compound; and having removed the hair, I apply it to the nape of the neck,
+where it is retained from five to fifteen minutes, according to the effect
+it appears to produce. Great relief is often obtained by this practice;
+and should it be necessary, I sometimes repeat the application a little
+lower down towards the shoulders, but never on the same place; for even
+though no apparent rubefaction may be discerned, the deeper seated
+structures are apt to be affected, and should the animal survive, serious
+sloughing may follow, if the blister be repeated too quickly on one part.
+
+The directions given above apply to that stage when the eye and other
+symptoms indicate the approach of fits, or when the champing has
+commenced. The tonic pills and liquor arsenicalis may also then be
+continued; but when the fits have positively occurred, other measures must
+be adopted. If colic should attack the animal, laudanum must be
+administered, and in small but repeated doses, until the pain is
+dismissed. Opium is of itself objectionable; but the drug does less injury
+than does the suffering, and, therefore, we choose between the two evils.
+From five to twenty drops of the tincture, combined with half-a-drachm to
+two drachms of sulphuric ether, may be given every half-hour during the
+paroxysm; and either the dose diminished or the intervals increased as the
+agony lessens, the animal being at the same time constantly watched. The
+ethereal enemas should be simultaneously exhibited, and repeated every
+half-hour. When a fit occurs, nothing should during its existence be given
+by the mouth, except with the stomach-pump, or by means of a large-sized
+catheter introduced into the pharynx. Unless this precaution be taken,
+there is much danger of the fluid being carried into the lungs. Ether by
+injection, however, is of every service, and where the proper instruments
+are at hand, it ought also to be given by the mouth. The doses have been
+described. To the liquor arsenicalis, from half a drop to two drops of the
+tincture of aconite may with every dose be blended; and the solution of
+the chloride of lime should be mingled with the injections, as ordered for
+diarrhoea, which, if not present, is certain to be near at hand. The
+following may also be exhibited, either as a soft mass or as a fluid
+mixture:--
+
+  Chlorate of potash      One to four grains.
+  Aromatic powder         Half-a-drachm to two drachms.
+
+Or,
+
+  Carbonate of ammonia      Five grains to a scruple.
+  Chalk                     One to four scruples.
+  Aromatic confection       One to four scruples.
+
+Either of the above may be tried every third hour, but on no account ought
+the warm bath to be used. An embrocation, as directed for rheumatism, may
+be employed to the feet and legs, and warm turpentine may, as described in
+diarrhoea, be used to the abdomen. Cold or evaporating lotions to the head
+are of service, but unless they can be continuously applied, they do harm.
+Their action must be prolonged and kept up night and day, or they had
+better not be employed, as the reaction they provoke is excessive. Cold
+water dashed upon the head during the fit does no good, but rather seems
+to produce evil. The shock often aggravates the convulsions; and the wet
+which soon dries upon the skull is followed by a marked increase of
+temperature; while, remaining upon other parts, and chilling these, it
+drives the blood to the head.
+
+From the foregoing, it will have been seen that my efforts are chiefly
+directed to strengthening the system, and, so far as possible, avoiding
+anything that might add to the irritability. On these principles I have
+sometimes succeeded, and most often when the fits have been caused by some
+foreign substance in the stomach or intestines. When such is the case, the
+fits are mostly short and frequent. One dog that had one of these attacks,
+which did not last above forty seconds every five minutes, and was very
+noisy, lived in pain for two days, and then passed a peach-stone, from
+which moment it began to recover, and is now alive. In another case, a
+nail was vomited, and the animal from that time commenced improving. In
+this instance an emetic would have been of benefit; but such occurrences
+are rare, and the emetic does not, even when required, do the same good
+as is produced by the natural ejection of the offending agent. Perhaps,
+where nature possesses the strength to cast off the cause of the distress,
+there is more power indicated; but after an emetic, I have known a dog
+fall upon its side, and never rise again.
+
+During fits the dog should be confined, to prevent its exhausting itself
+by wandering about. A large basket is best suited for this purpose. It
+should be so large as not to incommode the animal, and high enough to
+allow the dog to stand up without hitting its head. A box is too close;
+and, besides the objection it presents with regard to air, it does not
+allow the liquids ejected to drain off.
+
+For the pustular eruption peculiar to distemper, I apply no remedy. When
+the pustules are matured I open them, but I am not certain any great
+benefit results from this practice. If the disorder terminates favorably
+the symptom disappears; and, beyond giving a little additional food,
+perhaps allowing one meal of meat, from one ounce to six ounces, I
+positively do nothing in these cases. I must confess I do not understand
+this eruption; and in medicine, if you are not certain what you should do,
+it is always safest to do nothing.
+
+The disposition to eat or gnaw any part of the body must be counteracted
+by mechanical measures. The limb or tail must be encased with leather or
+gutta percha. No application containing aloes, or any drug the dog
+distastes, will be of any avail. When the flesh is not sensitive, the
+palate is not nice, and the dog will eat away in spite of any seasoning.
+A mechanical obstruction is the only check that can be depended upon. A
+muzzle must be employed, if nothing else can be used; but generally a
+leather boot, or gutta percha case moulded to the part, has answered
+admirably. To the immediate place I apply a piece of wet lint, over which
+is put some oil silk, and the rag is kept constantly moist. The dose of
+the liquor arsenicalis is increased by one-fourth or one-half, and in a
+few days the morbid desire to injure itself ceases. After this the
+dressings are continued; and only when the recovery is perfect do I
+attempt to operate, no matter how serious may be the wound, or how
+terrible, short of mortifying, it may appear.
+
+Tumors must be treated upon general principles: and only regarded as
+reasons for supporting the strength. They require no special directions at
+this place, but the reader is referred to that portion of the work in
+which they are dwelt upon.
+
+To the genital organs of the male, when the discharge is abundant, a wash
+consisting of a drachm of the solution of the chloride of zinc to an ounce
+of water, gently applied once or twice daily, is all that will be
+necessary. The paralysis of the bladder requires immediate attention. In
+the last stage, when exhaustion sets in, it is nearly always paralysed.
+Sometimes the retention of urine constitutes the leading and most serious
+symptom; and after the water has been once drawn off, the bladder may
+regain its tone--another operation rarely being needed. A professional
+friend, formerly my pupil, brought to me a dog which exhibited symptoms
+he could not interpret; it was in the advanced stage of distemper. It was
+disinclined to move, and appeared almost as if its hind legs were
+partially paralysed. I detected the bladder was distended, and though the
+animal did not weigh more than eight pounds, nine ounces and a half of
+urine were taken away by means of the catheter. From that time it
+improved, and is now well. There can be no doubt that a few hours' delay
+in that case would have sealed the fate of the dog. For the manner of
+introducing the catheter, and the way to discover when the urine is
+retained, the reader is referred to that part of the present work which
+treats especially on this subject.
+
+Paralysis and chorĉa will be here dismissed with a like remark. To those
+diseases the reader must turn for their treatment; but I must here state,
+that before any measures specially intended to relieve either are adopted,
+the original disease should be first subdued, as, in many cases, with the
+last the chorĉa will disappear; while in some the twitching will remain
+through life. All that may be attempted during the existence of distemper,
+will consist in the addition of from a quarter of a grain to a grain and a
+half of powdered nux vomica to the tonic pills; and, in severe paralysis,
+the use of a little friction, with a mild embrocation to the loins.
+
+The treatment during convalescence is by no means to be despised, for here
+we have to restore the strength, and, while we do so, to guard against a
+relapse. One circumstance must not be lost sight of; namely, that nature
+is, after the disease has spent its violence, always anxious to repair
+the damage it may have inflicted. Bearing this in mind, much of our labor
+will be lightened, and more than ever shall we be satisfied to play second
+in the business. The less we do the better; but, nevertheless, there
+remains something which will not let us continue perfectly idle.
+
+Never, after danger has seemingly passed, permit the animal to return all
+at once to flesh food. For some time, after all signs of the disease have
+entirely disappeared, let vegetables form a part, and a good part of the
+diet. Do not let the animal gorge itself. However lively it may seem to
+be, and however eager may be its hunger, let the quantity be proportioned
+to the requirements independent of the voracity. Above all, do not tempt
+and coax the dog to eat, under the foolish idea that the body will
+strengthen or fatten, because a great deal is taken into the stomach. We
+are not nourished by what we swallow, but by that which we digest; and too
+much, by distending the stomach and loading the intestines, retards the
+natural powers of appropriation; just as a man may be prevented from
+walking by a weight which, nevertheless, he may be able to support. Give
+enough, but divide it into at least three meals--four or five will be
+better--and let the animal have them at stated periods; taking care that
+it never at one time has as much as it can eat: and by degrees return to
+the ordinary mode of feeding.
+
+The fainting fits create great alarm, but, if properly treated, they are
+very trivial affairs. An ethereal enema, and a dose or two of the
+medicine, will generally restore the animal. No other physic is needed,
+but greater attention to the feeding is required. Excessive exercise will
+cause them, and the want of exercise will also bring them on. The open air
+is of every service, and will do more for the perfect recovery than almost
+anything else. When the scarf-skin peels off, a cold bath with plenty of
+friction, and a walk afterwards, is frequently highly beneficial; but
+there are dogs with which it does not agree, and, consequently, the action
+must be watched. Never persevere with anything that seems to be injurious.
+If the mange breaks out, a simple dressing as directed for that disease
+will remove it, no internal remedies being in such a case required.
+
+I cannot close my account of distemper without cautioning the reader
+against the too long use of quinine. It is a most valuable medicine, and,
+as a general rule, no less safe than useful. I do not know that it can act
+as a poison, or destroy the life; but it can produce evils hardly less,
+and more difficult to cure, than those it was employed to eradicate. The
+most certain and most potent febrifuge, and the most active tonic, it can
+also induce blindness and deafness; and by the too long or too large
+employment of quinine a fever is induced, which hangs upon the dog, and
+keeps him thin for many a month. Therefore, when the more violent stages
+of the disease have been conquered, it should no longer be employed. Other
+tonics will then do quite as well, and a change of medicine often
+performs that which no one, if persevered with, will accomplish.
+
+All writers, when treating of distemper, speak of worms, and give
+directions for their removal during the existence of the disease. I know
+they are too often present, and I am afraid they too often aggravate the
+symptoms; but it is no easy matter to judge precisely when they do or when
+they do not exist. The remedies most to be depended upon for their
+destruction, are not such as can be beneficial to the animal laboring
+under this disorder; but, on the other hand, the tonic course of treatment
+I propose is very likely to be destructive to the worms. Therefore, rather
+than risk the possibility of doing harm, I rely upon the tonics, and have
+no reason to repent the confidence evinced in this particular.
+
+The treatment of distemper consists in avoiding all and everything which
+can debilitate; it is, simply, strengthening by medicine aided by good
+nursing. It is neither mysterious nor complex, but is both clear and
+simple when once understood. It was ignorance alone which induced men to
+resort to filth and cruelty for the relief of that which is not difficult
+to cure. In animals, I am certain, kindness is ninety-nine parts of what
+passes for wisdom; and, in man, I do not think the proportion is much
+less; for how often does the mother's love preserve the life which science
+abandons! To dogs we may be a little experimental; and with these
+creatures, therefore, there is no objection to trying the effects of those
+gentler feelings, which the very philosophical sneer at as the
+indications of weakness. When I am called to see a dog, if there be a
+lady for its nurse, I am always more certain as to the result; for the
+medicines I send then seem to have twice the effect.
+
+
+
+
+MOUTH, TEETH, TONGUE, GULLET, ETC.
+
+The mouth of the dog is not subject to many diseases; but it sometimes
+occasions misery to the animal. Much of such suffering is consequent upon
+the folly and thoughtlessness of people, who, having power given them over
+life, act as though the highest gift of God could be rendered secondary to
+the momentary pleasure of man. No matter in what form vitality may
+appear--for itself it is sacred; it has claims and rights, which it is
+equally idle and ridiculous to deny or to dispute. The law of the land may
+declare and make man to have a possession in a beast; but no act of
+parliament ever yet enacted has placed health and life among human
+property. The body may be the master's; but the spirit that supports and
+animates it is reserved to another. Disease and death will resent torture,
+and rescue the afflicted; he who undertakes the custody of an animal is
+morally and religiously answerable for its happiness. To make happy
+becomes then a duty; and to care for the welfare is an obligation. Too
+little is thought of this; and the fact is not yet credited. The gentleman
+will sport with the agony of animals; and to speak of consideration for
+the brute, is regarded either as an eccentricity or an affectation. This
+is the case generally at the present time; and it is strange it should be
+so, since Providence, from the creation of the earth, has been striving to
+woo and to teach us to entertain gentler sentiments. No one ever played
+with cruelty but he lost by the game, and still the sport is fashionable.
+No one ever spared or relieved the meanest creature but in his feelings he
+was rewarded; and yet are there comparatively few who will seek such
+pleasure. Neither through our sensibilities nor our interests are we quick
+to learn that which Heaven itself is constantly striving to impress.
+
+The dog is our companion, our servant, and our friend. With more than
+matrimonial faith does the honorable beast wed itself to man. In sickness
+and in health, literally does it obey, serve, love, and honor. Absolutely
+does it cleave only unto one, forsaking all others--for even from its own
+species does it separate itself, devoting its heart to man. In the very
+spirit and to the letter of the contract does it yield itself, accepting
+its life's load for better, for worse--for richer, for poorer--in sickness
+and in health--to love, cherish, and to obey till death. The name of the
+animal may be a reproach, but the affection of the dog realizes the ideal
+of conjugal fidelity. Nevertheless, with all its estimable qualities, it
+is despised, and we know not how to prize, or in what way to treat it. It
+is the inmate of our homes, and the associate of our leisure: and yet its
+requirements are not recognised, nor its necessities appreciated. Its
+docility and intelligence are employed to undermine its health; and its
+willingness to learn and to obey is converted into a reason for destroying
+its constitution. What it can do we are content to assume it was intended
+to perform; and that which it will eat we are satisfied to assert was
+destined to be its food.
+
+Bones, stones, and bricks, are not beneficial to dogs. The animals may be
+tutored to carry the two last, and impelled by hunger they will eat the
+first. Hard substances and heavy weights, however, when firmly grasped, of
+course wear the teeth; and the organs of mastication are even more
+valuable to the meanest cur than to the wealthiest dame. If the mouth of
+the human being be toothless, the cook can be told to provide for the
+occasion, or the dentist will in a great measure supply the loss. But the
+toothless dog must eat its customary food; and it must do this, although
+the last stump or remaining fang be excoriating the lips, and ulcerating
+the gums. The ability to crush, and the power to digest bones, is thought
+to be a proof that dogs were made to thrive upon such diet; and Blaine
+speaks of a meal of bones as a wholesome canine dish. I beg the owners of
+dogs not to be led away by so unfounded an opinion. A bone to a dog is a
+treat, and one which should not be denied; but it should come in only as a
+kind of dessert after a hearty meal. Then the creature will not strain to
+break and strive to swallow it; but it will amuse itself picking off
+little bits, and at the same time benefit itself by cleaning its teeth.
+Much more ingenuity than force will be employed, and the mouth will not
+be injured. In a state of nature this would be the regular course. The dog
+when wild hunts its prey; and, having caught, proceeds to feast upon the
+flesh, which it tears off; this, being soft, does not severely tax the
+masticating members. When the stomach is filled, the skeleton may be
+polished; but hungry dogs never take to bones when there is a choice of
+meat. It is a mistaken charity which throws a bone to a starving hound.
+
+Equally injurious to the teeth, are luxuries which disorder the digestion.
+High breeding likewise will render the mouth toothless at a very early
+age; but of all things the very worst is salivation, which, by the
+ignorant people who undertake to cure the diseases of these sensitive and
+delicate animals, is often induced though seldom recognised, and if
+recognised, always left to take its course.
+
+The mouth of the dog is therefore exposed to several evils; and there are
+not many of these animals which retain their teeth even at the middle age.
+High-bred spaniels are the soonest toothless; hard or luxurious feeding
+rapidly makes bare the gums. Stones, bones, &c., wear down the teeth; but
+the stumps become sources of irritation, and often cause disease.
+Salivation may, according to its violence, either remove all the teeth, or
+discolor any that may be retained. The hale dog's teeth, if properly cared
+for, will generally last during the creature's life; and continue white
+almost to the remotest period of its existence. I have seen very aged
+animals with beautiful mouths; but such sights, for the reasons which have
+been pointed out, are unfortunately rare. The teeth of the dog, however,
+may be perfectly clean and entire even at the twelfth year; and it is no
+more than folly to pretend that these organs are in any way indicative of
+the age of this animal. They are of no further importance to a purchaser
+than as signs which denote the state of the system, and show the uses to
+which the animal has been subjected. The primary teeth are cut sometimes
+as early as the third week; but, in the same litter, one pup may not show
+more than the point of an incisor when it is six weeks old; while another
+may display all those teeth well up. As a general rule, the permanent
+incisors begin to come up about the fourth month; but I have known a dog
+to be ten months old, and, nevertheless, to have all the temporary teeth
+in its head. The deviations, consequently, are so great that no rule can
+be laid down; and every person who pretends to judge of the dog's age by
+the teeth is either deceived himself, or practising upon the ignorance of
+others.
+
+Strong pups require no attention during dentition; but high-bred and
+weakly animals should be constantly watched during this period. When a
+tooth is loose, it should be drawn at once, and never suffered to remain a
+useless source of irritation. If suffered to continue in the mouth, it
+will ultimately become tightened; and the food or portions of hair getting
+and lodging between it and the permanent teeth, will inflame the gum, and
+cause the beast considerable suffering. The extraction at first is so
+slight an operation, that when undertaken by a person having the proper
+instruments, and knowing how to use them, the pup does not even vent a
+single cry. The temporary tusks of small dogs are very commonly retained
+after the permanent ones are fully up, and if not removed, will remain
+perhaps during the life; they become firm and fixed, the necks being
+united to the bone. This is more common in the upper than in the lower
+jaw, but I have seen it in both. Diminutive high-bred animals rarely shed
+the primary tusks naturally; therefore, when the incisors have been cut,
+and the permanent fang teeth begin to make their appearance through the
+gums, the temporary ones ought, as frequently as possible, to be moved
+backward and forward with the finger, in order to loosen them. When that
+is accomplished, they should be extracted, which if not done at this time
+will afterwards be difficult. As the tooth becomes again fixed, filth of
+various kinds accumulates between it and the permanent tusk; the animal
+feeds in pain, the gum swells and ulcerates, and sometimes the permanent
+tusk falls out, but the cause of the injury never naturally comes away.
+
+To extract a temporary tusk after it has reset is somewhat difficult, and
+is not to be undertaken by every bungler. The gum must be deeply lanced;
+and a small scalpel made for the purpose answers better than the ordinary
+gum lancet. The instrument having been passed all round the neck of the
+tooth, the gum is with the forceps to be driven or pushed away, and the
+hold to be taken as high as possible; firm traction is then to be made,
+the hand of the operator being steadied by the thumb placed against the
+point of the permanent tusk. As the temporary teeth are almost as brittle
+as glass, and as the animal invariably moves its head about, endeavoring
+to escape, some care must be exercised to prevent the tooth being broken.
+However, if it is thoroughly set, we must not expect to draw it with the
+fang entire, for that has become absorbed, and the neck is united to the
+jawbone. The object, therefore, in such cases, is to grasp the tooth as
+high up as possible, and break it off so that the gum may close over any
+small remainder of the fang which shall be left in the mouth. The
+operator, therefore, makes his pull with this intention; and when the
+tooth gives way, he feels, to discover if his object has been
+accomplished. Should any projecting portion of tooth, or little point of
+dislodged bone be felt, these must be removed; and in less than a day the
+wound shows a disposition to heal; but it should afterwards be inspected
+occasionally, in case of accidents.
+
+When foulness of the mouth is the consequence of the system of breeding,
+the constitution must be invigorated by the employment of such medicines
+as the symptoms indicate: and the teeth no further interfered with than
+may be required either for the health, ease, or cleanliness of the animal.
+
+From age, improper food, and disease conjoined, the dog's mouth is
+frequently a torture to the beast, and a nuisance to all about it. The
+teeth grow black from an incrustation of tartar; the insides of the lips
+ulcerate; the gums bleed at the slightest touch, and the breath stinks
+most intolerably. The dog will not eat, and sometimes is afraid even to
+drink; the throat is sore, and saliva dribbles from the mouth; the animal
+loses flesh, and is a picture of misery.
+
+When such is the case, the cure must be undertaken with all regard to the
+dog's condition; harm only will follow brutality or haste. The animal must
+be humored, and the business must be got through little by little. In some
+very bad cases of this description I have had no less than three visits
+before my patient was entirely cleansed. At the first sitting I examine
+the mouth, and with a small probe seek for every remnant of a stump,
+trying the firmness of every remaining tooth. All that are quite loose are
+extracted first, and then the stumps are drawn, the gums being lanced
+where it is necessary. This over, I employ a weak solution of the chloride
+of zinc--a grain to an ounce of sweetened water--as a lotion, and send the
+dog home, ordering the mouth, gums, teeth, and lips to be well washed with
+it, at least three times in the course of a day. In four days the animal
+is brought to me again, and then I scale the teeth with instruments
+similar to those employed by the human dentist, only of a small size. The
+dog resists this operation more stoutly than it generally does the
+extraction, and patience is imperative. The operation will be the more
+quickly got over by taking time, and exerting firmness without severity.
+A loud word or a box on the ear may on some occasions be required; but on
+no account should a blow he given, or anything done to provoke the anger
+of the animal. The mistress or master should never be present; for the
+cunning brute will take advantage of their fondness, and sham so artfully
+that it will be useless to attempt to proceed.
+
+I usually have no assistance, but carry the dog into a room by itself; and
+having spoken to it, or taken such little liberties as denote my
+authority, I commence the more serious part of the business. Amidst
+remonstrance and expostulation, caresses and scolding, the work then is
+got over; but seldom so thoroughly that a little further attention is not
+needed, which is given on the following day.
+
+The incrustation on the dog's teeth, more especially on the fangs, is
+often very thick. It is best removed by getting the instrument between the
+substance and the gum; then with a kind of wrenching action snapping it
+away, when frequently it will shell off in large flakes; the remaining
+portions should be scraped, and the tooth should afterwards look white, or
+nearly so. The instrument may be used without any fear of injuring the
+enamel, which is so hard that steel can make no impression on it; but
+there is always danger of hurting the gums, and as the resistance of the
+dog increases this, the practitioner must exert himself to guard against
+it. Some precaution also will be necessary to thwart occasional attempts
+to bite; but a little practice will give all the needful protection, and
+those who are not accustomed to such operations will best save themselves
+by not hitting the dog; for the teeth are almost certain to mark the hand
+that strikes. Firmness will gain submission; cruelty will only get up a
+quarrel, in which the dog will conquer, and the man, even if he prove
+victorious, can win nothing. He who is cleaning canine teeth must not
+expect to earn the love of his patient; the liberty taken is so great that
+it is never afterwards pardoned. I scarcely ever yet have known the dog to
+which I was not subsequently an object of dread and hatred. Grateful and
+intelligent as these creatures are, I have not found one simple or
+noble-minded enough to appreciate a dentist.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The only direction I have to add to the above, concerns the means
+necessary to guard against a relapse, and to afford general relief to the
+constitution. To effect the first object, prepare a weak solution of
+chloride of zinc--one grain to the ounce--and flavor the liquid with oil
+of aniseed. This give to your employer, together with a small stencilling,
+or poonah painting brush, which is a stiff brush used in certain
+mechanical pursuits of art; desire him to saturate the brush in the
+liquid, and with it to clean the dog's teeth every morning; which, if done
+as directed, will prevent fresh tartar accumulating, and in time remove
+any portion that may have escaped the eye of the operator, sweetening the
+animal's breath. With regard to that medicine the constitution may
+require, it is impossible to say what the different kinds of dogs
+affected may necessitate--none can be named here; the symptoms must be
+observed, and according to these should be the treatment; which must be
+studied from the principles inculcated throughout this work. Most usually,
+however, tonics, stimulants, and alteratives will be required, and their
+operation will be gratifying. The dog, which before was offensive and
+miserable, may speedily become comfortable and happy; and should the
+errors which induced its misfortune be afterwards avoided, it may continue
+to enjoy its brief life up to the latest moment; therefore the teeth
+should never be neglected; but if any further reason be required to
+enforce the necessity of attending to the mouth, surely it might be found
+in the frightful disease to which it is occasionally subject.
+
+When the teeth, either by decay or from excessive wear, have been reduced
+to mere stumps, their vitality often is lost. They then act as foreign
+bodies, and inflame the parts adjacent to them. Should that inflammation
+not be attended to, it extends, first involving the bones of the lower
+jaw, and afterwards the gums, and CANKER OF THE MOUTH is established.
+
+Such is the course of the disease, the symptoms of which are redness and
+swelling during the commencement. Suppuration from time to time appears;
+but as the animal with its tongue removes the pus, this last effect may
+not be observed. The enlargement increases, till at last a hard body seems
+to be formed on the jaw, immediately beneath the skin. The surface of the
+gums may be tender, and bleed on being touched, but the tumor itself is
+not painful when it first appears, and throughout its course is not highly
+sensitive. At length it discharges a thin fluid, which is sometimes
+mingled with pus, and generally with more or less blood. The stench which
+ultimately is given off becomes powerful; and a mass of proud flesh grows
+upon the part, while sinuses form in various directions. Hemorrhage now is
+frequent and profuse, and we have to deal with a cancerous affection,
+which probably it may not be in our power to alleviate. The dog, which
+does not appear to suffer, by its actions encourages the belief that it
+endures no acute pain--and for a length of time maintains its condition;
+but, in the end, the flesh wastes and the strength gives way; the sore
+enlarges, and the animal may die of any disease to which its state
+predisposes it to be attacked.
+
+The treatment consists in searching for any stump or portion of tooth that
+may be retained. All such must be extracted, and also all the molars on
+the diseased side, without any regard to the few which may be left in the
+jaw. This done, the constitution must be strengthened, and pills, as
+directed, with the liquor arsenicalis, should be employed for that
+purpose.
+
+  Iodide of iron           One to four grains.
+  Powdered nux vomica      A quarter of a grain to one grain.
+  Salicine                 One to four grains.
+  Extract of gentian       Three to twelve grains.
+  Powdered quassia         As much as may be required.
+
+The above forms one pill, three or four of which should be given daily,
+with any other medicine which the case may require.
+
+To the part itself a weak solution of the chloride of zinc may be used;
+but nothing further should be done until the system has been invigorated,
+and the health, as far as possible, restored. That being accomplished, if
+the tumor is still perfect, it should be cut down upon and removed. If any
+part of the bone is diseased, so much should be taken away as will leave a
+healthy surface.
+
+However, before the dog is brought to the veterinary surgeon for
+treatment, very often the tumor has lost its integrity, and there is a
+running sore to be healed. To this probably some ignorant persons have
+been applying caustics and erodents, which have done much harm, and caused
+it to increase. In such a case we strengthen the constitution by all
+possible means, and to the part order fomentations of a decoction of
+poppy-heads, containing chloride of zinc in minute quantities. Other
+anodyne applications may also be employed; the object being to allay any
+existing irritation, for the chloride is merely added to correct the
+fetor, which at this period is never absent. After some days we strive to
+ascertain what action the internal remedies have had upon the cancer; for
+by this circumstance the surgeon will decide whether he is justified in
+hazarding an operation. If the health has improved, but simultaneously the
+affected part has become worse, then the inference is unfavorable; for the
+disease is no longer to be regarded as local. The constitution is
+involved, and an operation would produce no benefit, but hasten the death,
+while it added to the suffering of the beast. The growth would be
+reproduced, and its effects would be more violent; consequently nothing
+further can be done beyond supporting the system, and alleviating any
+torture the animal may endure. But if the body has improved, and the tumor
+has remained stationary, or is suspected to be a little better, the knife
+may be resorted to; although the chance of cure is rather against success.
+The age of the animal, and the predisposition to throw out tumors of this
+nature, are against the result; for too frequently, after the jaw has
+healed, some distant part is attacked with a disease of a similar
+character.
+
+WORMING, as it is generally called, is often-practised upon dogs, and both
+Blaine and Youatt give directions for its performance. I shall not follow
+their examples. It is a needless, and therefore a cruel operation; and
+though often requested to do so, I never will worm a dog. Several persons,
+some high in rank, have been offended by my refusal; but my profession has
+obligations which may not be infringed for the gratification of
+individuals. People who talk of a worm in the tongue of a dog, only show
+their ignorance, and by requesting it should be removed, expose their want
+of feeling.
+
+Pups, when about half-grown, are sometimes seized with an inclination to
+destroy all kinds of property. Ladies are often vexed by discovering the
+havoc which their little favorites have made with articles of millinery;
+gloves, shawls, and bonnets, are pulled to pieces with a seeming zest for
+mischief, and the culprit is found wagging its tail for joy among the
+wreck it has occasioned. Great distress is created by this propensity, and
+a means to check it is naturally sought for. Mangling the tongue will not
+have the desired effect. For a few days pain may make the animal
+disinclined to use its mouth; but when this ceases, the teeth will be
+employed as ingeniously as before. Some good is accomplished by clipping
+the temporary fangs: these are very brittle, and easily cut through. The
+excision causes no pain, but the point being gone, the dog's pleasure is
+destroyed; and, as these teeth will naturally be soon shed, no injury of
+any consequence is inflicted. By such a simple measure, more benefit than
+worming ever produced is secured; for in the last case, almost in every
+instance, the obnoxious habit entirely ceases.
+
+As to worming being of any, even the slightest, protection, in case rabies
+should attack the dog, the idea is so preposterous, that I shall not here
+stay to notice it.
+
+The tongue of the high-bred spaniel is often subject to partial paralysis
+of one side. When such is the case, the muscles of the healthy side draw
+the tongue in that direction; and the member hangs out of the mouth,
+rendering the appearance somewhat unsightly. The organ from exposure
+becomes dry and hard; and not being properly used to cleanse the nose,
+this last becomes harsh and encrusted upon such portion of its surface as
+the disabled tongue cannot reach. The dog is disfigured, but it manages
+to live, and seems to endure more inconvenience than positive pain. The
+muscles on the paralysed side do not appear to be entirely deprived of
+nervous power. I infer this to be the case because they do not waste, and
+therefore attribute the affection to loss of tone rather than to actual
+palsy.
+
+The cause is not known. Some dogs are pupped in this condition; others are
+only affected in this way when age has far advanced. In the latter case
+the symptom is sudden, and nothing previous has been observed which would
+denote the probability of the attack; but, arguing from the description of
+animals which are subject to this affection, and the periods when it
+mostly is exhibited, we may attribute it to weakness of the constitution.
+
+For the disease nothing of a local nature can be done. I have been induced
+to try various topical remedies, but not with any satisfactory result; and
+I am not very hopeful as to future experiments in the same direction.
+Constitutional remedies have more power; and by these, if we cannot cure,
+we may limit the evil. For pups, good nursing--not petting or pampering,
+but whatever can invigorate--wholesome diet, airy lodging, and sufficient
+exercise, will do much. For older animals, the same measures, combined
+with such medicines as correct the digestion and give tone to the system,
+will be proper. An operation of dividing the muscles of that side on which
+the tongue protruded was once successful; but on three subsequent
+occasions it failed, and I have therefore relinquished it; for it is not
+quite safe, and puts the animal to a great deal of suffering. Dog
+fanciers sometimes cut off the exposed portion of the tongue, and thereby
+conceal the defect; but this is a brutal custom, and should not be
+adopted. The animal so mutilated drinks with difficulty, and the nose
+ultimately becomes even more unsightly than was the appearance of the
+hanging tongue.
+
+The tongue is sometimes injured by the teeth, especially during fits. In
+such cases the wounds generally heal quickly, and require no special
+attention. Should the sores not mend, the fault is in the system. To that,
+and not to the part, medicines should be directed, and the matter will be
+quickly settled.
+
+Salivation should never be produced upon the dog. The largest and
+strongest of these animals can but ill sustain the constitutional effects
+of mercury; while to those of a delicate kind it is nearly certain death.
+It may be induced by inunction, or rubbing in of ointment, as surely as by
+calomel internally administered. Chemists mix up various ointments that
+are called black, blue, red, white, or yellow; and sell these as specifics
+for skin diseases, which are in the dog all denominated mange. Such things
+are applied to the entire surface of the body; and as they mostly contain
+either Turpeth or Ethiop's mineral calomel, or one of the preparations of
+mercury, no great time is required to produce their fullest effect. The
+operation of the metal is too frequently mistaken for an aggravation of
+the disorder; and when the chemist is next visited, he is told to make the
+stuff stronger, because the other made the dog worse. No warning nature
+can give will stop the proceeding. Night and day the dog is rubbed with
+the poison, till its gums are sore, or its teeth fall out; the saliva
+dribbles from the mouth; the glands enlarge, the dog refusing to eat, and
+is so weak that it can hardly stand; then, fearing death, a doubt is for
+the first time entertained, and a veterinary surgeon is requested to look
+at the animal, and say what it wants.
+
+Chemists are not qualified to administer the drugs they sell to human
+beings; but they are fairly the murderers of a fourth part of the dogs
+they physic. They know nothing about these animals, and dispense poison
+under the name of medicine when they presume to treat them. I have had
+creatures brought to me in the most terrible condition; and when they have
+been under domestic treatment--that is, when the chemist has been
+consulted--I always look to find symptoms of salivation. The signs are not
+obscure; the gums are either soft, tender, and inflamed, or else very much
+retracted; the teeth are of a yellow or brownish color, loose and mottled
+on their surfaces, but not covered with tartar; the breath has a peculiar
+fetor, and the saliva flows from the lips, while the glands at the jaw are
+hard; the weakness is excessive, and the appearance dejected. Purgation
+may be present, and in some instances the whole of the hair has fallen
+off. One dog, a Scotch terrier, lost every portion of its coat, and was
+nearly a year before it regained the covering.
+
+Here is a portrait of a Scotch terrier, and the reader will perceive the
+coat is by the artist truthfully depicted as remarkably long, full, and
+hairy.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The imagination can, from this likeness of the animal in health, conjure
+up the resemblance such an object as the poor dog must have presented
+without its coat. Nor was the loss of the hair the worst part of the
+business; it never afterwards grew to its proper length. The other
+symptoms which have been described were present. Fever also existed,
+though the debility in a great measure concealed it; nor was the issue of
+the case by any means certain for a week or even longer.
+
+The health may be restored, but the teeth will never regain their
+whiteness, nor the breath recover its natural odor. A mild acidulated
+drink, made of sulphuric acid and sweetened water, will be the most proper
+remedy. It should be made pleasant, and tasted before given to the dog,
+which will prevent its being administered of too great a potency. Of this
+as much as can be conveniently got down may be given, from a quarter of a
+pint to a quart daily; and with it the sulphate of iron, the disulphate of
+quinine, and vegetable bitters, made into pills, may be joined. If the
+bowels are costive, injections of the sulphate of magnesia, or small doses
+of the salt, may be employed, while the food should be nourishing.
+Sulphuric acid and the sulphates, with generous diet, will constitute the
+treatment; and if the case be not too far advanced, these will ultimately
+restore the strength.
+
+
+
+
+BRONCHOCELE.
+
+This disease is usually seen in greatest severity in pups. It consists in
+an enlargement of the thyroid body, which increases so much as to destroy
+the life. In old dogs it is commonly stationary, or of a fixed size.
+Spaniels and terriers, are much exposed to it; and of the last-mentioned
+breed, probably bull-terriers are, of all animals, the most liable to be
+attacked.
+
+In pups, the thyroid body greatly and quickly enlarges, so as to cut short
+the life by when the sixth week is attained. The disease of itself, in old
+dogs, is rather annoying than fatal; but the manner in which it destroys
+the animal when very young, is by impeding the circulation and
+respiration. The enlarged thyroid body presses upon the trachea and
+jugular veins. The blood which should return from the brain and head is
+thereby prevented descending, and hindered from reaching the heart in a
+full current. The vessels enlarge so as to become obvious to the most
+indifferent observer. The veins not only look swelled, but they feel
+turgid, and cannot be compressed; the little beast is dull; the breathing
+is very laborious; the animal sleeps much, and at last dies without a
+struggle, casting off life as it were but a troubled dream. It never has
+perfectly enjoyed existence, and its departure is not to be regretted.
+
+With the older animals, so far as my experience at present teaches me, the
+thyroid body, when enlarged, has not suddenly increased; yet this fact by
+no means proves that the diseased part is always quiescent, and cannot
+increase in size. Because of this possibility, and the safety of the
+process, the disease should be eradicated. This is to be done by
+administering iodine by the mouth, and painting over the enlargement
+(having the hair first closely shaved off the part) with some of the
+tincture of the same drug, applied by means of a camel's hair brush. As
+iodine soon separates and is thrown down to the bottom, all the
+preparations of it should be used as freshly made as may be convenient.
+The mixture of which iodine is the active ingredient, and which is a week
+old, may be confidently said to have lost the major part of its virtue.
+Every three or four days this medicine should be concocted; for even when
+put into pills, iodine, being very volatile, will evaporate. The quantity
+to be given to the dog varies, from a quarter of a grain four times a day
+to the smallest pup, to two grains four times daily to the largest dog.
+The tincture used for painting the throat is made with spirits of wine, an
+ounce; iodide of potassium, a drachm.
+
+
+
+
+RESPIRATORY ORGANS.
+
+The Larynx of the dog is affected in various ways. It is called a "little
+box," and the projecting part of this organ is, in the throat of man,
+spoken of as "Adam's apple." It opens at the back part of the mouth, and
+is placed at the beginning of the windpipe. All the air that inflates the
+lungs must pass through it, but it will permit nothing else to enter with
+impunity. A drop of saliva, or the smallest particle of salt, will be
+sufficient to call forth the most painful irritability. In fact the lining
+membrane of the larynx is the most tender or sensitive structure in the
+body; and, as parts are exposed to suffering just in proportion as they
+are endowed with sensation, of course, the organ so finely gifted is often
+the seat of disease.
+
+The dog's larynx has many peculiarities. It is very complicated, and
+exquisitely constructed. Few persons have, perhaps, much attended to the
+notes of the animal's voice; but those who will observe the sounds may
+find these take a range far more wide than is generally imagined. The
+dog's voice is remarkably expressive, and to my ear speaks very
+intelligible music. The deep growl is not without variety; for by the
+feeling of the animal that emits it the note is always modulated. The
+rumble of expostulation the favorite gives utterance to when the master
+pretends to take away its bone does not resemble the rattle of joy with
+which the child's playmate accompanies a game of romps. Both, however,
+are distinct from the suppressed warning with which the watchdog announces
+the advancing stranger, or the sharp defiance by which he signifies his
+determination to attack. The bark also is not by any means monotonous, but
+is capable of infinite variety. The cries of the animal are remarkably
+modulated; but the soft and gentle sounds it can emit when inclined to
+coax its master, or answering to the excess of pleasure which his caresses
+create, are full of natural music. The dog's voice is not to my ear less
+beautiful than the song of a bird; but more delightful, because it is more
+full of meaning. The nightingale has but one song, which it constantly
+repeats. The cur has many tuneful notes, with which it responds to my
+attentions. Music has been recognised in the tongues of the pack, but I
+have heard harmony more delightful from the hound in my home. I like to
+hear the dog's voice, especially when not too loud, and having studied it,
+I have often wondered the animal did not speak. There can be little doubt
+it would be able to frame words if it possessed the power to comprehend
+their meaning; but the high intelligence of the creature unfits it for
+parrot-like mimicry. The dog is, in all it does, guided by its reason, and
+it performs no act without a reasonable motive. If any physical incapacity
+exist, it is to be found rather in the formation of the mouth than in the
+construction of the larynx, which presents no explanation of the dog's
+inability to frame definite sounds like words.
+
+The part is rarely the seat of acute disease. In rabies, especially of
+the dumb kind, it is acutely affected; but of that form of disorder the
+writer will have to speak in another place. Of acute laryngitis, as met
+with commonly in the horse, I have not seen an example in the dog, and
+therefore I shall not here say anything about it. Of chronic disease of
+the larynx there is no lack of instances. These are brought to us
+frequently, and generally are submitted to our notice as cases of
+continued or confirmed cough. Cough, however, is but a symptom; and may be
+no more than a sympathetic effect induced by the derangement of a distant
+structure. When it is caused by the condition of the larynx, it has a deep
+sound, which is never entirely changed in character, however much pain
+induces the animal to suppress it. It is essentially the same in every
+stage, though it may be more or less full or loud, according to the state
+of the air passage.
+
+This cough may start up from sympathy; but then it is always less
+sonorous, harsh, and grating. It is also less spasmodic, and likewise less
+the consequence of particular causes. When the larynx is the seat of the
+affection, the cough, should it once begin, continues for a considerable
+time; and cold air or excitement will invariably induce it. In bad cases
+every act of inspiration is followed by a kind of noise intermediate
+between a grunt and a cough. Sometimes the breathing is accompanied by a
+species of roaring; and I have seen one case in which a blood-hound had
+every symptom of laryngismus stridulus, or the crowing disease of the
+human infant.
+
+Laryngeal disorders are seldom brought under our notice until they are
+confirmed, and they are difficult to cure in proportion to the length of
+time they have existed. The food in every case must be rigidly regulated,
+and no solid flesh should be allowed; but if the animal be very old or
+weak, beef tea or gravy may be added to the rice or biscuit which
+constitutes the chief portion of the diet. The condition of the stomach
+must so far as possible be ascertained, and the medicines necessary to
+correct its disease should be administered. The exercise must not be
+stinted, neither should confinement within doors be insisted upon. All
+must be done to assist the digestion and invigorate the health; such
+precautions being adopted as prevent the aggravation of the disease.
+Sudden changes of atmosphere, as from a warm room to a frosty air during
+the depth of winter, should obviously be avoided; neither would it be
+prudent to race the animal about, or induce it to perform any action
+calculated to accelerate the breathing.
+
+At the commencement a gentle emetic given every other morning until six or
+seven have been administered, with a laxative occasionally if the bowels
+are torpid, is often productive of speedy benefit. A mustard poultice to
+the throat is also to be recommended, but he who applies it must be
+attentive to remove it when it appears to seriously pain the animal. It
+may be repeated on each successive night, or even oftener, but should
+never be reapplied before the skin on which it was previously placed has
+ceased to be tender. Leeches to the throat are often of service, as also
+are small blisters to the chest. I found great improvement result from
+wearing a very wide bandage, which was kept wet, and covered with oil
+silk, round the neck. This is easily made, and strips of gutta percha, or
+stout leather, will prevent it being doubled up by the motions of the
+head; and it is scarcely a disfigurement, since it only looks like a large
+collar. A seton in the throat may be tried, but though often beneficial,
+it ought only to be inserted by a person acquainted with the anatomy of
+the dog; for the jugular veins in this animal are connected by several
+large branches, which run just where the seton would be introduced. These
+could not be pierced with impunity, nor ought the seton to be left in so
+long as might induce sloughing, when the vessels probably would be opened;
+for as the dog badly sustains the loss of blood, the result would surely
+be fatal.
+
+Internal medicines are not to be neglected. All sedatives, balsams,
+expectorants, and peppers, with some alkalies and stimulants, may be
+tried, and even alterative doses of mercury with caution resorted to. Dogs
+are more peculiar with respect to the medicines that act upon individuals
+than any other animals I am acquainted with. That which touches one will
+be inoperative upon another; and what violently affects one, will on a
+second, apparently of the same bulk, strength, age, and character, be
+actually powerless. This renders dog-practice so difficult, and makes the
+explanation of any decided mode of treatment almost impossible. A great
+deal must necessarily be left to the discretion of the practitioner, who,
+despite his utmost care, will often have reason for regret, if he do not
+in every new instance proceed with caution. The following pills are likely
+to do good:--
+
+  Barbadoes tar              Half a drachm to two drachms.
+  Powdered squills           A drachm to four drachms.
+  Extract of belladonna      Half a scruple to four scruples.
+  Liquorice powder           A sufficiency.
+
+Beat into a mass, and make into twenty pills; give four daily. Or,
+
+  James's powder      One grain to four grains.
+  Dover's powder      Six grains to a scruple.
+  Balsam of Peru      A sufficiency.
+
+Make into one pill and give as before. Or,
+
+  Extract of hyoscyamus        One to four grains.
+  Powdered ammoniacum,  }      Four to twelve grains.
+    and cubebs, of each }
+  Venice turpentine            A sufficiency.
+
+Powdered capsicums and cantharides have also seemed to touch the disease;
+but no one medicine has to me appeared to have any specific influence over
+it. In these cases mere formulĉ could be extended almost indefinitely; but
+the reason must be exerted, and the prescription must be dictated by the
+symptoms. Thus, when there is much nervous excitability accompanied with
+gastric derangement, Prussic acid of Scheele's strength, in doses of half
+a drop to two drops, may be exhibited; and if the mouth be dry, and the
+disposition irritable, from five to twenty drops of the tincture of
+Indian tobacco may be administered. If the throat is very sore, the mouth
+may be held open, and ten grains of powdered alum mixed with four times
+its weight of fine sugar may be blown into it, or in severe instances, the
+fauces may be mopped out by means of a piece of soft sponge tied to the
+end of a probe, and saturated with a solution containing six grains of
+nitrate of silver dissolved in an ounce of water.
+
+Ulceration of the interior of the larynx is to be dreaded if the symptoms
+do not yield. This will be denoted by the cough becoming weaker, less
+loud, more short, and also more frequent. Prior to it there are always
+intervals during which the animal enjoys repose; but after ulceration of
+the larynx is established every inhalation provokes the irritability of
+the organ. With it the constitutional symptoms become more serious, and
+little can then by medicine be accomplished; for the passage of the air
+which is necessary to life causes the affection we desire to cure to
+spread. Tracheotomy might be performed, though the dog is so very expert
+with its claws, and any tape around the neck would be probably so
+injurious, that hitherto I have not ventured to hazard the experiment.
+Humanity has, in such cases, forced me to recommend the destruction of the
+life which I entertained no hope of comforting.
+
+Cough is much more frequently a symptom than a disease. It, in fat dogs,
+usually proceeds from disordered digestion; and then to remove it the
+cause must be attacked. It accompanies worms; and if these are expelled,
+it will subside. It may, however, exist by itself, for the larynx of the
+dog early becomes ossified or converted into bone; and being then less
+yielding, the violent vibrations it is subjected to during the act of
+barking have a natural tendency to injure the delicate lining membrane.
+Its irritability is excited, and cough is the consequence. The disposition
+of the creature to give tongue ought, therefore, to be as much as possible
+checked, and a mustard poultice applied to the throat, while the pills
+first recommended on page 205, are given; but if these fail, the others
+may be employed. The general measures would be pretty much the same, only
+the more severe need not be resorted to. Quiet, mild food, and a little
+care, will often, without medicine, remove the annoyance; but it is never
+well to trust too long to such dubious aids, when timely assistance will
+procure speedy relief, and delay may lead to further evil.
+
+SNORING is often a heavy accusation brought against the dog. It may
+proceed from weakness; though, in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred,
+it results from that debility which accompanies accumulated fat and sloth.
+In the one case we apply the means advised to restore the strength,--in
+the other, we stint the food, enforce a vegetable diet, and see that
+sufficient exercise be taken.
+
+SNORTING is another unpleasantness which the canine race display. The
+animals stand with their heads erect, and, drawing the air through the
+nostrils, produce a series of harsh loud sounds, which are sometimes
+continued till the dog falls from actual exhaustion. This is the result
+of irritability, in a low form, of the lining membrane of the nasal
+chambers. The sensation is probably that of itching, and the dog
+endeavors, by drawing the air quickly through the nostrils and
+energetically expelling it, to relieve the annoyance.
+
+The treatment is not to be laid down; attention to the food, and medicines
+of an alterative nature calculated to affect or improve the secretions,
+are most likely to be of service. Worms may possibly be the provocative,
+and in that case of course they should be removed. The measures,
+therefore, are not to be arbitrarily pointed out. The judgment must be
+employed to discover in what particular the system is unsound, and the
+agents used must be selected with a view to the general health. Local
+applications have been tried without advantage, but there do not appear to
+be any specifics for the complaint. The snorting is to be regarded merely
+as an effect of some deep-seated derangement, and the remedies are to be
+such as the appearance of the animal suggests. I have generally been
+successful in these cases, but I remember no two of them which I have
+treated exactly in the same manner. Patience and perseverance are mostly
+required, but sometimes the affection will not yield to any remedy. When
+it appears to be obstinate, the use of medicine should not be pushed too
+far. The constitution of the dog is so easily injured, and with so much
+difficulty restored, that where a mere unpleasantness is apparently all
+that exists, it is better to permit that to continue than hazard the
+health of the animal by over-strenuous attempts to get rid of it.
+
+COLD or CORIZA is not frequent in the dog, but it will occasionally be
+seen. It comes on gradually, and often passes off without any assistance
+being given. In pups it is apt to pass first into bronchitis, and then
+change into distemper, which in such instances, spite of our best
+endeavors, will often terminate in fits.
+
+It springs from various causes, but neglect and improper lodging are
+generally those to which it may be traced. In adult animals it is not to
+be greatly feared, but in the young it requires immediate attention. The
+kennel must be looked to; the food and exercise be strictly watched.
+Tonics, into which cayenne pepper, cubebs, or balsam of pepper enter, are
+to be tried, and cod-liver oil also is worth an experiment. The iodide of
+potassium is also not to be rejected; but the condition of the patient
+must decide which is the most likely to be of service in the case. When
+undertaken early, the symptoms yield in the majority of instances. The
+discharge, which at the commencement is thin, becomes more copious, grows
+thicker, and at last ceases. The sneezing stops and the spirits return;
+but should the disorder not be checked, the larynx becomes involved, and
+cough appears. If no relief be now sought, and the disease spreads, the
+breathing grows quick at first, and then laborious.
+
+The pup may even at this stage be eager to feed, and when its attention is
+excited, be as playful as in health; but if watched it will be seen, when
+alone, to be oppressed and languid. In such cases, belladonna, combined
+with James's powder, an equal amount of each, should be administered. The
+dose should be exhibited every hour, for here the wish is to obtain the
+speedy effect of the drug without allowing its sedative property to
+seriously affect the strength. To a young pup, a quarter of a grain will
+be the proper quantity; and for a full-grown large-sized dog, two grains
+of the extract may be employed. The action, however, must be observed, and
+when a marked disinclination for food or drink, with a seeming wish for
+both, and signs of inconvenience in the throat are seen, the belladonna
+must be withheld. On the third day, if the cure be not complete, it may be
+a second time employed; and, after a like period, even a further trial may
+be made. At the same time, a little soap liniment may be rubbed into the
+throat, along the course of the windpipe, and over the chest. The bowels
+also should be regulated; but purgation is not to be desired. Should the
+liver be sluggish, mild alterative doses of the grey powder may be
+sprinkled upon the food, and will thus be taken without the necessity of
+forcing the animal. When the measures recommended do not succeed, the
+appearance of the patient must direct those which are next to be adopted.
+Where weakness prevails, and shivering denotes the presence of fever,
+quinine and the sulphate of iron are required. Small blisters, or mustard
+poultices, to the chest, may with due caution be applied. An emetic may
+even be administered; but, if repeated at all, it must be only after two
+or three days have elapsed. Where the system is vigorous, expectorants
+and sedatives, with leeches to the chest, may be used. Turpentine liniment
+to the sides, throat, and under the jaws, may also be freely rubbed in,
+and the diet in quantity restricted. Tartar emetic in very minute doses
+may be exhibited three times daily.
+
+[Illustration: INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS.]
+
+The chest of the dog is not in any remarkable degree the seat of disease.
+The ribs of the animal being constructed for easy motion, and the muscles
+which move them being strong and large in proportion to the size of the
+bones, the lungs, therefore, are in general properly expanded; and this
+circumstance tends to preserve them in a healthy condition. They do not,
+however, always escape, but are subject to the same inflammations as those
+of the horse, though, from the causes stated, more rarely attacked.
+
+INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS is denoted by a quickened pulse and breathing,
+preceded by shivering fits. The appetite does not always fail; in one or
+two instances I have seen it increased; but it is most often diminished.
+The animal is averse to motion; but when the affection is established, the
+dog sits upon its hocks, and wherever it is placed, speedily assumes that
+position. As the disorder becomes worse, the difficulty of breathing is
+more marked. The creature also shows a disposition to quit the house, and
+if there be an open window it will thrust its head through the aperture.
+The sense of suffocation is obviously present, and at length this becomes
+more and more obvious. The dog in the very last stage refuses to sit, but
+obstinately stands. One of the legs swells, and, on being felt, it is
+ascertained to be enlarged by fluid. There is dropsy of the chest, and the
+limb has sympathized in the disposition to effusion. The pulse denotes the
+weakness of the body; but the excitement of disease in a great measure
+disguises the other symptoms. The dog may even, to an unpractised eye,
+seem to possess considerable strength; for it resists, with all its
+remaining power, any attempt to move it, and its last energies are exerted
+to support the attitude that affords the most relief to the respiration.
+At length the poor brute stubbornly stands until forced to stir, when it
+drops suddenly, and for several moments lies as if the life had departed.
+Again it falls, but again revives; and always with the return of
+consciousness gets upon its legs; but at last it sinks, and without a
+struggle dies.
+
+The lungs have been, in the first instance, inflamed, but the pleura or
+membrane covering the lungs, and also lining the chest, has likewise
+become by the progress of the disease involved. The cavity has become
+full of water, or rather serum, and by the pressure of the fluid the
+organs of respiration are compressed. It is seldom that both sides are
+gorged to an equal degree; but one cavity may be quite full while the
+other is only partially so. One lung, therefore, in part remains to
+perform the function on which the continuance of life depends; and if, by
+any movement, the weight of fluid is brought to bear upon the little left
+to continue respiration, the animal is literally asphyxiated. It drops, in
+fact, strangled, or more correctly, suffocated; and as the vital energy is
+strong or weak, so may the dog more or less frequently recover for a time.
+In the end, however, the tax upon the strength exhausts the power, and the
+accumulation of the fluid diminishes the source by which the life was
+sustained. After death, I have taken from the body of a full-sized
+Newfoundland one lung, which lay with ease upon my extended hand; while
+the two held together afforded a surface sufficient to support the other.
+The condensation was so great that the part was literally consolidated,
+and the fluid which exuded on cutting into the substance was small in
+quantity. The blood-vessels were, with the air-cells, compressed, and
+while the arterialization of the blood was imperfect, the circulation was
+also impeded.
+
+The causes usually assigned to account for inflammation of the lungs will
+not, in the dog, explain its origin. I have usually met it where the
+animal had not been exposed to wet or cold; where it had not undergone
+excessive exertion, or been subjected to violence. Extraordinary care as
+rather seemed to induce, than the neglect of the creature appeared to
+provoke the attack. It is, however, easy to trace causes when we have a
+wish to explain a particular effect; but where the lungs have been
+inflamed I have never, to my entire satisfaction, been able to ascertain
+that the animal had been exposed to hardship, or subjected to labor which
+it had not previously sustained, and which, if the health had been good,
+it might not have endured.
+
+Disease of the lungs is, in the early stage, very readily subdued; but, if
+allowed to establish itself, it is rarely that medicine can eradicate it.
+The majority of persons who profess to know anything about the diseases of
+dogs, look upon the nose as an indication of the health. While the
+appetite is good, or the nose is cold and moist, such people are confident
+no fear need be entertained. Of the uncertainty that attends the
+disposition to feed mention has been already made; but with regard to the
+condition of a part, the persons who assume to teach us are likely to be
+in such cases entirely deceived. I have known dogs with violent
+inflammation of the lungs; I have seen them die from dropsy of the chest;
+and their noses have been wet and cold, even as though the animals had
+iced the organs. From this mistaken notion, therefore, no doubt, are to be
+traced the numerous instances of dogs brought for treatment when no
+remedies can be of avail. They are submitted to our notice only that we
+may be pained to look upon their deaths; and often have my endeavors been
+thus limited to simple palliative measures, when an earlier application
+would have enabled me to employ medicine with a reasonable prospect of
+success.
+
+In the commencement, when the breathing is simply increased and the pulse
+slightly accelerated, then if you place the ear to the side, there is
+merely a small increase of sound; and the animal exhibits no obstinate, or
+more properly, unconquerable disposition to sit upon the hocks; small
+quantities of belladonna, combined with James's powder, will generally put
+an end to the disease. The belladonna, in doses of from one to four
+grains, may be given three times a day; but where trouble is not objected
+to, and regularity can be depended upon, I prefer administering it in
+doses of a quarter of a grain to a grain every hour. By the last practice
+I think I have obtained results more satisfactory; but it is not always
+that a plan necessitating almost constant attention can be enforced, or
+that the animal to be treated will allow of such repeated interference.
+The following formula will serve the purpose, and the reader can divide it
+if the method I recommend can be pursued.
+
+  Extract of belladonna      One to four grains.
+  James's powder             Two to eight grains.
+  Nitrate of potash          Four to sixteen grains.
+  Extract of gentian         A sufficiency for one pill.
+
+If, on the second day, no marked improvement is perceptible, small doses
+of antimonial wine may be tried; from fifteen minims to half-a-drachm may
+be given every fourth hour, unless vomiting be speedily induced; when the
+next dose must, at the stated period, be reduced five or ten minims, and
+even further diminished if the lessened quantity should have an emetic
+effect. The object in giving the antimonial wine is to create nausea, and
+not to excite sickness; and we endeavor to keep up the action in order to
+affect the system. This is frequently very decisive in the reduction of
+the symptoms; but, even after the danger has been dispelled, the pills
+before recommended must be persevered with, and every means adopted to
+prevent a relapse.
+
+Sometimes, however, the disorder commences with a violence that, from the
+very beginning of the attack, calls for the most energetic measures. If
+the breathing be very quick, short, and catching; the position constant;
+the pulse full and strong; the jugular vein may be opened, and from one
+ounce to eight ounces of blood extracted; or leeches may be applied to the
+sides; or an ammoniacal blister may be employed. This is done by
+saturating a piece of rag, folded three or four times, with a solution
+composed of liquor ammoniaca fort., one part; distilled water, three
+parts; and, having placed it upon the place from which the hair has been
+previously cut off, holding over it a dry cloth to prevent evaporization
+of the volatile vesicant. A quarter of an hour will serve to raise the
+cuticle; but frequently that object is accomplished in less time;
+therefore, during its operation, the agent must be watched, or else the
+effect may be greater than we desire, and sloughing may ensue.
+
+A dose of castor oil may also be administered, and the food should be
+composed entirely of vegetables, if the animal can be induced to eat this
+kind of diet. Exertion should be prevented, and quiet as much as possible
+enjoined. The tincture of aconite, it is said, sometimes does wonders in
+inflammation of the lungs; but in my hands its operation has been
+uncertain, though the homoeopathists trust greatly to its action in this
+disease. They give it singly, but I have not reaped from its use on the
+dog those advantages which tempt me to depend solely on its influence.
+When employed, it may be given in doses of from half a drop to two drops
+of the tincture, in any pleasant vehicle, every hour.
+
+After dropsy of the chest has been established, the chance of cure is
+certainly remote; but tapping at all events renders the last moments of
+life more easy. It is both simple and safe, and does not seem to occasion
+any pain; but, on the contrary, to afford immediate relief. The skin
+should be first punctured, and then drawn forward so as to bring the
+incision over the spot where the instrument is to be inserted. The place
+where the trocar should be introduced is between the seventh and eighth
+ribs, nearer to the last than to the first, and rather close to the
+breast-bone. The point being selected, the instrument is pushed gently
+into the flesh; and when the operator feels no resistance is offered to
+the progress of the tube, he knows the cavity has been pierced. The stilet
+is then withdrawn, and the fluid will pour forth. Unless the dog shows
+signs of faintness, as much of the water as possible ought to be taken
+away; but if symptoms of syncope appear, the operation must be stopped,
+and after a little time, when the strength has been regained, resumed.
+When this has been done, tonics must be freely resorted to. The following
+pill may be administered three or four times a day; and the diet should be
+confined to flesh, for everything depends on the invigoration of the body,
+and the inflammation is either gone, or it has become of secondary
+importance.
+
+  Iodide of iron          One to four grains.
+  Sulphate of iron        Two to eight grains.
+  Extract of gentian      Ten grains to half a drachm.
+  Powdered capsicums      Two to eight grains.
+  Powdered quassia        A sufficiency.
+
+The above will make two pills; and it is better to make these the more
+frequently, as they speedily harden, and we now desire their quickest
+effect, which is sooner obtained if they are soft or recently compounded.
+
+During recovery the food must be mild, and tonics must be administered.
+Exercise should be allowed with the greatest caution, and all excitement
+ought to be avoided. The dog must be watched and nursed, being provided
+with a sheltered lodging and an ample bed in a situation perfectly
+protected from winds or draughts, but at the same time cool and airy.
+
+ASTHMA is a frequent disease in old and petted dogs. It comes on by fits,
+and, through the severity of the attack, often seems to threaten
+suffocation; but I have not known a single case in which it has proved
+fatal. The cause is generally attributable to inordinate feeding, for the
+animals thus afflicted are always gross and fat. The disorder comes on
+gradually in most instances, though the fit is usually sudden. The
+appetite is not affected, or rather it is increased often to an
+extraordinary degree. The craving is great, and flesh is always preferred,
+while sweet and seasoned articles are much relished. On examination, the
+signs denoting the digestion to be deranged will be discovered. Piles are
+nearly constantly met with; the coat is generally in a bad condition, and
+the hair off in places. The nose may be dry; the membrane of the eyes
+congested; the teeth covered with tartar, and the breath offensive. The
+dog is slothful, and exertion is followed by distress. Cough may or may
+not exist; but it usually appears towards the latter period of the attack.
+
+[Illustration: ASTHMA.]
+
+Asthma is spasm of the bronchial tubes, and when it is thoroughly
+established it is seldom to be cured. All medicine can accomplish is the
+relief of the more violent symptoms. The fits may be rendered
+comparatively less frequent and less severe; but the agents that best
+operate to that result are likely in the end to destroy the general
+health. Between two evils, therefore, the proprietor has to make his
+choice; but if he resolves to treat the disorder, he must do so knowing
+the drugs he makes use of are not entirely harmless.
+
+Food is of all importance. It must be proportioned to the size of the
+patient, and be rather spare than full in quantity. Flesh should be
+denied, and coarse vegetable diet alone allowed. The digestion must also
+be attended to, and every means taken to invigorate the system. Exercise
+must be enforced, even though the animal appear to suffer in consequence
+of being made to walk. The skin should be daily brushed, and the bed
+should not be too luxurious. Sedatives are of service; and as no one of
+these agents will answer in every case, a constant change will be needed,
+that, by watching their action, the one which produces the best effect may
+be discovered. Opium, belladonna, hyoscyamus, assafoetida, and the rest,
+may be thus tried in succession; and often small doses produce those
+effects which the larger one seems to conceal. A pill containing any
+sedative, with an alterative quantity of some expectorant, may be given
+three times daily; but when the fit is on, I have gained the most
+immediate benefit by the administration of ether and opium. From one to
+four leeches to the chest, sometimes, are of service; but small ammoniacal
+blisters applied to the sides, and frequently repeated, are more to be
+depended upon. Trivial doses of antimonial wine or ipecacuanha wine, with
+an occasional emetic, will sometimes give temporary ease; but the
+last-named medicines are to be resorted to only after due consideration,
+as they greatly lower the strength. Stomachics and mild tonics at the same
+time are to be employed; but a cure is not to be expected. The treatment
+cannot be absolutely laid down; but the judgment must be exercised, and
+whenever the slightest improvement is remarked every effort must be made
+to prevent a relapse.
+
+
+
+
+HEPATITIS.
+
+[Illustration: CHRONIC HEPATITIS.]
+
+LIVER complaints were once fashionable. A few years ago the mind of Great
+Britain was in distress about its bile, and blue pill with black draught
+literally became a part of the national diet. At present nervous and
+urinary diseases appear to be in vogue; but, with dogs, hepatic disorders
+are as prevalent as ever. The canine liver is peculiarly susceptible to
+disease. Very seldom have I dipped into the mysteries of their bodies but
+I have found the biliary gland of these animals deranged; sometimes
+inflamed--sometimes in an opposite condition--often enlarged--seldom
+diminished--rarely of uniform color--occasionally tuberculated--and not
+unfrequently as fat with disease as those are which have obtained for
+Strasburg geese a morbid celebrity.
+
+It is, however, somewhat strange that, notwithstanding the almost
+universality of liver disease among petted dogs, the symptoms which denote
+its existence are in these creatures so obscure and undefined as rarely to
+be recognised. Very few dogs have healthy livers, and yet seldom is the
+disordered condition of this important gland suspected. Various are the
+causes which different authors, English and foreign, have asserted
+produced this effect. I shall only allude to such as I can on my own
+experience corroborate, and here I shall have but little to refer to.
+Over-feeding and excessive indulgence are the sources to which I have
+always traced it. In the half-starved or well-worked dog I have seen the
+liver involved; but have never beheld it in such a state as led me to
+conclude it was the principal or original seat of the affection which
+ended in death. On the other hand, in fatted and petted animals, I have
+seen the gland in a condition that warranted no doubt as to what part the
+fatal attack had commenced in.
+
+When death has been the consequence of hepatic disorder, the symptoms have
+in every instance been chronic. I am not aware that I have been called
+upon to treat a case of an acute description, excepting as a phase of
+distemper. It would be too much to say such a form of disease does not
+exist in a carnivorous animal; but I have hitherto not met with it.
+Neither have I seen it as the effect of inveterate mange; though I have
+beheld obstinate skin disease the common, but far from invariable, result
+of chronic hepatitis. I have also known cerebral symptoms to be produced
+by the derangement of this gland, which, in the dog, may be the cause of
+almost any possible symptom, and still give so little indication of its
+actual condition as almost to set our reason at defiance.
+
+When the animal is fat, the visible mucous membranes may be pallid; the
+tongue white; the pulse full and quick; the spirits slothful: the appetite
+good; the foeces natural: the bowels irregular; the breath offensive; the
+anus enlarged, and the rump denuded of hair, the naked skin being covered
+with a scaly cuticle, thickened and partially insensible.
+
+When the animal is thin, almost all of the foregoing signs may be wanting.
+The dog may be only emaciated--a living skeleton, with an enlarged belly.
+It is dull, and has a sleepy look when undisturbed; but when its attention
+is attracted, the expression of its countenance is half vacant and half
+wild. The pupil of the eye is dilated, and the visual organs stare as
+though the power of recognition were enfeebled. The appetite is good and
+the manner gentle. The tongue is white, and occasionally reddish towards
+the circumference. The membranes of the eye are very pale, but not yellow.
+The lining of the mouth is of a faint dull tint, and often it feels cold
+to the touch. The coat looks not positively bad; but rather like a skin
+which had been well dressed by a furrier, than one which was still upon a
+living body.
+
+The history in these cases invariably informs us that the animal has been
+fat--very fat--about six or twelve months ago. It fell away all at once,
+though no change was made in the diet; and yet we learn it has been
+physicked. No restraint has been put upon buckthorn, castor oil, aloes,
+sulphur, and antimony, but yet the belly will not go down--it keeps
+getting bigger; and now we are told the animal has a dropsy which "wants
+to be cured." It is natural the figure and condition should suggest the
+idea of ascites; but the hair does not pull out--none of the legs are
+swollen--the shape of the abdomen wants the appearance of gravitation, and
+if the patient be placed upon its back the form of the rotundity is not
+altered by the position of the body. Moreover, the breathing is tolerably
+easy: and, though if one hand be placed against the side of the belly, and
+the part opposite be struck with the other, there will be a marked sense
+of fluctuation; still we cannot accept so dubious a test against the mass
+of evidence that declares dropsy is not the name of the disease. To make
+sure, we feel the abdomen near to the line of the false ribs. This gives
+no pain, so we press a little hard, and in two or three places on either
+side, on the right, or may be the left, high up or low down; for in
+abnormal growths there can be no rule--in two or three places we can
+detect hard, solid, but smooth lumps within the cavity. This last
+discovery leaves no room for further doubt, so we pronounce the liver to
+be the organ that is principally affected. In chronic cases, especially
+after the dog has begun to waste, enlargement nearly always may be felt,
+not invariably hard, yet often so, but never soft or so soft as the other
+parts; and this proof should, therefore, in every instance of the kind be
+sought for.
+
+With regard to treatment, the food must not be suddenly reduced to the
+starvation point. Whether the dog be fat or lean, let the quality be
+nutritious, and the quantity sufficient; from a quarter of a pound to a
+pound and a half of paunch, divided into four meals, will be enough for a
+single day; but nothing more than this must be given. Tonics, to
+strengthen the system generally, should be employed; and an occasional
+dose of the cathartic pills administered, providing the condition is such
+as justifies the use of purgatives. Frequent small blisters, applied over
+the region of the liver, may do good; but they should not be larger than
+two or four inches across, and they should be repeated one every three or
+four days. Leeches put upon the places where hardness can be felt, also
+are beneficial; but depletion must be regulated by the ability of the
+animal to sustain it. A long course of iodide of potassium in solution,
+combined with the liquor potassĉ, will, however, constitute the principal
+dependence.
+
+  Iodide of potassium      Two drachms two scruples.
+  Liquor potassĉ           One ounce and a half.
+  Simple syrup             Six ounces.
+  Water                    Twelve ounces and a half.
+
+Give from half a teaspoonful to a teaspoonful three times a day.
+
+The above must be persevered in for a couple of months before any effect
+can be anticipated. Mercury I have not found of any service, though Blaine
+speaks highly of it, and Youatt quotes his opinion. Perhaps I have not
+employed it rightly, or ventured to push it far enough.
+
+Under the treatment recommended, the dog may be preserved from speedy
+death; but the structures have been so much changed that medicine cannot
+be expected to restore them. The pet may be saved to its indulgent
+mistress, and again perhaps exhibit all the charms for which it was ever
+prized; but the sporting-dog will never be made capable of doing work, and
+certainly it is not to be selected to breed from after it has sustained an
+attack of hepatitis.
+
+Sometimes, during the existence of hepatitis, the animal will be seized
+with fits of pain, which appear to render it frantic. These I always
+attribute to the passage of gall stones, which I have taken in comparative
+large quantities from the gall-bladders of dogs. The cries and struggles
+create alarm, but the attack is seldom fatal. A brisk purgative, a warm
+bath, and free use of laudanum and ether, afford relief; for when the
+animal dies of chronic hepatitis, it perishes gradually from utter
+exhaustion.
+
+The post-mortem examination generally presents that which much surprises
+the proprietor; one lobe of the gland is very greatly enlarged; it
+evidently contains fluid. It has under disease become a vast cyst, from
+which, in a setter, I have actually extracted more than two gallons of
+serum: from a small spaniel I have taken this organ so increased in size
+that it positively weighed one half the amount of the body from which it
+was removed. The wonder is that the apparently weak covering to the liver
+could bear so great a pressure without bursting.
+
+
+
+
+INDIGESTION.
+
+Things must seem to have come to a pretty pass when a book is gravely
+written upon dyspepsia in dogs. Nevertheless, I am in earnest when I treat
+upon that subject; and could the animals concerned bear witness, they
+would testify it was indeed no joke. The Lord Mayor of London does not
+retire from office with a stomach more deranged than the majority of the
+canine race, shielded by his worshipful authority, could exhibit. The
+cause in both instances is the same. Dogs as they increase in years seem
+to degenerate sadly; till at length they mumble dainties and relish
+flavors with the gusto of an alderman. Pups even are not worthy of
+unlimited confidence. The little animals will show much ingenuity in
+procuring substances that make the belly ache; and, with infantine
+perversity, will, of their own accord, gobble things which, if
+administered, would excite shrieks of resistance. A litter of high-bred
+pups is a source of no less constant annoyance, nor does it require less
+incessant watching, than a nursery of children. There is so much
+similarity between man and dog that, from fear of too strongly wounding
+the self-love of my reader, I must drop the subject.
+
+Indigestion in dogs assumes various forms, and is the source of numerous
+diseases. Most skin affections may be attributed to it. The inflammation
+of the gums, the foulness of the teeth, and the offensiveness of the
+breath, are produced by it. Excessive fatness, with its attendant asthma
+and hollow cough, are to be directly traced to a disordered digestion. In
+the long run, half of the petted animals die from diseases originating in
+this cause; and in nearly every instance the fault lies far more with the
+weakness of the master than with the corruptness of the beast. He who is
+invested with authority has more sins, than those he piously acknowledges
+his own, to answer for.
+
+The symptoms are not obscure. A dislike for wholesome food, and a craving
+for hotly spiced or highly sweetened diet, is an indication. Thirst and
+sickness are more marked. A love for eating string, wood, thread, and
+paper, denotes the fact; and is wrongly put down to the prompting of a
+mere mischievous instinct: any want of natural appetite, or any evidence
+of morbid desire in the case of food, declares the stomach to be
+disordered. The dog that, when offered a piece of bread, smells it with a
+sleepy eye, and without taking it licks the fingers that present it, has
+an impaired digestion. Such an animal will perhaps only take the morsel
+when it is about to be withdrawn; and, having got it, does not swallow it,
+but places it on the ground, and stands over it with an expression of
+peevish disgust. A healthy dog is always decided. No animal can be more
+so. It will often take that which it cannot eat, but, having done so, it
+either throws the needless possession away or lies down, and with a
+determined air watches "the property." There is no vexation in its looks,
+no captiousness in its manner. It acts with decision, and there is purpose
+in what it does. The reverse is the case with dogs suffering from
+indigestion. They are peevish and irresolute. They take only because
+another shall not have. They will perhaps eat greedily what they do not
+want if the cat looks longfully at that which had lain before them for
+many minutes, and which no coaxing could induce them to swallow. They are,
+in their foibles, very like the higher animal.
+
+The treatment is simple. The dog must be put upon, and strictly kept upon,
+an allowance. Some persons, when these animals are sent to them, because
+the creatures are fat and sickly, shut the dogs up for two or four days,
+and allow them during the period to taste nothing but water. The trick
+often succeeds, but it is dangerous in severe cases, and needless in mild
+ones. This is a heartless practice, which ignorance only would resort to;
+but such conduct is very general, and the people who follow it boast
+laughingly of its effect. They do not care for its consequences. A weakly
+stomach cannot be benefited by a prolonged abstinence. I have kept a dog
+four-and-twenty hours without food, but never longer, and then only when
+the animal has been brought to me with a tale about its not eating. The
+report, then, is assurance that food has been offered, and the inference
+is that the stomach is loaded. A little rest enables it to get rid of its
+contents, and in some measure to recover its tone. The dog, as a general
+rule, does well on one meal a day; afterward, the food is regularly
+weighed, and nothing more than the quantity is permitted. This quantity
+may be divided into three or four meals, and given at stated periods, so
+that the last is eaten at night. When thus treated, animals, which I am
+assured would touch nothing, have soon become possessors of vigorous
+appetites. At the same time, exercise and the cold bath every morning is
+ordered; and either tonic or gentle sedatives, with alkalies and vegetable
+bitters, are administered. The following are the ordinary stomach-pills,
+and do very well for the generality of cases:--
+
+  Extract of hyoscyamus      Sixteen grains.
+  Sodĉ carb.                 Half an ounce.
+  Extract of gentian         Half an ounce.
+  Ferri carb.                Half an ounce.
+
+Make into sixteen, thirty, or eight pills, and give two daily.
+
+The reader, however, will not depend upon any one compound, for stomach
+disease is remarkably capricious. Sometimes one thing and sometimes
+another does a great deal of good; but the same thing is seldom equally
+good in any two cases. Stimulants, as nitrate of silver, trisnitrate of
+bismuth, or nux vomica, are occasionally of great service; and so also are
+purgatives and emetics, but these last, when they do no benefit, always do
+much injury. They should, therefore, be tried last, and then with caution,
+the order being thus:--Tonics, sedatives, and alkalies, either singly or
+in combination, and frequently changed. Stimulants and excitants in small
+doses, gradually increased. Emetics and purgatives, mingled with any of
+the foregoing. The food and exercise, after all, will do more for the
+restoration than the medicine, which must be so long continued that the
+mind doubts whether it is of any decided advantage. The affection is
+always chronic, and time is therefore imperative for its cure.
+
+Dogs are afflicted with a disease of the stomach, which is very like to
+"water-brash," "pyrosis," or "cardialgia," in the human being. The animals
+thus tormented are generally fully grown and weakly: a peculiarity in the
+walk shows the strength is feeble. The chief symptom is, however, not to
+be mistaken. The creature is dull just before the attack: it gets by
+itself, and remains quiet. All at once it rises; and without an effort, no
+premonitory sounds being heard, a quantity of fluid is ejected from the
+mouth, and by the shaking of the head scattered about. This appears to
+afford relief, but the same thing may occur frequently during the day.
+This disease of itself is not dangerous; but it is troublesome, and will
+make any other disorder the more likely to terminate fatally; it should,
+therefore, be always attended to. The food must not be neglected, and
+either a solution of the iodide of potassium with liquor potassĉ, or pills
+of trisnitrate of bismuth, must be given. The preparations of iron are
+sometimes of use; and a leech or two, after a small blister to the side,
+has also seemed to be beneficial. When some ground has been gained, the
+treatment recommended for indigestion generally must be adopted, the
+choice of remedies being guided by the symptoms. The practitioner,
+however, must not forget that the mode of feeding has probably been the
+cause; and, therefore, it must ever after be an object of especial care.
+The cold bath and exercise, proportioned to the strength, are equally to
+be esteemed.
+
+Very old dogs often die from indigestion, and in such cases the stomach
+will become inflated to an extent that would hardly be credited. These
+animals I have not observed to be subject to flatulent colic; when,
+therefore, the abdomen becomes suddenly tympanitic the gas is usually
+contained in the stomach. Fits and diarrhoea may accompany or precede the
+attack, which in the first instance yields to treatment; but in a month
+more or less returns, and is far more stubborn. Ether and laudanum, by
+mouth and enema, are at first to be employed; and, generally, they are
+successful. The liquor potassĉ, chloride of lime in solution, and
+aromatics with chalk, may also be tried, the food being strengthening but
+entirely fluid. The warm bath is here highly injurious; and bleeding or
+purging out of the question. When the distension of the stomach is so
+great as to threaten suffocation, the tube of the stomach-pump may be
+introduced; but, unless danger be present, the practitioner ought to
+depend upon the efforts of nature, to support which all his measures
+should be directed. After recovery, meat scraped as for potting, without
+any admixture of vegetables, must constitute the diet; and while a
+sufficiency is given, a very little only must be allowed at a time. With
+these precautions the life may be prolonged, but the restoration of health
+is not to be expected.
+
+
+
+
+GASTRITIS
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Dogs are abused for their depraved tastes, and reproached for the filth
+they eat; but if one of them, being of a particular disposition in the
+article of food, takes to killing his own mutton, he is knocked on the
+head as too luxurious. It is a very vulgar mistake to imagine the canine
+race have no preferences. They have their likes and dislikes quite as
+strong and as capricious as other animals. Man himself does not more
+frequently impair his digestion by over indulgence than does the dog. In
+both cases the punishment is the same, but the brute having the more
+delicate digestion suffers most severely. The dog's stomach is so subject
+to be deranged that few of these creatures can afford to gormandize; to
+which failing, however, they are much inclined. The consequence is soon
+shown. A healthy dog can make a hearty meal and sleep soundly after it.
+The petted favorite is often pained by a moderate quantity of food, and
+frequent are the housemaid's regrets that his digestion is not more
+retentive. He spoils other things besides victuals; and the more daintily
+he lives the more generally is he troublesome. It is the variety that
+diseases him. He grows to be omnivorous. He learns to relish that which
+nature did not fit him to consume, and as a consequence he pays for his
+bad habits. The dog in extreme cases can digest even bones; a banquet of
+tainted flesh will not disorder him; but he cannot subsist in health on
+his lady's diet. His stomach was formed to receive and assimilate certain
+substances, and to deny these is not to be generous or kind.
+
+Gastritis is very common with ladies' favorites. Its symptoms are well
+marked. Frequent sickness is the first indication. This is taken little
+notice of. The mess is cleared up, and the matter is forgotten. Thirst is
+constant, and the lapping is long; but no further notice is taken of this
+circumstance, than to remark the animal has grown very fond of water. At
+last the thirst has increased, and no sooner is the draught swallowed than
+it is ejected. The appetite which may have been ravenous a little time
+before, now grows bad, and whatever is eaten is immediately returned. The
+animal is evidently ill. The nose is dry, and the breathing quick. It
+avoids warmth, and lies and pants, away from the hearthrug. It dislikes
+motion and stretches itself out, either upon its chest or on its belly.
+Sometimes it moans, and more rarely cries. The stomach is now inflamed;
+and if the symptoms could have been earlier understood, frequently has the
+animal been seen, prior to this stage of attack, licking the polished
+steel fire-irons. It has been horrifying its mistress's propriety, by its
+instinctive desire to touch something cold with its burning tongue; and
+the poor little beast perhaps has been chastised for seeking a momentary
+relief to its affliction.
+
+Dogs that are properly treated rarely have gastritis. When they do, it is
+generally induced by some unwholesome food. I have known it to be caused
+by graves more often than by anything else they are accustomed to eat. I
+never recommend this stuff to be given to dogs. Meal and skim milk is far
+better, and that can always be procured where flesh is scarce. The
+entrails of sheep, &c., if washed and boiled with a large quantity of any
+kind of meal, are nutritious and wholesome; nay, even when a little
+tainted, they will not be refused. If, however, they were hung up in a
+strong draught, they would soon dry; and in that state might be preserved
+for use any length of time; all they afterwards require would be boiling.
+The paunch can be prepared in the same manner; and it would be worth some
+little trouble to avoid a mixture which contains nothing strengthening,
+and too often a great deal that is injurious.
+
+The treatment of gastritis is simple. It is generally accompanied by more
+or less diarrhoea; but the violence of the leading symptom renders that of
+comparatively little consequence. The degree of sickness will always
+indicate whether the stomach is the principal seat of disease.
+
+As nothing is retained, it would be a needless trouble to give many solids
+or fluids, by the mouth. From half a grain to a grain and a half of
+calomel, thoroughly mixed with the same quantities of powdered opium, may
+be sprinkled upon the tongue; and from one drachm to four drachms of
+sulphuric ether may be given in as much water as will dissolve it twenty
+minutes afterwards. The medicine will most probably be ejected; but, as it
+is very volatile, it may be retained sufficient time to have some
+influence in quieting the spasmodic irritability of the stomach. Ethereal
+injections should be administered every hour, and no food of any kind
+allowed. Besides this, from a quarter of a grain to a grain of opium may
+be sprinkled on the tongue every hour; and the ether draught continued
+until the sickness ceases, or the animal displays signs of being
+narcotised. An ammoniacal blister, if the symptoms are urgent, may be
+applied to the left side; but in mild cases, a strong embrocation will
+answer every purpose. Except the constitution be vigorous, and the pulse
+very strong, it will not be advisable to bleed, but from two to twelve
+leeches may be applied to the lower part of the chest. Cold water may be
+allowed in any quantity, but nothing warm should be given. The colder the
+water, the better, and the more grateful it will be to the animal. Where
+it can be obtained, a large lump of ice may be placed in the water, for
+the dog often will lick this, and sometimes even gnaw it. Small lumps of
+ice may be forced down as pills, and a cold bath may be given, the animal
+being well wrapped up afterwards, that it may become warm, and the blood,
+by the natural reaction, be determined to the skin.
+
+When the sickness is conquered, the following should be administered:--
+
+  Powdered nux vomica      A quarter of a grain to a grain.
+  Sulphate of iron         One grain to four grains.
+  Extract of gentian       Sufficient to make a pill.
+
+The above may be repeated every four hours until the stomach is quiet; but
+it is not always tranquillized; sickness may return, and the pills may
+possibly seem to aggravate it. If such should appear to be the case, try
+the next:--
+
+  Acid hydrocyanic, L.P.       One drop to four drops.
+  Carbonate of soda            Three grains to twelve grains.
+  Water                        A sufficiency.
+
+The ether and opium must also he persevered with, regulating the last of
+course by the action which it induces.
+
+Food should consist of cold broth, slightly thickened with ground rice,
+arrowroot, starch, or flour, and for some days it must be composed of
+nothing more; but by degrees the thickness may be increased, and a little
+bread and milk introduced. After a time a small portion of minced
+underdone meat, without skin or fat, may be allowed; but the quantity must
+be small, and the quality unexceptionable.
+
+The second day generally sees an abatement of the more urgent symptoms,
+and then the draught may be composed of five minims of laudanum to every
+drachm of ether, and ten drachms of water. This to be given both by mouth
+and injection six times daily. The former pills were intended only to
+allay the primary violence of the disease, and when that object is
+attained, the following remedy may be employed:--
+
+  Extract of hyoscyamus      One grain to four grains.
+  Carbonate of soda          Three grains to twelve grains.
+  Carbonate of ammonia       Half a grain to two grains.
+  Extract of gentian         Five grains to a scruple.
+  Powdered quassia           A sufficiency.
+
+The above is for one pill, which should be repeated four times daily, and
+continued for some days; when, if the dog seems quite recovered, a course
+of the quinine tonic pills, as recommended for distemper, will be of use;
+but should any suspicion be created of the disorder not being entirely
+removed, the animal may be treated as advised for indigestion.
+
+Sporting dogs are frequently sent to me suffering under what the
+proprietors are pleased to term "Foul." The history of these cases is soon
+known. They have been withdrawn from the field at the close of the season,
+and have ever since been shut up in close confinement, while the working
+diet has been persevered with. The poor beast is supposed capable of
+vegetating until the return of the period for shooting requires his
+services. He remains chained up till he acquires every outward disease to
+which his kind are liable; and then, when he stinks the place out, his
+owner is surprised at his condition, pronouncing his misused animal to be
+"very foul." "Foul" is not one disease, but an accumulation of disorders
+brought on by the absence of exercise with a stimulating diet. The
+sporting dog, when really at work, may have all the flesh it can consume;
+but at the termination of that period its food should consist wholly of
+vegetable substances, while a _little_ exercise daily is necessary, not to
+health, but absolutely for life. The dog with "foul" requires each seat of
+disease to be treated separately; beginning of course with the dressing
+for mange or for lice, one or the other of which the animal is certain to
+display.
+
+
+
+
+DISEASES DEPENDENT ON AN INTERNAL ORGAN.
+
+
+
+
+STOMACH.--ST. VITUS'S DANCE.
+
+This disease generally is assumed to be a nervous disorder, and so the
+symptoms declare it to be; but on _post mortem_ examinations no lesion is
+found either upon the brain, spinal marrow, or the nerves themselves. This
+last circumstance, however, proves nothing; for the same thing may be said
+of tetanus in the human being, and of stringhalt in the horse; both of
+them being well-marked nervous affections. I append St. Vitus's Dance to
+the stomach, not because of that which I have not beheld, but because of
+that which I have positively seen.
+
+It follows upon distemper. I do not know it as a distinct disorder, though
+it is asserted to exist as such when the greater or leading disease is
+unobserved. It then follows up the affection which primarily involves the
+stomach and intestines, and to which indications all other symptoms are
+secondary. On every _post mortem_ which I have made of this disorder, I
+have discovered the stomach inflamed; and, therefore, not because the
+nerves or their centres are blank, but because on one important viscus I
+have found well marked signs to impress my reason, I propose to treat of
+this disorder as connected with the stomach.
+
+
+[Illustration: THE POINTER.]
+
+The signs to which I allude, consists of patches of well-defined
+inflammation; and hence, knowing how distemper has the power to involve
+other organs, I conclude it has caused the spinal marrow to be
+sympathetically affected.
+
+The symptoms of the disease are well marked. The poor beast, whether he be
+standing up or lying down, is constantly worried with a catching of the
+limb or limbs--for only one may be affected, or all four may be attacked.
+Sleeping or waking, the annoyance continues. The dog cannot obtain a
+moment's rest from its tormentor. Day and night the movement remains; no
+act, no position the poor brute is capable of, can bring to the animal an
+instant's downright repose. Its sleep is troubled and broken; its waking
+moments are rendered miserable by this terrible infliction. The worst of
+the matter is, that the dog in every other respect appears to be well. Its
+spirits are good, and it is alive for happiness. If it were released from
+its constant affliction, it is eager to enjoy its brief lease of life as
+in the time of perfect health. Plaintive and piteous are its looks as,
+lying asleep before the fire, it is aroused by a sudden pain; wakes, turns
+round, and mutely appeals to its master for an explanation or a removal of
+the nuisance. When stricken down at last, as, unable to stand, it lies
+upon its straw, most sad is it to see the poor head raised, and to hear
+the tail in motion welcoming any one who may enter the place in which it
+is a helpless but a necessary prisoner.
+
+In this disorder the best thing is to pay every attention to the food. The
+wretched animal generally has an enormous appetite, and, when it is unable
+to stand, will continue feeding to the last. This morbid hunger must not
+be indulged. One pound of good rice may be boiled or cooked in a
+sufficiency of carefully made beef-tea, every particle of meat or bone
+being removed. This will constitute the provender for one day necessary to
+sustain the largest dog, and a quarter the amount will be sufficient for
+one of the average size. Where good rice is not to be obtained, oatmeal or
+bread, allowing for the moisture which the last contains, may be
+substituted. No bones, nor substances likely, when swallowed, to irritate
+the stomach, must on any account be allowed. The quantity given at one
+time must ever be small; and every sort of provender offered should be
+soft and soothing to the internal parts; though the poor dog will be eager
+to eat that which will be injurious. Water should be placed within its
+reach, and offered during the day, the head being held while the
+incapacitated animal drinks.
+
+When a dog is prostrated by this affliction, it must on no account be
+suffered to remain on the floor, where its limbs would speedily become
+excoriated, being forcibly moved upon the boards; anything placed beneath
+the animal to save the limbs, would be saturated with the urine and fĉces
+the poor beast is necessitated to pass. The best bed in such cases is made
+of a slanting piece of woodwork, of sufficient size to allow the animal to
+lie with ease at full length. The planks composing the wooden stage must
+be placed apart, be pierced with numerous holes, have the edges rounded,
+and be elevated at one end so as to allow all moisture readily to run
+off. The wood must be covered with a quantity of straw; which sort of
+bedding is convenient, not only because it allows the water to speedily
+percolate through it, but because it is warm, and being cheap, permits of
+repeated change.
+
+Physic is not of much avail in this disorder; kind nursing and mild food
+will do more towards recovery. Still, medicine, as an accessory, may be of
+considerable service, and in a secondary view deserves honorable mention.
+Alkalies, sedatives, and vegetable bitters, may be combined in various
+forms. The author's favorite sedative in stomach diseases is hyoscyamus,
+and alkali potash. For a bitter, quassia is a very good one; better than
+gentian, a small amount of the extract of which, however, may be used to
+make up the pill. When speaking of the pill, the most important ingredient
+must not be forgotten--I mean nux vomica. Some people employ strychnia,
+but such persons more often kill than cure their patients. Strychnia in
+any doses, however minute, is a violent poison to the dog. While at
+college I beheld animals killed with it; and there does not live the
+person who knows how to render this agent safe to the dog. Nux vomica,
+even, must be used in very minute doses, to be entirely safe--from a
+quarter of a grain to a small pup, to two grains to the largest animal.
+That quantity must be continued for a week, four pills being given daily;
+then add a quarter of a grain daily to the four larger pills, and a
+quarter of a grain every four days to all the smaller ones; keep on
+increasing the amount, till the physiological effects of the drug, as
+they are called, become developed. These consist in the beast having that
+which uninformed people term "a fit." He lies upon the ground, uttering
+rather loud cries, whilst every muscle of his body is in motion. Thus he
+continues scratching, as if it was his desire to be up and off at a
+hundred miles an hour. No sooner is he rid of one attack than he has
+another. He retains his consciousness, but is unable to give any sign of
+recognition. It is useless to crowd round the animal in this state; the
+drug must perform its office, and will do so, in spite of human effort.
+The very best thing that can be done, is to let the animal alone until the
+attack is over, when writers on Materia Medica tell us improvement is
+perceptible. I wish it was so in dogs. I have beheld the physiological
+effect of nux vomica repeatedly, but cannot recollect many instances in
+which I could date amendment from its appearance.
+
+The following is the formula for the pill recently alluded to:--
+
+  Potash                     Two to seven grains.
+  Extract of hyoscyamus      Half a grain to four grains.
+  Quassia powder             Three to sixteen grains.
+  Nux vomica                 A quarter of a grain to two grains.
+  Extract of gentian         A sufficiency.
+
+The above quantities are sufficient for one pill, four of which are to be
+given daily for a week, at the expiration of which period the increase may
+begin. If the above, after a fair test has been made of it, does not
+succeed, trial may be instituted of the nitrate of silver, the
+trisnitrate of bismuth, or any of the various drugs said to be beneficial
+in the disease, or of service in stomach complaints. In this disorder the
+same drug never appears to act twice alike, therefore a change is
+warranted and desirable.
+
+Hopes of restoration may be entertained if the animal can only be kept
+alive to recover strength; then confident expectation can be expressed
+that the dog will outgrow the disease. The first signs perceptible which
+denote recovery are these:--The provender the beast consumes is evidently
+not thrown away. Instead of eating much, and ungratefully becoming thinner
+and thinner upon that which it consumes, the animal displays a disposition
+to thrive upon its victuals. It does not get fat on what it eats, but it
+evidently loses no flesh. It grows no thinner; and if the strength be not
+recruited, it obviously is not diminished. The animal does not gorge much
+wholesome diet daily, to exhibit more and more the signs of debility and
+starvation. If only a suspicion can be felt that the poor dog does not
+sink, then hope of ultimate success may warm the heart of a kind master;
+but when the reverse is obvious, though killing a dog is next to killing a
+child--and he who for pleasure can do the one, is not far off from doing
+the other--yet it is mercy then to destroy that existence which must else
+be miserably worn away. When there is no chance left for expectation to
+cling to, it becomes real charity to do violence to our feelings, in order
+that we may spare a suffering creature pain; but when there is a
+prospect, however remote, of recovery, I hope there is no veterinary
+surgeon who would touch the life. When the animal can stand, we may
+anticipate good; and whatever is left of the complaint, we may assure our
+employers will vanish as the age increases; for St. Vitus's Dance is
+essentially the disease of young dogs. But as recovery progresses, we must
+be cautious to do nothing to fling the animal back. No walks must be
+enforced, under the pretence of administering exercise. The animal has
+enough of that in its ever-jerking limbs; and however well it may grow to
+be while the disease lasts, we may rest assured the dog suffering its
+attack stands in need of repose.
+
+
+
+
+BOWEL DISEASES.
+
+Continuous with the stomach are the intestines, which are equally subject
+to disease, and more exposed to it in an acute form than even the former
+viscus. The dog will fill its belly with almost anything, but there is
+little that positively agrees with it. Boiled rice or lean meat, &c., and
+coarse biscuit, are the best general food; but without exercise, even
+these will not support health. The dog requires constant care if it is
+deprived of liberty: and those who keep these animals as pets, must submit
+to trouble, for though art may do much, it cannot conquer Nature.
+
+The intestines of the dog are peculiar. In the first place, it has no
+colon, and all the guts are nearly of one size from the commencement to
+the termination; the duodenum and the most posterior portion of the rectum
+being the largest, though not so much so as materially to destroy the
+appearance of uniformity. The cĉcum is no more than a small appendage--a
+little sac attached to the main tube; it has but one opening, and that is
+very diminutive. I think all the food, as in other animals, passes into
+and out of this intestine; which, because of its peculiar formation, is
+therefore particularly liable to be disordered. In the dog which has died
+of intestinal disease, the cĉcum is almost invariably found enlarged and
+inflamed. In it, I imagine, the majority of bowel affections have their
+origin. The gut is first loaded, and the consequence of this is, it loses
+its natural function. The contents become irritants from being retained,
+and the whole process of digestion is deranged; other parts are involved,
+and inflammation is induced.
+
+Writers do not notice the tendency of the cĉcum to be diseased, or remark
+upon its disposition to exhibit signs of alteration; but the fact being so
+obvious, I wonder it should have escaped observation.
+
+COSTIVENESS is, in some measure, natural to the dog, and in that animal is
+hardly to be viewed as a disease. In health, the fĉces are not expelled
+without considerable straining, and the matter voided ought to be of a
+solid character. It nevertheless should not be absolutely hard, or
+positively dry, for in that case the want of moisture shows the natural
+secretion of the rectum is deficient; the hardness proving prolonged
+detention, denoting the intestines have lost their activity.
+
+Both Blaine and Youatt were educated in the old school of medicine, which
+taught them to regard purgatives as the surgeon's best friends, and the
+sheet-anchors of his practice. They prescribe them in almost every case,
+and almost on every occasion; but I rarely give these agents. In the dog I
+am convinced they are not safe, and their constant use is by no means
+imperative. Should an animal be supposed not to have been relieved for a
+week, this fact is no proof that a purgative is required. The animal may
+have eluded observation, and it cannot inform us if such has been the
+case. The intestines may be slow, or the digestion may be more than
+usually active. It is foolish to lay down rules for Nature, and punish her
+creatures if these laws are not obeyed. There are, however, means of
+ascertaining when a purgative is needed; and these, if employed, will very
+rarely deceive.
+
+The muscles covering the abdomen of the dog are very thin, and through
+them the contents of the cavity may be plainly felt. By squeezing these
+together, the fingers will detect whether the rectum, which lies near to
+the spine, and of course backward or towards the tail, contains any
+substance. Should the presence of any solid body be ascertained, its
+character ought to be noted. If round and comparatively soft, a little
+exercise will cause it to be expelled; but if hard-pointed in places, and
+uneven, assistance should be afforded. An enema, of the solution of
+soap--or of Epsom salts, from half an ounce to a quarter of a pound, in a
+quarter of a pint to a quart of water--may be administered. A more active
+injection will be, from half a drachm to four drachms of turpentine,
+beaten up with the yolks of so many eggs as there are drachms of the oil,
+and mixed with the quantity of water just named.
+
+Either of these will relieve the bowel; but the condition of one part
+justifies an inference as to the state of another, and the enema probably
+will not unload the cĉcum, which there is reason to suppose is also
+clogged. A gentle dose of castor-oil, or of the pills directed on page
+116, will accomplish this intention; and, afterwards, measures must be
+adopted to regulate the digestion, either by tonics or such medicines as
+the symptoms suggest, but not by the constant repetition of laxatives.
+
+Costiveness will sometimes produce such violent pain that alarm is
+created, and dogs have been destroyed under the idea that they were rabid.
+To guard against so fatal a mistake, I shall only here say, that rabies
+does not come on suddenly, or, save in the latest stage, appear to
+influence the consciousness, which it never entirely overpowers. The agony
+caused by costiveness is greater than in any other affection to which the
+dog is liable. Apparently well, and perhaps at play, a cry breaks forth,
+which is the next instant a shriek, expressive of the acutest torture. The
+animal takes to running, and is not aware of surrounding objects; it can
+recognise nothing, but will bite its master if he attempts to catch it,
+and hit itself against anything that may be in its way; it scampers from
+room to room, or hurries from place to place; it is unable to be still or
+silent; and perhaps getting into a corner, it makes continuous efforts as
+though it wished to scramble up the wall, remaining there jumping with all
+its strength, and at the same time yelling at the top of its voice. This
+excitement may last for an hour or more, and then cease only to be
+renewed: till at length the powers fail, and in half a day the animal may
+be dead. Just prior to death, a mass of compact fĉces is usually passed;
+and blood, with dysentery, is generally witnessed for the short period the
+animal survives. After death, general inflammation of the intestines is
+discovered, and the dog is reported to have perished from an attack of
+enteritis which no medicine could subdue.
+
+In such cases, the first examination should be directed to the rectum; the
+finger, moistened or oiled, ought to be inserted, and the intestine
+explored as thoroughly as possible. This operation is, however, not of
+further use than to confirm the opinion of the practitioner; and I,
+knowing the cause, therefore dispense with it. A copious enema should be
+immediately exhibited. One containing turpentine is the most effective;
+but, on account of its activity, it is only safe in the beginning of the
+attack. A warm bath is of service, but it takes up time which may be
+better employed, and does not do sufficient good to recompense for the
+delay. A full dose of sulphuric ether and laudanum should be given to
+allay the pain, and it may with this intention be repeated every ten or
+twenty minutes. If, from the enema, nothing follows, the finger should
+then certainly be introduced, and perhaps a compact mass may be felt
+firmly grasped by the intestine. Slowly, and with great caution, this must
+be broken up, and brought away bit by bit. The handle of a spoon has been
+recommended for this purpose, but I entreat my readers not to use it.
+Where pain is present, and life or death hang on the issue, there is no
+right to be any delicacy. An instrument of any kind introduced into such a
+part, and employed while the body is writhing about in agony, cannot be
+free from danger, and scarcely can be so used as to be effective. The
+finger is the quickest, the most safe, and the most effectual instrument;
+for we have it under our command, can guide it at our will, and with it
+take cognisance of all the circumstances presented. Even that must be
+employed gently, and this will be best done by the avoidance of haste. The
+surgeon is bound to be skilful, but he ought never to be in a hurry. Let
+all the time that can be occupied on such a matter be freely taken, and
+during the process, let the cries of the animal be attended to; any change
+of note will contain a warning which must not be disregarded. Without
+attending to that, the intestine might be ruptured, and death would then
+be certain.
+
+When the obstruction has been overcome, let a few ethereal enemas be
+administered to allay any local irritability; and a dose of the purgative
+pills--followed, six hours afterwards, should they not have operated, by
+one of castor-oil mixture, blended with half a scruple of
+chloroform--being given to unload the cĉcum. The medicine having acted
+freely, the food must be amended, the treatment altered, and such other
+measures taken as the digestion may require for its restoration.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+COLIC.--This is an affection to which dogs are very subject. The human
+infant is not more liable to be griped than are the young of the canine
+species. The idea of a cur with a belly-ache may, to some persons, seem to
+be suggestive of fun; but to the creature that suffers, it is indeed a
+serious business. A duchess with the spasms does not endure so much, and
+is not in half the danger, that a dog is exposed to during a fit of
+gripes. The animal must be relieved, or inflammation will speedily ensue,
+and death will follow. In some cases, the appearance of colic is almost a
+certain indication that the poor beast will die. When it comes on a week
+or two prior to pupping, we may cure it; but during, or soon after
+parturition, the bitch generally perishes. When it starts up in the later
+or more virulent stage of distemper, especially at the time when the
+champing of the jaw denotes the approach of fits, the chance of a
+favorable termination to the disease is materially diminished. When in a
+violent form it attacks a litter of puppies, either simultaneously or
+consecutively, it is always attended with danger. At no season, and under
+no circumstances, is it trivial, and never ought it to be neglected. The
+cries and distress of the suffering animal will, when it is fully
+established, enforce attention; but too often it has then proceeded so far
+that much medicine will not check what in the first instance a single dose
+might have entirely banished.
+
+The symptoms of colic have been much confused by Blaine, who, when
+describing them, evidently alludes to many forms of disease with which
+abdominal spasm has no connexion. Youatt is far more clear; but he is too
+concise, and omits so much that the reader does not properly appreciate
+the importance of that affection which is thus slightly mentioned. Neither
+of the two authors seems to have carefully studied the subject; for in
+their writings is not to be found any account of those early symptoms
+which most readily yield to treatment.
+
+Prior to evincing any sign of colic, the dog appears well; healthy in its
+body and easy in its mind. The appetite is good, or may be better than
+usual. The food has been eaten and relished; then the animal instinctively
+lies down to sleep and aid digestion. A moan is heard; the sound is half
+suppressed, and the dog that utters it appears to sleep. Another cry, as
+feeble, but of greater length, is noticed; and now the animal that made
+it changes its position. The next time it may rise, look round, and seek
+another place; which having found, it appears to settle itself and to go
+to sleep. The rest once more is broken, the voice grows more full and
+loud; the dog jumps up and runs about for a little while, then selects a
+spot where it curls its body tightly up, as if resolved to have out its
+nap. The interruption, however, constantly recurs; and at each return the
+exclamation is more emphatic--the starting more energetic--the movement
+more abrupt--and, contrasting these, the determination or desire to repose
+becomes more strong. Thus endeavoring to sleep, and being constantly
+disturbed by some sharp and shooting pain, the dog may continue for a day,
+or two, or three, its cries, during the whole period, offending a
+neighborhood.
+
+During the continuance of colic, the general appearance of the animal may
+be but little affected. The eye is not injected, but the pupil may be
+slightly enlarged. The nose is cool and moist, but towards the end,
+irritation may render the part hot or dry. The appetite is generally
+slight--sometimes lost; and fluids are more readily accepted than solids.
+The cry, however, should be remarked; because, with the pulse, it gives
+the earliest notice when inflammation is commencing. While colic alone
+exists, the pulse may, from pain, be accelerated, and rendered more full,
+as well as strong, though not always to any marked extent. In
+inflammation, the pulse is greatly quickened, the artery becomes smaller,
+and its beat more jerking or wiry. During simple spasm the voice is
+natural, rich, sonorous, and almost musical; but in inflammation it is
+short, harsh, high, and broken, the exclamations not being continuous, but
+consisting of a series of disconnected "_yaps_."
+
+For the treatment, in the first instance, a turpentine enema will
+frequently cut short the attack. Should it fail to so, injections of ether
+and laudanum should succeed, and doses of the mixture should also be given
+every half hour; the first three being exhibited at intervals only of a
+quarter of an hour each. The cathartic pills should be administered; and
+in three hours, if the bowels have not been acted upon, a dose of
+castor-oil should be resorted to; but where the cathartic has been
+responded to, the castor-oil should be delayed for eight or twelve hours.
+
+When the pain ceases, the ether and laudanum should not be immediately
+discontinued; but they may be employed at longer intervals, and gradually
+reduced in quantity, until the bowels are thoroughly opened, when they may
+be withheld. Under this treatment, the affection is rarely fatal, and
+never so if taken in time. An injection of ether and laudanum should
+always be given to any pup that exhibits even the slightest symptom of
+uneasiness. I have never known it to do harm, but I am convinced it has
+often prevented danger.
+
+In those cases where purging and other indications denote the coats of the
+bowels to be already involved, and spasm co-exists with enteritis, ether
+and laudanum must enter into all the remedies employed. On the dog their
+action is, in my opinion, always beneficial; and were they not directly
+so, the influence they possess in deadening pain would be sufficient
+reason to justify their adoption. The other measures consist of such as
+will be found mentioned under the head of enteritis; but it is essential
+to observe any fĉces which may be ejected by the animal that has suffered
+colic; for by these we may sometimes guess the cause of the attack, and
+more often learn the means through which a return may be prevented.
+
+As to the causes which induce colic, I can of my own knowledge offer no
+information. It has to me seemed to be regulated by none of those
+circumstances to which it is generally attributed; at all events, I think
+I have witnessed it in animals which have not been exposed to any of the
+causes that teachers and writers assert induce it. Dogs are, however,
+brought to us only when the cause has ceased; for we are sought for only
+to treat the effect. The declarations of authors may therefore be correct,
+although I am unable to corroborate them; and these gentlemen say colic is
+produced by cold, acrid food, chills, worms, hard water, &c. In cases of
+this kind, therefore, it may be well to inquire if the dog has been
+exposed, or badly fed, or is in any way unhealthy; and, so far as
+possible, to rectify these matters; for, even though they may not have
+provoked the spasm, nevertheless we shall do good by attending to the
+health, diet, and comfort of the animal.
+
+ENTERITIS.--The doom of the dog which is really afflicted with this
+disease, is generally sealed. It is a painful and a fatal
+disorder--equally rapid and stubborn. I fear it more than any other
+affection to which the animal is subject, and more frequently than any
+other has it set my best endeavors at defiance.
+
+In the dog, however, enteritis is rarely seen in a pure form. The mucous
+membrane of the intestines is mostly inflamed, but the serous covering, as
+a general rule, is in no degree involved. The stomach, however, is almost
+in every instance more or less implicated; its inner surface being
+inflamed, and its muscular coat so contracted, that the lining membrane is
+corrugated, and remains in that condition after death.
+
+The incentives are, unwholesome food, which is the most frequent of the
+causes; exposure, especially after a dog has been in winter fantastically
+deprived of its long hair over the loins; and over-exertion, to which the
+dog is often exposed, no attention being paid to its condition. Anything
+which disorders the digestion, or violently shakes the constitution, will
+induce it; for in the dog every species of revulsion has a tendency to
+attack the bowels. Mange improperly treated has produced it; and this may
+be said of almost any skin disease; so that it has been caused not by true
+mange or itch alone but by a skin disease having been, under the pretence
+of working an immediate cure, driven into the system. Neglected
+impactments, or colic, are among its most frequent immediate causes; for
+at least three parts of those cases of enteritis submitted to my notice,
+have been clearly traced to have commenced with something of that kind.
+
+Of the symptoms of enteritis, colic and constipation, with a hard thin
+pulse, are the most prominent. Sickness is not present, or rather I have
+not witnessed it, at the commencement of the disorder. The extremities are
+cold--the eye has a stupid expression, the pupil being much dilated--the
+breath is hot, and the nose dry. The tail is drawn firmly downward, and
+pressed upon the anus; the urine is sometimes scanty, always high-colored;
+the tongue is rough and clammy, the thirst strong, and the appetite lost.
+The dog seeks darkness and privacy, and does not ramble during the early
+stage; it will stretch itself out either upon its belly or on its side,
+and I have not seen it sit upon its haunches. The abdomen is only of the
+heat of the body, which is generally of an increased temperature. Pressure
+appears to cause no pain, and the animal rather seems grateful for
+friction than to resist it. As the disease proceeds, diarrhoea ensues, and
+with it the signs of exhaustion and death generally are exhibited.
+Throughout the attack there is a marked disinclination to take any remedy;
+which is not always displayed by these creatures, and in no other disease
+is so violently exhibited. Dogs often become attached to those who
+minister to their complaints; many of them will appear to understand and
+appreciate the motives of him who attempts their relief. The poor things
+will frequently submit to operations, and lick the hand which has
+performed them. Eloquent are the appeals which they sometimes make to the
+feelings of one in whom they have placed their confidence; often
+staggering to meet him when he enters; looking upward into his face, and
+uttering low cries, which are more expressive than words could possibly be
+rendered. He who has had much to do with dogs must, if he be not
+insensible, grow to like them, and gradually learn to think these
+creatures possess both knowledge and reason. They will sometimes, without
+a struggle, swallow the most pungent and nauseous drinks; but such is not
+the case during enteritis. The brain in that disease is always
+sympathetically affected, the state of the eye, its peculiar expression
+and dilated pupil, denote the fact; and the manner of the dog would,
+without these indications, lead us to surmise the circumstance.
+
+The treatment must be energetic. The sharp, short cries, characteristic of
+enteritis, as pointed out in the preceding description of colic, will be
+sufficient warning of the danger, and ample intimation that there is no
+time to be lost. A turpentine enema should be injected. The treatment
+ought always to begin with this, for to unload the rectum is of all
+importance. Afterwards, from one to four grains of calomel, with from half
+a grain to two grains of opium, should be shaken upon the tongue; and when
+ten minutes have elapsed, a draught of ether and laudanum and water, with
+an injection of the same composition, ought to be exhibited. While the
+cries last, the ether may be continued, and when the strength appears to
+fail, it may also be employed. Two hours subsequent to the calomel being
+given, from half an ounce to three ounces of castor-oil, diluted with half
+the quantity of olive-oil, should be used as a drench; and thrice during
+the day the following may be administered either as a pill or draught, in
+thick gruel, soup, or mucilage, at the option of the practitioner; who
+will, of course, be guided by the disposition of the patient, which in
+every particular must be considered:--
+
+  Grey powder                Five grains to a scruple.
+  Powdered ipecacuanha       Half a grain to four grains.
+  Extract of hyoscyamus      One to eight grains.
+
+Bleeding is of some service, but the dog so quickly sinks, that it must be
+practised with caution. On this account, as well as for other reasons,
+leeches are to be preferred. If the patient be a male, they may be applied
+to the belly; but if a female, the side of the abdomen must be shaven, and
+that part selected. From four to twenty-four leeches will be sufficient;
+and half that number may be again used if no change for the better is
+observed, and the strength does not fail. Stimulating applications are
+likewise beneficial. A large mustard poultice has appeared to be more
+operative than more violent agents. After it has been removed, warm
+fomentations of water, with occasional ones of hot turpentine, may be
+employed.
+
+In the early stage, a warm bath of 90 degrees, for half an hour, has been
+used with advantage; but the animal, when removed from it, must be
+wrapped well up in several hot blankets, and kept in them until it is
+perfectly dry.
+
+On the second day from two to ten drops of the tincture of arnica, with
+half a drachm of the solution of the chloride of zinc, may be added to the
+ethereal drinks and injections, if the disorder has not been checked; and
+beef-tea, thickened with rice, may also be frequently administered, using
+it instead of water, both in the draughts and injections. No other food is
+admissible, and the return to solids must, if the animal survives, be very
+gradual.
+
+DYSENTERY AND DIARRHOEA.--These diseases, which in works on human
+pathology are advantageously separated, I cannot here treat of as distinct
+disorders. In the dog they are so connected and blended that the line
+which divides them cannot be discovered; and for every practical purpose,
+they may be here considered as one and the same affection.
+
+The young and the old are most liable to these complaints. Puppies are
+very subject, as also are aged gross favorites; things so fat that it
+becomes hard work to live are very generally attacked with diarrhoea. The
+pup, however, usually exhibits it in the acute form, whereas in the other
+description of animal it mostly appears in the chronic type.
+
+When acute, colic may accompany or precede it. In proportion to the spasm
+will be the violence and the danger of the disorder. Sickness is mostly
+witnessed a little time prior to the attack, and the matter vomited has a
+peculiarly disagreeable and acrid odor. The dog does not again consume
+that which the stomach has thrown off, but sneaks away dejected, and
+afterwards seems dull. Sickness will occasionally continue throughout the
+complaint, but in general it departs as the disease appears. Thirst,
+however, is always present; and there is also a disposition to seek cold
+things and places. The pulse is quicker, but not stronger, and hardly at
+first less thin than during health. There is no pain on pressure being
+applied to the abdomen. The membranes of the eye are not injected; they
+may be a little deeper in color than is strictly natural, but occasionally
+they are the reverse. If, however, the anus be gently forced open, so as
+to expose the terminating surface of the rectum, the membrane there will
+be found more red, and perhaps less clear in tint, than it ought to be;
+and the presence of purgation, attended with a violent resistance to the
+administration of clysters, will leave no doubt as to the character of the
+affection.
+
+In the chronic form, the membrane of the eye is pallid; the nose often
+moist; the breath offensive; the appetite ravenous; the pulse quick and
+weak; the anus inflamed; mostly protruding, and usually disfigured by
+piles; the fĉces liquid, and of various hues; sometimes black,
+occasionally lighter than usual, very generally mixed with much mucus and
+a small quantity of blood, so that the leading symptoms are those of
+weakness, accompanied with purgation.
+
+[Illustration: SUPERPURGATION.]
+
+Acute diarrhoea may terminate in twenty-four hours; the chronic may
+continue as many days. The first sometimes closes with hemorrhage, blood
+in large quantities being ejected, either from the mouth or from the anus;
+but more generally death ensues from apparent exhaustion, which is
+announced by coldness of the belly and mouth, attended with a peculiar
+faint and sickly fetor and perfect insensibility. The chronic more rarely,
+ends with excessive bleeding, but almost always gradually wears out the
+animal, which for days previous may be paralysed in the hind extremities,
+lying with its back arched and its feet approximated, though consciousness
+is retained almost to the last moment. In either case, however, the
+characteristic stench prevails, and the lower surface of the abdomen, as a
+general rule, feels hard, presenting to the touch two distinct lines,
+which run in the course of the spine. These lines, which Youatt mentions
+as cords, are the recti muscles, which in the dog are composed of
+continuous fibre, and consequently, when contracted under the stimulus of
+pain or disease, become very apparent.
+
+On examination after death, the stomach, especially towards the pyloric
+orifice, is inflamed, as are the intestines, which, however, towards the
+middle of the track, are less violently affected than at other parts. The
+cĉcum is enlarged, and may even, while all the other guts are empty,
+contain hard solid fĉces. The rectum is generally black with inflammation,
+and seems most to suffer in these disorders. Occasionally its interior is
+ulcerated, and such is nearly always its condition towards the anus. Signs
+of colic are distributed along the entire length of the alimentary tubes.
+
+In the acute disease, the case in the first instance should be treated as
+directed for colic, with turpentine enema and ether, laudanum and water,
+followed by mild doses of grey powder and ipecacuanha, or chalk, catechu
+and aromatics, in the proportions directed below:--
+
+  Powdered opium            Half a grain to two grains.
+  Powdered prepared chalk   Five grains to a scruple.
+  Catechu                   Two grains to half a scruple.
+  Liquor potassĉ            Half-a-drachm to two drachms.
+  Powdered ginger           Three to twelve grains.
+  Powdered caraways         Three to twelve grains.
+  Powdered capsicums        One to four grains.
+
+This may be given every second hour. The carbonate of ammonia, from two to
+eight grains, is also deserving of a trial, as are the chlorides and
+chlorates when the odor is perceived.
+
+Applications, as before directed, to the abdomen are also beneficial; but
+frequent use of the warm bath should be forbidden, for its action is far
+too debilitating. The ether, laudanum, and water should be persisted with
+throughout the treatment, and hope may be indulged so long as the
+injections are retained; but when these are cast back, or flow out as soon
+as the pipe is removed, the case may be pronounced a desperate one.
+
+In the chronic form of diarrhoea there is always greater prospect of
+success. Ether, laudanum, and water will often master it, without the
+addition of any other medicine; but the liquor potassĉ and the chalk
+preparation are valuable adjuncts. To the anus an ointment will be useful;
+and it should not only be smeared well over the part, but, by means of a
+penholder or the little finger, a small quantity should thrice in the
+course of the day be introduced up the rectum. For this purpose the
+following will be found to answer much better than any of those which
+Blaine orders to be employed on similar occasions:--
+
+  Camphor powdered   }
+  Mercurial ointment }  Of each equal parts.
+  Elder ointment     }
+
+Cleanliness is of the utmost importance. Thrice daily, or oftener if
+necessary, the anus and root of the tail should be thoroughly cleansed,
+with a wash consisting of an ounce of the solution of chloride of zinc to
+a pint of distilled water. The food should be generous; but fluid beef
+tea, thickened with rice, will constitute the most proper diet during the
+existence of diarrhoea.
+
+A little gravy and rice with scraped meat may be gradually introduced; but
+the dog must be drenched with the liquid rather than indulged with solids
+at too early a period. All the other measures necessary have been
+indicated when treating of previous abdominal diseases, and such rules as
+are therein laid down must, according to the circumstances, be applied.
+
+PERITONITIS.--In the acute form this disease is rarely witnessed, save as
+accompanying or following parturition. Its symptoms are, panting;
+restlessness; occasional cries; a desire for cold; constant stretching
+forth at full length upon the side; dry mouth and nose; thirst;
+constipation; hard quick pulse; catching breathing, and--contrary as it
+may be to all reasonable expectation--seldom any pain on pressure to the
+abdomen, toward which, however, the animal constantly inclines the head.
+
+The treatment consists in bleeding from the jugular, from three to twelve
+ounces being taken; but a pup, not having all its permanent teeth,
+supposing such an animal could be affected, should not lose more than from
+half-an-ounce to two ounces. Stimulating applications to the abdomen
+should be employed, an ammoniacal blister, from its speedy action, being
+to be preferred. Ether, laudanum, and water ought to be given, to allay
+the pain, with calomel in small but repeated doses, combined with
+one-fourth its weight of opium, in order to subdue the inflammation. A
+turpentine enema to unload the rectum, and a full dose of castor oil to
+relieve the bowels, should be administered early in the disease. The warm
+bath, if the animal is after it well wrapped up, may also be resorted to.
+A second bleeding may be necessary, but it should always be by means of
+leeches, and should only be practised upon conviction of its necessity,
+for no animal is less tolerant of blood-letting than the dog.
+
+During peritonitis, the chief aim of all the measures adopted is to reduce
+the inflammation; but while this is kept in view, it must not be forgotten
+that of equal, or perhaps of even more, importance, is it to subdue the
+pain and lessen the constitutional irritation which adds to the energy of
+the disorder, thus rendering nature the less capable of sustaining it.
+With this object I have often carried ether, laudanum, and water, so far
+as to narcotise the animal; and I have kept the dog under the action of
+these medicines for twelve hours, and then have not entirely relinquished
+them. The consequence has not always been success, but I have not seen any
+reason to imagine that the life has not been lengthened by the practice;
+and sometimes when the narcotism has ceased, the disease has exhibited so
+marked an improvement, that I have dated the recovery from that period.
+
+STRANGULATION.--This consists in the intestines being twisted or tied
+together, and it is caused by sudden emotion or violent exertion. From it
+the dog is almost exempt, though to it some other animals are much
+exposed. The symptoms are sudden pain, resembling acute enteritis,
+accompanied with sickness and constipation, and terminating in the
+lethargic ease which characterises mortification.
+
+No treatment can save the life, and all the measures justifiable are such
+as would alleviate the sufferings of the animal; but as, in the majority
+of these cases, the fact is only ascertained after death, the practitioner
+must in a great measure be guided by the symptoms.
+
+INTROSUSCEPTION.--This is when a portion of intestine slips into another
+part of the alimentary tube, and there becomes fixed. Colic always
+precedes this, for the accident could not occur unless the bowel was in
+places spasmodically contracted. The symptoms are--colic, in the first
+instance, speedily followed by enteritis, accompanied by a seeming
+constipation, that resists all purgatives, and prevails up to the moment
+of death. The measures would be the same as were alluded to when writing
+of strangulation.
+
+STOPPAGE.--To this the dog is much exposed. These animals are taught to
+run after sticks or stones, and to bring them to their masters. When this
+trick has been learnt, the creatures are very fond of displaying their
+accomplishment. They engage in the game with more than pleasure; and as no
+living being is half so enthusiastic as dogs, they throw their souls into
+the simple sport. Delighted to please their lords, the animals are in a
+fever of excitement; they back and run about--their eyes on fire, and
+every muscle of their frames in motion. The stone is flung, and away goes
+the dog at its topmost speed, so happy that it has lost its self-command.
+If the missile should be small, the poor animal, in its eagerness to
+seize, may unfortunately swallow it, and when that happens, the faithful
+brute nearly always dies. The oesophagus or gullet of the dog is larger
+than its intestines, and consequently the substance which can pass down
+the throat may in the guts become impacted. Such too frequently follows
+when stones are gulped; for hard things of this kind, though they should
+be small enough to pass through the alimentary tube, nevertheless would
+cause a stoppage; for a foreign body of any size, by irritating the
+intestine, would provoke it to contract, or induce spasm; and the bowel
+thus excited would close upon the substance, retaining it with a force
+which could not be overcome. Persons, therefore, who like their dogs to
+fetch and carry, should never use for this purpose any pebble so small as
+to be dangerous, or rather, they should never use stones of any kind for
+this purpose. The animal taught to indulge in this amusement seriously
+injures its teeth, which during the excitement are employed with imprudent
+violence, and the mouth sustains more injury than the game can recompense.
+
+If a dog should swallow a stone, let the animal be immediately fed
+largely; half-an-hour afterwards let thrice the ordinary dose of
+antimonial wine be administered, and the animal directly afterwards be
+exercised. Probably the pebble may be returned with the food when the
+emetic acts. Should such not be the case, as the dog will not eat again,
+all the thick gruel it can be made to swallow must be forced upon it, and
+perhaps the stone may come away when this is vomited. Every effort must be
+used to cause the substance to be ejected before it has reached the
+bowels, since if it enters these, the doom is sealed. However, should such
+be the case, the most violent and potent antispasmodics may be tried; and
+under their influence I have known comparatively large bodies to pass. No
+attempt must be made to quicken the passage by moulding or kneading the
+belly; much less must any effort be used intended to push the substance
+onward. The convolutions of the alimentary track are numerous, and the
+bowels are not stationary; therefore we have no certainty, even if the
+violence should do no injury, that our interference would be properly
+directed. Hope must depend upon antispasmodics; while every measure is
+taken to anticipate the irritation which is almost certain to follow.
+
+Stoppage may be caused by other things besides stones. Corks, pins, nails,
+skewers, sharp pieces of bone, particularly portions of game and poultry
+bones, have produced death; and this fact will serve to enforce the
+warning which was given in the earlier portion of this work.
+
+
+
+
+PARALYSIS OF THE HIND EXTREMITIES.
+
+It appears odd to speak of such an affliction as loss of all motor power
+in the hind extremities, connected with deranged bowels. What can the
+stomach have to do with the legs? Why, all and everything. That which is
+put into the stomach, nourishes the legs, and that which enters the same
+receptacle, may surely disease the like parts. That which nurtures health,
+and that which generates sickness, are more closely allied than we are
+willing to allow. Thus, a moderate meal nourishes and refreshes; but the
+same food taken in too great abundance, as surely will bring disease; and
+it is of too much food that I have to complain, when I speak of the bowels
+as associated with paralysis. Dogs will become great gluttons. They like
+to do what they see their master doing; but as a dog's repast comes round
+but once a day, and a human being eats three or four times in the
+twenty-four hours, so has the animal kept within doors so many additional
+opportunities of over-gorging itself. Nor is this all. The canine appetite
+is soon satisfied; the meal is soon devoured. But it is far otherwise with
+the human repast. The dog may consume enough provender in a few minutes to
+last till the following day comes round; whereas the man cannot get
+through the food which is to support him for six hours, in less than half
+a division of the time here enumerated. Supposing one or two persons to be
+seated at table, it is very hard to withstand a pair of large, eloquent,
+and imploring eyes, watching every mouthful the fork lifts from the plate.
+For a minute or two it may be borne; but to hold out an entire hour is
+more than human fortitude is capable of. A bit is thrown to the poor dog
+that looks so very hungry; it is eaten quickly, and then the eyes are at
+work again. Perhaps the other end of the board is tried, and the appeal
+is enforced with the supplicatory whine that seldom fails. Piece after
+piece is thereby extracted; and dogs fed in this fashion will eat much
+more than if the whole were placed before them at one time. The animal
+becomes enormously fat, and then one day is found by the mistress with its
+legs dragging after it. The lady inquires which of the servants have been
+squeezing the dog in the door. All deny that they have been so amusing
+themselves, and every one protests that she had not heard poor Fanny cry.
+The mistress' wrath is by no means allayed. Servants are so careless--such
+abominable liars--and the poor dog was no favorite down stairs. Thereupon
+Fanny is wrapped in a couple of shawls, and despatched to the nearest
+veterinary surgeon.
+
+If the gentleman who may be consulted knows his business, he returns for
+answer, "The dog is too fat," and must for the future be fed more
+sparingly--that it has been squeezed in no door--that none of the vertebrĉ
+are injured, but the animal is suffering from an attack of paralysis. He
+sends some physic to be given, and some embrocation to rub on the back.
+The mistress is by no means satisfied. She protests the man's a
+fool--declares she alone knows the truth--but, despite her knowledge, does
+as the veterinary surgeon ordered. Under the treatment the dog recovers;
+after which every one feeds it, and everybody accuses the other of doing
+that which the doctor said was not to be done. At length the animal has a
+second visitation, which is more slowly removed than was the first; but it
+at last yields; till the third attack comes, with which the poor beast is
+generally destroyed as incurable.
+
+These dogs, when brought to us, usually appear easy and well to do in the
+world. The coats are sleek; their eyes are placid; and the extremities
+alone want motion, which rather seems to surprise the animal than to
+occasion it any immediate suffering. They have no other obvious disease;
+but the malignity of their ailments seems fixed or concentrated on the
+affection which is present. The first attack is soon conquered. A few
+cathartic pills, followed by castor-oil, prepared as recommended in this
+work (page 116), will soon unload the bowels, and clear out the digestive
+canal. They must be continued until, and after, the paralysis has
+departed. At the same time, some stimulating embrocation must be employed
+to the back, belly, and hind-legs, which must be well rubbed with it four
+times daily, or the oftener the better. Soap liniment, as used by
+Veterinarians, rendered more stimulating by an additional quantity of
+liquor ammoniĉ, will answer very well; more good being done by the
+friction than by the agent employed. The chief benefit sought by the
+rubbing, is to restore the circulation, and so bring back feeling with
+motion, for both are lost; a pin run into the legs produces no effort to
+retract the limb, nor any sign of pain.
+
+The cure is certain,--and so is the second attack, if the feeding be
+persisted in; unless nature seeks and finds relief in skin disease,
+canker, piles, or one of the many consequences induced by over-feeding.
+The second attack mostly yields to treatment. The third is less certain,
+and so is each following visitation; the chances of restoration being
+remote, just in proportion as the assault is removed from the original
+affliction.
+
+
+
+
+DISEASES ATTENDANT ON DISORDERED BOWELS.
+
+
+
+
+RHEUMATISM.
+
+[Illustration: ACUTE RHEUMATISM.]
+
+It appears almost laughable to talk about a rheumatic dog; but, in fact,
+the animal suffers quite as, or even more acutely than the human patient,
+and both from the same cause--over-indulgence; still with this
+difference--the man usually suffers from attachment to the bottle; the dog
+endures its misery from devotion to roaming under the table. It is not an
+uncommon sight to behold an animal so fat that it can hardly waddle,
+without scruple enjoying its five meals a day; which it takes with a
+bloated mistress, who, according to her own account, is kept alive with
+the utmost difficulty by eating little and often. The dog, I say, looks
+for its lady's tray with regularity, besides having its own personal meal,
+and a bone or two to indulge any odd craving between whiles. These spoiled
+animals are, for the most part, old and bad tempered. They would bite, but
+they have no teeth, and yet they will wrathfully mumble the hand they are
+unable to injure; while the doting mistress, in alarm for her favorite,
+sits upon the sofa entreating the beast may not be hurt: begging for pity,
+as though it were for her own life she were pleading. The animal during
+this is being followed from under table to chair, growling and barking all
+the time; and showing every disposition, if it had but ability, to do you
+some grievous bodily harm. At length, after a chase that has nearly caused
+the fond mistress to faint and you to exhaust all patience, the poor brute
+is overtaken and caught; but no sooner does your hand touch the miserable
+beast, than it sets up a howl fit to alarm the neighborhood. On this the
+hand is moved from the neck to the belly, intending to raise the dog from
+the ground; but the howl thereon is changed to a positive scream, when the
+mistress starts up, declaring she can bear no more. On this you desist, to
+ask a few questions: "The dog has often called out in that manner?" "O
+yes." "And has done so, no one being near or touching it?" "O yes, when
+quite alone." Thereupon you request the mistress to call the animal to
+her; and it waddles across the carpet, every member stiff, its back
+arched, and its neck set, but the eye fixed upon the person who has been
+called in.
+
+You get the mistress to take the favorite upon her lap, and request she
+will oblige you by pinching the skin. "Oh, harder; pray, a little harder,
+madam!" Nevertheless, all your entreaties cannot move the kind mistress to
+do that which she fears will pain her pet; whereon you request permission
+to be permitted to make a trial; and it being granted, you seize the coat,
+and give the animal one of the hardest pinches of which your fore-finger
+and thumb, compressed with all your might, are capable. The animal turns
+its head round and licks your hand, to reward the polite attention, and
+solicits a continuance of your favors. The skin is thick and insensible.
+What teeth remain, are covered with tartar, and the breath smells like a
+pestilence.
+
+The dog is taken home, and an allowance of wholesome rice and gravy placed
+before it, with one ounce of meat by weight. The flesh is greedily
+devoured, but the other mess remains untouched. The next day the untouched
+portion is removed, and fresh supplied; also the same meat as before,
+which is consumed ere the hand which presented the morsel is retracted,
+the head being raised to ask for more.
+
+The second day, however, the gravy and rice are eaten, and the meat on the
+morrow is deficient; gravy and rice for the future constituting the
+animal's fare. Then, for physic, an embrocation containing one-third of
+turpentine is used thrice daily, to rub the animal's back, neck, and belly
+with. Some of the cathartic pills are given over night, with the
+castor-oil mixture in the morning. Constant purgation is judiciously kept
+up, and before the first fortnight expires, the dog ceases to howl. Then
+the pills and mixture are given every other night, and the quantity of
+turpentine in the embrocation increased to one-half, the other ingredients
+being of the same amount. This rubbed in as before, evidently annoys the
+animal, and on that account is used only twice a-day. When all signs of
+pain are gone, the turpentine is then lowered to one-third, the
+embrocation being applied only once a-day, because it now gives actual
+pain. Some liniment, however, is continued, generally making the poor
+beast howl whenever it is administered. At the expiration of a month, all
+treatment is abandoned for a week, that the skin may get rid of its scurf,
+and you may perceive the effect of the treatment you have pursued. If the
+skin then appears thin, especially on the neck and near the tail, being
+also sensitive, clean the teeth, and send the dog home with a bottle of
+cleansing fluid, a tooth-brush, (as before explained,) and strict
+injunctions with regard to diet.
+
+  EMBROCATION (FIRST STRENGTH) FOR RHEUMATISM.
+
+  Turpentine          }
+  Laudanum            }      One part of each.
+  Soap liniment       }
+  Tincture of capsicums      A little.
+
+The subsequent strength is made by increasing the quantity of turpentine.
+
+
+
+
+THE RECTUM.
+
+PILES.--The dog is very subject to these annoyances in all their various
+forms; for the posterior intestine of the animal seems to be peculiarly
+susceptible of disease. When enteritis exists the rectum never escapes,
+but is very frequently the seat of the most virulent malice of the
+disorder. There are reasons why such should be the case. The dog has but a
+small apology for what should be a cĉcum, and the colon I assume to be
+entirely wanting. The guts, which in the horse are largest, in the canine
+species are not characterised by any difference of bulk; and however
+compact may be the food on which the dog subsists, nevertheless a
+proportionate quantity of its substance must be voided. If the excrement
+be less than in beasts of herbivorous natures, yet there being but one
+small receptacle in which it can be retained, the effects upon that
+receptacle are more concentrated, and the consequences therefore are very
+much more violent. The dung of the horse and ox is naturally moist, and
+only during disease is it ever in a contrary condition. Costiveness is
+nearly always in some degree present in the dog. During health the
+animal's bowels are never relaxed; but the violent straining it habitually
+employs to expel its fĉces would alone suggest the injury to which the
+rectum is exposed, even if the inclination to swallow substances which in
+their passage are likely to cause excoriation did not exist. The grit,
+dirt, bone, and filth that dogs will, spite of every precaution, manage
+to obtain, must be frequent sources of piles, which without such
+instigation would frequently appear. Bones, which people carelessly
+conclude the dog should consume, it can in some measure digest; but it can
+do this only partially when in vigorous health. Should the body be
+delicate, such substances pass through it hardly affected by the powers of
+assimilation; they become sharp and hard projections when surrounded by,
+and fixed in the firm mass, which is characteristic of the excrement of
+the dog. A pointed piece of bone, projecting from an almost solid body, is
+nearly certain to lacerate the tender and soft membrane over which it
+would have to be propelled; and though, as I have said, strong and
+vigorous dogs can eat almost with impunity, and extract considerable
+nourishment from bones, nevertheless they do not constitute a proper food
+for these animals at any time. When the system is debilitated, the
+digestion is always feeble; and, under some conditions of disease, I have
+taken from the stomachs of dogs after death, in an unaltered state, meat,
+which had been swallowed two days prior to death. It had been eaten and
+had been retained for at least forty-eight hours, but all the functions
+had been paralyzed, and it continued unchanged. If such a thing be
+possible under any circumstances, then in the fact there is sufficient
+reason why people should be more cautious in the mode of feeding these
+creatures; for I have extracted from the rectums of dogs large quantities
+of trash, such as hardened masses of comminuted bones and of cocoanut,
+which, because the animal would eat it, the owners thought it to be
+incapable of doing harm. Nature has not fitted the dog to thrive upon many
+substances; certain vegetables afford it wholesome nourishment, but a
+large share of that which is either wantonly or ignorantly given as food,
+is neither nutritive nor harmless. Whatever injures the digestion, from
+the disposition of the rectum to sympathise in all disorders of the great
+mucous track, is likely to induce piles; and the anus of the animal is
+often as indicative of the general state of the body as is the tongue of
+man.
+
+In perfect health the anus should be small, firm, close, and entirely
+retracted; especially should it be cleanly. Any soil upon the part, or any
+excrement adhering to the hair about its margin, is indicative of
+derangement. If the fundament protrudes, so that it can be grasped by the
+finger and thumb, or if it presents a sensible projection to the touch,
+the digestion is not sound. The indication is still worse when the orifice
+is enlarged--the edges not being inflamed, which indeed they seldom are,
+but swollen, loose, coarse, creased, and unsightly. This state will not
+continue long before cracks and ulcers may be detected upon the borders of
+the opening, which ultimately is constantly moistened by an unctuous and
+peculiarly fetid discharge. If the lips of the orifice be gently pulled
+aside, the more inward portion of the membrane will frequently be seen of
+a bright scarlet color, and wet with a watery fluid, but the anus is
+rarely of so deep a tint, the hue being, even in aggravated cases, only a
+pale reddish brown.
+
+To correct this state of disease, the first thing to be attended to is the
+food. The diet must be strictly regulated; it should not be too much
+reduced either in quantity or quality, for dogs in this state are
+generally old, and always weakly. Enough of good food should be allowed,
+but nothing more ought to be given. Meat, lean, and from a healthy animal,
+as constituting the lightest and most nourishing diet, will here be best,
+and from two ounces to two pounds may be divided into four meals, and
+given in the course of the day. Plenty of exercise and a daily cold bath
+will likewise be beneficial.
+
+Medicine must be employed for two purposes; the first, to alleviate the
+pain and act locally on the disease; and the second, to amend the general
+health, checking the constitutional disposition to be affected. As a local
+application, Mr. Blaine recommends an ointment; which I object to, because
+I have found it aggravate the suffering without conferring any
+compensating benefit. Astringents, such as the acetate of lead, are not
+curative; but the following ointment has done so much good in these cases
+that I can most confidently submit it to the public:--
+
+  Camphor                        Two drachms.
+  Strong mercurial ointment      One drachm.
+  Elder ointment                 One ounce.
+
+The only addition I make to the above is occasionally a drachm of powdered
+opium. This is smeared over the exterior of, and also inserted up, the
+rectum, thrice in the day. A piece of wood nicely rounded, or a penholder
+if the animal be small, answers very well to introduce the salve into the
+gut; and of course it should be done with every consideration, for the
+pain it will at first produce. The resistance is often strong, and the
+cries violent; for in some cases the rectum is so sensitive that the mere
+lifting of the tail cannot be silently endured. The poor dog seems in
+constant agony; for I have known the exclamations to be provoked by simply
+looking at the part, and the animal evidently shrieked from the idea of it
+being touched. All possible tenderness, therefore, is required; and the
+dog should be very firmly held, to prevent its contortions from adding to
+its anguish. When the ointment is regularly and properly employed, the
+relief is generally speedy; and after the third day the dog, which had
+been so energetically resistful, often submits to be dressed without a
+murmur. The cessation of the howling will indicate the progress of the
+cure, but the application should be used for some days after the animal
+becomes silent. If much stench is present, the fundament may be at each
+dressing moistened with very dilute solution of the chloride of zinc, and
+a small quantity may be administered as an injection, after the grease has
+been introduced.
+
+The constitutional remedies must be regulated by the symptoms, and nothing
+absolute can be said on this subject; but in the great majority of
+instances tonics will be required. Purgatives are not often needed, but a
+day's feed of liver once or twice a week will do no harm. Should it not
+have the desired effect, a little olive oil may be given; but nothing
+stronger ought to be risked, and above all, no preparation of
+mercury--which, in the dog, specially acts upon the rectum--ought on any
+account to be permitted.
+
+Piles, if not attended to, become causes of further disease, which may in
+some cases prove fatal, though in the larger number of instances they are
+far more distressing than dangerous.
+
+A sero-sanguineous abscess, that is, a tumor consisting of a single sac or
+numerous small bladders, containing a thin and bloody fluid, is by no
+means a rare accompaniment of long-continued piles. These mostly appear
+rather to one side of, and more below than above, the opening, the verge
+of which they always involve. They occasion little pain, and often grow to
+a comparatively enormous size; when they may burst and leave a ragged
+ulcer, which has little disposition to heal, and is not improved by the
+dog's drawing it along the ground.
+
+When these are observed, the knife should not be too quickly resorted to.
+The abscess should be allowed to progress until it is fully matured, the
+dog being in the meantime treated for simple piles. When the tumor
+perceptibly fluctuates, it should be freely opened, the incision being
+made along its entire length. This is best done with one of Liston's
+knives, which should be thrust fairly through the swelling, entering at
+the top and coming out at the lowest part, when with one movement of the
+wrist the substance is divided. The operation thus performed is much
+quicker, less painful, and more safe than it can possibly be rendered if
+the tumor be punctured and slit up with repeated thrusts of an ordinary
+lancet. I have frequently opened these sacs without the animal uttering
+even a moan, and mercy is wisdom where surgery is employed. Dogs will not
+bear torture, and soon become blindly infuriated if subjected to pain. The
+animal is naturally so sensitive and excitable that the brutality or
+suffering a horse can sustain, these animals would perish under. He,
+therefore, who undertakes to treat the diseases of the canine race, if the
+amiable qualities of the brute or his own feelings have no influence, will
+in the success of his practice discover ample reason for the exercise of a
+little humanity.
+
+After the sac is opened a portion of lint should be used, to render the
+part perfectly dry, which may then be lightly pencilled over with lunar
+caustic, or moistened with some caustic solution. Fomentations of warm
+water to keep the wound free from dirt, and with no other object, are all
+that subsequently will be required.
+
+Tumors of a solid nature also form about the anus, and are likewise
+consequent upon neglected piles. These generally appear at the root of the
+tail superior to the opening. They feel hard; are glistening; not very
+tender; but highly vascular, and in some cases pulsate strongly. The dog
+is generally loaded with fat, perhaps slightly mangy; nearly always old,
+gross and weak. The quantity of blood that at various intervals is lost
+from this tumor, which at length ulcerates and bleeds at the slightest
+touch, or without any apparent cause, is often very great; but it does
+not, save in the very latest stage, induce obvious emaciation. The health
+is not good, of course, but to the casual observer the disease does not
+appear to affect the system. The spirits under excitement are, to all
+appearances, undiminished, and the appetite is in these cases ravenous.
+If, however, the dog had to do work, the truth would be soon discovered.
+After a short space the strength would fail, and no correction could keep
+the poor animal to its duty.
+
+The treatment must commence with constitutional remedies, if the state of
+the part permits of the requisite delay. The digestion should be amended,
+and the piles, which are certain to be present, attended to. After a
+fortnight, more or less, has been devoted to such measures, a strong
+ligature should be tied as tight up as possible around the base of the
+growth, and a fresh one should be applied every second day. There must be
+no forbearance in the application of the ligature, but the degree of
+tension must be regulated only by the strength of the operator. This is
+far more severe than the removal would be if the knife were employed, but
+I have not seen a case which I dared venture to excise. I do not like the
+ligature; it is long and torturing in its action; but here there will be
+no chance, for the vessels are too numerous and large to admit of the
+speedier process being resorted to. Where it is possible, it is well,
+however, to cut through the skin before applying the cord; for the
+operation is expedited considerably, and an important deduction made from
+the animal's agony.
+
+When the tumor drops off, the surface may be sprinkled thrice a day with
+the following powder:--
+
+  Camphor in powder,
+  Opium in powder,
+  Grey powder,
+  Powdered galls, of each an equal quantity.
+
+Or a little of the ointment recommended for piles may be smeared upon the
+wound in lieu of the above. An unguent is perhaps to be preferred, as
+giving better protection to the sore, over which the fĉces must pass, and
+also as being more grateful to the feelings of the patient. Powder and
+ointment may be changed and varied according to the judgment of the
+attendant: thus, to render the last more stimulating, I mix creosote with
+it occasionally; or to give it an astringent property I add a portion of
+galls, catechu, or kino; but these I never pass into the rectum.
+Astringents introduced upon the sore and ulcerated surface of the
+intestine of course render it harsh, dry, and corrugated; and as during
+the exercise of its function the part is necessarily dilated, the animal
+is, by the pain produced from the stretching of the constringed membrane,
+indisposed for the performance of that act, on the regular discharge of
+which its health in no little measure depends. Astringents, moreover,
+heat and irritate the part; and the sensations induced make the dog draw
+its anus along the ground, thereby adding greatly to the evil it is the
+intention of the application to remove. Therefore prudence will approve
+what humanity suggests; and those who in kindly feeling can discover no
+motive, will in the colder reason find every inducement for the adoption
+of the gentler measure.
+
+Protrusion of the rectum is also sometimes a consequence of gross feeding,
+starting up piles in the first instance, and then, from more intense
+digestive derangement, causing purgation, accompanied with violent
+straining. The tone of the intestine is destroyed. It becomes lax, and its
+muscular power is lost. The gut is at first only a little exposed during
+the act, and when that is over, it is retracted; but after some time, the
+limit of which is uncertain, it remains constantly protruded. It is not so
+violently inflamed as might be expected, but it soon gets dry and harsh;
+cracks appear upon its surface; and the pressure of the muscle which
+closes the anus preventing the free circulation of the blood, renders it
+black from congestion.
+
+If taken early, the treatment recommended for piles will generally effect
+a cure; but if nothing be done in the first instance, the disease when
+established is apt to prove intractable. The intestine should be sopped
+with cold water until every particle of dirt is removed. It should then be
+dried with a soft cloth, and afterwards returned. There is never much
+difficulty in replacing the gut; but there is always considerable
+difficulty to get it to be retained. So soon as it is restored to its
+situation, a human stomach pump should be inserted up the rectum, and a
+full stream of the coldest spring water should be thrown into the bowel
+for ten minutes. The fluid will be returned so fast as it enters, and it
+must be allowed to do so, the fingers of one hand being employed against
+the anus to prevent the disordered rectum being ejected with the water.
+Cold injection in less quantity must be administered several times during
+the day, and with each a little of the tincture of galls, or of nux
+vomica, in the proportion of a drachm to a pint, may be united. The
+ointment recommended for piles may also be employed, but without opium,
+for no application of a sedative nature must be used. The constitutional
+measures will consist of tonics into which nux vomica enters. The food
+must be light and nourishing, and purgatives on no account must be
+administered. Cold will do good by invigorating the system, and should
+always be recommended. Some persons, unable by sedatives and purgatives,
+which are injurious, to obtain relief, have gone so far as to cut off the
+projecting bowel, and they have thereby certainly ended the case; for the
+dog dies whenever this is done. I remember at the Veterinary College,
+Professor Simonds killed a fine animal by attempting this operation; for
+he took a heated spatula to remove the part, and carried the incision so
+high up that he opened the abdomen, and the bowels protruded from the
+anus. Amputation of any portion of the rectum is not to be thought of;
+but an operation of a less heroic description will sometimes accomplish
+what the previous measures failed to effect. With a knife, having not too
+sharp but a coarse edge, a circular portion of the exposed lining
+membrane, of a width proportioned to the size of the animal, may be
+scraped off, so as to induce a cicatrix; or, if the dog be very tractable,
+and the operator skilful, a piece of it may partially be dissected off;
+but the knife, when employed in the last method, is apt to cause alarming
+hemorrhage. When this is done, as the wound heals the edges come together,
+and the gut is so far shortened as to be thereby retracted. There is,
+however, some danger of stricture being afterwards established; wherefore
+this operation, however satisfactory it may seem to be in the first
+instance, is not so certain in the benefit of its results that it should
+be resorted to, save in extreme cases when every other means have failed,
+and the choice at last hangs between relief and destruction.
+
+Another affection of the part, to which Scotch terriers of great size are
+particularly subject, begins with an enlargement below the anus, extending
+either quite or almost to the testicles; for males are more frequently
+attacked by this form of disease than females. The dog is generally old,
+and a favorite with an indulgent mistress, having much to eat, and little
+or no work to do. The swelling is soft and attended with no pain. On
+pressure and on percussion it is ascertained to hold fluid, and in fact it
+arises from dropsy of the perinĉum. The health may appear to be good, but
+on examination debility will be found to be present. The anus also
+protrudes, and the orifice is thickened; while, possibly, a marked
+tendency to piles may at the same time be displayed. Should no attention
+be paid to the case, the swelling will continue without sensibly
+enlarging; but after a period, hard substances may with the fingers be
+detected beneath it. These hard bodies are fĉces, which accumulate within
+the rectum, and often in so great a quantity as to seriously inconvenience
+the animal, rendering it dull and indisposed to feed.
+
+Before attempting to direct the treatment for these cases, it is necessary
+the nature of the affection should be fully explained. The enlargement, to
+which attention is at first solely directed, is always of secondary
+consideration. The dropsy is merely a symptom indicative of the loss of
+tone of the adjacent parts, of which the rectum is by far the most
+important. If this circumstance be not observed, but the swelling be
+treated as if it was all the practitioner had to contend with, he will in
+the end learn his mistake. The intestine loses its tonicity; it no longer
+has power to contract upon or to expel its contents; it becomes paralysed,
+and the dung consequently accumulates within it, distending it, and adding
+to its weakness by constant tension. The rectum at length retains no
+ability to perform its function; but the sphincter of the anus, or the
+circular muscle that closes the opening, appears to gain the strength of
+which the intestine is deprived. It contracts, and thus shuts up the
+fĉces which the rectum cannot make an effort to dislodge; and in this
+circumstance the physiologist sees evidence of the sources whence the
+different parts derive their contractility. The rectum, like the other
+intestines, gains its vital power from the sympathetic nerve, or that
+nerve of nutrition and secretion which presides over organic life. The
+muscle of the anus, on the other hand, is influenced by nerves derived
+from the spinal column; and thus, understanding the two parts obtain their
+motor power from different sources, the reader will comprehend how one can
+be incapable of motion while the other is unaffected, or rather excited;
+for the presence of the retained dung acts as an irritant, and provokes
+the anus to contract with more than usual vigor.
+
+If nothing be done to restore the balance of power, the rectum speedily is
+so much distended that its walls become attenuated, and then a cure is
+hopeless; a sac is formed, and the gut is not only much stretched or
+enlarged, but it is also, by the excessive bulk of its contents, forced
+from its natural position, being carried either to one side or the other,
+but always to where the dropsy is most conspicuous.
+
+In such cases, when the dropsy is first observed, our care must be to
+invigorate the system. Small doses of nux vomica, with iron, gentian and
+capsicums, made into a pill, will generally do this, and the following
+form may be employed:--
+
+  Nux vomica, in powder      Five grains to a scruple.
+  Capsicums, in powder       Ten grains to two scruples.
+  Sulphate of iron           One to four scruples.
+  Extract of gentian         Two drachms to one ounce.
+  Cinchona powder            A sufficiency.
+
+Make into twenty pills, and give four in the course of the day. The liver
+is too often at this time unhealthy, and to correct it the subjoined may
+be administered:--
+
+  Iodide of potassium      One drachm.
+  Liquor potassĉ           Two ounces.
+  Simple syrup             Five ounces.
+  Water                    A pint.
+
+Dose, from a tea-spoon to a table-spoonful three times a day. The food
+should be chiefly vegetables, or at all events only so much meat should be
+allowed as is required to induce the dog to eat the mess of boiled rice.
+Exercise is also essential, and a daily cold bath with a brisk run
+afterwards, will be of service. The dog will likewise be benefited if his
+skin be well brushed every morning; and perhaps it is hardly necessary to
+state that any symptoms denoting mange or skin disease, canker, &c.,
+should be specially counteracted.
+
+Hitherto, however, nothing has been said about any treatment of the part
+which is the immediate seat of the disease. If the fluid poured into the
+perinĉum be excessive, the part must be laid freely open by two or three
+incisions being made along the entire length of the swelling. After this
+has been done, the liquid will not escape as from an abscess; for being
+held within the cells of the membrane that lies immediately under the
+skin, comparatively little of it is released from the knife. A fine pair
+of scissors will be required to snip the separate bags or bladders; but
+that operation must be performed with caution, else injury may possibly be
+done. The business being concluded, let the parts be afterwards dressed
+with the tincture of iodine, or a tincture of the iodide of potassium, of
+the strength of a drachm to the ounce of proof spirit; this being
+preferable to water for a solution in these cases. Into the rectum also
+injections should be thrown at least three times a day, and all of these
+ought to be of a tonic and stimulating kind, being used perfectly cold.
+Either of the following may be administered:--
+
+  1.
+
+  Tincture of cantharides            One drachm.
+  Camphor mixture                    One pint.
+
+  2.
+
+  Tincture of nux vomica             One drachm.
+  Tincture of tolu                   One drachm.
+  Water                              One pint.
+
+  3.
+
+  Tincture of cubebs                 One drachm.
+  Liquor potassĉ                     One drachm.
+  Camphor mixture                    One pint.
+
+  4.
+
+  Solution of nitrate of silver      One drachm.
+  Distilled water                    One pint.
+
+Any of the above may be employed, from a tablespoonful to a common
+wine-glass full being used for a dose. The pile ointment will likewise be
+beneficial, by facilitating the passage of the fĉces, allaying local
+irritability, and correcting that tendency to piles which is generally
+attendant upon, if not the original cause of the affection.
+
+From what has been described, the reader will have seen that the diseases
+of the dog's rectum are neither few nor insignificant. Fistula in ano is
+said to be often beheld; but I have never seen a case in which it assumed
+in the dog that serious form which characterises it in man. In the canine
+race I have mostly let it alone, and hitherto I have had no reason to
+repent my forbearance. Blaine and Youatt both speak of the affection, and
+give directions for its treatment by operation. The most active remedy I
+have found it necessary to resort to has been an astringent or mildly
+caustic injection; the solution of the chloride of zinc I prefer to every
+other, but the sulphates are also not to be despised. Injections, when not
+designed to be immediately operative, or meant to distend the gut and to
+act through being ejected, are best given by means of the India-rubber
+bladder, which allows the fluid to be more gently and silently thrown up.
+The less noise or force attending the operation the less likely is the
+animal to be alarmed or excited, and the probability is the enema will be
+retained. Small quantities are to be administered when the fluid is wished
+to remain; and by attracting the attention of the dog at the time, and
+amusing him after the business is finished, the object in view is
+considerably favored. The administration of an injection is in the first
+instance almost certain to alarm the animal, who can neither understand
+nor passively sanction the strange liberty the operation implies. A little
+soothing, however, will restore his confidence, and he who has gained the
+trust of a dog, may subsequently do as he pleases with the body of the
+generous and confiding beast.
+
+
+
+
+NERVOUS DISEASES.--FITS IN THE DOG.
+
+Youatt speaks of fits as particularly fatal to the dog, saying they "kill
+more than all the other diseases put together." The experience of this
+esteemed authority is in direct variance with my own--save from distemper.
+When the fits occur in that disease they are mostly fatal, being the
+wind-up of all the many evils which the malady in its most intense and
+malignant form can accumulate on one doomed life--I have not otherwise
+found them especially troublesome.
+
+Fainting fits require little attention; if the dog be left quiet, it will
+in due time often recover without medicine.
+
+Puerperal, or rather pupping fits, are treated of in their fitting place,
+and, if properly administered to, are by no means dangerous.
+
+Fits _par excellence_ are witnessed when a dog is taking a long walk with
+its master; the animal at first lingers behind, or gets a long distance
+before the proprietor, who notices the fact, but contents himself with
+whistling and walking forward. The dog does not obey the mandate; it is
+standing still as if stupefied; suddenly it emits a strange, loud,
+guttural sound, and then falls upon its side, continuing to cry, but more
+feebly and more naturally; its fĉces and urine may be discharged
+involuntarily; it will bite any one who, during the existence of the
+attack, incautiously attempts to lay hold of it; its limbs, at first
+stretched rigidly out, are ultimately, with returning volition, put into
+violent motion; the eye is protruded and foam covers the mouth. When the
+convulsion has subsided, the dog raises its head and stares about; after
+which it would, if left alone, start at its utmost pace, and run heaven
+only knows where. Should idle men and foolish boys behold a dog wildly run
+onward after having come out of a fit, and raise the cry of "mad dog," the
+fate of the poor animal is then sealed, as fear is devoid of
+discrimination or pity. Half the dogs killed as rabid are those in this
+condition, scampering under the impulse of returning sensation.
+
+The first thing any person is to do when out with a dog which has a fit is
+to secure the animal, and to prevent its running away when the fit has
+passed. The second thing is stubbornly to close his ears to the crowd who
+are certain to surround him. No matter what advice may be given, he is to
+do nothing but get the animal home as quickly as possible. He is neither
+to lance the mouth, slit the ear, nor cut a piece of the tail off. He is
+on no account to administer a full dose of salt and water, a lump of
+tobacco, or to throw the animal into an adjacent pond; and of all things
+he is to allow no man more acquainted with dogs than the other spectators
+to bleed the creature. Any offer to rub the nose with syrup of buckthorn,
+however confidently he who makes the proposal may recommend that energetic
+mode of treatment, is to be unhesitatingly declined. The friendly desire
+of any one who may express his willingness to ram a secret and choice
+specific down the prostrate animal's throat, must be refused with
+firmness. The attendant must however take advantage of the time the dog is
+on the ground to pass a handkerchief round the neck or through the collar.
+This done, he must wait patiently till the dog gets upon its legs, when he
+must, amidst its struggles to be free, caress it and call it kindly by its
+name. That part of the business over, he must take the creature in his
+arms, and seeking the nearest cab-stand, carry the poor animal with all
+expedition homeward.
+
+I have known a dog to have a succession of fits which lasted more than an
+hour; and yet this creature, by the treatment I shall presently describe,
+was the next day upon its legs, and to all appearance as well as ever.
+
+The dog being brought home, if the fit continues, give nothing by the
+mouth; because the animal being insensible cannot swallow; and the
+breathing being laborious, anything administered is more likely to be
+drawn on to the lungs, and so to suffocate the creature, than to pass into
+the stomach, and thus (if it have any curative properties) effect a
+restoration. On this account the very best physic ever invented would be
+dangerous, and should be withheld. Enemas are the only things in these
+cases to be depended upon; and the best the author is at present
+acquainted with, is made of 1, 2, or 3 drachms of sulphuric ĉther, and 2,
+4, or 6 scruples of laudanum to 1½, 3, or 4½ ounces of the very coldest
+spring water that can be obtained. The above injection having been
+administered, the dog is left entirely by itself, and, as far as possible,
+in absolute silence for an hour; at the expiration of which time, in
+whatever state the animal may be in, another dose is given in the same
+manner as before.
+
+There is no limitation to the quantity which may be administered; the only
+sign the attendant accepts that the creature has received sufficient is
+the sight of it coiled up as though it were composing itself to sleep,
+when he gives one more injection, and leaves the dog to recover at
+leisure, but in perfect stillness.
+
+So valuable is this medicine in cases of fits that I have known it to cut
+them short as with a knife; literally to let the first part of the fit be
+heard, but to check the attack before the last and worst portion could put
+in an appearance.
+
+Armed with this medicine I fearlessly face the disorder, which other
+veterinary surgeons dread; and, whether it be my good luck or no, cannot
+be decided, but I have not, under its operation, lost a single case.
+
+Fits in my opinion are, in the great majority of cases, to be traced to
+the quantity or quality of the food consumed. In proof of this, dogs have
+had fits whenever flesh has been given; which ceased on this kind of diet
+being withheld, and medicine calculated to restore the tone of the stomach
+being ordered. In every case of fits, when the attack is over, I attend to
+the stomach; at the same time, ordering that the dog is to go short
+distances, and never to leave the house without a chain and collar.
+
+The object of this last injunction is to prevent the animal running about,
+and thus heating itself, or causing a flow of blood to the brain.
+
+It is to be lamented that the crowd of people prevents an injection being
+administered out of doors in London: but the same objection does not apply
+to the country; and as the effects of the ĉther are more marked in
+proportion as it is quickly exhibited, persons in the country, when,
+during the hot months of summer, they take dogs for an airing, should be
+provided with the materials necessary to render fits, if not harmless, at
+all events less fatal.
+
+
+
+
+NERVOUS SYSTEM.--RABIES.
+
+The dog is naturally the most nervous of all the dumb tribe. His intense
+affection, his ever-watchful jealousy, his method of attack, the blindness
+of his rage, and his insensibility to consequences, all bespeak a creature
+whose nervous system is developed in the highest possible degree. I myself
+once had a little cur, who, as I sat reading, would enter the apartment,
+jump upon my knee, uttering a low whimper all the time, creep along my
+waistcoat, rub his little body against my head and face, lick the hand
+lifted up to return his caresses, and then scamper off, and perhaps not
+come near me again the whole of that afternoon. What was this but an
+affectionate impulse seeking a nervous development? The way to manage an
+animal of this description is, to respect his evident excitability. The
+instant a dog appears to be getting excited, there should be a sign given,
+commanding a stop to be put to all further proceedings. If the respect of
+the animal be habitual, the person who mildly enforces it may enter a
+room, where the same dog is in a rabid state, and come forth unscathed.
+
+[Illustration: A RABID DOG.]
+
+I have hitherto been much among dogs, and, nevertheless, have almost
+escaped being bitten. The reason is, that I understand and respect the
+innate nervousness of the animal. When I go into a room, if there be a dog
+there and he growl, I speak kindly to him, and then seat myself, and
+bestow on him none of my attention for some time. My request to his master
+or mistress is, that he or she will not check or seek to stop the symptom
+of his wrath; but allow him to vent his rage until he is ashamed of it,
+and from a feeling of remorse is silent. When this takes place, and a
+sufficient time has passed to confirm him in the new mood into which he
+has recently entered, I approach him with my hand extended and open; this
+I bring near to him by degrees, avoiding all sudden movements or anything
+that might provoke his natural disposition. Generally he crouches, then I
+speak to him in tones of encouragement. If he display a return of his
+warlike propensity, I still bring the hand nearer and nearer to him,
+telling him to bite it if he pleases, if he is not ashamed to injure that
+which means to do him good. Then, perhaps, he will make a snap at my
+extended hand, which is not upon this withdrawn, or the jaws would close
+with nervous violence, but allowed to remain, and the teeth are felt to
+touch the skin without wounding it. I allow him to hold the hand for any
+length of time he pleases, telling him "he would lose his character if he
+were to harm it. That he is a courageous dog, and means no hurt; he would
+be ashamed to bite." And with this kind of speech, which the animal may
+not literally understand, but the sense and purpose of which it
+nevertheless appears to comprehend, I seldom fail of getting my hand safe
+and sound from the creature's jaws. After that I may pat him, for an
+intimacy has begun. He allows me to drag him forth, take him on my knees,
+and permits me any liberty I please to take. I do not attribute my escape
+to any charm that I possess; but account for it simply by my knowing and
+respecting the natural temperament of the beast with which I have to
+interfere.
+
+This natural respect for the feelings of a most affectionate creature,
+with such a power of observation as will enable the individual to
+recognise the presence of lamentable sickness in an animal that has with
+truth been called "the companion of the home," shall at all times enable
+the uneducated in such matters to recognise a mad dog, and, unless luck be
+dead against the individual, save him from being bitten.
+
+It is no pleasure to a dog to go mad. Quite the reverse. Dreadful as
+hydrophobia may be to the human being, rabies is worse to the dog. It
+makes its approach more gradually. It lasts longer, and it is more intense
+while it endures. The dog that is going mad, feels unwell for a long time
+prior to the full development of the disease. He is very ill, but he does
+not know what ails him. He feels nasty; dissatisfied with everything;
+vexed without a reason; and, greatly against his better nature, very
+snappish. Feeling thus, he longs to avoid all annoyance by being alone.
+This makes him seem strange to those who are most accustomed to him.
+
+The sensation induces him to seek solitude. But there is another reason
+which decides his choice of a resting-place. The light inflicts upon him
+intense agony. The sun is to him an instrument of torture, which he
+therefore studies to avoid, for his brain aches and feels as it were a
+trembling jelly. This induces the poor brute to find out the holes and
+corners where he is least likely to be noticed, and into which the light
+is unable to enter. In solitude and darkness he passes his day. If his
+retreat be discovered and the master's voice bids him to come forth, the
+affectionate creature's countenance brightens; his tail beats the ground,
+and he leaves his hiding-place, anxious to obey the loved authority; but
+before he has gone half the distance, a kind of sensation comes over him,
+which produces an instantaneous change in his whole appearance. He seems
+to say to himself, "Why cannot you let me alone? Go away. Do go away. You
+trouble, you pain me." And thereon he suddenly turns tail and darts back
+into his dark corner. If let alone, there he will remain; perhaps frothing
+a little at the mouth, and drinking a great deal of water, but not issuing
+from his hiding-place to seek after food. His appetites are altered, hair,
+straw, dirt, filth, excrement, rags, tin shavings, stones, the most
+noisome and unnatural substances are then the delicacies for which the
+poor dog, changed by disease, longs, and swallows, in hope to ease a
+burning stomach. So anxious is he for liquids, and so depraved are his
+appetites, that no sooner has he passed a little urine than he turns round
+to lick it up. He is now altogether changed. Still he does not desire to
+bite mankind; he rather endeavors to avoid society; he takes long journeys
+of thirty or forty miles in extent, and lengthened by all kinds of
+accidents, to vent his restless desire for motion. When on these journeys
+he does not walk. This would be too formal and measured a pace for an
+animal whose whole frame quivers with excitement. He does not run. That
+would be too great an exertion for an animal whose body is the abode of a
+deadly sickness. He proceeds in a slouching manner, in a kind of trot; a
+movement neither run nor walk, and his aspect is dejected. His eyes do not
+glare and stare, but they are dull and retracted. His appearance is very
+characteristic, and if once seen, can never afterwards be mistaken. In
+this state he will travel the most dusty roads, his tongue hanging dry
+from his open mouth, from which, however, there drops no foam. His course
+is not straight. How could it be, since it is doubtful whether at this
+period he sees at all? His desire is to journey unnoticed. If no one
+notices him, he gladly passes by them. He is very ill. He cannot stay to
+bite. If, nevertheless, anything oppose his progress, he will, as if by
+impulse, snap--as a man in a similar state might strike, and tell the
+person "to get out of the way." He may take his road across a field in
+which there are a flock of sheep. Could these creatures only make room for
+him, and stand motionless, the dog would pass on and leave them behind
+uninjured. But they begin, to run, and at the sound, the dog pricks up.
+His entire aspect changes. Rage takes possession of him. What made that
+noise? He pursues it with all the energy of madness. He flies at one, then
+at another. He does not mangle, nor is his bite, simply considered,
+terrible. He cannot pause to tear the creature he has caught. He snaps and
+then rushes onward, till, fairly exhausted and unable longer to follow, he
+sinks down, and the sheep pass forward to be no more molested. He may have
+bitten twenty or thirty in his mad onslaught; and would have worried more
+had his strength lasted, for the furor of madness then had possession of
+him.
+
+[Illustration: A MAD DOG ON THE MARCH.]
+
+He may be slain while on these excursions; but if he escapes he returns
+home and seeks the darkness and quiet of his former abode. His thirst
+increases; but with it comes the swelling of the throat. He will plunge
+his head into water, so ravenous is his desire; but not a drop of the
+liquid can he swallow, though its surface is covered with bubbles in
+consequence of the efforts he makes to gulp the smallest quantity. The
+throat is enlarged to that extent which will permit nothing to pass. He is
+the victim of the most horrible inflammation of the stomach, and the most
+intense inflammation of the bowels. His state of suffering is most
+pitiable. He has lost all self-reliance; even feeling is gone. He flies at
+and pulls to pieces anything that is within his reach. One animal in this
+condition, being confined near a fire, flew at the burning mass, pulled
+out the live coals, and in his fury scrunched them. He emits the most
+hideous cries. The noise he makes is incessant and peculiar. It begins as
+a bark, which sound, being too torturing to be continued, is quickly
+changed to a howl, which is suddenly cut short in the middle; and so the
+poor wretch at last falls, fairly worn out by a terrible disease.
+
+But now comes the question, How do we know that rabies is a nervous
+disease? Why, the whole course of the disorder declares it, or if that be
+not thought sufficient, the dog at one stage very distinctly announces it.
+He may be sitting down, an unwilling listener to his master's voice, when
+the brute's eyes will wander; and at length fix themselves upon some
+object at a distance, which it will keep watching, crouching down as the
+horror seems, to the excited brain of the poor beast, to draw near; till,
+having apparently come within bounds, the hateful presence is no longer to
+be endured, and the vision-haunted animal dashes forward with a howl of
+execration, as if to seize and tear the terrible spectre. This action
+being performed, and the dog biting the air, he stands for a moment,
+shivers, looks stupidly around him, and slinks back. What is this but a
+power of seeing visions depending on a disordered brain, or positive
+delirium exemplified by a dumb creature? And the same piece of pantomime
+the dog may go through fifty times in an hour. No disappointment can teach
+him; and experience is lost upon the animal that in his sane state was so
+quick to learn.
+
+Youatt mentions as a symptom, that the dog in all he does is instigated by
+the spirit of mischief or of malice,--that he desires to do injury, and is
+prompted by malice in all his acts. This, to an outward observer, will
+appear a correct judgment; but it is essentially wrong. It is the
+conclusion reached by one who judges mainly of exteriors; it can be true
+only to those who are willing to look no deeper than the surface. There
+can be no malice in a raging fever, which vents itself on every object
+within its reach, animate or inanimate. Mischief is too playful a term to
+apply to a consuming wrath that ultimately destroys the life. All pain is
+lost; as a consequence all fear is gone. The poor beast is urged by some
+power too mighty for its control, which lashes it on beyond all earthly
+restraint to pull to pieces, to gnaw, and to attempt to eat every object
+it can get at; but how far it is urged by malice or mischief, the
+following anecdote will serve to show:--
+
+A butcher had a large bull mastiff of which he was very fond; but,
+observing something very strange in his pet's behavior, he came to consult
+the author about the dog. The man was told to bring the animal for
+inspection early the same evening. This order was given from no suspicion
+of the truth, for the owner's description was too confused to be rightly
+interpreted. The animal was accordingly brought punctual to time, led
+through the streets by a silk handkerchief carelessly tied round the neck
+of the beast. The author being at the exact moment of the dog's arrival,
+fortunately, engaged, the butcher had to wait some few minutes, during
+which time the writer's eyes were kept upon the huge creature. It was
+remarked to look round in a strange manner. The eye was retracted and the
+nose dry. It was at length seen to put its mouth against its master's
+boot, continue in that position uttering a strange noise, and to move its
+jaws as if biting at some substance. The butcher all this time stood
+perfectly still, allowing his favorite to follow the bent of its
+inclination without rebuke or opposition. When the mastiff's head was
+removed, the boot it had apparently been biting was perfectly dry. The
+author observed nothing more than this; but, afraid to confess his dread,
+lest the cry of mad dog should be raised, and do more, much more, harm
+than good, he called to the butcher, telling him he was going abroad
+shortly, and would call upon him. In the mean time, he was to take the dog
+home, place it where it could do no injury, and in a place whence there
+was no possibility of escape. The man touched his hair and retired.
+
+No time elapsed before the author paid his promised visit; and when he did
+so, he was pleased to hear the dog was securely confined in that which
+ought to have been the front kitchen of the house in which the butcher
+resided. To this spot the man led the way, and was about fearlessly to
+open the door, when he was entreated to stay his hand. The author listened
+at the closed entrance, and from the interior there soon came forth sounds
+that left no doubt of the poor creature's real condition. The butcher was
+thereupon informed that his dog was mad. The man was at first wholly
+incredulous; whereon the writer requested him to look through a chink, and
+say how the animal was employed. "He is tearing a piece of wood to pieces,
+and munching it as though he were very hungry. Poor thing, I must go to
+him! He has taken no victuals or drink these three days." The author
+interposed, to prevent the master from fulfilling his humane suggestion.
+With much difficulty he was persuaded to wait the turn of events, and not
+to unloose the door that night. The next morning the butcher was
+thoroughly convinced. Neither he nor his family had been able to get any
+rest on account of the dog's cries; and before that day expired, to
+anticipate the poor animal's fate, the unfortunate beast was shot.
+
+In this case the dog exhibited no malice, neither did he appear to be
+prompted solely by mischief. When the muzzle was first lowered to the
+master's boot, the poor animal doubtless was moved to that action by the
+irresistible desire natural to the disease. The longing was to bite
+something, no matter what; any object must be cooler than the heat that
+burnt within the wretched creature's throat and stomach. The teeth were
+impulsively prepared to bite, but between the desire and its consummation,
+reflection came. The affection natural to the dog acted as a restraint. It
+was unable entirely to destroy the prompting of disease, but it turned the
+bite which it was prepared to give into a mumble, and the loved master
+escaped unhurt.
+
+There is also something which must not be quite overlooked in the habitual
+wanderings that, as the disease grows in virulence beyond the dog's
+control, causes the animal constantly to leave the home within which its
+attachment resides. There is something likewise in the disposition, which
+causes the poor beast to quit the society of all it loves; and to leave
+the house in which those for whom its life would cheerfully be sacrificed
+dwell, to inhabit a dark and noisome corner. It is not mischief which
+makes the creature respond to its master's voice so long as memory has
+power--even after rabies has set in. There is no malice in the end of the
+disease; it is blind and indiscriminate fury, which would much rather vent
+itself on things than upon beings--even finding an unholy pleasure in
+injuring itself by gnawing, biting, and tearing its own flesh; and so
+truly is the fury _blind_, that most frequently the eyes ulcerate, the
+humors escape, and the rabid dog becomes actually sightless.
+
+Of the causes or treatment of this disorder we know nothing; neither are
+we likely to learn, when the nature of the disease is considered. The
+danger of the study must excuse our ignorance; nor is this much to be
+regretted, since it is highly improbable that medicine could cure what is
+so deeply seated and universally present. The entire glandular structure
+seems to be in the highest degree inflamed; and besides these, the brain,
+the organs of mastication, deglutition, digestion, nutrition, generation,
+and occasionally of respiration, are acutely involved. The entire animal
+is inflamed. Some except from this category the muscular system; but such
+persons forget that paralysis of the hind extremities is often present
+during rabies. The body seems to be yielded up to the fury of the disease,
+and it obviously would be folly trying to cure a malady which has so many
+and such various organs for its prey. Neither are we better informed with
+regard to the causes which generate the disease. Hot weather has been
+imagined to influence its development; but this belief is denied, by the
+fact that mad dogs are quite as, if not more, frequent in winter than in
+summer. Abstinence from fluids has been thought to provoke it; but this
+circumstance will hardly account for its absence in the arid East, and its
+presence in a country so well watered as England, especially when the
+unscrupulous nature of the dog's appetite is considered. The French have
+been supposed to set this latter question at rest by a cruelty, miscalled
+an experiment. They obtained forty dogs, and withheld all drink from the
+unhappy beasts till they died. Not one of them, however, exhibited rabies,
+and by this the French philosophers think that they have demonstrated that
+the disorder is not caused by want of water. No such thing; they have
+proved only their want of feeling, and show nothing more than that one out
+of every forty dogs is not liable to be attacked with rabies. They have
+demonstrated that the utmost malice of the human being can be vented upon
+his poor dumb slave without exciting rabies. They have made plain that the
+poor dog can endure the most hellish torments the mind of man can invent
+without displaying rabies. They have held themselves up to the world, and
+in their book have duly reported themselves as capable of perverting
+science to the most hideous abuses, and under its name contemplating acts
+and beholding sufferings at which the feelings of humanity recoil with
+disgust.
+
+It is rarely that more than one mad dog appears at a time in England; so,
+to perfect their experiment, it would be requisite for the French
+philosophers to procure all the specimens of the canine species in this
+island, and doom them to torture; since, of the predisposing disposition
+or circumstances necessary to the development of this disease, man knows
+nothing. Ignorance is not to be concealed under the practices of
+barbarity.
+
+Irritation or teazing, by exciting the nervous irritability of the dog,
+appears more likely than any physical want to excite rabies.
+
+TETANUS.--I have witnessed no case of this description in the dog. Both
+Blaine and Youatt speak of tetanus as extremely rare in that animal; but
+both mention having encountered it, and that it was in every instance
+fatal. Since such is its termination, I am in no hurry to meet with it,
+and care not how long it remains a stranger to me. If any of my readers
+were to have a dog subject to this disease, the best treatment would be
+the application of ether internally as medicine, with slops or light
+puddings as food. The effects of the ether ought to be kept up for a
+considerable period at one time, and recommenced so soon as the slightest
+trace of the disorder reappears.
+
+
+
+
+GENERATIVE ORGANS.--MALE.
+
+These parts in the dogs are liable to various diseases, among the most
+common of which is a thick discharge, either of pus or of impure mucus.
+Petted animals are very frequently thus affected, and are a source of
+annoyance to those who lap them. In this condition they also offend the
+ideas of propriety, by paying certain lingual attentions to themselves
+without regard to privacy. The favourite is for these things repeatedly
+chid and thrust from the knee; but it cannot be instructed to forego the
+impulses of its nature, or of itself to restrain the symptoms of its
+affliction. Indeed, the dog is not to blame; the fault lies with the
+owner.
+
+The generative organs, in the male of the canine species, are peculiarly
+sympathetic with the digestive functions. This is so with man, but in the
+dog it is much more strongly marked. If a dog become from bad food
+affected with mange, canker, sore feet, &c., the part is never cleanly.
+When, however, the animal is fat and gross, though neither mange, canker,
+nor other disease be present, the organ may, nevertheless, be a source of
+painful irritation, and beyond a little thin fluid about the opening of
+the prepuce, there will be nothing to attract attention.
+
+In such a case the discharge originally is thick and mattery. It
+accumulates upon the few hairs that fringe the urinal orifice, and
+sometimes almost impedes the passage of the water. The symptom being
+neglected, the running becomes less consistent. The part is frequently
+erect, and the animal persists in licking it. The organ is now painful,
+and should be without delay attended to. If, however, no heed be taken of
+the creature's necessity, to which its instinct directs the proprietor's
+eye, swellings appear about the sheath, and blood is mingled with the
+exudation. Sores then appear externally, and the member becomes a mass of
+acute disease, often of a frightful character.
+
+If, when the discharge first appears, the dog be taken on the knee, and
+its back being slightly bent, so as to bring the hind-legs forward--if,
+having the animal in this position, the sheath be retracted, so as to
+expose the glans, it is generally found to be inflamed. When the case is
+slight, the inflammation is confined to the base of the member, just
+around that part where the lining membrane is reflected upon the inner
+surface of the prepuce. As far back, therefore, as it can be exposed, a
+little redness may be discovered; but this will be so distributed as to
+convince us that the interior of the sheath is also involved. All the
+inflammation that can be detected will not be sufficient to account for
+the quantity of pus that is thrown out; and some persons have therefore
+allowed the disease to progress, imagining there was nothing present
+requiring to be treated. This is always a mistake. The lining membrane of
+the prepuce in these animals cannot be readily laid bare, and that part
+is always the most seriously attacked. The penis during health ought to
+be moist and of a delicate flesh color; it should not be wet, neither
+should it be in any degree red. The appearance ought to suggest the
+secluded situation to which the part is by nature assigned, and the
+sensitiveness with which it is endued. It should not denote uncleanliness
+or anger; but convey an idea of delicacy, and even beauty, to those who
+have good sense enough to appreciate nature's provisions.
+
+When the want of early attention has allowed the structures to be
+seriously implicated, ulcers appear, which enlarge, and ultimately by
+uniting form a mass of sores. There is then often resistance exhibited
+when the part is touched, and cries declare the pain which pulling back
+the sheath occasions. The prepuce sometimes is not to be withdrawn, and
+the struggles of the animal are excessive when its retraction is
+attempted. There are then fungoid growths within, and the heat and
+tenderness denote the condition of the surface, which cannot without much
+violence be beheld.
+
+All this suffering is to be traced to the misplaced kindness of the owner.
+Over-feeding is the cause; and, so far as I know, the single cause which
+gives rise to the serious aspect of this form of disease. Should it
+accompany debility, it is mild in its character, and as the strength
+returns it will disappear. Even in this last case, however, it would be
+more certainly, and with more speed removed, by a few simple measures
+which necessitate no vast trouble.
+
+In its mildest shape, any astringent eye-lotion will generally answer; but
+the strength may with safety and advantage be increased.
+
+  1.
+
+  Sulphate of copper or zinc      Five grains.
+  Distilled water                 One ounce.
+
+  2.
+
+  Liquor plumbi                   One drachm.
+  Distilled water                 One ounce.
+
+  3.
+
+  Alum                            Half a scruple.
+  Rose water                      One ounce.
+
+Either of the foregoing will be of service; but before any of them, I
+prefer the subjoined:--
+
+  Chloride of zinc                One grain.
+  Distilled water                 One ounce.
+
+Whichever of the lotions the practitioner may prefer, should be used at
+least thrice daily, and if more frequently employed, no injury will be
+done. The mode of applying the lotion is extremely simple. The seat of the
+disease being exposed, with a piece of lint or soft rag the fluid is
+passed over the surface. No friction is resorted to; but a simple bathing,
+in the gentlest possible manner, is all that can be required. In a few
+days the effect will be perceived, for by such means the affection can be
+cured; but unless the food is improved, and the digestion relieved, there
+can be no security against its speedy return.
+
+Under its more virulent form it is not to be thus easily got rid of,
+though even then it is to be subdued. If there be much pain, I inject the
+lotion up the sheath, and by closing the orifice around the point of the
+syringe, endeavor to pass the fluid over the whole of the interior.
+Sometimes the pain or irritation is excessive: I then combine sedatives
+with the lotions, and their strength I increase as the occasion warrants;
+but the non-professional person had better use none more potent than one
+drachm of tincture of opium to every ounce of lotion. When the pain,
+decreasing, allows the penis to be protruded, if any sprouting fungus or
+proud flesh is upon it, a pair of scissors should be used to snip it off.
+Some bleeding will ensue, but a little burnt alum will generally stay it;
+though, if allowed to continue, I have thought the local depletion was
+beneficial, and it has never to my knowledge been attended with danger.
+The burnt alum I use in powder, and I prefer it in these cases to the
+lunar caustic; which gives more pain; acts less immediately as a styptic,
+and is not so satisfactory in its subsequent effects, and, as the animal
+can hardly be kept from licking the place, it may possibly be
+objectionable on that account. Such treatment usually is beneficial; and
+the only further direction to be added concerns such minor points as
+reason probably would not need to have specially pointed out.
+
+When the hairs at the orifice are matted together, it is best to snip
+them away, which will not only remove a present inconvenience, but
+effectually prevent its recurrence. The wounds which occasionally cover
+the exterior of the sheath are of no vast importance, or, at all events,
+they are of secondary consideration. With the healing of the inward sores
+they mostly depart; but their disappearance will be hastened, and the
+comfort of the animal improved, if, when the injection is used, they are
+at the same time smeared with some mild ointment. That composed of
+camphor, &c., and to be found described at page 265, does very well for
+such a purpose; but any other of a gentle nature would probably answer as
+well.
+
+Soreness of the scrotum is very common, and I have seen it in every
+description of dog. I attribute it to derangement of the digestion; never
+having witnessed it in animals that were not thus affected, and not having
+been able to discover it had any more immediate origin. It mostly appears
+first as a redness, which soon becomes covered with small pimples, that
+break and discharge a thin watery fluid. The fluid coagulates, and a thin
+scab covers the surface. The scab is generally detached, being retained
+only by the straggling hairs that grow upon the bag. The scab being
+removed, shows a moist and unhealthy patch, the margin of which is of a
+faint dirty red color.
+
+This condition of the scrotum yields, in the first instance, to simple
+applications; but, should nothing be done, it will continue bad for some
+period, and may involve the whole of the bag. It will, in most instances,
+so far as the outward and more acute symptom is concerned; that is, the
+discharge will cease, the scab fall off, and nothing be left for the eye
+to dwell upon. With the seeming cessation, however, other and more
+deep-seated structures become involved. The disease leaves the surface
+only, and its virulence fixes upon the internal parts. The skin at the
+place thickens, becomes hard and gristly. There is no pain; but the
+sensation is diminished, which, to the surgeon, is a far worse sign than
+is a little anguish. The thickening is sometimes stationary; and the
+animal dies without any further evil afflicting him. There is, however, no
+security that it will remain thus passive; for occasionally it increases
+in size, inflames, gets hurt or rubbed, and ulcerates: in fact, cancer of
+the scrotum is established; and as this mostly comes on when the
+constitution is weakened, little relief and no promise of cure can
+generally be afforded.
+
+These cancers do not appear to burst of themselves. They get sensation as
+they inflame; but in every instance that has fallen under my notice,
+before ulceration has taken place, they have been slightly wounded; either
+by the dog's dragging himself upon the earth, or otherwise. The smallest
+injury, however, is sufficient to provoke the action, which when once
+excited is not afterwards to be subdued. The ulcer being established,
+enlarges; and the humanity of the owner does not allow the lingering and
+disgusting disease to take its course, but the poor dog is destroyed to
+spare its suffering.
+
+At the commencement the diet must be changed, for the manner of feeding is
+at fault. The remedies proper to improve the general health must be
+employed, and everything done to restore the system.
+
+To the scrotum a mild ointment will be sufficient. Should that not
+succeed, some of those recommended for mange may be tried; or the surface
+may be lightly passed over once with a stick of lunar caustic, care being
+taken to tie the head of the dog up afterwards to prevent it licking the
+part.
+
+The measures already spoken of apply only to mild and recent cases. When
+the disease has probably existed for years, such remedies will be of
+little service. The skin being unnaturally hard and thick, feeling like
+cartilage, and giving the idea that a firm or resistant tumor is connected
+with the integument; such being the condition of the part, the surgeon
+pauses before he advises it should be interfered with. As it seems to be
+possessed of small sensibility, and appears to have assumed a form in
+which there is a probability of its remaining, the less done to the local
+affection the better.
+
+The relief should be directed wholly to keep the cancer, for such it is,
+in a passive or quiescent state. There is no hope that nature will remove
+it; and every effort must be made to prevent its malignant character being
+by accident or otherwise provoked. With a little care the dog may die of
+old age, and the disease may even at the time of death be dormant. A very
+mild mercurial ointment may be daily applied to the surface. This will
+remove scurf, allay irritability, and prevent the itching, which might
+induce the animal to injure the part. The food must be good, proportioned
+to the work the creature has to perform,--sufficiently nutritive, but easy
+of digestion, and by no means heating. The stomach must be strengthened by
+tonics and vegetable bitters, combined with alkalies. Sedatives are
+sometimes required, and hyosciamus is in that case to be preferred. A
+course of iodide of potassium is likewise frequently beneficial; but it
+must be employed only in alterative doses, and persevered with for a
+considerable period. The eighth of a grain or half-a-grain may be given
+three times a day for six months; and on the first indication of
+irritability appearing, the medicine must be resumed. Should the symptoms
+of activity be such as to excite alarm, the iodide must be administered in
+quantities likely to affect the system. This is to be done with safety, by
+dissolving two drachms of the salt in two ounces of water, every drop of
+which will then hold in solution the eighth of a grain of the medicine.
+From two to ten drops may be given at the commencement, and every day
+afterwards one drop may be added to the dose, which should be regularly
+administered thrice in the twenty-four hours. The physic should thus be
+gradually increased until the appetite fails; or the eyes become inflamed;
+or the animal is in an obvious degree dull. When that result is obtained,
+the dose ought to be withheld for a time, or to be diminished three or
+twelve drops, and the lessened quantity only given until the symptoms have
+subsided. The spirits, or appetite, having returned, and sufficient time
+having been allowed to make certain of the fact, the dose may once more be
+increased; and thus by degrees be augmented, until it is worked up to from
+fifty to a hundred drops three times a day, beyond which it ought not to
+be pushed. Even while this is being done, it is well to give tonic and
+strengthening pills; but purgatives are to be used with extreme caution.
+
+Too frequently our assistance is not sought until the disease has assumed
+its worst aspect. There is then an open cancer, and we are asked to cure
+it. There is in medicine no known means of performing so desirable an
+object; physic can, in such a case, only be palliative--whatever hope then
+remains must rest upon the employment of the knife. The surgeon, however,
+must well examine the part before he consents to operate. Entreaties will
+not unfrequently be urgent; and where the life of an animal only is
+involved in the result, it is hard to say "no" to supplications which may
+be accompanied with tears. The professional man, however, must consult his
+judgment, and by its dictates resolutely abide; for those who are most
+eager in their requests are always most sanguine in their hopes. The
+issue, if unsuccessful, will not do otherwise than expose the surgeon to
+reproaches, perhaps more bitter than the supplications to which he yielded
+were imploring. Even should the proprietor be silent, the reputation of
+the operator will be injured; for, when the knife is resorted to, mankind
+will not tolerate failure. Therefore it is prudent, and also humane, to
+consider how far surgery can eradicate the affection ere excision is
+employed to add to the immediate suffering, and perhaps hasten the
+consequence it was designed to prevent.
+
+The tumor should be circumscribed, or, at all events, there should be
+around it a fair proportion of healthy skin whenever its removal is
+attempted. When such exists, the operation is justifiable; but without
+such being present, it is to be condemned. The skin is wanted to close the
+orifice, and it must be healthy, in order that it may properly unite. In
+extreme cases, where the life of the animal depends upon activity, it may
+be proper to remove both testicles; but this should, if possible, be
+avoided.
+
+Castration in the dog is not of itself dangerous; but it renders the
+animal disposed to accumulate fat, and destroys many of those qualities
+for which it is esteemed. The creature afterwards becomes lethargic, and
+its spirits never are recovered. It is best performed by cutting through
+the spermatic nerve, and scraping the artery, so as to separate it; taking
+care to do this sufficiently high up to prevent the cord from being
+exposed.
+
+When the operator has decided to take away the spermatic glands, he does
+so at the commencement of the operation. With one cut he lays the scrotum
+open, and pulling forth the testicle, divides the nerve; then with the
+edge of a blunt but coarse knife, scrapes it as the cords lie upon his
+finger. Having done this on one or both sides, as the case may require, he
+inspects the tumor, the substance of which is now exposed to view. By the
+aspect of the growth he decides upon the course he will next adopt; or
+rather shapes the manner he had proposed to proceed. Seldom will it
+occasion him to change his plan; but he must be prepared to do so, if the
+appearances should be contrary to his anticipations. The skin is here of
+primary importance; wherever it is not involved, it is dissected back, and
+every portion of hard or gristly matter scrupulously sought for and cut
+away. All such substance being excised, care is then directed to bring the
+edges together. A pair of scissors may be required to make them exactly
+even, but the less snipping there may be the better. To retain the lips of
+the wound in the places desired, collodium will be found far superior to
+sutures or plasters. It is with a camel's hair pencil laid in bands along
+the parts, which are held in their intended situations while it dries. A
+few threads of linen are embedded in it while it is in a liquid state, so
+as to increase its strength; and layer after layer is added until the mind
+is assured the purpose is obtained. The application must on no account be
+made in one continuous sheet; for before union can take place suppuration
+must be established, and spaces are necessary to allow the matter to
+escape. Therefore, in several fine strips stretching over the wound, and
+holding its edges close, the collodium is to be employed; and this being
+ended, subsequent attention is generally required only to regulate the
+health, on which the healing process will greatly depend.
+
+To stone in the bladder the dog is liable. The cause cannot be directly
+traced, but the symptoms are not obscure; the animal is constantly voiding
+its urine, which, though small in quantity, is not of a healthy character.
+A few drops of blood occasionally are passed; and, in attempting to go
+down stairs, sudden cries are often emitted. Fits of pain and seasons of
+illness are frequent, and the point of the penis is protruded from the
+sheath, never being withdrawn. The leg is not raised to void the urine;
+but the creature strains when the act has either been accomplished, or
+there is no power to perform it. If the dog be taken on the knee, and one
+knowing the situation of the contents gently manipulates the abdomen, the
+body may be felt within the bladder, which will mostly be contracted and
+empty.
+
+The nature of the disease having been ascertained, little can be done
+beyond relieving the immediate distress. Some writers have given
+directions for operating under such circumstances; but none of them tell
+us they have successfully performed lithotomy upon the animal. In every
+case of the kind upon which I have been consulted, the idea of such a
+measure was not for an instant to be countenanced. Dogs thus afflicted,
+are mostly small, and the calculus is generally of great proportional
+size, prior to our attention being directed to it. In a creature so very
+delicate as the dog, every operation requires to be well considered before
+it is resorted to; and though the cutler might make knives sufficiently
+diminutive for the occasion, it may be doubted if our hands are
+sufficiently nice to employ them. The stones I have met with were of a
+size I would not have liked to have drawn through the urethra; and
+therefore, though I will not assert lithotomy cannot be performed upon the
+dog, I must confess I have not performed it, and must say I should require
+strong inducements to attempt it upon the animal.
+
+All I aim at is to limit the increase of the deposit, and to alleviate the
+painful symptoms it gives rise to. A strictly vegetable diet best
+accomplishes the first object, and doses of ether and laudanum, repeatedly
+administered by mouth and injection, most speedily secure the second.
+Pills of henbane are likewise of service; and with them small quantities
+of the balsams may be combined, though the last should not be continued if
+they have any marked diuretic action. The peppers, especially cubebs, I
+have thought serviceable, and very minute doses of cantharides have seemed
+to be attended with benefit. Here, however, I speak with doubt; for the
+agents have by me been employed only in homoeopathic quantities, and I
+have not the means of saying they had very decided action. They appeared
+to do good, since under their use the animals improved; and that is all I
+can state in their behalf. Proprietors, however, when the pressing
+annoyance is allayed, being told there is no prospect of a radical cure,
+do not generally afford us much opportunity to watch the action of
+medicines.
+
+Hĉmaturia or bloody urine is met with in the dog; and I (having been
+unfortunate in those cases where I employed acetate of lead) adopted
+small doses of cantharides, and with these to my surprise succeeded; for
+which reason I have persevered in my homoeopathic treatment. The quantity
+of tincture of cantharides I employ is three minims to two ounces of
+water, and to my wonder, this appears to answer every purpose; the only
+fault, indeed, that a general practitioner might find with it being that
+it did its work too quickly.
+
+Swelling of the glans penis is not uncommon. It comes on suddenly, and the
+dog is by it rendered offensive to the owner's sight. The membrane is in a
+state of erection, and being so, is of course protruded; and while thus
+exposed, the end of it loses its mild red color, becoming of a paler hue,
+and at the same time enlarging. Its size increases to such an extent, that
+when the erection subsides, it cannot be retracted.
+
+This generally happens to animals that are weakly; such being of what are
+called high breeds, or having recovered from some dangerous disorder. It
+is not a dangerous affection, and if taken early is very easily subdued.
+With a silk handkerchief, the exposed part should be grasped by the left
+hand; and while every means is employed to push the gland back, the
+fingers of the right hand ought to be used, to draw the prepuce over it. A
+little time and care will, in most instances, do what is desired; and
+there is no need of haste, or justification for violence. Oil is not
+required, as the parts are sufficiently lubricated by their own secretion;
+and still less are those practices some persons have advocated,
+admissible.
+
+The scarification of the glans, or the slitting of the prepuce, should not
+ever be allowed, save the absolute failure of all other measures has
+demonstrated relief is not otherwise to be procured. Before these severe
+resorts are sanctioned, the effects of cold and stimulants, locally
+applied, ought to be fully and patiently tried. A lotion containing ether,
+in such proportions as water will dissolve it, should be applied to the
+part; and spirit of nitric ether, to which double its amount of proof
+spirit has been added, may be with a camel's hair pencil painted over its
+surface. Ice is even better, but both, according as they can be readily
+obtained, are beneficial. Gentle manipulations will also be of benefit,
+and if the patience of the practitioner be not too easily exhausted, he
+will rarely need more to bring about that which is desired.
+
+Retention of urine, though not very common in the dog, is, however,
+encountered too frequently to be termed a rare affection. It mostly
+accompanies debility, during the last stage of distemper, and is sometimes
+present in paralysis of the hind extremities. I have not seen a case in
+which it took the acute form, though obviously it may do so.
+
+The symptoms generally are obscure; for in the majority of instances the
+distension of the bladder will simply aggravate the general uneasiness.
+The condition of the part, therefore, may not be suspected, but in such
+cases it is to be ascertained by manipulation. By taking the animal, and
+gently pressing its abdomen, if the bladder be empty, the intestines will
+be felt; but if the viscus be full, there will be a soft and pulpy mass
+under the fingers. The sensation imparted by it conveys the idea that it
+is fluid, and the greatest care will in it detect nothing denoting
+substance or form. The proof thus obtained is positive, and will not
+deceive him who has accepted it. All pretending to administer to canine
+disease should be able to read this indication, but sometimes others
+direct attention to its presence.
+
+The dog having the bladder gorged, and not so debilitated as to be
+deprived of power to move, or by paralysis disabled, mostly lies, but even
+then it is never at rest. The position is constantly shifted. Food and
+drink are refused, great dulness is exhibited, and a low plaintive moan is
+from time to time emitted. If made to walk, the animal straddles the
+hind-legs, and its gait is peculiar. The spine is arched, but the
+posterior limbs are not drawn or carried forward. If pressure is made upon
+the belly, it provokes resistance; and any attempt to raise the dog from
+the ground induces it to struggle.
+
+Relief should without loss of time be afforded by the use of the catheter.
+When I was a pupil at the college, the professor used to assert that the
+introduction of such an instrument was in the dog a physical
+impossibility. The bone found in the penis of this animal, the gentleman
+instructed his pupils to believe, opposed an obstacle which could not be
+overcome. My former teacher, however, was in error. He had either never
+made the trial, or he had not judgment sufficient to conduct an operation
+which, when properly undertaken, is remarkably easy and simple. I believe
+I was the first practitioner in England who used the catheter for the dog,
+though prior to my doing so, reports were published of the instrument
+having been employed in France. On the Continent, however, I have heard of
+no one who had thought of introducing a catheter into the bladder of the
+bitch. That also I have done; and find the operation to be unattended with
+danger or difficulty. The method of operating upon the female will be
+explained in another place. Here I have to speak of the mode in which the
+male is to be relieved.
+
+Let the dog be placed upon its side, and by means of a handkerchief the
+penis be drawn. A catheter of proportionate size must be selected.
+Metallic tubes will not do; but the gum elastic are to be employed. Before
+one of these is introduced, the wire must be taken out, and the outer
+surface moistened with olive oil.
+
+The human catheters answer admirably for small dogs; but these are not
+made long enough to be of service to animals of the larger kinds. For a
+dog of middle height, an instrument twice the length of those employed on
+man ought to be at hand; and for a huge Newfoundland, one thrice as long
+will be useful. The shorter catheters may be of the sizes sold as Nos. 1,
+2, and 3; the middle length, 4 and 5; the longest, Nos. 6, 7, and 8.
+
+The dog being placed upon its side, and retained there in a position such
+as the operator may think most advantageous to his movements, the
+catheter is introduced with one hand while the penis is held by the other.
+The meatus being found--there is no great ingenuity required to discover
+it--the instrument is inserted and pushed gently onward. At first its
+passage is easy, but it has not gone far before a check is felt. The
+stoppage arises from the spasmodic contraction of the canal, caused by the
+point of the instrument having reached the bone of the penis. For a period
+the passage is effectually closed; but no force must be employed to
+overcome the obstacle. Gentle but steady pressure is kept up; and under
+this it is rarely longer than a few minutes before the spasm yields. The
+catheter then glides forward, and the operator, resigning the hold of the
+penis to his assistant, passes his free hand to the perinĉum. When he
+feels the point of the tube below the anus, he uses his fingers to direct
+its course,--for at this part the canal curves, taking a direction
+forward,--and after a little further way has been made, another check is
+experienced. This last springs from the contraction of the neck of the
+bladder; and once more gentle, but steady pressure must he employed to
+overcome the spasm. It rarely resists long; but the sudden absence of all
+opposition, and the flow of urine, shows that the object of the operation
+has been obtained.
+
+The dog offers no resistance to the passage of the instrument. I have
+never known one to cry, or seen one exhibit a struggle. I could not
+account for this by attributing it to any fondness for the necessary
+restraint, under which the creature is temporarily placed. During the
+flowing of the urine, the dog invariably remains perfectly quiet; and the
+relief afforded seems to dispose it almost to sleep; for after it is over,
+the animal lies in a kind of happy lethargy. The fluid, however, does not
+jet forth or empty quickly. The operator must not be impatient, for the
+stream is perfectly passive; since, in consequence of the distension, the
+bladder has lost its contractive power. To obtain the whole of the
+contents, has sometimes required a quarter of an hour, and the quantity
+procured has frequently been quite disproportioned to the size of the
+patient. From a small petted spaniel, brought under my notice by my
+friend, Mr. Henderson, I extracted very nearly half a pint of urine, and
+the animal from that period began to get well. From a very small dog, the
+property of a lady of fortune, I for several days, every night and
+morning, withdrew about four ounces of the excretion with marked benefit
+to the animal. The operation is tedious, but it repays us for the time it
+occupies. Towards the conclusion the stream is frequently interrupted. It
+stops, then recommences; ceases, and then begins again; and the last
+portions are often ejected with a force which the first did not display. A
+little straining may attend the closing of the operation. For this the
+operator must be prepared, and immediately withdraw the catheter; lest the
+bladder, energetically contracting upon it, should cause the point to
+pierce the sides of the viscus. The instrument is no longer required when
+straining is excited; for then the contractive function has been resumed,
+and nature will subsequently perform her office without assistance.
+
+The bladder that has been relieved, may require the care of the surgeon a
+second time; but no officiousness should be indulged in that respect. Let
+the necessity be present before the operation is resorted to; and the need
+for its adoption can be so accurately ascertained, that there is no excuse
+whatever for needless interference. The operation is attended with no
+immediate danger or subsequent ill consequences, that I am aware of; but
+it is particularly recommended by the fact, that in the dog it is not
+accompanied with that pain, which in man usually provokes exclamation,
+sometimes causes fainting, and not unfrequently induces irritability of
+the membrane lining the canal.
+
+The testicles are occasionally the sources of annoyance to the proprietor.
+In one instance a high-bred dog was sold, the person who bought the animal
+making the purchase with a view to breeding from it. Disappointment
+followed, for no sexual desire could be excited; and as a stock-dog, the
+beast was useless. An examination was then made, and the scrotum was
+discovered to contain no glands.
+
+A most infamous fraud was now accused against him who had sold the dog;
+and as dog-dealers are not so respectable, and are almost as little
+credited as horse-dealers, any charge imputing dishonesty required no
+evidence to substantiate it. An infamous villain was convicted of having
+castrated the dog before he parted with it, in order that a valuable
+strain might not be rendered common. This same dog was brought to me. I
+could detect no testicles, and I could perceive no cicatrix. The body was
+fat and the disposition sluggish, but the frame well developed. It was
+possible the scar, if the operation had been performed early, should have
+disappeared: and there are means practised by which the testicles can be
+in a great measure destroyed without making an incision. Here, however,
+there was nothing to denote they had been present; or evidence to show
+they had been removed. I could by manipulation discover no bodies in the
+inguinal canals. Under the circumstances, I was unable to give a positive
+opinion; but I leant to the idea that the appearances resulted from
+defective conformation.
+
+My indecision exposed me to some remarks at the time; for the veterinary
+surgeon is never permitted to doubt. Ignorance is the only reason the
+majority of his patrons can conceive to account for his deliberation. A
+year subsequent, however, the dog died; and the body was then brought to
+me, in order that the point might be decided. I found both glands, which
+were not larger than they should have been at birth, within the abdomen,
+whence they never had descended.
+
+It is very common to find small dogs, especially spaniels and terriers,
+with only one testicle in the scrotum; but in the larger number of such
+cases the other can be detected, though it will be of small size, within
+the canal. Animals in this condition are quite capable of being used as
+stock-dogs, and are for such purposes as certain, as those more perfectly
+formed. Of this I have had repeated proofs; and, consequently, the absence
+of one gland is not to be viewed as a serious defect; though I do not know
+that it can be regarded in the light of a recommendation. Speaking from
+observation, and bringing the results of positive experience to bear upon
+my opinion, I may assert, that in diminutive dogs--animals intended only
+to be esteemed as "toys,"--the absence of one testicle is not of the
+slightest import; though, in the larger breeds intended for actual work, I
+should by no means be inclined so to regard it.
+
+The testicles are also subject to enlarge and become hard, more than is
+natural. In that state they most frequently are devoid of sensation;
+though sometimes, but rarely, they are unnaturally tender. The size and
+degree of feeling may be the only indications; but generally the scrotum
+is at the same time thickened, and exhibits an alteration in structure.
+
+Blaine speaks of castration under such circumstances. I have hitherto
+abstained from direct interference. Notwithstanding the alteration, which
+has been obvious, I have, beyond daily rubbing in the ointment, containing
+camphor and mercury, resorted to no topical application. In one instance I
+employed an unguent, containing iodine; but it was ultimately
+discontinued, from a conviction that it was in its operation injurious,
+seeming to produce effects the opposite of those desired. The food,
+however, I alter; and by gentle aperients I endeavor to regulate the
+bowels. A course of the iodide of potassium I have likewise adopted, and
+can with confidence recommend. Alterative doses only should be
+administered; and the drug ought to be continued for three months at
+least. If prepared in the following form, it will not perhaps be readily
+swallowed up, but the animal will very seldom violently resist its
+administration:--
+
+  Simple syrup             Two ounces.
+  Water                    Six ounces.
+  Iodide of potassium      Fifteen grains to one drachm.
+
+Dose, one drachm, or a teaspoonful thrice daily
+
+The quantity ordered contains from a quarter of a grain to a grain of the
+iodide; and, if there be motive for desiring it should be exhibited in
+substance, the like amounts may be made into pills with conserve of roses,
+and a little powdered liquorice. The form is of little importance; but I
+prefer the fluid, because I have found that the animal can, with no great
+trouble or vast tax upon ingenuity, be brought to accept it readily; and
+with dogs, as with children, we gain by convincing them we are practising
+no deception. These creatures possess remarkable discernment: it is
+astonishing how long the doubt, when once excited, will act upon the
+canine mind. A pill, for this reason, is better pushed down the throat
+than presented in meat; for the imposition, being once detected, will for
+a long time subsequent to it be suspected. It is, therefore, best to
+proceed openly and without fear. So strong is my impression that dogs
+have a general comprehension of the meaning of sounds, that when I have
+medicines to give, I always address them, saying, "Come and take your
+physic." Some will do as they are ordered; but others are less obedient. I
+have met with none (save clump-headed spaniels--which of all dogs are the
+very worst behaved) that were not to be subjected. Frankness and
+determination operate wonderfully on these occasions. The animal soon
+learns it must submit, and quickly ascertains you have no desire to hurt
+it. The natural and beautiful confidence the brute reposes in man is thus
+appealed to, and it is surely wise not to tamper with so noble a feeling.
+With dogs be resolute and straightforward; have no sense of fear, and have
+no desire for deceit. Call upon the innate submissiveness of the creature,
+and claim its obedience as a right. The amiable brute will respond to such
+appeals; as the struggles which result from weakness operating upon
+sensibility will originate confusion, and provoke those bites which are
+not maliciously aimed, but intended for self-defence.
+
+
+
+
+GENERATIVE ORGANS.--FEMALE.
+
+The ignorant are always inclined to be officious where procreation is
+concerned. The knowledge they pretend to, concerning such matters,
+however, consists of mingled indecency and mystery; and, when exposed,
+only commands contempt. The poor dog, nevertheless, suffers cruelly
+through the practices which such persons subject it to; and great as may
+be the ignorance of the parties who go about the country under various
+assumed denominations, to torture the canine race, surely, they who pay
+such fellows, or allow their animals to be abused by these pretenders,
+display a want of sense even more deplorable? Still this is done every
+day. The nobility continue to be the profitable dupes of a host of
+confident impostors; and strangely seem to be infatuated with the belief
+that the man who sells a dog can likewise administer to the diseases of
+the creatures in which he trades.
+
+The bitch is most unfortunate in the variety of severities she is
+compelled to undergo. Some foolish persons have imagined they can at will
+induce the periodical desire for offspring in the animal. To do this,
+violent stimulants are employed; being often given by the mouth, but more
+frequently injected up the passage. I have no proof that such means are
+ever successful; and were they capable of doing all they are employed to
+accomplish, I would certainly refuse to make use of them. Nature cannot be
+coerced to man's profit; and any interference with her laws is always
+dangerous. The consequences may not be so immediate that in every instance
+the effect is traced to the cause; but the major portion of the affections
+of which the female generative organs of the dog are too commonly the
+seat, may be attributed to the carelessness, or cruelty of the owner, or
+of those by whom he is surrounded.
+
+Various morbid growths are apt to appear upon or within the parts when
+old age advances. These have been generally produced by violence endured
+at a period long prior to the development of the disease. Potent
+injections may have been employed to bring on the condition called "heat;"
+or undue force may have been exerted to drag away the pups when the bitch
+was in labor; or brutality may have been resorted to, to tear apart the
+animals during the performance of the act of impregnation. Other sources
+of accident and injury may likewise operate in disposing the delicate
+membrane of the vagina to exhibit disease; for boys, and others also, are
+cruelly inquisitive, and the dumb creature cannot complain.
+
+The growths that appear upon the parts are not peculiar to its locality.
+They are only such as may be present on similar structures. They assume
+one of three forms, viz. either that of tumor, fungus, or polypus.
+
+The tumor may be of any shape or size; and it may be very hard or
+comparatively soft. Its consistence and dimension will depend upon its
+character; and this is seldom in two cases exactly alike. Mostly it is
+confined to the more external parts of the passage; but so deep-rooted is
+it that it cannot be conveniently dissected away. It may have a broad base
+or widely spreading attachment; and those I have examined after death most
+frequently were mixed up with the structures on which they seemed to
+repose.
+
+When such is the case, nothing can be done beyond attending to the
+general health; as by supporting the constitution, the tendency to disease
+is likely to be checked. To the part no local application should be used;
+and every care is required to prevent the animal from injuring it.
+
+When more externally situated, a careful examination must be made, to
+decide whether there is a fair hope of the growth being successfully
+excised. If it is hard and circumscribed, an operation is justifiable; but
+the skin should be healthy. All the integument must be preserved, and the
+entire bulk of the morbid body cleanly taken away. The parts are not so
+sensitive as to render the operation exceedingly severe; however large the
+wound may be, it generally heals rapidly. After the operation no dressing
+will be required, unless some untoward circumstance should arise, when, of
+course, the remedies needed to counteract it must be resorted to.
+
+Fungus is invariably preceded by a purulent discharge, which, when the
+growth is developed, is mingled with blood. The system is feverish, and
+the parts are hot, irritable, and painful. The animal is continually
+licking itself, and is disinclined for motion or food.
+
+In the first instance the cure is speedy; but if allowed to proceed, the
+affection is troublesome, and may be difficult to eradicate. When any
+unnatural discharge exudes, a mild tepid lotion should be injected. It
+should be of an astringent nature, and an infusion of green tea or any of
+the eye-washes recommended will be of service. The strength should
+likewise be supported, and the cold bath given daily, while exercise is
+particularly attended to.
+
+When blood mingles with the exudation, a careful examination, with a
+speculum, if required, must be made; and the diseased surface should be
+touched with lunar caustic, or sulphate of copper. After this, an
+injection of the chloride of zinc, one grain to distilled water one ounce,
+should be employed thrice daily.
+
+Should, however, the growth be of any size, it should be snipped off with
+a pair of probe-pointed scissors; and the lunar caustic ought then to be
+applied and repeated when the bleeding has entirely ceased. If the
+bleeding be excessive, cold water may be thrown up, or a pair of bellows,
+to drive a current of air upon the place, supposing it to be situated
+where it can be thus acted upon, may be made use of. Too frequently,
+however, the affection is deeply located, and then injections are alone to
+be resorted to, though, at the same time, constitutional measures may be
+employed. The case is not to be despaired of, but the prospect of success
+may not be satisfactory.
+
+Polypus is a round pear-shaped body, generally hanging by a pedicle, or
+neck, like to the stalk of the fruit. It is smooth, also moist, and highly
+vascular, having a red and shining appearance. When present, its
+attachment is commonly rather backward, or pretty deep within the passage.
+A small glairy discharge is at first observed. The fluid emitted is simply
+mucous, caused by the increased secretion of the membrane, which is
+irritated by the presence of a foreign growth. The parts subsequently seem
+to be swollen, and the animal does not appear otherwise affected. At
+length something red and glistening is remarked to protrude. It is seen
+occasionally, and then withdrawn; but most generally it appears subsequent
+to the urine having been voided. Ultimately, however, it constantly hangs
+out; and as, when exposed, it annoys the animal, it may be injured, and
+bleed freely.
+
+The practitioner must cautiously examine the part. Before he makes up his
+mind concerning the nature of that which is presented, he must assure
+himself that the womb has not become inverted. I was once requested by a
+veterinary surgeon to see him remove a polypus from the vagina of a bitch,
+as he had determined to excise it. Luckily I went, and saved him from
+cutting away the animal's uterus, which would assuredly have destroyed
+her. A contrary course was pursued, and that dog, in three days
+afterwards, was returned to its master well. The following particulars
+will enable him who may be in such a difficulty to discriminate the uterus
+from a polypus.
+
+The uterus is soft, but rough when exposed; no vessels are to be seen upon
+its surface; it does not shine; it is not round or pear-shaped; it feels
+like a thick empty sac, and never appears upon pressure to contain any
+substance; it cannot be traced to any stalk-like attachment, and, if
+returned, the situation it will occupy denotes the position it was
+ordained to hold.
+
+A polypus is smooth, glistening, and on its surface generally exhibits
+vessels. Its covering is always tense, and contains a semi-solid
+substance; it is often sensitive, and, if the space allows of the passage
+of the finger, the neck or point of attachment can be felt; it cannot,
+like the womb, or the bladder when inverted, be forced inward, or made to
+take the situation which either of them would occupy.
+
+Moreover, the appearance of a polypus is an affair which must have
+attracted notice some months prior to its occurrence; whereas, the
+inversion of the bladder or the womb, occupies but an instant, and is
+commonly preceded by no symptoms.
+
+Being assured there is a polypus, if a fine silk can be passed round the
+neck or stalk and be tied tight, so as to cut off the circulation of blood
+to the part, the growth will drop off in two days, supposing the operation
+to have been effectively performed. When a ligature cannot be applied, the
+body should be seized with a proper pair of forceps, and it should then be
+turned round and round several times. The object in doing this is to twist
+the stalk, so as to strangulate the vessels within it; and this sometimes
+answers quite as well as the ligature itself, but the last is best, as
+being more sure and less likely to be attended with accident. When neither
+can be accomplished, the polypus may be forcibly dragged away, or
+literally torn out; but the pain of this is very great, and the operation
+has nothing to recommend it but its absolute necessity.
+
+The polypus being removed, perfectly cold, mild, astringent injections, to
+act as healing and cleansing lotions, should be used; or if any portion of
+the stalk remain, to that caustic may be applied.
+
+Authors speak of cancer of the vagina. I have seen nothing yet in the
+animal that I may designate by such a term. I have, it is true, met with
+serious wounds and grievous sores; but all of these have yielded to
+treatment, and I am not aware that, if their nature had been malignant,
+they could have been subdued by any medicinal measures.
+
+Dropsy of the uterus I have encountered, though, as no teacher or work
+speaks of such an affection in the dog, it was some time before I was able
+to recognise the disease. The bitch thus afflicted is generally petted
+into ill-health. She is fat, slothful, and weakly. All the various
+symptoms show the digestion to be deranged; and in most cases she
+eventually perishes of abdominal disease, which is in its termination
+independent of the condition of the uterus. The only marked symptom
+directing attention to the womb, is the cessation of every sign indicating
+sexual desire. For years there may be no appearance of "_heat;_" but
+otherwise the bitch shall be regarded only as delicate, and not be
+esteemed to be decidedly unwell. If, however, the body of the animal be
+examined after death, the body and horns of the uterus will be found
+distended with a thin aqueous fluid; and the walls of the organ will be
+seen to be very attenuated, and much wanting in vascularity. There is no
+precise limit to the size the uterus may attain; but, in consequence of
+its increased volume, it occupies another situation to that it naturally
+holds in the abdomen of the bitch. Generally, when dropsical to any
+extent, it will repose immediately upon the linea alba; and it is apt to
+be injured if care be not taken when the _post mortem_ examination is
+made.
+
+For dropsy of the uterus, general measures must alone be employed, and
+these must be of a tonic character; for, however much the dog may be
+petted, or however fat its body may be, the disease is always consequent
+upon debility. Among the tonics are several which have a stimulating
+action upon the uterus, and where it is suspected to be affected the
+following medicines may be administered:--
+
+  Powdered cinnamon           One scruple to one and a half drachm.
+  Powdered borate of soda     Ten grains to two scruples.
+  Powdered secale cornutum    One to six grains.
+  Extract of gentian          One drachm to half an ounce.
+  Powdered quassia            A sufficiency.
+
+Make in twenty-four pills, and give three daily.
+
+  Iodide of iron            Ten grains to one scruple.
+  Powdered cinchona bark    One drachm to half an ounce.
+  Extract of gentian        One drachm to half an ounce.
+
+Make as in the previous prescription.
+
+  Iodide of potassium       Ten grains to one drachm.
+  Tincture of cantharides   Five drops to one scruple.
+  Simple syrup              One drachm.
+  Water                     Two ounces.
+
+Let a tea-spoonful be given three times a day.
+
+In some cases the pills first recommended may be given with the drops last
+proposed; but the action must be watched, and either the dose diminished
+or the medicine withheld, if it appears to have any violent effect. The
+intent is to work gently and gradually upon the system, and no immediate
+result should be expected or desired.
+
+PARTURITION, OR PUPPING.--This is a very serious branch of the present
+subject; for, through the inability to bring forth their young, many a
+valuable bitch is annually lost; and, by the injudicious measures intended
+to relieve them, many more are yearly sacrificed. I know of no book that
+gives proper directions for the guidance of the practitioner; indeed, the
+rules laid down by both Blaine and Youatt are calculated to do mischief
+whenever they shall be put into practice. The reader must, therefore, be
+content to accept that which will be submitted to his consideration on
+this topic, as the result of the experience of an individual whose
+observations have been made only during a comparatively short period, and
+whose opinions consequently are not to be regarded as confirmed. While
+directing attention to what has been declared rejected, the author
+solicits no confidence in his judgment, beyond that which results shall
+sanction, and reason approve.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Little gentlemen are said to incline towards what are termed fine women;
+and many persons will remember the caricature, in which a strapping
+Life-guards-man was depicted, stooping to salute a lady who scarcely
+reached the top of his boots. The like admiration for bulk appears to be
+entertained by the members of the canine race. Small curs are much
+disposed to bestow their affections upon huge Newfoundlands; and
+diminutive bitches, if followed by a host of suitors, will give the
+preference to the largest of the group. All descriptions of dogs will
+freely have intercourse with one another; and as these animals are of such
+various proportions, the female is frequently unable to give birth to the
+progeny of a gigantic sire. Care consequently should be taken to provide
+suitable males when pups are desired; and in all cases the dog should be
+smaller than the bitch. It is not, however, a sufficient precaution that
+the dog be of less size; for it, or the bitch herself, may be the dwarf of
+a large stock, and being so, may be capable of getting or gestating
+offspring as huge as the race from which either of them sprung. It is
+possible, therefore, for a small dog to be quite as dangerous as one of
+great weight; and I knew an animal of this kind which had been the cause
+of many deaths on that account. The animal alluded to was the property of
+a gentleman (now deceased) who had long graced the bench. The dog was a
+handsome Scotch terrier; and, being small, it was frequently solicited as
+a stock-dog. It was, however, very deceptive; for a bitch twice its own
+size could with difficulty survive the consequences of its embraces. It is
+a diminutive example of a naturally large race; and in its offspring there
+is a disposition to return to the original size. Therefore, not only must
+the dog be small, but, if possible, it must have been derived from a small
+stock. The giant's dwarf may beget a giant; and how frequently do parents
+of short stature have children who can at maturity look literally over
+their heads! Certainly more important, however, than the size of the dog,
+is the magnitude of the stock whence the bitch is derived. A full-sized
+pug bitch, whose portrait is given beneath, had connexion with a setter
+dog. She was sent to me to be delivered; but with little assistance the
+affair was accomplished. A small mongrel bitch, but a great favorite with
+its master, broke loose during his absence, and had connexion with a dog
+at least four times its size. The animal was brought to me to ascertain
+what could be done, her death being expected when the nine weeks expired.
+At the proper period, however, she brought forth four pups without any
+assistance. On the opposite side numerous instances might be quoted: but,
+on this topic, enough has been said to warn the reader that the dog,
+however small, should not be permitted to approach the bitch whose mother
+was large, or whose brothers and sisters stand much higher than herself.
+Let the reader look at the two portraits that follow. They are evidently
+of one and the same family. They both had a common progenitor. The beagle
+is the blood-hound, only of smaller size; and often these beautiful
+diminutive creatures suffer in parturition, or throw pups whose size takes
+from them all value. However, for the chance of security, if for no more
+tangible object; let the dog, in every instance, be smaller than the
+bitch; and let it also have no disease, but be in perfect health, strong
+and lively. A dog in any way deformed or affected with any disorder ought
+to be avoided. Blindness, skin eruptions, piles, paralysis of the tongue,
+and a host of other annoyances, I more than suspect to be hereditary. The
+mental qualities are transmitted, as well as physical beauties and
+defects. Sagacity, health, and beauty are to be sought for, and if all
+cannot be obtained, those most desired must be selected. Where shape is
+wanted, let the dog possess such form as the bitch is deficient in; thus
+the female having a long-nose or legs, may be put to a male short in these
+respects; and the rule may be applied in other instances.
+
+[Illustration: THE BLOOD-HOUND.]
+
+[Illustration: THE BEAGLE.]
+
+Judgment is needed; and, of course, the choice is to be in some measure
+regulated by the kind of stock the dog has been known to get. All dogs
+kept as stock-dogs have reputations for the qualities of their offspring;
+and these, sometimes, are better guides than the appearances of the
+animals themselves; for it does occur that the pups procured by a
+diminutive dog, do occasionally prove the very reverse of what might be
+anticipated.
+
+The bitch, for breeding, should be rather long in the back; and it is
+scarcely possible for her to be made too wide in the hind-quarters. She
+should be strong, and rather large than small of her breed; and where a
+diminution of size is desired, it is better to obtain it through the
+father than the mother. When the last method is adopted there is no danger
+of the bitch bearing pups of gigantic proportions, and which she may not
+be capable of bringing forth. The breed, also, should be as pure as
+possible; for there is a disposition in these animals to throw back, as it
+is termed; that is, supposing a bitch to be of spaniel breed, to that
+degree which allows of no cross being detected; nevertheless if there
+should be a stain of cur or terrier in her pedigree, one or more of every
+litter she bears, may prominently exhibit it. It is often long before this
+natural proof of a degraded family can be entirely eradicated; and it is
+very common for persons to express surprise at the pups born resembling
+neither of the parents they were derived from.
+
+Another caution not to be neglected is, to keep the bitch from all
+communication with dogs it is wished her progeny should in no way
+resemble. A low-bred playmate may not appear to be of much consequence;
+and the proprietor may imagine, if actual connexion is provided against,
+no further precaution can be required. The females of the canine race,
+however, are able to bestow their affections; and tender recollections are
+as potent over them as they are known to be in other cases, where higher
+animals are concerned. Bitches are not always prudent in their loves, but
+are apt to fling themselves away on curs of low degree. If reared with a
+companion of vulgar appearance, there often springs up between the pair a
+devotion which no time can afterwards subdue. The passion, for such it
+really is, becomes of a more than romantic endurance. The loved one's
+image grows to be so impressed upon the mind--so much so, that all the
+fruits of the body afterwards bear its likeness. There may have been no
+intercourse between the pair, but to animals of her breed, the bitch may,
+contrary to her longings, have been devoted: and yet, in the offspring she
+brings forth the object of her affections will be represented. This,
+however, is very likely to be the case, when the first male accepted is by
+accident or neglect of impure origin. There have been several well-marked
+cases illustrative of this fact, and probably many which have never been
+properly observed. The peculiarity of a high-bred bitch bringing forth a
+blemished litter, would be set down to her throwing back; but perhaps a
+fair proportion of the cases thus accounted for, might with justice be
+attributed to the mental influence which has been pointed out.
+
+The first indication of a bitch approaching to desire, is a slight
+enlargement of the teats. This may be observed for a week, more or less,
+before the parts show any signs of change. These last, however, soon begin
+to swell, and a thick glairy discharge of simple mucus drains from them in
+small quantities. The secretion becomes more copious, and thinner,
+gradually changing its character to that of blood; and as that alteration
+in the fluid is remarked, the labia grow larger, redder, and more hot.
+
+The animal has then "heat," or oestrum, upon her, and her system is
+generally excited. She is more lively, and should any other dogs be with
+her, she indulges in a variety of coquettish antics. Her attitudes when
+thus excited are very picturesque, and the beauty of the animal is never
+exhibited to greater advantage.
+
+A lively grace animates her whole frame; and she is now the creature a
+painter should study, or a poet describe. She will not immediately accept
+the male, whose passion she evidently practises all her arts to excite.
+For a few days, perhaps, a romping courtship may go forward before union
+is actually permitted.
+
+Dog fanciers almost universally attach importance to the appearance of the
+discharge. Some say the dog should not be offered before the bleeding
+begins to diminish. If these rules are not attended to, I have been most
+confidently assured the evil consequences of the neglect are certain to be
+present in the pups. The litter prematurely begotten, it is foretold, must
+be bad in some way; though why this should be the case, or how the cause
+produces such effects, none of the dog fanciers have been able to explain.
+
+As by attempting to obey these injunctions I have known many
+disappointments to be produced, there was every inducement, even had I not
+been inquisitive from professional motives, to set me testing the truth of
+these assertions; for I am not inclined to sneer at every opinion
+announced by persons devoid of education. A power to observe is by no
+means regulated by an ability to read or write; and as the dog fanciers
+bred much more largely than I possibly could do, their experience entitled
+their opinions to attention. Nevertheless, ignorance is so exposed to
+misconception, that its declarations at all times should be examined, and
+I resolved to test the truth of the rule which so many announced to be
+established.
+
+The result has not confirmed the belief generally entertained; but it has
+induced me to conclude that the dog may be allowed whenever the bitch will
+permit him. Nature, I have found, regulates the matter, so as not to
+necessitate man's supervision. The bitch will, by her instinct, decide the
+question; and she may, without any dread of mysterious consequences, be
+left to its direction. In support of this conclusion, a large number of
+animals can readily be adduced. The numerous bitches, especially in the
+country, that are placed under no restraint, but are left free to gratify
+their impulses, afford obvious demonstration of the fact. These creatures
+have litters that are much stronger and healthier than those which are
+more tenderly guarded.
+
+The fatality that attends the offspring of very choice breeds, does not
+infer that the customs they are subjected to conduce materially to their
+benefit; and my experience, so far as it has been carried, supports the
+conclusion which this circumstance would seem to countenance.
+
+Let the bitch therefore follow her inclinations; but it is not unusual for
+force to be employed on such occasions. This should never be allowed. The
+female ought on no account to be compelled; but it is a common practice
+to employ restraint when she is unwilling. Some assistance may
+occasionally be needed, particularly with the smaller breeds, which are
+apt to be physically disabled; but it should be limited to such offices as
+favor the desires of the parties principally concerned. Whenever man's aid
+goes beyond that, it is likely to be injurious; for if Nature orders an
+animal to decline the gratification of its instinct, we may rest assured
+there is good reason why such a phenomenon is exhibited, although we may
+not possess the acumen to rightly interpret its indication.
+
+Some people permit the dog and bitch to remain together for several hours;
+but with favorite stock-dogs, it is customary to present the female twice.
+I have found the second visit to be needless; and a single occasion has
+never yet failed to procure me three or four pups, which is quite as many
+as the majority of bitches are able to rear. The ordinary practice,
+however, appears to do no harm, so far as I am aware of its consequences.
+I do not, therefore, object to it; but I know it is not imperative, and it
+is well to be convinced on such a point.
+
+After the bitch has been lined, she should be most carefully watched. Her
+desire rather increases than diminishes, and she will be most anxious to
+escape in search of new admirers. Her appetite renders her ingenious; and
+the owner is often vexed to find she conquers at this time those bounds
+which at other periods confined her. Let her be securely housed, or kept
+under the eye of her master, who must not forget her propensity to rove.
+
+When the discharge ceases, and the local swelling subsides, the necessity
+for vigilance is at an end. The animal has then returned to chastity, and
+will be as obedient as before her passions were inflamed. During the nine
+weeks of gestation, she demands no special care. She thrives best if left
+to take her chance, and does better in proportion as she is not pampered.
+Her food should be wholesome, and her exercise rather increased than
+diminished. She should not be made fat, neither ought she to be suddenly
+reduced.
+
+The safest course is to take no notice of the particular condition of the
+animal, but to let her ordinary treatment be continued without any change.
+The bitch will return to her usual manners and appearance, nor will there
+be for some time anything to denote her having conceived. In the middle of
+the fourth week, however, the presence of the young within the abdomen
+may, by skilful manipulation, be detected. I know of no one who has before
+made the observation, but I am confident as to the correctness of the
+statement; since I have frequently been enabled to inform parties that
+their dogs were in pup, when the circumstance was not suspected. In many
+instances, I have been able to ascertain before the expiration of the
+first month the number of young that would be born; but of course these
+matters are not always to be told with equal certainty. They can, however,
+be generally ascertained with tolerable accuracy; but where there is only
+one sense to guide the knowledge, and that one is not quite unobstructed,
+the judgment is liable to be mistaken with regard to particulars, though
+it may be assured concerning the main point.
+
+To discover whether a bitch is in pup, let her be placed upon a table, and
+her fears or excitability banished by caresses. Then lay her upon her
+side, and with the fingers gently manipulate the intestines. If the womb
+is impregnated, the person, directing his attention first to the situation
+the uterus occupies, near to the rim of the pelvis, and inferior to the
+rectum, will there detect round smooth bodies, like little eggs. These may
+not be perceptible if the bladder be loaded; but if the catheter be
+employed to draw off the urine, they will surely be felt. If the rectum be
+full of foeces, it serves as an admirable guide to the position of the
+uterus; though he who is acquainted with anatomy needs no such assistance.
+
+Some globular substance being detected, the fingers are advanced, and if
+more than one pup be conceived, another similar to it will speedily
+impinge upon the touch; then another, and so on, until the whole of the
+promised family have been thus announced. The last is the most difficult
+to discover: for should there be more than two or three, it may, and will,
+generally occupy the extremity of a horn; and, in that situation, may
+escape observation. There are to the womb of this animal a pair of horns,
+which are long, and extend to the region of the kidneys. Both cannot be
+traced at the same time, and there is a chance of the two being
+confounded. Therefore it is well not to be positive as to the precise
+number of young the bitch will bring forth; and I never presume to speak
+confidently upon the point; for though, in the majority of cases, my
+opinion may have been corroborated, nevertheless, I have often known a pup
+more than I supposed the uterus contained to have been delivered.
+
+From the end of the fourth week, the litter, as it were, go away, or are
+lost; but when the seventh week arrives, the contents of the abdomen may
+be plainly detected; and if the bitch be taken upon the lap, and her belly
+supported with the hand, they at this period will be felt to move, and the
+motion even of their limbs is clearly recognised.
+
+Milk appears in the teats about the middle of the ninth week, and the
+presence of the fluid declares the event is near at hand. The following
+day, or the one succeeding, is marked by a mucous discharge from the
+vagina; and when that is witnessed, parturition is seldom delayed beyond a
+day or two at most.
+
+The exact period is announced by the animal being disinclined for food and
+desirous of solitude. Some bitches do not wish for seclusion; but others
+are very anxious to obtain it; and in either case the disposition should
+be gratified. All that is necessary for the comfort of the creature should
+be provided; but if the accommodation designed for her be rejected, she
+should as far as possible be allowed to indulge her own liking for another
+spot.
+
+As the time of parturition draws near--that is, when the increase of mucus
+is remarked--a daily meal of boiled liver should be given; but nothing
+stronger, of a laxative nature, ought to be administered, unless the
+absolute necessity of such relief as aperients afford is ascertained. Many
+persons are in the habit of giving buckthorn or castor oil at this season;
+but the dog is naturally very delicate; and nothing calculated to detract
+from the strength which the coming effort must severely tax, should be
+heedlessly resorted to.
+
+When the bitch retires, let her wish for privacy be respected. For three
+or four hours allow her to be undisturbed; but at the expiration of that
+time, the person who most enjoys her confidence, may approach her. After
+an exchange of recognitions, the animal may be examined. If nothing
+extraordinary can be remarked, nothing should be done beyond offering food
+and water; neither of which, however, need be pressed upon her. A day
+possibly may thus pass, without any sign of decided progress being made;
+nevertheless, the owner's patience must not be alarmed, for the greatest
+danger springs from premature assistance.
+
+The first pup is often long before it is delivered; so that the cries be
+not sharp, loud, and frequent, the delay need not generate fear.
+Four-and-twenty hours having elapsed, and the indication of suffering with
+constant straining being present, the help which man can give should not
+be pressed upon the animal. The throes must cease, or the bitch appear
+exhausted by lying on its side, and emitting low moans before any aid is
+offered. Then the little finger, well greased, may be passed gently up the
+vagina, to learn if anything be within the passage; and if a pup be felt,
+instruments, as hereafter described, may be employed; but, on no account,
+need the finger be pushed beyond the os uteri. If the mouth of the womb be
+well opened, free, and the passage clear, the attention must be bestowed
+upon the bitch, and every means employed to revive the strength and bring
+back the pains. Some unusual circumstance is needed to justify manual
+interference--such as a pup with its side presented, or the os uteri well
+expanded, and the head of a dead pup filling up the space.
+
+To such an extent have I practically followed out the measures here
+recommended, that under my care the labor-pains of a Scotch terrier ceased
+without anything being born. The bitch returned to her customary habits,
+but appeared dull, while a dark discharge was emitted. I told the
+proprietor the bitch had a dead pup within her, and entreated him to give
+the animal time. He consented to do this; and on the fourth day from that
+of the unsuccessful labor, the animal was delivered of a dead pup, with
+perfect ease.
+
+The presence of straining alone should never be regarded as a symptom of
+pupping being actually at hand. The bitch, like other animals, is subject
+to spasms, called false labor-pains. These are in appearance highly
+deceptive, for they are generally accompanied with plaintive cries. To
+distinguish their true character, let the hands embrace the abdomen; and
+at the time when spasm seizes her, let gentle pressure be made upon its
+sides. If the pains be false, the convulsion will be felt to render turgid
+the muscles of the abdomen, but nothing within it will at the same time
+feel hard. Should, however, the labor have commenced, other signs than
+these will then declare the fact. When the throes come on, the uterus will
+contract; and beneath the hands it will be then felt a hard, harsh, and
+solid body. Its character, when naturally excited, is not to be mistaken;
+but is so well and strongly marked, that there is no excuse for not
+detecting its indication.
+
+For false pains nothing need be done for some time; but if they continue,
+and seem to distress the animal, ether and opium may be freely given by
+the mouth; this will have the effect of quieting the spasm without
+injuring the pups.
+
+The existence of true labor being ascertained, should there be sufficient
+cause to suspect obstruction to be present, then let the finger be oiled
+and introduced up the passage with caution as directed. Some persons when
+called to a bitch in pup, always begin at once doing this, but it should
+not be done unless there be some reason for the practice. I have known
+fellows poke the poor animals about, as though to do so was an important
+duty, which they were bound incessantly to perform. The introduction of
+the finger cannot do otherwise than remove the mucus which Nature provides
+to lubricate the passage and facilitate the egress of the pup. It is the
+mildest and best moisture the membrane can receive, and its removal is not
+to be slightly thought of. The finger, moreover, by the friction it
+occasions, irritates the parts; and however gently it may be introduced,
+it cannot otherwise than in some degree have this effect. The less it is
+used, therefore, the better; and when it is inserted, the attention should
+be alive to note every circumstance the touch can acquaint us with.
+
+Other parties, when the labor is difficult or tedious, think it advisable
+to place the bitch in a hot bath. All the authors I know of, recommend
+this measure; but I must, without reservation, in the strongest possible
+terms, condemn it. In obedience with the directions of those who wrote or
+lectured on this subject, I originally followed the practice; but it was
+not long before I was apprised of its evil effects; and my wonder now is,
+how so injurious a custom ever came into general favor. I have known the
+bitch, when the throes were energetic, to be placed in the warm bath; and
+under its action to have indeed been quieted, for the pains never
+subsequently returned. The efforts, upon the vigor of which the delivery
+depended, have, to my knowledge, been more than once, twice, or thrice,
+dispersed, by the warmth which at such a time is a poison; for I can
+recollect but few cases where the bitch was taken from the water to
+survive.
+
+Still, as the assertions of an individual cannot be supposed of sufficient
+force to overthrow an established habit, let me here, at the hazard of
+wearying the reader, venture to reason upon the matter. The uterus is
+principally composed of white muscular fibre, upon which structure heat
+has a sedative and cold has a stimulative action. The members of our
+profession well know this fact; and the reader, who can hardly be
+unacquainted with the colic, may in that affection find a proof to
+convince him of its truth. Cold water will bring on the belly-ache. This
+is occasioned by a chill to the intestines, causing their muscular fibre,
+which resembles that of the womb, to spasmodically contract. The vitality
+of the muscles of the intestines is excited; and to allay the pain, that
+excitability must be destroyed. Heat will effectually do this; and hot
+clothes, bags of sand, or bottles, are placed against the belly for that
+purpose. When the suffering depends on cold alone, the relief is speedy;
+and when it is dependent on other causes, the sense of comfort imparted
+testifies to the effect of the application. The heat allays the spasm,
+which the cold provoked.
+
+Warmth, therefore, is a sedative to organic muscular fibre; and now, let
+it be asked, if during labor we should seek to dispel the contraction of
+the womb? During gestation the muscular coat of the uterus is passive; but
+when that function has been perfected, Nature endues it with energy to
+expel the foetus. Upon the violence of its contractions the performance of
+this important office is wholly and entirely dependent. Without it the
+young cannot be borne; and however painful may be its force, nevertheless,
+such pain is to be welcomed, and regarded thankfully. The throes may be
+agonizing, but it is more cruel to check than to promote them; for the
+temporary relief we obtain by causing them to cease, will certainly be
+purchased with the life of the animal that enjoys so dearly-bought a
+repose.
+
+The shriek of the bitch during the time when a pup probably is being
+forced into the world, may harrow the heart of an affectionate master, and
+his sympathies may be wrought upon by beholding the convulsion which
+stretches every fibre of her frame. The sounds may grate upon the ear, and
+the spectacle may be terrible to look upon--for in dogs I have seen misery
+so powerfully exemplified, that I do no wrong to any man, when I suppose
+the picture would be piteous to his humanity--but it is not charity which
+would put a termination to the pangs. Place the bitch, then, in a warm
+bath, and the appearances almost instantaneously are changed. The animal
+rejoices in the ease which a cessation of torture produces. No doubt she,
+for the time, luxuriates, and her face expresses the sense of happiness
+she then enjoys. But her fate is with the pleasure sealed; and she obtains
+a momentary ease to meet with a lingering, or perhaps a frightful death,
+for I have known inflammation of the womb to follow the use of the warm
+bath. The use of the warm bath is, during labor, at best a mistake
+generated by ignorance; and unfortunately it is one of those errors which
+can rarely be afterwards redeemed; for the weakness it induces is so
+great, that the tonicity required in parturition is destroyed; and this no
+medicine can restore.
+
+Another common failing in veterinary practitioners is, a belief that the
+ergot of rye, or secale cornutum, acts upon the dog as a direct uterine
+excitant, and thus promotes the parturitive function. In this belief,
+however, they are not single. Many writers speak with confidence of its
+operation upon the animal. The accounts are positive; and I would not
+lightly place my unsupported testimony to the fact against a host of
+authors who can be suspected of no motive to misstate. The gentlemen
+alluded to are authorities of such weight that a strong conviction of the
+truth is required to make me advance, against such and so many witnesses,
+my single word. The reader must, however, take both for what they are
+worth; and remember the truth is not the less true because there may be
+but one humble individual ranged upon its side. It is not my intention to
+say the authors who speak decidedly concerning the action of the ergot on
+the bitch had no grounds for the statements they advance. I should not be
+justified in making so gross an assertion; on the contrary, I believe
+sincerely they saw all which they narrate; but, nevertheless, I am
+prepared to maintain that secale cornutum is not an excitant to the uterus
+of the dog in that sense which would warrant the veterinary practitioner
+in regarding it as a lawful agent. To be so esteemed by such persons, it
+should be both safe and certain in its operation. It should not only
+possess a chance of doing good in one direction, but it ought to be
+attended with no probability of doing harm in another way. It may, in the
+hands of others, have caused the uterus to contract, and thus have
+favored parturition, or have brought about abortion. I have seen it do
+neither, but I cannot say it has never thus acted; I am in no position to
+prove the negative. When I have given it to the animal, it has disordered
+the stomach and induced vomition. The dogs I tried its action upon might
+possibly have been bad subjects for experiment, but I am not aware that
+they presented any peculiarity. In every case that has passed under my
+observation, secale cornutum has been injurious; and I fear lest it may be
+so, when employed by others; I, therefore, discountenance its use,
+declaring the custom of exhibiting it with a view to quicken labor to be
+dangerous. I have used it as an emetic, though, rarely; as, for ordinary
+circumstances, there are preferable agents at command; but for some time I
+have abandoned its employment as a parturient for the bitch.
+
+To reconcile, in some measure, the opposite opinions, and explain the
+probable source of difference, let the reader consider the possible
+conditions of the animals I and others have subjected to observation. The
+medical man, when experimentalising upon a dog, generally buys the animal;
+and as he merely wants a life to practise upon, he does not give money to
+procure beauty or high breed; cheapness is an object with him; and any
+unfortunate straggling brute, that can with impunity be trapped, is
+sufficient for his purpose. Such unhappy creatures are to be caught
+roaming about the country; perhaps poorly fed, but strong and low-bred
+curs.
+
+The dogs I am called to are not of this kind. They have been tenderly
+fostered, and generally their health has been deteriorated by the excess
+of care bestowed upon them. They are high-bred animals, and their
+sensibility is equal to their caste. My object, also, is not to play with
+life, but to save it; and that at which the medical man would laugh, I
+have reasons to regard with a serious countenance. Therefore, the accident
+which to me would be most important, might to others be so trivial as to
+deserve no notice, and even to excite no remark. However, supposing no
+accident to occur, the vigorous and low-bred mongrel might well endure
+that which a delicate and high-bred pet could not sustain. The stomach of
+the one being strong, would retain that which should induce violent spasm
+in the morbidly sensitive organ of the other. Dogs, it is true, are but
+dogs; yet, as a group, they present such varieties that there can be many
+things asserted of them which shall be true or untrue as applied to
+individuals.
+
+Consequently, when I, writing of medicines as applied to certain
+descriptions of dogs, assert a particular agent is not in its action such
+as various writers have described, it is just possible I may not
+contradict the declarations previously made.
+
+We may probably be both speaking of our knowledge only of really different
+things. Nominally the creatures we each observed were dogs; but though
+they were the same in race, in capabilities and bulk, they were perfectly
+distinct. The dog of the pharmacologist is a kind of beast I know nothing
+of; I am ignorant--entirely and totally ignorant--of the creature that
+Magendie and other respectabilities report of. As to the tales told by the
+French physiologists, I confess an inability to credit one-third of them;
+and from the list of those narrated by English physicians, I am obliged to
+make a very wide selection. My unfortunate capacity for incredulity in
+this matter has been educated by a professional acquaintance with the
+animal; and gentlemen must pardon me if I am disposed to think, they who
+are not ashamed to publish their wanton disregard for life would not be
+very tender with respect to a mere report about the creature whose
+suffering they despised. Where sympathy is dead, the conscience cannot be
+very acute.
+
+I have yet another custom here to deprecate; and I am sorry to add, it is
+one which books and teachers equally countenance. I allude to the
+employment of instruments in parturition, without any rule being pointed
+out as to the time when such aids are necessary. Hundreds of bitches are
+murdered by the misdirected efforts of Veterinarians; and of the
+brutalities resorted to by other persons, I designedly take no notice.
+Such fellows--mere pretenders--are below the contempt of every honest
+mind; and my indignation passes over them to face the persons by whom
+their interference is permitted. It is horrible to think of the amount of
+torture which man's favorite animal is hourly subjected to, through the
+culpability or weakness of those who should, in gratitude for the poor
+beast's affections, be cautious to protect it.
+
+Poetical as the dog is at all times, I know of no circumstance that
+develops more pathetically the disposition of the creature than that of
+pupping. At such a time, the bitch in her agony seems to trust more
+confidently in mankind. Animals that at other periods have allowed no one
+to approach them, at such moments have seemed to welcome me, and have
+appeared to comprehend the motive which brought me to their sides. To be
+examined they submit; and the pain it will often occasion may cause the
+animal to cry, but it draws forth no sign of resentment. The eyes are
+fixed upon the operator, as if to tell him of the suffering, and entreat
+for his sympathy. The expression of the face is mild and even plaintive;
+but, if possible, still more appealing are the endeavors the creature
+almost invariably makes to assist her attendant's designs. She seems, by
+some process that I cannot otherwise than consider to be a mental one, to
+comprehend human motives, and to more than appreciate our intentions. Her
+gratitude now would appear to be intense, and her confidence to be
+boundless. Where I have reluctantly been necessitated to resort to force,
+the dragging of a dead pup through a swollen passage has produced the pain
+which brought a sharp shriek from the animal; the agony has been such that
+even the fortitude of the canine parent could not silently sustain; and
+under its almost maddening influence, the head has been turned
+instinctively to bite. The natural impulse, however, was never fully
+gratified; the nose has touched my hand, but the jaws have closed before
+they grasped it. I have then distinctly felt the snapping motion, and
+plainly heard the teeth rattle as they quickly hit against each other, but
+they have never injured me. The dog could not repress the natural
+instinct; but though the hand was against its mouth, the noble beast has
+bitten the air.
+
+If men knew more of dogs, the animal would be more esteemed. The persons
+who pretend to dislike them are always ignorant of the creatures. It is
+impossible for human beings to see much of, and be acquainted with, these
+despised brutes, without becoming their admirers. To like dogs denotes no
+peculiarity of taste or strangeness of disposition; for he must be
+incapable of appreciating natural goodness, who can observe these animals
+and not grow fond of them. There is no mental sympathy between a shrub and
+ourselves; yet a passion for flowers is pretended to by many who cultivate
+a horror of the canine race. Both feelings are affections, and a person of
+good sense would be ashamed to acknowledge either. Flowers are sweet and
+pretty, but man cannot love such things; whereas, between us and dogs
+there can be a positive bond of affection. In this world no one should be
+proud of disliking anything it is possible for him to love, or indulge a
+hatred towards any life that can adore him.
+
+I have too many reasons to be grateful for the generosity of the brute,
+not to feel warmly toward it. There is no day my hands are not spared,
+for they are constantly exposed, and never protected; and I should long
+ago have been torn to pieces if the canine race were legitimate objects of
+dread. Therefore I merely discharge a debt, when I assert the magnanimity
+of the creature; and it is a duty on my part to do all in my power to
+benefit the despised brute. With that object I speak most unreservedly, in
+condemnation of the way in which instruments are employed during
+parturition. Many various inventions are sold in shops; and of these, the
+great majority are very dangerous. Of themselves, very few indeed are
+safe, with any skill; and most are seldom needed. In the mode of employing
+them, they are almost sure to do injury; for in ninety-nine cases out of
+every hundred, they are introduced much too early, and in the hundredth
+they are used with unnecessary violence.
+
+Before any instrument is employed, the pup should be within the pelvis.
+The forceps sold in shops are made with the intention of dragging the
+foetus from the womb; and one of the difficulties the practitioner is
+supposed to encounter in parturition of the bitch, is taught to be the
+impossibility of hauling the foetus from the horn of the uterus. One pup
+generally occupies the body of the womb, and the rest of the litter are
+located in the horns. That is their natural situation; and as in the
+gravid state the length of the horns is greatly extended, of course some
+occupy a place far within the abdomen. The length of the horns, however,
+though supposed to constitute the only obstacle, is not the single cause
+which prevents the pup being reached by instruments. The horns, in
+consequence of their greater length, become bent, or folded upon
+themselves; so that an instrument which should drag the pups to light,
+where more than two or three are present, should be made to pass forward
+in the first instance, and then be constructed to take a backward
+direction. Those who invented these instruments to deliver bitches with,
+would seem to have been ignorant of this necessity; and I here mention it
+to prove how perfectly inadequate such things are for the purpose
+intended.
+
+[Illustration: THE GRAVID UTERUS.]
+
+Before any instrument is employed, the pup should be within the vagina.
+This is a rule that can hardly be with impunity violated by the generality
+of practitioners. Simple and brief as may be the direction, it is one that
+only on rare occasions may be safely disregarded; and of the exceptional
+case, mention will be made hereafter. The pup must be within the passage;
+and not only there, but so there, as to seem impacted, before assistance
+by means of instruments is necessary. The largest foetus can, in almost
+every case, proceed thus far; and where it is of too great a size to come
+so low, any interference would be desperate; for then it must be of such a
+magnitude as to destroy the probability of delivery being accomplished.
+
+When the pup has not entered the pelvis, the practitioner may be assured
+the obstacle is not created by the disproportioned size of the young. The
+labor either has not proceeded far enough, and time is required for its
+completion; or the uterus is feeble, and stimulants are wanted to
+invigorate it. The largest foetus can be moved by the womb; so the size
+must be an impediment only to its passage through the vagina. There is
+therefore no mechanical hindrance before that part has been reached, and
+no mechanical assistance at an earlier period is imperative.
+
+When the veterinarian is called to a labor that has already commenced, and
+perhaps been some time about, he directs his first attention to the
+orifice. If the perineum looks unnaturally distended, so large as to be
+remarkable, the presence of a pup in the vagina may be concluded; and here
+he must know how to act with decision.
+
+If the throes are on, and strong, though evidence of pain be heard, we
+must not be too quick to interfere. If there be anything like a bladder
+protruding from the vulva, nothing whatever must be done. In easy births
+the pups invariably come into the world enveloped in their membranes, and
+thereby their egress seems to be greatly accelerated. If these burst, or
+are broken, the delivery is thereby rendered more difficult. The membranes
+consequently, if protruding, should not be touched. Some persons, I know,
+seize them under an idea, that by pulling at these, or at the cord, the
+foetus can be brought away. The notion is fallacious. With the first or
+second pup the membrane may be visible; and, nevertheless, the labor may
+not then have proceeded far enough to detach all the placenta. The
+entirety of the caul, or water-bag, denotes that the foetus is alive; and
+it also shows that Nature is proceeding to accomplish, in due time, her
+offices.
+
+The position which the bitch assumes during labor also deserves to be
+noted. While she remains within her bed, and continues lying upon her
+side, however tedious may be the labor, there is little reason for
+apprehension. A few cries vented when the throes are present, or a moan or
+two emitted when they are coming on, may be expected, and deserve little
+observation; but when the bitch gives forth sharp, short exclamations,
+leaves her house or basket, and places herself in the attitude she takes
+when voiding her fĉces, there is cause to conclude something wrong, and
+requiring immediate help, has taken place.
+
+Most authorities make mention of what are called wrong presentations; and
+such are very commonly met with in the cow, mare, and the larger animals;
+but I have never known a case of false presentation in the bitch; and I am
+led to conclude that the authors who narrated such cases, drew upon their
+experience in other directions, describing imaginative possibilities as
+circumstances that had actually occurred. I do not well comprehend how a
+false presentation could take place in this animal, and I can grant the
+possibility of its ever having been witnessed to the first pup alone. It
+is remotely possible that this one should be presented sideways, though
+highly improbable it could take such a position. After the womb has
+expelled the first of the litter, the body of the generative organ
+contracts; and all the others must pass through it in a line favorable to
+the birth.
+
+It is of little consequence, in the young of the dog, whether the head or
+tail be first born. Examples in both directions are always witnessed in
+every puppying. So likewise is it of small importance how the legs are
+placed, though of course delivery is favored by their being properly
+arranged. At the time of birth, however, the bones of the pup are but
+partially consolidated; and that circumstance causes them not to offer
+those serious obstructions which they are found to present in other
+creatures. The gelatinous mass readily takes the form required for its
+expulsion; and the practitioner has little reason to perplex himself
+concerning those particulars which in the calf or foal he knows to be of
+vital import.
+
+The principal obstruction to birth in the bitch springs from the weakness
+of the creature. To this its sufferings, and the too frequent tediousness
+of its labor, are to be mostly attributed. When there are evident signs of
+debility--shown by the throes having subsided, and further evidenced by no
+symptom of their reappearance being witnessed after three or four hours'
+watching--from a teaspoonful to a table-spoonful of brandy, mixed with
+sugar and cold water, may be administered; and in half an hour repeated,
+if it should have no effect. This I have seldom found to fail, and never
+have I known it to do injury; wherefore I prefer it to the ergot of rye,
+which in my hands has been uncertain and injurious. Patience, however, is
+more often needed, than stimulants required; and before the latter are
+resorted to, the symptoms of debility ought to be recognised; for without
+these be perceived, the passive condition of the uterus deserves no
+immediate attention.
+
+When the throes are on, the efforts may be assisted. This is best done by
+placing the hands under the abdomen, and with them making pressure
+whenever the straining appears. The hands, however, must not be held so
+long as will let them get hot; for, by communicating warmth, more harm is
+done than the benefit afforded is likely to compensate. The object in
+placing the hands under the belly is, to brace and give support to the
+abdominal muscles; which, in the dog, are naturally weak, and in the bitch
+during gestation always become attenuated.
+
+Cold cloths to the abdomen will also in some cases--but not in
+all--excite the uterus, and bring on vigorous throes. The coldest water I
+could procure is that of the temperature employed by me; and it has
+seldom, to my knowledge, been otherwise than beneficial.
+
+When the birth is long delayed, the bladder and rectum should be examined
+and emptied of their contents by means of the injection-pipe and catheter.
+To draw off the urine of the bitch is not difficult or dangerous. A
+knowledge of the situation of the meatus, or termination of the urethra,
+is necessary to the operation; and this is best obtained by dissection. It
+lies within the pelvis, a short way anterior to the brim, and above the
+symphysis of the ischium. I know that while endeavoring to explain, I am
+here making use of words which will to the majority of readers convey no
+meaning; nevertheless, I cannot be more clear. I have, however, in a
+communication to the _Veterinarian_, entered into this matter; and I here
+extract from that journal part of a paper published in the number for
+January, 1849:--
+
+    "With regard to the bitch, I always let the animal stand
+    upon her legs, simply having an assistant to hold the head
+    and engage the attention of the creature. The meatus lies
+    about half an inch or two inches within the pelvis, the
+    distance varying with the size of the dog. The line of the
+    urethra is rather forward than downward, though, of course,
+    in both directions. After having once or twice passed the
+    instrument, it is surprising how very readily this
+    conjectured impossibility is performed. I think so little of
+    the difficulties, that I have no inclination to dilate upon
+    the few precautions which are required to remove them. I
+    may, however, here state, that, when grasping the penis of
+    the dog, a handkerchief or a portion of tow will be required
+    to render the hold secure; and the wire should, before the
+    catheter is introduced, be withdrawn, while it ought to be
+    moistened with olive oil to facilitate its passage, as the
+    canal is not unfrequently devoid of mucus."
+
+When the pup is partly born, and its passage appears to be delayed, either
+through the feebleness of the throes or some mechanical impediment,
+assistance should be afforded. The restlessness of the bitch will,
+perhaps, be the most proper indication; and it is the more necessary to be
+cautious in our interference, as, on account of the size of the animal,
+the aid we can afford is limited. When a paw is to be seen, this may be
+laid hold of; but not without the fingers being covered; for, as the limb
+is slippery, the force intended to secure it would hardly render the grasp
+confirmed, and might crush the member. The osseous structure in the pup at
+birth, as I have already stated, is not consolidated; and all other
+components of the body are in a condition proportionally immatured. The
+tiny being, when first brought into the world, is little better than a
+living mass of pulp; and on that account, it must be gently handled. Far
+less violence than might be supposed requisite to do so, will dismember
+it; and no vast force is needed to pull even the head from the trunk.
+Aware of this, the efforts intended for the delivery must be regulated by
+the power of the substance to endure them. The practitioner must take a
+thin, soft cloth, or what is better, his silk pocket-handkerchief, and
+with this lay hold of any part that can be grasped. If but one leg can be
+got hold of, that must be secured, and an attempt made to bring forward
+the other. The two being obtained, gentle force or traction may be through
+them applied while the throes are on. The dragging must not be strong, as,
+if the pup be alive, it will be injured; or, alive or dead, it may be torn
+to pieces.
+
+A broken pup, as the foetus is called when any part of it has been pulled
+off, is always more dangerous to the life of the bitch, and much more
+difficult to get away, than one that is entire. The impediment bears
+relation to the extent of the mutilation. Thus the separation of the head
+is more serious than the deprivation of a limb; for, let not the reader
+imagine that in the dog, as in the cow or mare, embryotomy by means of a
+knife can be successfully resorted to. I have endeavored sometimes to
+perform craniotomy, or to remove the brains of the foetus, hoping by so
+reducing the bulk of the head to facilitate the delivery; but the result
+has displeased me, and I no longer follow the practice. The pup, if to be
+got away at all, will be most easily removed entire; and that it may not
+have its integrity destroyed, the assistance given to the mother must be
+temperate. Every little aid is a help to the labor; and knowing that, we
+must be content if we are denied to accomplish all. The traction, assisted
+by a secure grasp, should be steady; and the lips of the part should at
+the same time be as much as possible pulled open with the fingers of the
+free hand. Mild, soothing, and encouraging words will, during the
+operation, be of every consequence; and it is of importance that, in every
+particular, the animal should be humored to the extent of possibility.
+Restraint should be enforced only where absolutely necessary; and when it
+is so, the creature will strangely comprehend the reason that compels, and
+patiently, or at least without resentment, submit to its endurance. A
+harsh word, however, or a blow, or both together, too frequently gratify
+the impatience of the practitioner, and, at this time, often dispel the
+throes on which the birth depends. The dog is ever sensitive to
+correction; no living being more acutely feels rebuke or praise; and its
+excitable nature, lighted up by the pains of labor, cannot then endure
+unkindness, and should receive our sympathy. Good language, no hurry, and
+a rejection of all violence, will do more for a desperate case than all
+the drugs in the pharmacy, or all the tact which ingenuity is possessed
+of.
+
+To secure the legs, when they can be felt, Blaine recommends a skein of
+worsted. I have not found that article of any use whatever. If introduced
+into the vagina, it soon becomes moist, adheres to the finger, and cannot
+be detached from it. If, however, applied in a loop or slip-knot round a
+paw, I have known it cut through the bone; and its only advantage lies in
+the fact of its little tendency to come off when once fixed. Even in that
+respect, however, it sometimes disappoints, and I consequently no longer
+use it. To supply its place, I had the following very simple instrument
+made; and it answers every intention, although it is but seldom
+required:--
+
+[Illustration: PARTURITION INSTRUMENT.]
+
+A tube of polished metal is at one end curved to suit the line of the
+pelvis, and at the other it is grooved, and also has a small cross-bar.
+Into the tube a piece of zinc wire is introduced, so as to double and form
+a loop at the bent extremity, the ends of the wire coming forth at the
+other. One of the ends of the wire is twisted into the groove, so as to
+render it fast; and that being done, the instrument is prepared for use.
+When required, it is introduced with the loop of wire upon the point of
+the finger, and the paw it is desired to fix being felt, the finger is
+withdrawn, and the instrument moved forward. The free end of the wire is
+then pulled to render the hold secure; when it is twisted round the
+projecting bar and made secure. By employing a pliable wire, we gain those
+advantages which arise from its not becoming flabby and adherent when the
+part is moist; but it retains its form, and is therefore more readily
+directed. The tube assists us in guiding the loop, which, being once
+fixed, can be made secure, so that traction does not afterwards further
+tighten it. The danger, however, is not entirely removed; for, if undue
+force be used, the wire may do injury as well as the worsted; and for that
+reason I seldom resort to it, unless assured the pup is dead, when the
+pains are generally slight, and additional force is often necessitated.
+
+When the pup dies before birth, the membranes in which it is enveloped
+generally rupture; and by introducing the finger, the foetus is to be felt
+without these interposing. The mere rupture of the membranes, and the
+emission of the meconium--a dark, greenish, semi-fluid substance--will not
+alone convince us of the fact; but, if the labor has been prolonged, if
+the throes are almost lost, and if no motion can be detected in the pup,
+we may conclude the life has departed.
+
+Dead pups are more difficult to deliver, and stimulants are generally
+needed to promote their expulsion; but manual help is to be given with
+caution. Youatt speaks of working hard, till his nail was soft and his
+finger sore, for two hours at a time; and that author tells us the passage
+was, by his industry and frequent examinations, so much swollen, that only
+with considerable difficulty could the finger be passed.
+
+The humanity which shines in every wish that writer ever penned, and the
+purpose of all his teaching, assures us he thought such a proceeding was
+not only imperative but praiseworthy. He was, however, a good man
+actuated by an imperfect knowledge. Let no one follow his example; but be
+passive till the time for action is ascertained--and it is of no use to
+grope for it. Frequent examinations are injurious; the more seldom they
+are made the better; for, if undertaken only when the judgment sees a
+chance of hope, no harm will be occasioned. Under every delay, therefore,
+have patience; for often the pup which originally would resist every
+attempt to bring it forth, will, after it has been dead a few hours, be
+delivered with a facility we could not anticipate. If the parts are not
+irritated and rendered dry, there is little to be apprehended; but if this
+be done, inflammation of the uterus is apt to be induced, and should that
+occur, it is of little consequence to the life of the bitch whether the
+pup be delivered or not delivered.
+
+From the pup, whether it be dead or alive, we are not to look for those
+signs which denote there is a pressing necessity to accomplish the
+delivery without delay. I have known a foetus, after being ascertained to
+be dead, to be retained four days, and the bitch to survive. Instances of
+the dead pup remaining in the womb a day or two are very common; and, if
+we had no other proofs, these would be sufficient to convince us there
+need be no immediate hurry. When, however, the bitch becomes restless,
+gets in and out of her bed, pants, staggers, refuses food, drinks largely,
+and is shortly afterwards sick; when the tongue becomes dry, and the pulse
+grows quick and thin, or unnaturally hard and strong, there is danger, and
+at every hazard delivery must be accomplished. There will, however, then
+only be a distant chance of success; and where these indications have been
+remarked, the life of the mother has generally been lost. If a portion of
+the litter has been born, and, on the appearance of the symptoms just
+described, the pups refuse to suck, and when placed to the teats turn from
+them, the termination will be fatal. The milk seems to have lost its
+inviting properties, and to be rendered disgusting by the approach of
+death; and the sign is as conclusive as the departure of vermin from the
+carcase of an animal.
+
+Forcible delivery is to be accomplished by every means in our power; for
+it is undertaken only when hope by ordinary process is despaired of.
+Forceps of any kind, however, are to be employed with extreme care. These
+instruments are always dangerous in the bitch; as we cannot see, and can
+but imperfectly feel, so there is little guide to their proper use. The
+crochet, a blunt hook--and for the dog it can hardly be too blunt--is to
+be preferred. As I have before submitted to the public my opinion of this
+instrument, I here extract from a paper which appeared in _The
+Veterinarian_ for February, 1847:--
+
+[Illustration: THE CROCHET.]
+
+    "I was obliged to meet my pupils in the evening, and was not
+    sorry to leave a case which had now, in my mind, become
+    hopeless; but as I walked, I could not forbear thinking of
+    that which had occupied most of my attention during the day.
+    The different instruments employed to facilitate the labors
+    of different animals passed in review before me; but some
+    were not applicable to the dog, and others could not be
+    manufactured with sufficient speed to benefit my present
+    patient. The crochet, used with such power by the human
+    practitioner, seemed the one most likely to avail; indeed,
+    it had often before occurred to me, that an adaptation of
+    this instrument would, in our hands, be of infinite service;
+    and, after I had dismissed my class, I hurried to procure
+    what I had conceived would be useful. Mr. Perry, to whom I
+    applied, had a human crotchet in his shop, and this he
+    consented to alter according to my directions. I stayed till
+    the alterations were completed, and by eleven at night
+    reached home, to put the adaptation of the crotchet to the
+    test. It answered beyond my utmost expectation, and I was
+    enabled to bring away the whole of the contents of the womb
+    with comparative ease. Four pups were extracted; and while I
+    compared them with the little animal from which they had
+    been removed, it required the evidence of my senses to
+    convince me that the disproportioned mass had been forced
+    through the narrow passage of the Italian greyhound's
+    vagina. The pups were all dead. Each bore the well-marked
+    character of the Russian, and by their size indicated their
+    sire: nor was that size decreased by their having been
+    retained a week beyond their usual period.
+
+    "So far my labor was accomplished; but the appearance of the
+    bitch indicated that all had been done to little purpose.
+    The pulse began to decrease in number, and, nevertheless,
+    continued hard and jerking--the eyes became fixed--the jaw
+    closed--the head pendulous--and all the symptoms of
+    approaching death were exhibited. I tried to support the
+    system; but the poor animal died in spite of every
+    attention, and the examination after death showed the womb
+    to be intensely inflamed.
+
+    "It was with some anxiety that I looked for injuries and
+    abrasions, scarcely deeming it possible the violence I had
+    necessarily employed had not lacerated the delicate
+    structure with which the instrument had been in contact. Not
+    a mark which I could attribute to the crotchet was to be
+    discovered. I have seen fearful wounds made by the forceps
+    used to deliver the bitch; but here, in the most desperate
+    case of the kind which I had ever undertaken, was not a
+    scratch or a bruise to be detected.
+
+    "I have since confirmed the indications of utility which
+    were given by the crotchet on the first occasion of its
+    employment; and had I not received such proofs in its favor
+    as appeared to be conclusive, I should, perhaps, on the
+    results of a few cases only, have hesitated to introduce it
+    to general notice. Besides the instances before alluded to,
+    I have employed the instrument on four occasions--three
+    times in my own practice, and once at the request of a
+    practitioner, whose name it is desired I should conceal. Two
+    of the cases were successful, so far as the bitches were
+    concerned; one, which was evidently sinking when brought to
+    me, was delivered of a pup in a decomposed state, and died
+    five hours afterwards, the post-mortem displaying acute
+    peritonitis; the other, which I attended to yesterday, was
+    alive when I last saw it; but I am of opinion its hours are
+    numbered. The pulse is hard, but not quick--the animal
+    restless--and the eye dull: worse symptoms can hardly be
+    present. The poor beast had been left too long unassisted
+    for help of any kind to be of much avail.
+
+    "Of the pups brought forth by the aid of the crotchet, the
+    majority were dead; indeed, though safe to the mother, the
+    instrument is apt to be fatal to the offspring. The numbers
+    stand thus:--Dead when extracted, 7; mutilated when brought
+    forth, and immediately destroyed, 1; alive, 1. Thus the
+    proportions are as 8 to 1 against the probability of saving
+    the pups; but it must be remembered that the calculation is
+    made from the cases of which the majority were, by previous
+    delay, rendered hopeless, and under fairer circumstances the
+    result might have been different.
+
+    "I will now proceed to describe the crotchet, and explain
+    the manner in which I have employed that instrument. It has
+    been long known to the human accoucheur, but by him is not
+    employed save under certain conditions. A piece of stout
+    steel wire constitutes its substance. The wire, about twelve
+    inches long, is flattened at one extremity, and both ends
+    crooked and made perfectly smooth or blunt, the flattened
+    hook being the larger of the two. For the dog, the
+    instrument must, of course, be proportioned to the passage
+    into which it is to be introduced; and as the pup, in
+    consequence of the weakness of the abdominal parietes in the
+    bitch, often is felt lying below the level of the symphysis,
+    a dip or lateral bend is given to the hooks.
+
+    "So simple is the crotchet, which ought to be highly
+    polished, in order to secure its being perfectly smooth. It
+    is first warmed and greased, then introduced with the index
+    finger of one hand, while the other guides the instrument
+    into the womb. The foetus is to be first felt, and this is
+    the more readily done if an assistant supports and
+    compresses the abdomen. When the finger has ascertained that
+    the pup is favorably placed, the hook (and I generally use
+    the flattened extremity of the instrument) is to be pushed
+    forward and then retracted, until the operator is aware
+    that a firm hold has been obtained. The purchase being
+    secure, the finger is to be employed to keep the foetus from
+    escaping, by pushing it against or towards the point of the
+    crotchet, and holding it there. Traction is now made
+    steadily and in the proper direction; and the assistant at
+    the same time, by manipulating the belly, facilitates the
+    delivery of the bitch, which should be in a standing
+    position--not upon its back.
+
+    "The directions are not very complex, but they must not on
+    that account be disregarded. By introducing the finger, and
+    taking care that its extremity corresponds with the point of
+    the instrument, a great object is gained by securing the pup
+    more firmly: yet there are other advantages also obtained by
+    this mode of operating. The head of the foetus is generally
+    too large for the vagina, and hence the difficulty of its
+    expulsion; but by the employment of an instrument which is
+    simultaneously to pass, we appear to be increasing the
+    obstruction: however, by compressing the head with the end
+    of the finger, it is in some degree forced to conform to the
+    diameter of the passage, which the gelatinous development of
+    the pup at the time of birth readily enables it to do.
+    Moreover, the hazard of injury being done, if the instrument
+    should lose its hold, is guarded against; for should the
+    hook slip, the point would be received upon the end of the
+    finger before it could catch the soft parts. However, the
+    operator will feel the hold giving way long before it is
+    entirely lost, and will be enabled to rectify the occurrence
+    in the majority of cases before there is a chance of
+    accident. The finger, therefore, becomes a sensible guide to
+    the operator, and by its employment the traction is rendered
+    more firm and steady. But above all, care should be taken to
+    have the instrument perfectly blunt, and the beaks of the
+    hooks not too long. A sharp point might, at the first
+    glance, seem more likely to answer the purpose in view; but
+    its employment would be attended with danger, and on being
+    tested, it would be found more apt to tear away. In fact,
+    the sharper the point, the less firm would be the hold,
+    since the substance to be secured is somewhat of a pulpy
+    nature; whereas, by using as broad and flat a point as
+    possible, the force is exerted on a larger surface, and the
+    grasp is proportionably the more likely to be retained; the
+    object being not to rend the foetus, or tear it away, but to
+    gently pull it through the vagina, using only so much
+    violence as the judgment assures us is imperative for the
+    accomplishment of the purpose."
+
+On reflection, I am inclined to think the measures adopted in the case
+narrated above were somewhat more precipitate than they ought to have
+been. Now, I should have taken more time; and the success does not assure
+me that the haste exhibited was fully warranted.
+
+It is not always easy to ascertain when the whole of the pups have been
+removed. The last in the womb, always occupying the extremity of one of
+the horns of the uterus, may by an inexperienced practitioner be
+overlooked. Most persons seek to learn whether the labor has been
+perfected, by inserting the finger up the vagina; and they who base their
+opinions upon an "_examination_" of that description will often be
+deceived. External manipulation will best lead us to the knowledge we
+desire to gain; and when the hand is properly directed, an approach to
+certainty can be obtained. The pup to be felt through the walls of the
+abdomen is an uneven body; the inequalities caused by the limbs being
+detected. After parturition there is generally one thing that may be
+mistaken, which is the contraction of the body of the uterus. The first
+pup born occupied that situation, and on its expulsion the part of the
+womb it filled narrows, becoming thick and somewhat hard. Under the
+fingers, it conveys the idea of a solid substance, and it may be imagined
+to be another foetus. It is too frequently seized when the forceps are
+ignorantly and violently employed. The womb has been repeatedly forcibly
+dragged forth, and its integrity destroyed. A mistake of this kind is
+fatal. The rupture of the uterus is followed by sickness and a cessation
+of the throes; while the hemorrhage from the laceration induces
+inflammation that destroys the life; therefore, when forcible means are
+determined upon, extreme care is required, and forceps, as a general rule,
+had better be dispensed with. As regards other means--such as the tube and
+wire, the crotchet, the supports to the abdomen, and the employment of
+stimulants--these must be regulated by the circumstances of the case.
+
+The appearance of the bitch will generally denote when the births are
+completed. She, after the last of the litter has been born, seems to be
+much rejoiced, and by her manner indicates she has no more business at
+present to transact. She curls herself round, draws her puppies close to
+her, makes the bed comfortable, sees that all her family are in order, and
+then composes herself for a comfortable sleep. The meaning of her actions
+is at this time so conspicuous, that I have repeatedly lingered to watch
+them; and he who has never witnessed her conduct on such occasions, might
+be entertained by observing it.
+
+The animal subsequently requires little attention, beyond a change of bed
+and a fair supply of nutritive food. She does best when least noticed; but
+it is well to see that she takes a sufficiency of exercise. On the
+following day she should be taken out; and on every day after that she
+ought to be about pretty much as before. Some bitches, however, are such
+devoted mothers as to sacrifice health, and occasionally life itself, to
+enjoy the pleasure of being with their young ones. This excess of
+affection must be controlled; for if not checked it will seriously injure
+both parent and offspring. All animals, however, are not thus
+distinguished. Some bitches cannot be induced to suckle the pups they have
+given birth to; and others, though less frequent, will eat their progeny.
+The disposition to desert or destroy their young seems to prevail among
+the parentage of this world. In the female of the dog the maternal
+instinct is most powerful; but under certain conditions of the animal's
+body, the natural impulse seems to be perverted, and she takes the life
+she would else have perished to preserve.
+
+It is painful, knowing this, to reflect that on his own species man
+inflicts the highest punishment, for an act that possibly may be, in the
+human being as in brutes, the consequence of a mental excitement
+accompanying the period of parturition. Women, when not in distress and
+otherwise afflicted, rarely indeed are guilty of infanticide; and I have
+observed annoyance or ill health proceed or accompany the like act in
+animals. If the rabbit be looked at, her alarm seems to change her nature;
+and the bitch that devours her pups will, upon inquiry, be generally found
+to have suffered some species of persecution. That the brain is affected
+there can be no doubt. The unnatural propensity is of itself a proof; but
+the strange appearance, and the altered looks of the creature,
+sufficiently denote her state. She is not then savage; her ferocity has
+been gratified; and she seems rather to be afflicted with a remembrance of
+the act she was unable to resist. She is the picture of shame; she slinks
+away at our approach, and her eye no longer confidently seeks that of her
+master; her aspect is dejected, but I think more with sorrow than with
+crime.
+
+I would not plead for sin; but what I have beheld in dogs inclines me to
+think the majority of those who have been hung for infanticide were
+legally murdered. There is danger in admitting such an opinion; but seeing
+all animals at certain periods exhibit a particular propensity, it is very
+doubtful whether the morbid feeling, as exemplified in the human race, is
+really one that calls for mortal punishment.
+
+When a bitch has devoured her young, let an emetic be administered; and
+should the bowels be costive, an aperient be exhibited. A little fever
+medicine may follow; but if its effects are not immediately witnessed,
+tonics, without loss of time, should be resorted to. The food must be
+mild; and everything should be done to guard against excitement. The
+system requires to be soothed; for the act is always attended with general
+disturbance; and attention must be paid to prevent the milk from
+accumulating in the glands.
+
+Some persons entertain a notion that the bitch which has once devoured her
+litter, will ever after retain the disposition. This is a false idea. On
+the next occasion, if properly treated--that is, if not persecuted,
+chastised, alarmed, and annoyed, but properly dieted--she may prove, and
+most likely will prove, an excellent mother; the very excitability which,
+when over-stimulated, induced her unnatural impulse, making her, when
+tranquil, the more alive to the instincts of her nature. I once saw this
+in a very remarkable manner illustrated by a rabbit. The doe was sold to
+me very cheap, and was in litter at the time of purchase. A week after she
+came into my possession, she plucked her fur and made her bed. One morning
+I distinctly saw a nest full of young; but looking again at noon, not a
+single one of the progeny was to be beheld. Some little blood and a
+mangled leg told their history; and the animal a fortnight afterwards was
+again put to the buck.
+
+I by chance discovered, while the doe was breeding, that she had an
+inordinate thirst. At first it amused me to see the creature lap the water
+I presented to her; but at last I placed within her hutch a cup, and had
+it kept constantly filled. Her desire for liquid was not speedily
+quenched; and it became to me a source of some pain when I reflected how
+much agony the craving must have caused prior to my being conscious of its
+existence. The next litter was not eaten by the mother. She brought them
+up, and they likewise did well, drinking as much as they pleased. The
+disposition of the doe appeared to undergo a change. From having been
+savage, that is, from always endeavoring to bite and scratch the hand that
+cleaned her residence, or even supplied her table, she became gentle and
+familiar, allowing her person to be caressed, and letting her progeny be
+looked at. She was at last as good as she was beautiful; and I parted with
+her for a sum exactly four times that which she had cost me.
+
+After a bitch has pupped, there always is from the vagina a discharge,
+which rarely ceases before a week expires, and sometimes flows forth for a
+longer period. Some gentlemen of the "fancy," as the dog breeders term
+themselves, boast they know how to check it; and to what extent their
+knowledge may reach I cannot pretend to say. I have been requested to
+perform such an office, but hitherto I have not attempted to fulfil it;
+and I should be very sorry to do so, even if I were certain there existed
+the means to arrest the exudation. It is natural; if the animal be left
+alone, she will be sure to perform the offices of cleanliness, and to do
+everything her state requires.
+
+For the first week the bitch is very attentive to her family; and as it
+gives her pain when one is taken up, it is better not to handle the pups
+more than is absolutely necessary. She should be well fed; not crammed,
+but nourished; and she will require more food than formerly, for there are
+many mouths to feed through hers. The quantity of support she needs may be
+conjectured from the rapid growth of the pups.
+
+A small bitch of my own had a litter of four. The mother weighed seven
+pounds six ounces; and between the second and fourth weeks the young ones
+daily added one ounce and a half each to their bulk. It would require some
+amount of milk to supply such a quantity of flesh; and we have also to
+remember that, during the rapid growth, the process of consolidation is
+simultaneously going forward. Good nourishing food, sufficient in bulk, is
+absolutely imperative; for if the pups be stinted, the dogs will assuredly
+be weak.
+
+A strong bitch may be able to bring up as many young as she can produce at
+a litter; but the animals of the smaller or more choice breeds are seldom
+possessed of such capabilities. The very diminutive will not generally
+rear two pups without suffering; and four are a very heavy drag upon the
+majority of the animals kept as pets, even though they be in no way
+remarkable on account of size. Three, perhaps, is the average number the
+larger favorites can nurture.
+
+When, through a desire to get as many specimens of a particular breed as
+possible, a delicate bitch is allowed to suckle all the members of a heavy
+litter, fits are the too probable consequence. The animal becomes so much
+weakened by the continual drain upon her, that the whole system is
+debilitated, and the brain shares the general disorder. Previous to this
+being perceptible, the animal may be observed to pant violently when her
+young are sucking; and instead of cuddling to them in a manner expressive
+of her delight, she stretches herself out, and frequently exhibits
+uneasiness by shifting her position. At length she breaks away from her
+offspring, which appear to be dissatisfied with her departure. She does
+not continue quiet after her escape, but seeks ease in vain, has a vacant
+expression of countenance. Affection, however, impels her to return; and
+the same scene is exhibited, the pups seizing upon her, and having no
+regard for her exhaustion. The little things are hungry, for the source of
+their nourishment is failing; and thus the demand is the greater, just as
+the supply becomes the less.
+
+At length the poor bitch pants, staggers, falls, and writhes in
+convulsions, which on an average continue about five minutes. The struggle
+subsides, to leave the animal in a sad state of weakness. The pulse then
+is quick and feeble; the pupil of the eye is dilated; and if the teats be
+tried, the milk they ought to contain will be found absent.
+
+For the fit itself little need be done. While they are violent, an
+injection of ether and laudanum may be thrown up; and when the
+consciousness is in some degree recovered, a dose of the same, with from a
+quarter of an ounce to an ounce of sherry may be administered. Afterwards
+a few tonics may be given; but the mother must never be permitted to visit
+her young ones as before. Either a foster-parent must be found (and a cat
+will rear a small pup very tenderly), or the litter must in part be
+brought up by hand.
+
+This last is more troublesome than difficult to do. The pups want to be
+fed early and late; consequently, they must be taken into the bed-room;
+and when the feeding time arrives, the soundest sleeper will be reminded
+of his duty. A bottle, such as is used for infants of the human kind, must
+have a sort of nipple made of wash-leather fitted to it. The leather is to
+be pricked all over with a fine needle, and within it is to be placed a
+small piece of sponge to give substance and form to it. There is need to
+do that, because the pup when it sucks wraps the tongue round the teat;
+and unless the body it thus grasps has bulk, it cannot extract the liquid.
+This, therefore, being attended to, the little creatures very soon learn
+their lesson, and all that is subsequently to be done will be to hold them
+to the bottle, and the bottle to them. Each pup occupies from ten to
+fifteen minutes at a meal; and they may be allowed to decide the quantity
+that will do them good, unless one should obviously be morbidly
+gluttonous, when the indulgence of its appetite should be restrained.
+
+During the night the bitch must be kept away from her hungry tormentors;
+but in the day-time she may be allowed to go to them every time after they
+have been fed; and she may remain to enjoy their society for half-an-hour
+on each occasion. The small gluttons, though full of cow's juice, will
+nevertheless find appetite for such a luxury as mother's milk; but their
+energies being blunted, they will have power to do no more than to prevent
+an accumulation within the glands. The little, however, which they can
+swallow seems to do them much good; for after this manner I have brought
+up many pups, though, when I have attempted to rear them wholly upon cow's
+milk, success has not always rewarded my care.
+
+There is only one circumstance needed to be pointed out when pups are
+brought up by hand. The sponge and leather of the false nipple is apt to
+become sour; and therefore, after they have been used, they should be kept
+in water rendered slightly alkaline with the carbonate of soda.
+
+At three weeks old, puppies may be brought to lap a little; and they not
+only learn quickly where their bellies are concerned, but they never, like
+other children, forget what they once acquire. After a month a little
+scraped meat or boiled rice may be added to their diet; and by five weeks
+old they will feed themselves. Therefore, if the trouble be great it does
+not last long; and to those who can make an amusement of the business, the
+pleasure repays the labor. I do not know whether feeding pups is quite as
+agreeable a pastime as killing birds; but I am sure it is far less
+dangerous to him who follows it; though the difference of name given to
+such recreations may, to weak eyes, invest them with very opposite
+attractions.
+
+At this place it is not intended to enter at length into the plan to be
+pursued in rearing the pups; but the method in which they ought to be
+weaned must be pointed out. Some persons remove the entire litter at a
+stated period; various dates being fixed by different individuals when the
+young ones can do for themselves. A pup can survive if taken from the
+mother at the expiration of the third week; but it must be a strong
+animal, or it will feel such an early separation from the source of its
+natural nourishment.
+
+The stronger the pup, the more attached is the bitch to it; and I have
+known these animals to pine and neglect the rest, when the favorite has
+been taken from her. If, however, the healthy are beloved, the weakly, in
+almost a stronger degree, are the objects of dislike. In many breeds where
+the value is regulated by the lightness of the weight, the one most prized
+by the owner is the one that too frequently dies. The causes of this
+disappointment are many. Pups have neither politeness nor generosity. They
+scramble at their meals; and the one that is not able to contest for his
+share is certain to get the least. Thus the debilitated hope of particular
+litters comes but badly off. It is pushed aside by its brothers and
+sisters, whose vigorous greediness appears to endear them to their mother.
+For the boisterous gluttons she will accommodate her position, and fondly
+lick them in return for their energetic appetites; but to the poor sickly
+thing she has given life to, she lends no assistance, and bestows no
+attention upon. She seems to be ashamed of, and disgusted with, its
+degeneracy and while the others grow fat and sleek from positive
+repletion, it becomes thin and dirty from actual starvation. Where,
+therefore, it is desirable to rear the smallest of the litter, the
+proprietor must take care to see it properly fed. The bitch may need to be
+held, in order that the little one may suck her; and often have I placed
+her under such restraint.
+
+In order that the small one may be nurtured, some persons have taken away
+from the mother the rest of the family; but this practice, though
+successful with regard to the life, generally disappoints with respect to
+the diminutiveness, which made the existence precious. Upon the abundance
+which such single blessedness secures, the growth is generally rapid; and
+it is not very long before Nature makes up for her previous stint. The
+better method is, to let the companions continue; care being exercised
+only to see that at meal-times all share alike.
+
+The bitch, also, requires our attention to observe that all the glands are
+properly emptied. Puppies, like children, are apt to be fanciful where
+plenty prevails; and it is no very rare occurrence for a litter to combine
+in refusing to draw the most forward of the teats. These are situated
+under the sternum or breast-bone; and repeatedly have animals with young
+ones recently born been brought to me, because their owners perceived
+symptoms which could not be interpreted. The animal is restless; the nose
+is dry; the tongue hot; the appetite is either lost, feeble, or
+capricious; and the dog is disinclined to move, often crying out when
+obliged to walk.
+
+If the teats are examined, all those posteriorly situated will be found
+fairly drawn. On these the pups can take a firm hold; and as they are the
+most capacious, no doubt they present temptations against which the lesser
+glands anteriorly placed cannot compete. The smaller are therefore
+rejected; and will be found to be distended with their secretion. If this
+is removed, and, as necessity arises, afterwards withdrawn, no more need
+be done, but the symptoms will subside.
+
+To milk the bitch requires only a little patience. The gland should be
+taken between the finger and thumb, when any degree of pressure, not
+designed to create pain, may be made, and the fluid squeezed out. The
+animal submits with pleasure to have this operation performed, and seldom
+moves before it is perfectly accomplished. Where any appearance of
+hardness is detected, the place should be kneaded between the finger and
+thumb; for pains should be taken to remove the coagulated milk, which is
+generally the cause of the induration. Frequent and thorough milking will
+do more good in these cases than any of the active remedies sold by
+chemists and dog-fanciers, for the purpose of immediately curing them.
+
+To dry up the milk of a bitch is a duty we are often called upon to
+perform; but it is one I invariably decline to accept. The animal will
+always soon cease to yield its secretion if it be let alone; for if dog's
+milk were valuable, we should in vain use our utmost art to prolong its
+continuance. When the pups are removed, Nature takes away that which is no
+longer required; but if the litter be suddenly separated from the mother,
+or all the young should be born dead, Nature may not immediately
+accommodate herself to the circumstances. In such cases, the milk should
+be withdrawn three times daily; a dose of opening medicine should be
+administered, and the food should be spare. A few days' attention will be
+required; but the matter, if neglected, causes much suffering, and very
+frequently lays the foundation for future evil.
+
+Falling of the vagina, or membrane lining the passage to the womb, is
+sometimes witnessed in animals that are much confined, and consequently of
+a debilitated habit. Creatures so savage as to be dangerous, and which,
+therefore, cannot be properly exercised, are most subject to it; and I
+have in the greater number of instances met with it in high-bred
+bull-bitches of that disposition.
+
+The reason of this is, the bull-dog ranks as an entirely artificial
+creation. In proof of this stands the well-known fact, that unless the
+breed be sedulously kept up, it is apt to degenerate, or to become
+extinct. Old breeders even now say, the ancient kind of English bull-dog
+is nowhere to be found. But take another proof. We want no anatomical
+knowledge or prejudice: in him formation is to be judged. Let the reader
+look at the head of the animal depicted on page 404. Is not the cranium a
+malformation? Do not the habits of the animal prove it to be a pampered
+creation? It is not generally known, that the disposition of the genuine
+bull-dog is too fond. It will fondle upon any stranger; and yet, contrary
+to the general custom of its race, it displays small preference for its
+master. It will fondle a human being as though its heart would burst with
+affection; but upon the slightest excitement--often upon a sudden
+sound--it will fly at and mangle the hand that was caressing it. Then the
+hold taken by this animal is more retentive than is strictly natural. It
+will fix upon an object, and frequently suffer itself to be dismembered
+before it will let go its hold, although its master's voice be
+energetically raised to command it. Do not these traits bespeak the being
+formed rather by man's malice, than created by Nature's goodness? Look at
+the likeness of the beast, and say how far it resembles the mild,
+graceful, and generous race to which it outwardly belongs.
+
+It is the high, or rather perverted, state in which the breed is kept,
+that subjects them to accidents; it is the pampered condition in which
+these antipodes to beauty are reared that renders them so liable to
+afflictions that do not affect the ordinary run of their kind--such as
+falling of the vagina. It comes on generally when heat is present, and
+mostly disappears when the excitement subsides. A red bag is seen to be
+pendulous from the orifice of the part; and if no care be taken to prevent
+it, this by exposure gets injured; becomes hard; bleeds freely, and is
+difficult to return. It often presents a pitiable aspect; but however
+painful it may be to look at, there seems to be but little suffering
+attending it. The animal permits it to be freely handled, and does not
+resist even when sharp dressings are applied.
+
+[Illustration: THE BULL-DOG.]
+
+In such cases cleanliness is to be strictly observed. If the protruded
+membrane should be thickened and excoriated, it must be well washed with a
+sponge and warm water. Afterwards it may be bathed with a lotion, (made of
+nitric acid one drachm, to proof-spirit one ounce,) and then returned. A
+cold injection, composed of alum one drachm, dissolved in spring water one
+pint, may be used thrice daily; and from a quarter of a grain to a grain
+of powdered gallic acid may be given three times a-day.
+
+The inversion of the womb is more serious; but it is generally more
+speedily restored. In the larger animals, that produce one or two young at
+a time, the uterus is commonly inverted subsequent to parturition; but in
+the dog I have known it only when the womb had for some period been
+unimpregnated. Blows may cause it; so also may excessive weakness; and the
+earlier it is attended to, the more readily will it be restored. The
+treatment is described in the following narrative, which was published by
+me in the _Veterinarian_.
+
+    "I began by having a soft clean cloth spread upon a table,
+    and, placing the dog on this, with a sponge the uterus was
+    gently moistened. No friction was employed, but with tepid
+    water the part was carefully sopped. This process was not
+    quick. An hour and a half expired before all the extraneous
+    matter was by it removed. This accomplished, with a pair of
+    scissors the fibrinous tumors were snipped off. The
+    hemorrhage was trivial; but there yet remained marks of
+    bruises and signs of laceration which could not be cut away.
+    To these a spirituous solution of nitric acid--a drachm to
+    the ounce--was applied, and the entire of the exposed
+    surface dressed with it.
+
+    "Knowing the peculiar form of the passage, I was able to
+    return the womb, and met with little obstruction. Up to this
+    point I had succeeded better than at first I hoped; but here
+    came the difficulty. The uterus was replaced, but how was it
+    to be retained? The irritability of the system would have a
+    natural tendency to reject the viscus, and the lotion I had
+    used was not of a soothing quality. To render the case more
+    desperate, there was the knowledge of the temperament and
+    habits of the animal--its manner of sitting--its mode of
+    curving the spine to void its fĉces--the marked excitability
+    of its generative organs--and its peculiar sensitiveness to
+    suffering.
+
+    "To own the truth, I had done so much more than, seeing the
+    hardened and lacerated condition of the parts, I had in the
+    first instance anticipated was possible, that I was not
+    exactly prepared for my good fortune. I remained for some
+    time thinking--and, really puzzled, requested those present
+    not to speak. I wanted some combination of medicine which I
+    could not satisfactorily procure. A sedative to the general
+    system was required, but not one that should depress; as,
+    after operations of this description, the vital powers are
+    disposed to sink, and therefore generally require to be
+    stimulated. I moreover wanted an excitant to the uterus.
+    Many things were hastily thought of, and as quickly
+    rejected; and, in my difficulty, I was at last obliged to
+    ask advice of those about me. A bandage or harness to pass
+    over the parts was suggested; but the almost impossibility
+    of fixing it properly, and the mischievous ingenuity the dog
+    exhibits with its teeth, rendered this plan obviously
+    inappropriate. One person proposed to adopt the
+    custom--sometimes, I am sorry to say, followed by
+    cow-leeches--of passing stitches through the labia. The
+    brutal and unjustifiable practice was of course rejected,
+    and, I trust, by the members of the veterinary profession,
+    it is never embraced.
+
+    "Fairly at my wits' end, I suddenly determined to try how
+    the injection of cold water into the uterus would act. I
+    knew of no case in which this agent had been employed, and
+    could not feel confidence concerning the consequences of the
+    experiment; but, in despair, I resolved to hazard it. A
+    quantity fresh from the pump was therefore obtained, and it
+    was thrown up, being allowed to flow back. A stream of cold
+    water was thus made to pass over the interior of the uterus,
+    and about two quarts had been used before the animal
+    appeared to be at all affected, excepting that the injection
+    seemed to induce a sensation of discomfort. At last a
+    feeble moan was uttered, which, when another pint or
+    thereabouts had been injected, burst into something
+    approaching to a cry. I then desisted. The tube was
+    withdrawn, and, hoping that the symptom of pain resulted
+    from the contraction of the organic fibre under the
+    stimulating effects of the cold, the animal was ordered to
+    be placed where nothing could disturb it.
+
+    "Having passed an hour in the company of my friend, when
+    about to leave I requested to see the dog once more. The
+    animal had been put into a hayloft, and I was pleasantly
+    surprised to hear it give tongue on our approach: it came to
+    meet us, and the change was such as I could not have
+    anticipated. The parts had regained almost their natural
+    appearance; certainly they presented nothing to indicate the
+    aspect they had exhibited only a few hours before.
+
+    "A mild aperient was given. The animal had no other
+    medicine, neither was any local application used. For three
+    days a slight discharge of a blackish color ensued; but when
+    this stopped, the animal was returned to its owner cured."
+
+Hardened swellings, or indurated tumors in the teats, are very common in
+the bitch. They are caused by the milk being allowed to accumulate in the
+glands, and there to curdle or act as a foreign body on the parts
+immediately around it. The bitch will secrete milk, although she has had
+no pups; and a virgin bitch will do so quite as actively as one that has
+been a mother. When heat has subsided, although no intercourse has been
+permitted at the period, when the birth would have taken place the glands
+will swell; and on squeezing them, a full stream of thick milk will flow
+forth. Nine weeks, therefore, after oestrum, whether the desire has been
+gratified or denied, the teats should be examined and relieved. If this
+should not be done, small lumps will appear. These are round, not
+sensitive; but generally roll under the fingers, and appear at first to be
+perfectly detached, though more or less deep seated. No time should be
+lost in removing them; for if allowed to remain they rapidly increase, and
+often become of an enormous size. Others also appear until the whole of
+the glands are involved; and the extent of the implication renders an
+operation, which in the first instance would have been both simple and
+safe, so complicated and hazardous as not to be risked. The tumors,
+moreover, as they enlarge, by their weight and size, become exposed to
+numerous accidents; either they are excoriated by the movements of the
+legs, hurt by blows, or lacerated by being dragged along the ground.
+Anything that interferes with their integrity seems to change their
+character. From having been dormant they start into activity, and the
+slightest wound degenerates into a wide-spreading ulcer. When this last
+appearance is established, no treatment I know of can effect a cure. If
+there be a hope, it lies solely in the skilful use of the knife; but
+generally the constitution is so much exhausted, and the disease so firmly
+established, that surgery is but a desperate resort.
+
+When taken in time, the situation of the tumor being ascertained, the
+skin is divided and the growth dissected out. This is easily done, and it
+is seldom that a vessel requiring ligature is divided. The care required
+is to spare the skin, no portion of which, unless it should be implicated,
+ought to be excised. Neither plaster nor suture will afterwards be wanted.
+The bitch would with her teeth remove either; and as the healing process
+is established, the integument will contract and unite.
+
+When there is more than a single tumor to take away, or one of large
+dimensions to remove, though there may be no important vessels to
+ligature, the oozing of blood is sometimes greater than may with safety be
+disregarded. In such cases, the application of cold water, or of oil of
+turpentine, or the tincture of ergot of rye, or blowing upon the part by
+means of a pair of bellows, will be of service, and may each be tried; but
+the actual cautery, though held in high esteem by veterinarians, is not
+suited to these instances.
+
+After the tumor or tumors are cleanly removed, a course of iodine should
+be enforced; and it should be persevered with for several months, nor
+given up simply because all present symptoms have disappeared. The
+tendency has been exhibited, and the medicine is now employed to prevent
+its development for the future; and, by the continued use of the agent, we
+hope to accomplish that intention.
+
+
+
+
+SKIN DISEASES.
+
+Every affection of the skin in the dog is termed mange. This is very
+wrong; and receipts for the cure of mange are all nonsense, unless we can
+imagine that one physic is good for various disorders. The dog is very
+subject to mange; that is, the animal's system can hardly suffer without
+the derangement flying to and developing itself externally, or upon the
+skin. True mange is chiefly caught, being mainly dependent upon contagion;
+but all the other varieties have the seats internally, and are chiefly
+owing to the keep or lodging. Too close a kennel will give rise to mange,
+as will too spare or too full a diet; too much flesh or unwholesome food;
+too hard or too luxurious a bed. In fact, there is hardly a circumstance
+to which the animal is exposed which will not cause this malady to be
+developed. Peculiar kinds of bedding, as barley straw, will give rise to
+it; and particular kinds of diet, as subsisting entirely upon flesh food,
+will produce it. In short, I know a few, and only a few, of those things
+which will cause it; and my time has been so taken up that I have been
+able to observe but five distinct varieties; though my reason informs me
+there are many more than I here describe. However, as, in describing five
+kinds of mange, I do more than either of my predecessors, the public must
+be content with the moiety for the present; and wait till either I find
+time to accurately note, if possible, the different forms which mange in
+the dog will assume, or some more close observer comes forth to take the
+task from before me.
+
+True mange is dependent, as in the horse, upon an insect; and though not
+commonly met with, is known by the same symptoms, as the similar affection
+in the more valuable animal. The skin is partially denuded of hair, but
+never perfectly so; for in the most bare place, hairs, either single or in
+small and distinct patches, will be seen adhering to the surface of the
+body: these remaining hairs are very firmly planted in the skin, have a
+coarse or unnatural feel, and look all awry and unthrifty. The skin
+appears very dry and scaly; it is corrugated, or thrown into ridges. The
+parts chiefly affected have been the back, eyes, neck, &c.; though no part
+of the body is exempt, for I have seen it virulent upon the feet, and the
+rest of the body comparatively untouched.
+
+The animal appears dejected, though at seasons he may assume his usual
+liveliness; but when nothing attracts his attention, his time is nearly
+consumed in scratching himself violently. His appetite generally remains
+good, notwithstanding the torture he endures; but the heat of the body
+denotes fever, and his thirst may be excessive.
+
+The treatment consists in rubbing the body over with some of the various
+dressings for mange; some of which, however, are compounded for the horse,
+and do not very well suit the canine race. Care should be taken that the
+dressing, of whatever nature it may be, reaches and is expended upon the
+skin, as simply anointing the dog or smearing the salve upon the hair is
+of no earthly use. The unguent which I have employed, and with such
+success as emboldens me to recommend it, is composed of--
+
+  Ung. resini        As much as you please to take.
+
+  Sulph. sub       } A sufficiency to make the rosin ointment
+                   }   very thick.
+
+  Ol. junip.       } Enough to make the unguent of a proper
+                   }   consistency, but not too thin.
+
+This is to be applied one day; washed off the next; and then the dressing
+repeated until the dog has been dressed three times, and washed thrice;
+after which the ointment may be discontinued; but again had recourse to if
+the animal exhibits the slightest signs of uneasiness; when the entire
+process may be gone through once more. Mercurial ointments are the most
+certain remedies for this disorder; but then they are not safe, and should
+always be avoided where the dog is concerned.
+
+The second kind of mange is where hair partially falls off; and this kind
+of disorder is well marked by bare patches of small dimensions, showing
+themselves on the point of the elbow and any part which is prominent, and
+which the animal might be supposed to have rubbed as he lay in his kennel.
+The patches are small and free from hair; but at the same time the skin
+exposed is rough, scaly, thickened, and corrugated. The itching is
+intense; but it does not particularly affect the exposed part; it rather
+seems to reside in those portions of the body which are well covered with
+hair.
+
+For this form of disease the cure begins with tonic medicine; and after
+this has been administered a week or a fortnight, as the strength may
+appear to require restoration, it is suddenly left off; and liquor
+arsenicalis in gradually increasing doses is administered. If it be a
+little dog, let the first day's dose consist of half-a-drop each time; and
+if for a large animal, of two drops each dose; three doses in either case
+to be given in the course of the day. In the former case, the quantity of
+arsenicalis is to be increased half-a-drop each day, and in the latter
+instance one drop daily is to be the advance; the quantity in both cases
+to be distributed over three doses, one to be given in the morning, one at
+noon, and the last at night.
+
+The medicine is to be kept on increasing each day, until the dog loathes
+his food; has a running from the eyes; a scarlet conjunctiva; or exhibits
+some symptom that denotes the physic has hold of his system; when the
+arsenicalis is to be discontinued for three days, and then steadily
+persevered with at the dose which preceded the derangement. Thus,
+supposing it requires three and a half drops to throw the small dog off
+his appetite, the quantity to resume with will in that case be three
+drops.
+
+There is no power I possess which can predicate the quantity of the liquor
+arsenicalis which an animal will bear; its effects on different creatures
+of the same species are so various, that what one can gorge with impunity
+would kill his companion. On this account no fixed quantity of the
+medicine can be recommended; but the practitioner must be satisfied to
+watch the symptoms induced, and be content to be guided by these. So soon
+as the physiological symptom is beheld, the good results of the medicine
+may be anticipated; and no compound in the pharmacopoeia works with
+greater certainty. The disease will begin to decline; and in a month, six
+weeks, or two months at furthest, will be thoroughly eradicated. In the
+course of that period, however, it may be as well to give Nature a jolt
+every now and then, by occasionally increasing the dose, being always
+prepared to diminish it on the symptoms giving the slightest hint that it
+is prudent so to do. The arsenicalis should be used simply diluted with
+water; and during the period occupied by the cure, no other medicine
+whatever will be required.
+
+The next form of mange attacks very fat and cruelly overfed animals. The
+poor dog is very foul. He, as it were, smells aloud; and his hide is
+enormously thickened, being everywhere devoid of sensation. Pinch it as
+hard as you can--even until the moisture be forced through the pores by
+the pressure--and the operation which should inflict pain, will only
+communicate pleasure.
+
+The animal, instead of crying out or endeavoring to snap, will stand
+altogether quiet, the expression of the face announcing the perfect
+delight it experiences; or the head turns round to lick the hand of the
+pincher, thereby entreating him to continue the delicate recreation.
+
+The hair is generally more or less removed from the back; and the
+thickest portions of the skin are either above the neck, or just before
+the tail. The animal is the whole day dull, never being alive except at
+meal-times, when it is all activity; the rest of the day is passed in
+sleeping, licking, scratching, biting, and gnawing its person--to the
+infinite annoyance of an indulgent master, who looks on the mass of
+disease before him, and with regret pictures the animated creature which
+it once was.
+
+Here the mode of feeding must be changed. Flesh must be strictly
+prohibited. Boiled rice forms the most wholesome diet; but even rice milk
+will not be touched. Neither will be eaten at first; but this does not
+much signify, as a day or two of abstinence rather does good than injury.
+If, however, the refusal to feed be exhibited beyond the third day, one,
+two, or three ounces of meat, according to the size, may be allowed; which
+quantity, though insufficient to satisfy the desires, is sufficient to
+keep a dog alive and hungry for an almost indefinite period. Fresh
+vegetable diet should be presented every day; and if declined, it should
+immediately be withdrawn. On no account should it be allowed to remain
+about, and the animal to blow upon it till it either becomes stale or
+noisome in the creature's eyes. Fresh clean rice should be boiled, and
+presented every morning; and this should be offered and withdrawn, as
+though it were too choice a luxury to be twice refused. The animal, tired
+out, and despairing of gaining anything better to eat through resistance,
+will fall to the loathed dish at last; and afterward swallow it without
+any coaxing, although the preference for flesh as food will be cherished
+to the death.
+
+The food being managed as directed, the dog may also have first a mild
+emetic, to be followed by three doses, on three different days, of
+castor-oil prepared as recommended, p. 116.
+
+To these is to succeed a course of pretty strong tonics, to keep up the
+general tone of the body, invigorate the appetite, and to support the
+strength. Likewise a cold bath every morning may be added, and plenty of
+exercise in the course of the day.
+
+So soon as the appetite is subdued, stimulating dressings are applied down
+the back, where the hair is wanting; and, for a beginning, the common
+mange liniment answers very well. It is thus prepared:--
+
+  Ol. tereb      }
+  Ol. picis      } Of each equal parts. Mix.
+  Ol. nucis      }
+
+This may at first attract no notice; after it has been submitted to for a
+week, add to every three pints an extra pint of turpentine, which will
+soon banish all the philosophy the strongest-minded dog may have at his
+command. Even subsequent to the period when the application of the
+liniment is received with the acutest and most piteous cries, the torture
+must be continued until the skin, being reduced to its natural thickness,
+announces that its office is perfected; only, with the production of this
+last effect, the agent that gives such pain should be used less lavishly.
+
+During the application of the liniment, some diluted liquor arsenicalis
+may also be administered, and even the pills containing iodide of sulphur
+exhibited.
+
+The fourth kind of mange is where the hair falls suddenly off in circular
+patches. For this any simple ointment, as the ung. cest. or no application
+at all is sufficient.
+
+The fifth kind is the worst, especially where it attacks young pups.
+Almost all the hair falls off; and the poor little creature is thin, and
+nearly naked, while the surface of the body is covered with dark patches,
+and comparatively large pustules. If the dark patches be punctured, a
+quantity of venous and grumous blood exudes; but the wound soon heals. In
+full-grown dogs, the same form of disease seldom involves more than the
+top of the head, neck, and the entire length of the back; but it is
+precisely of the self-same character as in the more juvenile animal.
+
+In both cases the treatment is the same. The dark pustules are to be cut
+into, which produces no pain; and the pustules are to be freely opened,
+which operation is attended with no apparent effects. The bare skin is to
+be then washed tenderly with warm water and a soft sponge, after which the
+body may be lightly smeared over with the ointment of camphor and mercury;
+see p. 265. This operation must be repeated daily. The liquor arsenicalis
+may be administered as drops, and pills of the iodide of sulphur likewise
+exhibited.
+
+Where the dog is old, a cure invariably results; but it takes time to
+bring it about. Perhaps months may be thus consumed; and the practitioner
+will require a goodly stock of patience before he undertake the treatment
+of such a case. The proprietor, therefore, must be endowed with some
+esteem for the animal, before he can be induced to pay for all the physic
+it will consume. I cannot account for so virulent a form of skin disease
+affecting pups; but certain it is, that they have scarcely left the dam
+before its signs are to be detected. Probably it may be owing to their
+being weaned upon garbage or putrid flesh. Certain it is that the cure of
+creatures at this tender age greatly depends upon their previous keep. If
+it has for any known length of time been good and generous, the
+practitioner may undertake the case without fear; but if, on the other
+hand, the pup, though of a valuable breed, had lived in filth, never
+enjoyed exercise, and been badly nurtured, no entreaties should tempt the
+veterinarian to promise a restoration. It will certainly perish, not
+perhaps of the skin disease, but of debility.
+
+Here I may for the present conclude my imperfect account of mange; again
+insisting that in every form of the disorder the food is to consist of
+vegetables, and every kind of flesh is to be scrupulously withheld, unless
+to pups in a very weakly condition. Blaine and Youatt speak of alteratives
+as necessary towards the perfection of a cure; but as I am simply here
+recording my experience, all I can say is, I have not found them to be
+required. Cleanliness--the bed being repeatedly changed--free
+exercise--wholesome, not stimulating food--and fresh water--are essential
+towards recovery. In no case should the dog suffering under these
+complaints be allowed to gorge or cram itself; but the victuals must be
+withdrawn the instant it has swallowed sufficient to support nature.
+
+
+
+
+CANKER WITHIN AND WITHOUT THE EAR.
+
+Blaine treats of these two as different diseases. Youatt speaks of them as
+the same disease situated on different parts. As they differ in their
+origin and in their effects, however closely they may be united, I hold
+Blaine's arrangement to be the soundest, and therefore to that I shall
+adhere. Water-dogs are said to be the most liable to attacks of these
+disorders; but I have not found such to be the case. At the mouth of the
+river Ex, near Exeter, Devonshire, for instance, there are numerous dogs
+kept for the purpose of recovering the wild fowl, by shooting of which
+their masters exist during winter. Here is rather a wide field for
+observation; but among the many water-dogs there to be found, the canker
+both internal and external is unknown; whereas there is scarcely a dog
+kept in town, especially of the larger size, that does not present a
+well-marked case of canker. The London dog is, for the most part, over-fed
+on stimulating diet (flesh), and kept chained up, generally in a filthy
+state. The country dog gets plenty of exercise, being allowed to sleep in
+the open air where he pleases outside of his master's cottage, and has but
+little food, and very seldom any flesh. I scarcely ever have a sporting
+dog sent to me, on the approach of autumn, suffering from what their
+masters are pleased to term "foul," but canker within and without the ear
+are found to be included in the so-called disorder. Often am I desired to
+look at both long-haired and short-haired dogs, and find both kinds
+victims to these diseases; but canker without the ear, or on the flap of
+the ear, I never see without canker within the ear being also present.
+Canker on the flap of the ear, it is true, becomes the worst in
+short-haired dogs, because these animals have this part by nature more
+exposed to injury. Long-haired dogs, on the other hand, have the disease
+within the organ worst, because the warmth of their coats serves to keep
+hot and to encourage the disorder.
+
+Therefore, we find on inquiry that neither breed of dogs is more liable or
+more subject to be attacked by a particular kind of canker; though in each
+kind there exist circumstances calculated to give a direction to the
+disease when once established. Authors speak of rounding the ear for
+external canker; that is, of taking a portion of the border away, so as to
+leave the flap of the ear the less for the operation; and fox-hounds are
+said to have the ears rounded to escape the ravages of the disorder. There
+are said to have been poor dogs subjected to a second and third rounding;
+till at length the entire ear has been rounded away, and the wretched
+beast has been at last destroyed; because man first fed it till it was
+diseased, and then was too heartless properly to study the nature of the
+affection which tormented the animal.
+
+Let those who may feel disposed to question this view of external canker,
+ask themselves what it is which induces the dog to shake his head
+violently at first? For the brute must shake the head violently and
+frequently, before canker in the flap can be established. The disease is,
+in the first instance, thus mechanically induced. It has its origin in the
+violent action of the beast; and that action is the very one which ensues
+upon the animal being attacked by internal canker.
+
+The dog shakes his head long before the eye can detect anything within the
+ear. By that action, in nine cases out of ten, we are led to inspect the
+part. The action is symptomatic of the disorder, and it is the earliest
+sign displayed. In the dog whose coat does not favor internal canker, it
+may, however, establish the external form of the disease; which being once
+set up, may afterwards even act as a derivative to the original disorder.
+
+External canker is nothing more in the first stage than a sore established
+around the edge of the ear, in consequence of the dog violently shaking
+the head, and thereby hitting the flap of the ear with force against the
+collar, chain, neck, &c. Shaking, however, does not cure the annoyance. An
+itching within the ear still remains; which the dog, doubtless imagining
+it to be caused by some foreign body, endeavors to shake out. In
+consequence of the continued action, the sore is beaten more and more,
+till an ulcer is established; the ulcer extends, involves the cartilage
+which gives substance to the flap of the ear, and thus is created a new
+source of increased itching. The ulcer enlarges, becomes offensive; and he
+who is consulted, instead of seeking for the cause, begins by attending to
+the effect. Various remedies are employed to cure the flap of the ear; and
+each and all of these failing, the poor animal is at length rounded, and
+as books and teachers advise, rounded high enough up.
+
+All the diseased parts are carefully cut away; but the disease appears
+again, and the wretched beast is rounded a second time. On this occasion
+the rounding is carried still deeper, the operator being resolved the
+knife this time shall take effect. The dog has little ear left when the
+disease appears again; and the master saying he wants his dog for the
+field--to shoot over, and not to look at--the remaining portion of the ear
+is removed, hoping for better luck this time. However, chances are now
+against them; they have cut beyond mere skin and cartilage, into the seat
+of flesh in goodly substance. Spite of the brutal use of the red-hot iron,
+the hemorrhage is great, and ulcers appear before the cicatrix is
+perfected. The miserable animal having nothing more that can be cut away,
+is then killed, being said to be incurably affected.
+
+This is a true history, and can be substantiated by reference to all the
+authors who have hitherto written about the dog. It does not, therefore,
+depend solely upon the testimony of the present writer; but sad is the
+reflection, that all the pain and suffering thus occasioned was
+unnecessary. Canker without the ear cannot be established unless canker
+within the ear, in the first instance, exists. It may not be violent; it
+may be present only in an incipient stage, and never get beyond it; but in
+this state it is sufficient to annoy the animal, and make it shake its
+head. Doing this, however, it does enough to mislead the practitioner, and
+cause the death of the unfortunate animal.
+
+[Illustration: DOG WITH A CANKER CAP ON.]
+
+When a dog is brought with canker in the flap, the first thing I order is
+a calico cap, to keep the animal from shaking the ear. I then give the
+person accompanying the creature a box of the mercurial and camphor
+ointment, ordering it to be well applied to the external ear thrice daily,
+with the intention of cooling the part. I do nothing absolutely to heal
+the ulcers beyond keeping the part from being shaken; for I have not yet
+met with a case in which the cartilage has been positively involved,
+however much authors may write about such a texture having suffered. I
+direct my chief attention to the healing of the internal ear, from which I
+trace all the evil to have sprung. For this purpose I give a bottle of the
+canker-wash, described a little further on, ordering it to be applied
+thrice daily, and rest contented as to the result.
+
+With regard to internal canker, how virulent was the disorder, and to what
+lengths it used to progress, may be imagined from reading Blaine and
+Youatt; both of whom speak with terror of its effects, advising the use of
+agents for the recommendation of which I cannot account, excepting by the
+supposition that they were selected under the influence of fear. Most of
+the solutions advised are painful; but how far they were effective we may
+conjecture from the descriptions they have left us of the disease. They
+tell us that, as the disorder proceeds, it eats into the brain; either
+causing the dog to be destroyed, or driving it phrenetic. The poor animal,
+we are informed, leans the head upon the fore-feet, the diseased ear being
+pressed downwards, and continually utters a low moan, which at length
+rises into one prolonged howl. Of all this I know nothing; but I remember
+at college, when going the rounds with the Professor Simonds, on a Sunday
+morning, hearing one of those huge howls which are uttered by large dogs
+when enduring excessive torture. On my asking whence the sound proceeded,
+I was coolly informed by my teacher that he supposed Sam (the head groom)
+had been pouring some dressing into the ear of a dog that had got canker.
+Of what the dressing that had occasioned such pain was composed, I never
+inquired; but we may judge of its power to destroy the bone, from the
+extent of the agony which it produced. No wonder, when such powerful
+agents were employed, the bone, the brain, or any other part, was
+affected.
+
+Thank heaven! there is one good custom prevalent in this disease--dogs
+affected with it are brought to us early. Often, when the animal is only
+observed to be constantly shaking and scratching the ear, the proprietors
+bring the dog for us, to remove something from the interior of the organ.
+At other times, and with the most careless or unobservant masters, the dog
+is brought under our notice with a blackened discharge within the
+convolutions of the ear, and a slight smell, like decayed cheese,
+proceeding from it. A crackling sensation is then imparted to the fingers
+when the base of the ear below the flap is manipulated; the necessary
+pressure sometimes drawing forth an expression of pain. A worse case than
+this I have not encountered; though how common canker has been in my
+practice may be conjectured from my keeping a two-gallon stock-bottle of
+the wash in my surgery, and a label, for the bottles in which it is sent
+out, within my drawers. The mode of administering this wash is admirably
+described by Youatt, from whose pages I transcribe it:--
+
+    "Some attention should be paid to the method of applying
+    these lotions. Two persons will be required in order to
+    accomplish the operation. The surgeon must hold the muzzle
+    of the dog with one hand, and have the root of the ear in
+    the hollow of the other, and between the first finger and
+    the thumb. The assistant must then pour the liquid into the
+    ear; half a tea-spoonful will usually be sufficient. The
+    surgeon, without quitting the dog, will then close the ear,
+    and mould it gently until the liquid has insinuated itself
+    as deeply as possible into the passages of the ear."
+
+The warming of the fluid I find to be unnecessary; and there is something
+to be added to the above direction, when the wash I advise is employed.
+After one ear is done, let it be covered closely with the flap, and the
+other side of the head turned upward without releasing the dog. When both
+are finished, take a firm hold of the dog, and fling him away to any
+distance the strength you possess is capable of sending the animal; for
+the instant the dog is loose, it will begin shaking its head, and, as the
+canker-wash I employ contains lead, wherever a drop falls, a white mark or
+spot, as the liquid dries, will be left behind.
+
+
+
+
+CANKER WASH.
+
+  Liquor plumbi      }
+                     } Of both equal parts.
+  Aqua distil        }
+
+Youatt speaks of the liquor plumbi as a dangerous agent to the dog, and
+advises for canker that a scruple be mixed with an ounce of water; but in
+opposition to that esteemed author's recommendation, I have employed the
+liquor plumbi pure, with the best effect, in extreme cases; though, in
+ordinary disease, the above is sufficiently strong; and in medicine it is
+a maxim that a sufficiency is enough.
+
+I give to the animal, as a general rule, no medicine to take; but
+invariably recommend the dog to be kept on vegetable diet; for, inasmuch
+as meat is the sole cause of the disorder, however potent may be the drugs
+employed for the cure, it is imperative for its eradication that the cause
+be removed.
+
+Sometimes, in consequence of the violent shaking of the head, serous
+abscesses of considerable size form inside the flaps of the ears. This
+mostly happens with large dogs, and the abscesses are hot and soft, being
+excessively tender. The animal does not like them to be touched, or even
+looked at, but is frequently shaking the head, and howling or whining
+afterwards.
+
+The remedy in these cases is equally simple and efficient. The person who
+undertakes to remedy the evil, first, by way of precaution, tapes the
+animal; that is, he forms a temporary muzzle, by binding a piece of tape
+thrice firmly round the creature's mouth. He then places the dog between
+his knees, and turning up the ear, with a small lancet makes quickly an
+opening in what then is the superior part of the sac in the inverted ear.
+This is necessary, because, if the opening were made inferiorly, all the
+fluid would escape, and the side of the emptied sac would collapse. If the
+point of the knife even could be introduced into an incision made upon the
+lower part of the ear, it would not be so easy to cut speedily from below
+upward, as to push the blade from above downwards. Well, the opening being
+made with the lancet, a little fluid escapes; but no pressure being put on
+the sac, the major portion is retained. The operator then takes a straight
+probe-pointed bistoury, and having introduced it into the orifice, by
+making only pressure, instantly divides the sac. Frequently considerable
+fluid escapes; the beast operated upon makes up its mind for a good howl;
+but, finding the affair over before its mouth was moulded to emit the
+sound, the cry is cut short, and the dog returns to have the tape removed,
+that it may lick the hand that pained it.
+
+[Illustration: A DOG TAPED OR MUZZLED FOR OPERATION.]
+
+After the enlargement is slit up, nothing more is required than to fill
+the sac for a day or two with lint soaked in the healing fluid; and when
+suppuration is established the lint may be withdrawn, and the wound, if
+kept clean, left to nature.
+
+
+
+
+THE EYE.
+
+Most writers describe a regular series of disorders associated with the
+eye of the dog. I must be permitted to recite only those which I have
+witnessed; and surely, if the diseases which the writers alluded to above
+have mentioned do exist, I must have encountered some solitary instance of
+each of them; instead of which, I have been honored by the confidence of
+all classes, and have after all to confess I have not witnessed a specimen
+of genuine ophthalmia in this animal.
+
+CATARACT.--This derangement of the visual organ is very common with the
+dog. Every old animal that has lost his eyesight is nearly certain to be
+blind from cataract. The optic nerve appears to have retained its health
+long after the crystalline lens has parted with its transparency. The
+latter becomes opaque, while circumstances allow us to infer the former is
+yet in vigor; for certainly dogs do see through lenses, the milky or
+chalky aspect of which would justify us in pronouncing the sight quite
+gone. There is no precise time when cataract makes its appearance. It may
+come on at any period or at any age. It may be rapid or slow in its
+formation; but from its generally known habit, we should be inclined to
+say it was rather slow than otherwise; though upon this point the author
+can speak with no certainty. No breed appears to be specially liable to
+it, but all seem to be exposed to it alike. The small-bred, house-kept,
+high-fed dogs, however, are those most subject to be attacked by it; for,
+in these kinds of animals, on account of the derangement of the digestive
+organs, the eyes seem to be disposed to show cataract earlier than in the
+more robust creatures of the same breed.
+
+The cause of this affection is, in the horse, usually put down to blows;
+but, in the dog, we dare not say the disorder is thus produced. The dog is
+more exposed to the kicks and cuffs of domestics than is the horse; the
+violence done upon the first-named animal being less thought about, and
+therefore less likely to be observed. But that the disease takes its
+origin in any such inhumanity the author has no proof, and no intention of
+insinuating an accusation against a class, who being generally ignorant,
+have therefore the less chance of a reply.
+
+The disease seems to be the natural termination of the animal's eyesight;
+and, though the author has seen the iris ragged-looking, as though acute
+ophthalmia had loosed its ravages upon the delicate structures of the eye,
+nevertheless he has in vain endeavored to detect the presence of that
+disease.
+
+Were ophthalmia common enough to have produced one-half of the cataracts
+which are to be witnessed by him who administers to the affections of the
+canine species, surely I must have met with it; as not being a very brief
+disorder, but one which by its symptoms is sure to make itself known, I
+must have encountered it in one of its numerous stages. However, not
+having seen it, and still being anxious of tracing cataract to its
+source, the author has been induced to attribute it to the influences of
+old age, high breeding, or too stimulating a diet.
+
+Medicine having appeared to do injury rather than to produce benefit, the
+author has generally abandoned it in these cases; whereas those measures
+which are within the reach of every proprietor, such as change of abode,
+attention to necessary cleanliness without caudling in the bed, wholesome
+food, and a total abstinence from flesh, added to the daily use of the
+cold bath with a long run, and constant employment of a penetrative
+hair-brush to the skin afterwards, have seemed to stay the ravages of the
+disorder; and on these, therefore, the author is inclined to place his
+entire dependence.
+
+GUTTA SERENA.--The author has seen one or two cases of this affection. One
+was present with disease of the brain, to the increase of which it was
+clearly traceable. The other was attributable to no known cause; but as
+blows on the head are beyond all doubt ascertained to produce this
+affliction, the author in his own mind has no doubt of its origin. A
+temporary affection of this nature is also constantly witnessed when the
+dog falls down in a fit, or rather faints from weakness; as when a female
+is rearing an undue number of pups, or when a dog has been too largely
+bled, or retained too long in the warm bath.
+
+In the last cases, the gutta serena departs as the animal recovers; but in
+the first-named, sometimes it is constant, and no medicine appears to
+affect it for good or for evil. The author, therefore, does nothing in
+such cases beyond giving general directions, as in the instance of
+cataract.
+
+Gutta serena is known by the organ being perfectly clear, but the iris
+remaining permanently fixed. The introduction of sudden light produces no
+effect on it; neither, unless the current of air be agitated, does the
+eyelid move. Towards the latter stage the eye changes color; but when it
+first occurs, a person without experience would prefer the eye in this
+state, because it looks so thoroughly bright and transparent. The aspect
+of these eyes is known to those who are much among animals, and the
+carriage of the body is recognised as altered when a creature becomes
+blind; besides which, trust him alone, and his running against different
+obstacles, as well as his manner of walking, will declare the truth.
+
+SIMPLE OPHTHALMIA.--To this disorder of the eye the dog is very
+susceptible. It may be caused by dust, dirt, thorns, or portions of leaves
+getting into the eyes; the symptoms are, constant closing of the lid, and
+perpetual flowing of the tears. Though the eye be closed, the lid is never
+quiet; but is being, during the entire period, spasmodically, though
+partially, raised to be shut again, or in perpetual movement. If the lids
+are forced asunder, the conjunctiva or mucous membrane forming the inner
+lining of the lid is seen to be inflamed; while the same membrane covering
+the ball of the eye is perceived to be of a white color, and perfectly
+opaque.
+
+The cure in this instance is always, first, to remove the cause of the
+injury, and then to apply some of the remedies in the manner mentioned
+hereafter.
+
+The conjunctiva in the dog is very sympathetic with the mucous membrane
+lining the stomach. The interior of the stomach may be inflamed, and the
+eye sometimes exhibits no sign of sympathy; but more often, as in
+distemper or rabies, it will denote the existence of some serious
+disorder. So if the animal's digestive powers are weakened by an undue
+quantity of purgative medicine, the eyes will assume all the symptoms of
+distemper, even to the circular ulcer in the centre of the organ. However,
+in instances of this kind nothing need be done for cure; the major
+disorder being subdued, the minor one subsides.
+
+No matter how virulent the disease of the eye may appear to be--even
+though it should become perfectly opaque--let it alone: any meddling does
+injury. No bathing or medicaments can hasten the cure. Although it should
+ulcerate in the centre, and the terrible appearance of the eye be seconded
+by the entreaties of the proprietor, still I caution you to continue quite
+passive. Touch the ulcer with nitrate of silver, as is the common
+practice, and the eye will most likely burst. The aqueous humor will
+escape, and a large bunch of fungus will start up in the place of the
+ulcer occupied. This fungus, if let alone, may fade away as the stomach
+returns to health; but a white spot is established in its place to remind
+you of your officiousness.
+
+Nevertheless, simple ophthalmia occasionally will appear when nothing can
+be detected to affect the stomach; probably owing to large dogs chasing
+through brush-wood, or those of the smaller breeds hunting through long
+grass. Then a square of soft lint, formed by doubling a large piece
+several times, is laid upon the painful organ, and kept wet with the
+following lotion:--
+
+  (1.) LOTION FOR THE EYE.
+
+  Tinct. arnic. mont.             Three drops.
+  Tinct. opii                     Six drops.
+  Mist. camph.                    One ounce.
+
+The first symptoms having subsided--that is, the dog being capable of
+raising the lid, and the flow of tears having in some measure stopped--the
+previous lotion may be changed for the following wash:--
+
+  (2.) EYE WASH.
+
+  Arg. nit.                       One grain.
+  Mist. camph., or Aq. dist.      One ounce.
+
+The proper manner of applying these preparations to the eye deserves
+notice. Let the owner buy a large-sized, long-haired, camel's-hair
+painting brush; pour a little of the liquid into a saucer; saturate the
+brush in the fluid; pull the lids gently asunder, being careful not to
+call forth resistance by frightening a timid animal with any exhibition of
+haste or violence; then, having the eye exposed, draw the brush quickly
+across it, and the business is over.
+
+The author is frequently consulted by ladies, because their favorites'
+eyes run water. Such is a consequence of high breeding in some of the
+canine species; and being so, medicines of various kinds, by drying up the
+secretion of the lachrymal gland, may at first appear to do good, but must
+ultimately be fruitful of the most serious injury.
+
+EJECTION OF THE EYE.--The eye of the dog is rather curiously situated,
+which, as the writer knows of no author who has remarked on its position,
+he may as well refer to in this place. The eye of man is situated within a
+bony orbit, from which it cannot in the course of nature protrude. The eye
+of the dog, also, has an orbit partly formed of bone; but as regards the
+ridge, which in man supports and gives prominence to the eyebrow, in the
+dog it is composed of ligament, as with animals of the cat, pig, and other
+species. The reason of this arrangement--the cause for composing part of
+the orbit of ligament--is to allow the eye to protrude or to take its
+place without and before the orbit. This position of the eye is easily
+perceived, when a live specimen which has confidence in man is examined
+upon the knee, and at the same time the skull is inspected. The cause of
+this peculiar situation of so important an organ, is to allow the eye to
+possess telescopic properties; because the dog has the faculty of
+withdrawing the eye within, or rather quite to the back of the orbit; as
+any who have beheld the animal in some stages of brain disease, or the
+last stage of distemper, must, with their attention directed to the fact,
+be convinced. The dog in its wild state lives by the chase, and therefore
+has Providence endowed his visual organ with peculiarities which best
+enable it to discover its prey; at the same time, also, affording extra
+scope of vision, or power of seeing around it, to the eye of the animal.
+
+Owing to this peculiarity, the eye in consequence of a bite may be forced
+out upon the cheek; or, as once happened in my own experience, the use of
+tapes for the purpose of giving medicine may be the cause of the injury.
+Whenever this happens, procure a glass of clean milk-warm water, and a
+piece of soft lint; then wash the eye; when obtain a soft napkin; let the
+eye be well greased with any mild and perfectly sweet ointment; wrap the
+napkin about the right hand, and with the fingers thus encased, gently
+take hold of the ejected ball of the eye, while the fingers of the left
+hand are employed in raising the lid of the emptied orbit; then applying
+gentle but adequate force, and at the same time giving to the wrist of the
+right hand a rotatory motion, the eye will at once assume its proper
+place. The use of the eye lotion and wash will perform all that the after
+symptoms may require.
+
+Dogs are often brought to us because the animal has been taking liberties
+with the cat; which mistress puss has turned to resent, and her paw--the
+claws in the moment of irritation being out--has unfortunately scratched
+the dog's eye. When consulted on such a subject, the eye lotion No. 1 is
+in most instances all that is required; for the coverings of the eye are
+endowed with great powers of self-reparation. If, however, the application
+recommended does not perform everything to the proprietor's satisfaction,
+the eye wash No. 2 will perfect the cure. Accidents of this description
+are apt to leave scars in the shape of white marks across the eye, which
+time must be allowed to remove; and this in general is performed, while
+all the appliances of art in the writer's hand have been useless for
+hastening this object.
+
+
+
+
+DISEASES OF THE LIMBS.
+
+THE DEW-CLAWS.--The dew-claws, as they are termed, grow high upon the
+inner side of the leg, nearer to the foot than to the elbow. They are
+frequently removed while the dog is very young, being then merely cut off
+with a pair of scissors. This, however, is a very primitive way of
+operating; and it is best done with a knife, first reflecting back
+sufficient skin to cover the wound which the removal will occasion. The
+excision, moreover, is only justifiable when the dew-claw hangs from the
+leg attached to it merely by integument; when it is regularly formed,
+united to the leg by means of continuous bone, it may be allowed to
+remain; for in that case there is little more danger of its being torn off
+as the dog grows up and hunts game, than any other of the claws appended
+to the extremity of the foot.
+
+THE CLAWS.--These frequently, especially in petted dogs that pass their
+days parading about on Turkey carpets, become of extraordinary length; in
+some cases, turning round and forming a complete circle, so as to
+penetrate the little pad at the base of the last joint of the toe. In this
+case they cause swelling, inflammation, and suppuration, accompanied by
+such intense pain, that in extreme cases it may be necessary to take away
+the toe of the foot itself, although in general it is sufficient to clip
+the offending claw. However, to do this nicely, with expedition, and
+without giving great pain to the patient, is to be desired. Blaine
+recommends a small saw, such as is employed to cut off cocks' spurs with;
+but the dog must have excessive patience and extraordinary powers of
+endurance, who could allow this to be moved quickly backwards and forwards
+on a claw, one end of which rests on an inflamed and highly sensitive
+surface. Besides, it is not one claw we are generally required to remove,
+but sixteen; and long before the first had been fairly taken off by the
+method advised by Blaine, the cries of the poor animal would say, "Hold,
+enough!" Moreover, favorites of the class I have mentioned are generally
+brought by their mistresses, who cannot endure their pets to suffer, and
+rightly refuse to leave them to the mercy of a veterinary surgeon. This
+last circumstance requires a speedier instrument than the one proposed by
+Blaine, to be discovered. The rowelling bistoury, employed for the horses,
+answers better than the saw; but even it occasions so much pain as to
+cause serious annoyance and obstruction. I have found nothing answer so
+well as a pair of wire nippers; which, provided they be in good condition,
+will take off the whole of a dog's claws, although for the operation the
+animal never quits its mistress's arms. They are quick and effective,
+cutting through the strongest claw on the instant; giving no pain; often
+removing the nail without the knowledge of the patient, who provokes
+laughter rather than commiseration by frequently shamming the agony he
+does not feel--venting heart-rending cries, but invariably in the wrong
+place. For the performance of the operation there is but one caution
+necessary, and that is, to leave the root of the claw long enough, or not
+to attempt cutting it too short; because the unnatural life the animal
+lives causes small arteries to extend even into the growth of horn, and a
+little blood is a terrible loss in a lady's eyes. However, beyond causing
+the mistress distress, the practitioner need be in no fear about dividing
+one of these abnormal vessels, for the eccentric growth of which the most
+experienced practitioner cannot at all times be prepared.
+
+FALLING OFF OF THE CLAW.--There is another injury to which the claws of
+the dog are exposed, and the cause of which in no instance have I been
+able to trace. The toe becomes hot, swollen, and inflamed; the animal
+walks lame, or upon three legs. Whenever the particular claw in fault is
+touched, the cries of the dog sufficiently testify that the seat of the
+disease has been found. A simple treatment, such as bathing the claw and
+placing the foot frequently in warm water, will occasion the horny
+covering to be cast off in a few days; after which all that is required
+will be to wrap the part up in soft lint for a short period, and to
+deprive the animal of its accustomed exercise for a day or two.
+
+SINUSES UP THE CLAW.--These are of frequent existence, and are commonly
+found where their presence was not suspected. The dog walks lame, and its
+master's sagacity cannot discover the cause. The animal is accordingly
+submitted to our inspection. To pinch the claw in this case is of no use;
+it can only mislead the judgment. The better plan, after having
+ascertained none of the claws are loose, is to make the dog stand upon the
+lame foot on a piece of blotting paper. If the slightest moisture be left
+thereon, throw the animal on his back, and minutely examine the lower
+surface of each claw. On one will be seen a small hole, not larger than
+the point of a pin, from which exudes a thin watery discharge.
+
+Soak the foot in warm water; then with a sharp knife pare off the
+superficial horn; then soak and pare again; and so on till the entire claw
+is removed; when slit up, making a free wound of any sinuous opening that
+may exist in the ball of the toe. Dress the interior of the sinus with a
+small portion of sulphate of copper; afterwards with the healing lotion
+previously recommended; and all will do well: but the claw once taken
+away, either by nature or art, is very seldom perfectly restored.
+
+FOOT-SORE.--Men of robust habit, who shoot over an immense tract of
+country, and take a pleasure in lawfully finding the game they kill, often
+have to complain that their dogs become foot-sore. These animals have an
+elastic pad at the bottom of each foot, on which, conjointly with the
+nails of the toes, the creatures walk. The bottom of the dog's foot is
+covered with a thick cuticle, which is rapidly reproduced in ordinary
+cases, as soon as or before it has been worn down: but the game dog is
+often kept inactive during the summer, and then in autumn brought into
+sudden work. The consequences of this foolish practice are, that nature
+during the warm season supplies only a cuticle fitted to the wants of the
+animal, which being suddenly forced to endure excessive exercise, soon
+wears away, and the foot thus left devoid of covering, is raw, and
+consequently tender. For this state of the part, Blaine, who is therein
+followed by Youatt, recommends "pot liquor." I do not know what "pot
+liquor" means. Cooks apply the name to various refuse waters, in which
+different and opposite ingredients have been boiled. If so, the material
+with which it is made being dissimilar, the product cannot be the same. It
+appears to be a filth, generally cast into the hog-tub; and as such cannot
+be a proper medicine wherewith to cure a lame dog's foot. I throw it into
+the receptacle for which it is intended; and do so because I cannot
+understand it is possessed of any curative properties. The mode I pursue
+in these cases is simply this:--I get a basin of tepid water and a soft
+sponge; and I then well wash the injured foot. When every particle of grit
+or dirt is thoroughly removed, I apply to the dried sore surface a lotion
+composed of two grains of chloride of zinc to one ounce of water, with
+one or two drops of the essence of lemons. Having thoroughly washed the
+foot with the lotion, I soak some rags in it, which I wrap around the
+injured member, fixing over all a leather or gutta-percha boot; and when
+thus treated, and the animal is subsequently brought into work with
+caution, a few days I find generally settles the business.
+
+DOG-CARTS.--This appears to be the place to meet, or rather answer, the
+remarks which have appeared in Youatt's work on this subject. He argues,
+because the dog is a beast of draught in northern climes, it can be
+without violence, and indeed was intended by Providence to be used as such
+in temperate countries. Thus, if this argument be of any value, that which
+the dog can endure in a temperate climate, it can likewise without injury
+undergo in a torrid zone. The argument, if of worth, admits of this
+extension; for, if the subject of it is to be moved at all, it is not for
+the reasoner to arrogate the power of saying at what point it shall stop.
+However, granting him to possess this right, he will thereby gain nothing
+by it. In the northern climes, where the dog is employed as a beast of
+draught, it is so used only for the winter season; during which time the
+face of the landscape is covered by one sheet of snow. Is the poor dog in
+a cart, as seen in this country, only so employed? Is he not rather
+obliged to drag his heavy load, to which the master's weight is often
+appended, along dusty roads instead of snowy paths, and at the top of his
+speed, rather than at a pace which the poor creature can maintain for
+hours? Is it not worked in summer as well as winter? Does not mud cover
+the roadways in this country during the colder season for a far longer
+period than the snow? The summer's toil must be most oppressive to this
+over-tasked animal; for, though the dog is naturalized close to the
+northern pole, he becomes scarce for a long distance before the equator is
+reached. It is the creature of a cold climate; and what it can do in one
+country is by no means the measurement of that which it can perform in
+another; as those who have been at the trouble and expense of exporting
+hunting-dogs from England to India can testify.
+
+The foot, moreover, may travel over a sheet of snow with impunity, which
+may be unsuited for journeying over artificial roads, deep in mud or
+water; or else hot, dry, and parched with a summer's sun. The sportsman's
+dog is often sore-footed; and do the approvers of dog-carts pretend that
+the wretched beast, forced by an inhuman master to undue labor, is of a
+different species? If the animals are the same, how can it be argued that
+the organ, which when moving over soft ploughed or grassy fields often
+fails, is all-sufficient for the longest and heaviest journey performed
+upon a hard artificially constructed road?
+
+One grave senator in the House of Lords used as an argument against the
+Bill introduced to put down that abominable nuisance, dog-carts, in this
+country, the pleasure he had experienced, when a child, while being drawn
+in a carriage pulled by a dog along the lawn attached to his father's
+residence. There is no legislation required to meet such cases. No doubt
+the pleasure felt by the delighted child was shared by the beast, who
+wagged his tail, and scarcely felt the tax imposed upon its huge strength.
+Had the cart been removed from the lawn to the road, and been knocked up
+with rough wheels and without springs, like the carts used by vagrant poor
+are, the load of a child would not even then have made the cases similar.
+To make the instances the same, the cart must not only be of the rudest
+construction, but it must be filled with weight limited solely by the
+master's capacity to buy; while on the top of the burthen must be placed,
+not a happy child, but an idle full grown rascal. And the vehicle thus
+encumbered must be dragged, not along a soft lawn, at a pace necessary to
+please the son and heir, but along a hard road, at a rate which alone can
+satisfy an impatient and brutal master.
+
+In whichever way we regard this question, reason proves against it, and
+the dog subject to the most dreadful disease that is communicable to man
+should on no account, in this densely populated country, be subjected to
+usage best calculated to bring on the malady.
+
+
+
+
+FRACTURES.
+
+A fracture is technically called a solution of continuity; but, as the
+general reader will imagine the definition can hardly be correct, with
+regard to a bone which may be broader than it is long, I will here define
+it to be the violent division of a bone into two or more parts.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Fractures are divided into comminuted, simple, and compound. The
+comminuted and compound, for the present purpose, may be regarded as one
+and the same; since it is obviously impossible to restore the bone of a
+dog which has been crushed into innumerable pieces; and such a state of
+the hard structure is scarcely possible to exist without the soft parts,
+as flesh or muscle, around the injury being involved, or the lesion
+rendered compound as well as comminuted in its nature.
+
+Then it is simple fractures only that have to be dealt with in this place;
+and a simple fracture exists when a bone is snapped across into two equal
+or unequal pieces. It does not matter at what point the injury may occur;
+so that the bone be broken only into two pieces, and none of the flesh be
+torn, or the joint involved, the fracture is a simple one. In the dog,
+several simultaneous simple fractures may exist; as where the animal
+breaks across the whole of the four metatarsal bones proceeding from the
+hock to the foot; or snaps, which is of more rare occurrence, the entire
+number of metacarpal bones, proceeding from the joint, which is called the
+knee of the dog, towards the foot of the animal.
+
+The bones, however, most commonly fractured are the ulna and radius in the
+fore-limb, and the tibia and fibula in the posterior extremity. Next to
+these in order are the femur or thigh-bone, in the hind-leg, and the
+humerus or arm-bone of the anterior limb. Then come the four metacarpal or
+metatarsal bones, being the same in number in both legs. These are all the
+author undertakes to treat. The first and last he manages pretty
+successfully. For the restoration of a fracture, all that is necessary is
+to bring the ends which have been divided together, and to keep them in
+the place into which your art has brought them. To accomplish this end,
+the author is accustomed to cut from a sheet of stout gutta percha three
+broad straight ribbons; then to soak these in warm water till they are
+pliable, having first cut in them several holes resembling button-holes,
+by the aid of a punch and narrow chisel. When they have lain in the warm
+water a sufficient time to soften, and no more--for the water of too great
+a heat shrivels up as well as softens the gutta percha--he draws forth one
+ribbon, and this he moulds to the front of the sound leg.
+
+That done, he takes another piece of the gutta percha, and this he models
+to the hind part of the sound leg. The remaining slip is fixed to the
+side of the limb. After the pliable gutta percha has been forced to assume
+the shape desired, it is the practice of the writer to cover it with a
+cloth saturated in cold spring water, to hasten the setting of the
+material, and thereby shorten a process which always renders the dog
+somewhat uneasy. All this accomplished, he next braces the splints
+together, and fixes them upon the limb, by means of a long piece of tape;
+putting under them, next to the skin of the animal, a quantity of lint to
+prevent the gutta percha from irritating the flesh. The tapes he also runs
+through the holes previously made, and winds about the limb, or over the
+splints--rather, but not too tightly in the first instance--with the
+intent of arousing the restorative amount of inflammation. This quantity
+of inflammation, the reader may imagine, would be certain to ensue on so
+violent an injury as the separation of the hard supports of the body; but
+in this he is mistaken. I have known a favorite hound to break at once the
+four metatarsal bones, and though the splints necessary to promote a union
+were kept on above two months, nothing of the kind took place; at the end
+of which time all bandages were removed, and his movements effected the
+cure which my appliances were unable to bring about. Some persons even
+advocate taking off all bandages from a broken leg, and sending the dog
+for a walk, where union is tardy; but people who use such language talk
+about that, concerning which they literally know nothing. It is not one
+walk which will produce the desired effect; but repeated walks are
+required to accomplish what appears to the ignorant so certain to occur.
+Thus, to do nothing is far better in some cases than to perform much;
+since the absence of remedies accomplishes that which all the
+paraphernalia of the surgery is unable to produce.
+
+There are cases, however, which cannot get well of themselves, unless
+deformity be esteemed of no consequence. Thus, when the radius and ulna
+are snapped right across, and the foot, deprived of all support, dangles
+at the end of the limb; here the interposition of surgical agency is
+absolutely required; for the fracture, if left to itself without the aid
+of art, would never assume its proper situation. So when the humerus or
+femur are fractured, the bones may unite of themselves; but in that case
+shortening of the limb and incurable lameness is certain to ensue. The
+practitioner aims not only to bring the separated ends of the bone
+together; but he endeavors, by the invention of various means, to keep
+them there, or to force the limb all the time of the cure to be and to
+remain at its fullest length. To prevent the tendency to contract in the
+limb, and consequently to shorten, is one of the chief difficulties which
+we have to contend with in the treatment of fractures. When a bone is
+broken, the muscles which hold the parts together sooner or later
+contract, and sometimes with such force as to draw the ends of the bone,
+which were once continuous, side by side; thus rendering the limb shorter
+than it was previously. This force is generally exerted immediately on the
+occurrence of the accident; but in some petted animals where the system
+is slow, it does not take place till some indefinite period has elapsed.
+Fortunate is the gentleman who is called on to treat a case before
+anything of the kind has occurred, as his difficulties will thereby be at
+first materially lessened; but when putting on the splints, he must be
+careful that they are strong enough and his tapes tight enough to keep the
+leg extended, or to resist the power which sooner or later he may rest
+assured will start up.
+
+The bandages and splints having been on some time--the precise period of
+which cannot be estimated,--the leg will swell, especially the foot, and
+the tapes become so tight as to cut into the flesh. The practitioner pays
+little attention to the primary indication of swelling being about to take
+place; but when it has fairly set in, and threatens to do injury to the
+limb, he with caution loosens the tapes, thus permitting the blood freely
+to circulate.
+
+The after-treatment of a fracture is comparatively easy. It consists
+merely in keeping the bowels open, attending to the general health, and in
+renewing the splints and bandages as often as may be necessary.
+
+It is well to bathe the fractured limb, splints and all, in the following
+lotions:--
+
+  LOTION FOR THE LEG BEFORE THE SWELLING HAS COMMENCED.
+
+  Tinct. arnic. mont.      One drachm.
+  Aqua font.               One ounce.
+  Ess. limon               A sufficiency.
+
+To be applied frequently.
+
+  LOTION TO BE USED WHEN SWELLING IS PRESENT.
+
+
+  Tinct. aconit.      Half-a-scruple.
+  Aqua font.          One ounce.
+  Ess. anis.          A sufficiency.
+
+  LOTION TO BE APPLIED AFTER THE SWELLING HAS SUBSIDED.
+
+  Zinchi chlor.       One grain.
+  Aqua font.          One ounce.
+  Ess. anis.          A sufficiency.
+
+The other measures are dictated entirely by circumstances.
+
+
+
+
+OPERATIONS.
+
+There are very few of such offices to be performed on the dog. Among
+those, however, which do occur, is the removal of the toe. When a claw has
+grown completely round, and by being pressed into the flesh appears, in
+the judgment of the practitioner, to have provoked such injury as
+decidedly and imperatively requires the removal of the part affected, then
+the amputation of one toe may be undertaken. When the dog, to allay the
+itching of the extremities, gnaws or eats his own flesh from the toes,
+leaving black and ragged bones protruding, amputation is necessary. The
+member must in each case be amputated higher up than the injury. There is
+no absolute necessity to muzzle the dog, provided the master is present,
+and will undertake the charge of the head. When such has been the case,
+and the master has engaged to keep the attention of the dog fixed upon
+himself, I have removed a joint or two from the leg without the animal
+uttering a single cry; although the master, unused to such sights, has
+been seized with sickness so as to require spirits for his restoration.
+The master being at the head, or an assistant on whom you can depend being
+at that post; another placed to keep down the body; and a third to lay
+hold of and extend the limb to be operated upon, which must be uppermost;
+the animal should be thrown on one side. There it must be allowed to
+remain until sufficient time has elapsed to calm its natural fears.
+
+The operator then takes one of Liston's sharp-pointed knives, and thrusts
+it quite through the flesh, a short distance above the injury; he then
+with a sawing motion cuts downward and outward till the knife is released.
+He next impales the member on the other side, keeping the back of the
+knife, as on the former occasion, as close to the bone as possible, and
+draws it forth in the same manner. He thus will have two flaps divided by
+a small notch, which coincides with the breadth of the bone. Through this
+notch, on the uppermost side, he must pass his knife, cutting upwards and
+inwards; thus upon both sides, till the lines made by the knife meet in a
+point. He will then, supposing the business to have been properly
+performed, see a bright pink living piece of bone in the centre; and to
+cut off so much, or even a little more than is visible, becomes his next
+object. For this purpose a saw, however fine, is tedious; because the bone
+to be cut through is not of sufficient body to allow the operator to put
+forth his strength, and on that account also does not leave behind it a
+smooth surface. The bone-nippers answer better. Without loss of time,
+therefore, the veterinary surgeon seizes a pair suited to the object in
+view, and with these he gently pushes back the flesh on all sides; he
+then, suddenly closing the handles, cuts short the protruding bone. The
+flaps that have been made are then brought together, when, if there is any
+bleeding, the raw surfaces are again exposed, and a few puffs with a pair
+of bellows, first having sprinkled the part with cold water, usually stop
+it. If that should not succeed, a small quantity of the tincture of ergot
+of rye suffices for the purpose; and all bleeding having ceased, the flaps
+are finally placed together, bound up in soft lint, and a leather or gutta
+percha boot placed over all, no dressing being applied or the boot removed
+for three days. When the wound is inspected, if, as frequently happens,
+the movements of the dog have disturbed the flaps, provided they are not
+drawn too uneven, the practitioner had better not touch them. The
+rectifying powers of nature in such cases are wonderful; and in those he
+had better trust rather than interfere with the process of healing, which
+he may remain certain has already commenced. In this fashion I have
+excised a dog's claw; and three months after the operation a spectator
+would have to compare one foot with another to discover that either was
+deficient in the proper number of appendages.
+
+CAPPED HOCK AND ELBOW.--The first of these is more rare than the last; but
+as, on the point of the bone in each joint, is situated a bursa or small
+sac, containing an unctuous fluid intended to facilitate the movement of
+the bone under the skin, they both are subject to injury; when they swell
+to an enormous size, and constitute a very unsightly deformity. If seen
+early, so soon as the tenderness has subsided, an ounce of lard may be
+mixed with a drachm of the iodide of lead, and the part well and
+frequently rubbed with the ointment. If in spite of the use of this
+ointment, which more often fails than succeeds, the tumor grows larger and
+larger, recourse must be had to an operation; else the disfigurement may
+ultimately become sufficiently great and hard to seriously impede the
+animal's movements.
+
+An operation being determined on, the animal is best left standing;
+though, should it prove unruly, assistance sufficient to lift it on to a
+table, and thereon to lay it on its side, must be at hand. Everything
+being ready, and the dog in this case properly muzzled, the operator, with
+such a knife as he can work quickest with, makes an incision the entire
+length of the swelling, and even rather longer than shorter: he next
+reflects back both portions of skin, that is, the skin on either side of
+the swelling; and lastly, separates the enlargement from its base.
+
+This removal will leave a huge, ugly, gaping wound, with a seeming
+superabundance of skin hanging from its side. Let him on no account remove
+a particle of that skin, however much more than is necessary properly to
+cover the wound there may immediately after the operation seem to be.
+Inflammation will, with the beginning of the healing process, set in, and
+the action of this inflammation contracts the hanging skin; so that if a
+portion be removed, there will remain an open wound to that extent; and as
+skin is slowly reproduced, the cure may be retarded for months.
+
+The first part of the business being well concluded, the dog must remain
+muzzled, and be returned to its proprietor with a bottle of healing fluid,
+the sore which has been made being left uncovered. The healing fluid is to
+be used frequently; and if the case be a good one, the orifice quickly
+becomes small, and heals. In some animals, however, there is a disposition
+to gnaw or lick the part; thus undoing everything the veterinary surgeon
+has been accomplishing. To check this habit, a cradle round the neck; wide
+collars which prevent the head from being turned round; and various
+splints which, by keeping the limb extended, thereby hinder the animal
+from touching the wound, are employed. Any or all of these, in untoward
+cases, may be necessary; and in very high-bred animals the healing powers
+of nature are frequently slow, consequently in such the after-consequences
+of an operation are likely to prove very annoying.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+DOG BREAKING:
+
+THE MOST
+
+EXPEDITIOUS, EASY, AND CERTAIN
+
+METHOD,
+
+  WHETHER GREAT EXCELLENCE OR ONLY MEDIOCRITY
+  BE REQUIRED.
+
+BY
+
+COL. W.N. HUTCHINSON,
+
+GRENADIER GUARDS.
+
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+   CHAPTER I.--463.
+
+   PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. QUALIFICATIONS, IN BREAKER--IN DOG.
+
+   1. Dog-Breaking an Art easily acquired.
+
+   2. Most expeditious mode of imparting every Degree of
+   Education. Time bestowed determines Grade of Education. In
+   note, Col. Hawker's opinion.
+
+   3. Sportsmen recommended to break in their own Dogs.
+
+   4. Men of property too easily satisfied with badly-broken
+   Dogs. Keepers have no excuse for Dogs being badly broken.
+
+   5. Great Experience in Dog-breaking, or Excellence in
+   Shooting, not necessary. Dispositions of Dogs vary.
+
+   6. What is required in an instructor.
+
+   7. Early in a Season, any Dog will answer, a good one
+   necessary afterwards. Hallooing, rating Dogs, and loud
+   whistling spoils Sport.
+
+   8. What a well-broken Dog ought to do.
+
+   9. Severity reprobated.
+
+   10. Astley's Method of teaching his Horses.
+
+   11. _Initiatory_ Lessons recommended--to be given when alone
+   with Dog--given fasting.
+
+   12. Success promised if rules be followed. Advantages of an
+   expeditious Education. Autumn shooting not sacrificed.
+
+
+   CHAPTER II.--470.
+
+   INITIATORY LESSONS WITHIN DOORS. SHOOTING PONIES.
+
+   13. One Instructor better than two.
+
+   14. Age at which Education commences. In-door breaking for
+   hours, better than Out-door breaking for weeks.
+
+   15. To obey all necessary Words of Command, and all Signals,
+   before shown Game.
+
+   16. Unreasonableness of not always giving Initiatory
+   Lessons--leads to Punishment--thence to Blinking.
+
+   17. Dog to be _your_ constant Companion, not another's.
+
+   18, 19, 20. Instruct when alone with him. Initiatory Lessons
+   in his Whistle--in "Dead"--"Toho"--"On."
+
+   21. All Commands and Whistling to be given in a low tone.
+
+   22 to 25. Lessons in "Drop."--Head between fore-legs--Setters
+   crouch more than Pointers.
+
+   26. Slovenly to employ right Arm both for "Drop" and "Toho."
+
+   27. Lessons in "Down-charge."--Taught at
+   Pigeon-match--Rewards taken from Hand.
+
+   27. Cavalry Horses fed at discharge of Pistol--Same plan
+   pursued with Dogs.
+
+   28. Dog unusually Timid to be coupled to another.
+
+   29. Lessons at Feeding Time, with Checkcords.
+
+
+   CHAPTER III.--480.
+
+   INITIATORY LESSONS CONTINUED. SPANIELS.
+
+   30, 31. Initiatory Lessons in "Dead" and "Seek," continued.
+
+   32. In Signals to hunt to the "right"--"left"--"forward."
+
+   33. In the "Beckon." Woodcock Shooting in America.
+
+   34. In looking to you for instructions.
+
+   35. In "Care."
+
+   36. Always give a reward.
+
+   37. In "Up"--saves using Puzzle-peg.
+
+   38. Dog to carry Nose high.
+
+   39. Initiatory Lesson in "Footing a scent".
+
+   40. In "Heel."
+
+   41. In "Gone" or "Away."
+
+   42. In "Fence" or "Ware-fence."
+
+   43. "No" a better word than "Ware."
+
+   44. Accustomed to couples.
+
+   45. Initiatory Lesson in-doors with a Companion--when one
+   "drops," the other to "drop."
+
+   46. Makes "Backing" quickly understood.
+
+   47. Initiatory Lessons with a Companion in the Fields.
+
+   48. Initiatory Lessons save time--make Dogs fond of Hunting.
+
+   49. Checkcord described. Wildest Dogs possess most energy.
+
+   50. Advantages of Checkcord explained. Spaniels broken in by
+   it.
+
+   51. Lad to act as Whipper-in.
+
+   52. Retriever that acted as Whipper-in.
+
+   53. Jealousy made him act the part. Might be taught to
+   Retrieve.
+
+   54. Instead of "down charge," coming to "heel."
+
+   55. As Puppies kept close to you, not to "self-hunt"--"broke"
+   from hare.
+
+   56. Blacksmith straps Horse's Leg above Hock--Dog's similarly
+   confined--Shot-belt round the necks of wildest.
+
+   57. Hunted in Gorse.
+
+   58. Age when shown Game. Example of good Spaniels
+   advantageous.
+
+   59. Perfected in "Drop"--taught to "seek dead"--to
+   "fetch"--entered at Hedge-rows and lightest Covers. Bells to
+   Collars.
+
+   60. To hunt farther side of Hedge.
+
+   61. How Sportsmen may aid Keeper.
+
+   62. Experienced Spaniels slacken pace on Game.
+
+   63. Difficult to work young ones in Silence.
+
+   64. Spaniels that Pointed.
+
+   65. Game first accustomed to, most liked.
+
+   66. Principal requisites in Spaniels.
+
+   67. The signal "to point with finger."
+
+   68. Following Cockers a Young Man's work.
+
+   69. Education differs in different Teams.
+
+   70. One and a half couple of large Spaniels sufficient. One
+   of the Team to retrieve.
+
+   71. Clumbers procuring more shots in Turnips than Pointers.
+
+   72. Lord P----n's highly-broken Team.
+
+   73. Of small Cockers three couple a Team. What constitutes
+   Perfection.
+
+   74. Retriever with Team. Duke of Newcastle's Keepers.
+
+   75. Some Teams allowed to hunt flick.
+
+   76. Markers necessary with wild Spaniels.
+
+   77. Old Sportsmen prefer mute Spaniels.
+
+   78. Handy old Setters capital in light cover. Attention
+   necessary when first entered.
+
+   79. C----e's Pointers as good in cover as on the stubble.
+
+   80. Pointer that ran to opposite side of Thicket to flush
+   Game towards Gun.
+
+   81. Water Spaniels, how broken.
+
+   82. Shepherd's Forward Signal best for Water Retrievers.
+
+   83. Wild Fowl reconnoitred with Telescope.
+
+   84. Qualities required in Water Retriever. In Note, Poachers
+   in Snow. Beast or Man of one uniform color easily detected.
+
+   85. Steady Spaniels in Rice Lakes.
+
+
+   CHAPTER IV.--510.
+
+   LESSONS IN "FETCHING." RETRIEVERS.
+
+   86. Lessons in "fetching" recommended. Dog, not taught to
+   retrieve, bringing dead Bird he had found.
+
+   87. Taught to deliver into your hand; never pick up a Bird
+   yourself; Dog which often lost winged Birds she had lifted.
+
+   88. Retrievers taught to carry something soft;
+   injudiciousness of employing a stone.
+
+   89. How encouraged to plunge into Water.
+
+   90. Diving, how taught.
+
+   91. "Fetching" taught with a Pincushion; with a Bunch of
+   Keys.
+
+   92. Made to deliver instantly.
+
+   93. Practised to carry things of the size and weight of a
+   Hare.
+
+   94. "Fetching," how taught at commencement.
+
+   95. Regular Retrievers taught to fetch Birds; to "foot"
+   Rabbits and Winged Game.
+
+   96. Retriever observes when a Bird is struck; a quality
+   particularly useful in a Water Retriever.
+
+   97. Pigeons and small Birds shot to Retrievers.
+
+   98. Injudiciousness of aiding a young Dog when retrieving;
+   makes him rely on Gun rather than his own Nose.
+
+   99. Fatigue of carrying Hare tempts young Retriever to drop
+   it; taught to deliver quickly by rewards of hard boiled
+   liver.
+
+   100. If he taste blood, put on Wire snaffle; how made.
+
+   101. Retriever how taught to pursue faster; should commence
+   to "road" slowly, but "follow up" rapidly.
+
+   102. Why Land Retrievers should "down charge".
+
+   103. Some Retrievers may "run on shot," but those for sale
+   should "down charge."
+
+   104. Retrievers not to be of a heavy build, yet strong and
+   thick-coated.
+
+   105. Cross between Newfoundland and Setter makes best
+   Retriever; the real Newfoundland described.
+
+   106. Cross from heavy Setter best Retriever.
+
+   107. Most Dogs can be taught more or less to Retrieve.
+
+   108. Young Retriever to lift Woodcock and Landrail.
+
+   109. Retrievers never to kill Rats, lift vermin, or wounded
+   Heron, &c.
+
+
+   CHAPTER V.--527.
+
+   INITIATORY LESSONS OUT OF DOORS. TRICKS.
+
+   110. Lessons in Country Walks.
+
+   111. "Instruction in quartering;" hunted where least likely
+   to find Game; taught while young. In Note, Bitch shot over
+   when seven months old.
+
+   112. If unreasonably long before taking to hunting, the
+   remedy.
+
+   113. Utility of Initiatory Lessons; taught without punishing.
+
+   114. Self-confidence of timid Dogs increased.
+
+   115. The more Dogs learn, the more readily they learn.
+
+   116. Two superior Dogs better than half-a-dozen of the
+   ordinary sort; Action of Dogs; their Feet; Loins; dash of
+   Foxhound gives endurance; cross with Bull hunts with nose too
+   low; Reliefs desirable; best Dog reserved for evening.
+
+   117. Memorandum, never to ride through gate with gun
+   athwart-ship; instance of Dog's behaving admirably the first
+   day shown Game.
+
+   118. Proves the value of Initiatory Lessons.
+
+   119. Summary of knowledge imparted by them.
+
+   120. Why to signal with _right_ hand.
+
+   121. _One_ word only of command; dogs attend to the general
+   _Sound_, not to the several _Words_.
+
+   122. Names of Dogs not to end in "O;" to be easily called; to
+   be dissimilar.
+
+   123. "Drop" better word of command than "Down;" use words of
+   command least likely to be employed by others; when
+   purchasing a Dog ascertain what words he is accustomed to.
+
+
+   CHAPTER VI--537.
+
+   FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN COMMENCED. RANGING.
+
+   124. Regular Breakers make Dogs "point" paired Birds in
+   Spring, tends to Blinking.
+
+   125. Better not to see Game until shot over; taken out alone
+   on a fine day in Autumn.
+
+   126. Perpetually whistling to animate Dogs, injudicious.
+
+   127. Beat largest fields, and where least likely to find
+   Game.
+
+   128. Commence from leeward; scent bad in a calm or gale.
+
+   129 to 133. Instructions in "ranging."
+
+   134. Kept from hedge; Range greater on moors than stubble.
+
+   135. Distance between Parallels dependent on tenderness of
+   nose.
+
+   136. If the Dog is to hunt with another, the Parallels to be
+   farther apart.
+
+   137. No interruption when winding Birds, yet not allowed to
+   puzzle; Nose to gain Experience.
+
+   138. Birds lie well to Dog that "winds," not "foots" them.
+
+   139. Inattentive to Whistle, made to "drop," &c.; when rating
+   or punishing, the disregarded order or signal to be often
+   repeated; Whip to crack loudly. The attainment of a
+   scientific Range difficult, but of surpassing value; the best
+   ranger must in the end find most Game.
+
+
+   CHAPTER VII.--549.
+
+   FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. CAUTION.
+
+   140. Dog to be hunted alone.
+
+   141. Many Breakers exactly reverse this.
+
+   142. Turnips, Potatoes, &c., avoided; Range of dogs broken on
+   moors most true.
+
+   143. In Turnips, &c., young Dogs get too close to Birds.
+
+   144. _Cautious_ Dogs may with advantage be as fast as wild
+   ones; the two contrasted. In Note, injudiciousness of
+   teaching a Puppy to "point" Chickens.
+
+   145, 6. A Dog's nose cannot be improved, but his _caution_
+   can, which is nearly tantamount; how effected.
+
+   147. How to make fast Dogs cautious.
+
+   148, 149. The cause why wild Dogs ultimately turn out best.
+
+   150. The day's Beat commenced from the leeward.
+
+   151. Wonderful Dogs, which find Game without hunting.
+
+   152. Reason why Dogs should be instructed separately, and
+   allowed Time to work out a scent; young Dogs generally too
+   much hurried.
+
+
+   CHAPTER VIII.--556.
+
+   FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. CUNNING OF AGE--RANGE OF
+   FROM TWO TO SIX DOGS.
+
+   153. Your Dog not to "break fence;" how taught; Birds often
+   sprung while you are scrambling over hedge.
+
+   154. Turning one's back upon a Dog to bring him away;
+   stooping down, &c., to make him hunt close.
+
+   155. Dog, when fatigued, not to be hunted; leads to false
+   points.
+
+   156. Sent home, brushed, and allowed a warm berth; not to
+   follow all day at "heel."
+
+   157 to 159. Beat of two Dogs, how regulated.
+
+   160. Whatever number hunted, all should look to the Gun for
+   orders.
+
+   161. Mr. Herbert's opinion in his "Field Sports in United
+   States."
+
+   162, 163. Beat of three Dogs.
+
+   164. Of four Dogs.
+
+   165 to 167. Of five or six Dogs.
+
+   168. Great precision impracticable, but the necessity of a
+   system maintained; System particularly essential where Game
+   is scarce; Dogs to be brigaded, not to be employed as a pack.
+
+   169. When each keeper hunts a brace.
+
+   170. A brigade of fine rangers worth from fifty to sixty
+   guineas a brace.
+
+   171. Fastest walkers do not necessarily beat most country.
+
+   172. Nor do always the fastest Dogs.
+
+   173. How slow Dogs may hunt more ground than faster.
+
+
+   CHAPTER IX.--565
+
+   FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. "POINT" NOT RELINQUISHED
+   FOR "DOWN CHARGE."
+
+   174. Affection makes Dog anxious to please--when he rushes in
+   to be dragged back.
+
+   175. Rule pressed.
+
+   176. Reasons for Rule--Experience anticipated.
+
+   177. To "stand" far off.
+
+   178. Patience enjoined--Not to part as enemies.
+
+   179. The first good point--Remain yourself stationary.
+
+   180. "Heading" Dog--Your circle to be wide. The first Bird
+   killed.
+
+   181. Finding dead Bird, it being to leeward.
+
+   182. Pointing it--Blinking it. The cause.
+
+   183. Bird killed, the Dog to go to "heel."
+
+   184. Supposed objection.
+
+   184. Answered.
+
+   185. Temptation to run after fallen Bird greater than to run
+   to "heel."
+
+   186. Dog pointing one Bird, and after "down charge,"
+   springing the others. The cause.
+
+   187. The preventive. Dog never to discontinue his point in
+   order to "down charge." How taught.
+
+   188. Its advantages exemplified.
+
+   189. Decide whether Dog goes direct to Bird, or first to you.
+
+   190. Dog which performed well--Snipe shooting on banks of
+   Richelieu.
+
+   191. Coolness recommended--Inconsistency deprecated.
+
+
+   CHAPTER X.--579.
+
+   FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. ASSISTANT
+
+   192. Some Dogs will not point readily. Breeding in and in,
+   error of.
+
+   193. Dogs more inclined to point at first than afterwards.
+
+   194. Checkcord employed--spike attached to it.
+
+   195. With wild Dog assistant useful--Signals to.
+
+   196. How particularly useful with a badly-broken Dog.
+
+   197. "Heading" Dog at his point--not practised too often--Dog
+   to acquire a knowledge of his distance from Game.
+
+   198. Constantly "Heading" Dog may make him too immovable.
+
+   199. A fault often caused by over-punishment.
+
+   200. False points caused by over-punishment--Self-confidence
+   and experience only cures for over-caution.
+
+   201. Dog's manner shows position of Birds.
+
+
+   CHAPTER XI.--585.
+
+   FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONCLUDED. BAR. LEG STRAP. SPIKE
+   COLLAR.
+
+   202. Bar cure for too high spirits. A leg strapped up. Why
+   these remedies are better than starvation and excessive work.
+
+   203. The regular Spike Collar described. French Spike Collar.
+
+   204. One less objectionable.
+
+   205 to 208. How, in extreme cases, the Spike Collar may be
+   employed.
+
+   209. Dog springing Birds without noticing them; how to be
+   treated.
+
+   210. The first Birds fired at to be killed outright; the
+   search for winged Birds, Dog being to leeward.
+
+   211. Had the Dog seized. Firing at running Bird.
+
+   212. The search for winged Bird, Dog being to windward.
+
+   213. "Lifting" a Dog, when recommended. "Footing" a scent. In
+   Note, Speed of Red-legged Partridge.
+
+   214. Evil of a young Sportsman always thinking his Birds
+   killed outright; often calls away Dog improperly.
+
+   215. Loss of dead Bird discouraging to Dog.
+
+   216. Perseverance in seeking, how fostered.
+
+   217. "Nosing" Bird allowed.
+
+   218. Error of picking up winged Bird before loading. In Note,
+   Ingenious argument in its favor; Bird picked up in the
+   evening; rejoins covey.
+
+   219. If a winged Bird be a fast runner, and out of shot.
+
+   220. If Dog rushes forward, yet yields to menaces and stops.
+
+   221. If he seizes the dead Bird; if he has torn it.--How to
+   administer Punishment.
+
+   222. Part good friends. Your own temper not to be ruffled.
+
+   223. Your own temper not to be ruffled.
+
+   224. He is no Breaker who cannot always get hold of Dog.
+
+   225. Be certain of Dog's guilt before punishing.
+
+   226. Dog's ears not to be pulled violently.
+
+   227. To "drop" whenever Bird or Hare rises.
+
+   228. Lesson in Turnips.
+
+   229. Real Lesson in "Gone" or "Flown" given after Dog has had
+   some experience; reason why.
+
+
+   CHAPTER XII.--604.
+
+   SHOOTING HARES. COURAGE IMPARTED. "BACKING" TAUGHT.
+
+   230. Shooting Hares not recommended; shooting Rabbits
+   strongly condemned. In Note, why superior Grouse-Dog better
+   than superior Partridge-Dog. Dog brought from strange
+   country always hunts to disadvantage.
+
+   231. Put off killing Hares as long as possible.
+
+   232. Dogs not to quit faint scent of Birds for strong scent
+   of Hare.
+
+   233. Dog after Hare; no racing after Dog; Puss gone down
+   wind.
+
+   234. Checkcord employed. Drive in spike on "toho-ing" Hare.
+
+   235. Impropriety of firing at Dog.
+
+   236. Hares scarce, visit Rabbit-warren.
+
+   237. Morning, hunt where no Hares; evening, where plentiful.
+   Mountain Hares.
+
+   238. Killing Hare in its form.
+
+   239. Shooting Bird on ground.
+
+   240. Dog taught to pursue _wounded_ Hare.
+
+   241. Whip carried, saves punishment. Detention of Dog at
+   crouching posture, saves Whip.
+
+   242. Few cuts, but severe ones.
+
+   243. Instance of timidity cured. Range imparted by giving Dog
+   feet of Partridge.
+
+   244. Punishment, not defective Nose, causes Blinking.
+
+   245. Courage imparted to timid Dogs.
+
+   246. Dogs expect Punishment for faults; vexed when Birds are
+   not fired at.
+
+   247. What Dog select to teach yours to "Back."
+
+   248. Example has great influence.
+
+   249. "Backing" old Dog.
+
+   250. "Finder" to "road" to a "rise;" his intrusive companion
+   described.
+
+   251. To "back" by Eye, not Nose.
+
+   252. Encourage old Dog before rating the other.
+
+   253. "Finder" not to advance, even if _passed_ by other Dog.
+
+   254. The "Backer" should "down charge."
+
+   255. Dog when pointing never to "down charge;" how taught.
+
+
+   CHAPTER XIII.--619.
+
+   HINTS TO PURCHASERS. SHEEP KILLING.
+
+   256. The "back" being taught, young Dog again hunted alone.
+
+   257. Breakers hunt too many together. Why injudicious.
+
+   258. One hour's instruction alone, better than a day's in
+   company.
+
+   259. Case in point.
+
+   260. Rushing in to "dead," how cured.
+
+   261. Dogs shot over "single-handed." Jealousy decreases with
+   intimacy. Independence and self-reliance, how imparted.
+
+   262. Best Dogs; summary of rules for making, concisely given.
+   The best will make mistakes.
+
+   263. Dog that always ran riot when out of sight.
+
+   264. Killing sheep; cure attempted.
+
+   265. Another plan.
+
+   266, 267. Third attempt at remedy.
+
+   267. Muzzle Dog likely to worry Sheep.
+
+   268. Killing Fowls; the cure.
+
+
+   CHAPTER XIV.--628.
+
+   DISTINGUISHING WHISTLES. "BACKING" THE GUN. RETREAT FROM AND
+   RESUMPTION OF POINT. RANGE UNACCOMPANIED BY GUN. HEADING
+   RUNNING BIRDS.
+
+   271. A distinguishing whistle for each Dog; disadvantage of
+   employing but one whistle for several Dogs; supposed case.
+
+   272. Another case.
+
+   273. Third case.
+
+   274. Dissimilar whistles, or distinct notes on one whistle.
+
+   275. General rule for whistling
+
+   276. Dog to back the Gun; how taught; it creates caution.
+
+   277. Advantage of Dog backing the Gun.
+
+   278. American Wood-Duck.
+
+   279. Dog to retreat from point and resume it.
+
+   280. How taught.
+
+   281. Shows Dog object for which he is hunted.
+
+   282. Not taught too early.
+
+   283. Dog's consciousness of its object.
+
+   284. Dog to hunt from leeward to windward, unaccompanied by
+   Gun; how taught.
+
+   285. A _careful_ Dog running down wind would not spring
+   Birds.
+
+   286. The great advantages of the accomplishment.
+
+   287. Dog to head running Birds; could be taught.
+
+   288. How Dog taught to hunt "unaccompanied by Gun."
+
+   289. The accomplishment taught by "lifting;" not commenced
+   first season.
+
+   290. Could be taught as easily as Shepherds' collies are
+   instructed.
+
+   291. Particularly useful where the red-legged Partridge is
+   found.
+
+
+   CHAPTER XV.--638.
+
+   SETTER TO RETRIEVE. BLOODHOUNDS. RETRIEVERS TO "BEAT."
+   WOUNDED WILD FOWL RETRIEVED FIRST.
+
+   292. Setter to retrieve; obtain thereby in one Dog the
+   services of two; necessity of having some Dog that retrieves.
+
+   293. Predilection for Setters confessed; Reasons given.
+
+   294. One Dog only to retrieve.
+
+   295. Let "retrieving" be done by "Finder."
+
+   296. Seeking Dead with two Dogs; Winged Bird searched for in
+   direction of covey's flight.
+
+   297. Scent differs of wounded and unwounded Birds.
+
+   298. Three dead Snipe lifted in succession; Setter that stood
+   fresh Birds while carrying a dead one; Pointer that pointed
+   Partridge while carrying a Hare; Retriever refusing to
+   relinquish chase of wounded Hare.
+
+   299. Injudiciousness of _retrieving_ Setter pointing dead.
+
+   300. Argument against employing retrieving Setters holds
+   against using regular Retrievers.
+
+   301. Regular Retrievers to beat; its advantages; one Dog does
+   the duty of two.
+
+   302. Water Retrievers, or Water Spaniels, to retrieve
+   crippled before picking up dead Wild Fowl; how taught.
+
+   303. None of these accomplishments so difficult to teach as a
+   good range.
+
+   304. Might be taught by your Gamekeeper, but not to be
+   expected of regular Breaker.
+
+[Illustration: COCKERS.--BUTLER AND BRISK.]
+
+
+
+
+
+DOG-BREAKING.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. QUALIFICATIONS, IN BREAKER--IN DOG.
+
+
+1. Dog-breaking, so far from there being any mystery in it, is an art
+easily acquired when it is commenced and continued on rational principles.
+
+2. I think you will be convinced of this if you will have the patience to
+follow me, whilst I endeavor to explain what, I am satisfied, is the most
+certain and rapid method of breaking in your dogs, whether you require
+great proficiency in them, or are contented with an inferior education. No
+quicker system has yet been devised, however humble the education may be.
+The education in fact of the peasant, and that of the future double-first
+collegian, begin and proceed on the same principle. You know your own
+circumstances, and you must yourself determine what time you choose to
+devote to them; and, as a consequence, the degree of excellence to which
+you aspire. I can only assure you of my firm conviction, that no other
+means will enable you to gain your object so quickly, and I speak with a
+confidence derived from long experience in many parts of the world, on a
+subject that was, for several years, my great hobby.[2]
+
+3. Every writer is presumed to take some interest in his reader; I
+therefore feel privileged to address you as a friend, and will commence my
+lecture by strongly recommending, that, if your occupations will allow it,
+you take earnestly and heartily to educating your dogs yourself. If you
+possess temper and some judgment, and will implicitly attend to my advice,
+I will go bail for your success, and, much as you may now love shooting,
+you will then like it infinitely more. Try the plan I recommend, and I
+will guarantee that the Pointer or Setter Pup which I will, for example
+sake, suppose to be now in your kennel, shall be a better dog by the end
+of next season--I mean a more killing dog--than probably any you ever yet
+shot over.
+
+4. Possibly you will urge, that you are unable to spare the time which I
+consider necessary for giving him a high education--brief as that time is,
+compared with the many, many months wasted in the tedious methods usually
+employed--and that you must, perforce, content yourself with humbler
+qualifications. Be it so, I can only condole with you, for in your case
+this may be partly true; mind, I only say _partly_ true. But how a man of
+property, who keeps a regular gamekeeper, can be satisfied with the
+disorderly, disobedient troop to which he often shoots, I cannot
+understand. Where the gamekeeper is permitted to accompany his master in
+the field, and hunt the dogs himself, there can be no valid excuse for the
+deficiency in their education. The deficiency must arise either from the
+incapacity, or from the idleness of the keeper.
+
+5. Unlike most other arts, dog-breaking does not require much experience;
+but such a knowledge of dogs, as will enable you to discriminate between
+their different tempers and dispositions, I had almost said
+characters--and they vary greatly--is very advantageous. Some require
+constant encouragement; some you must never beat; whilst, to gain the
+required ascendancy over others, the whip must be occasionally employed.
+Nor is it necessary that the instructor should be a very good shot; which
+probably is a more fortunate circumstance for me than for you. It should
+even be received as a principle that birds ought to be now and then missed
+to young dogs, lest some day, if your nerves happen to be out of order, or
+a cockney companion be harmlessly blazing away, your dog take it into his
+head and heels to run home in disgust, as I have seen a bitch, called
+Countess, do more than once, in Haddingtonshire.
+
+6. The chief requisites in a breaker are:--Firstly, command of temper,
+that he may never be betrayed into giving one unnecessary blow, for with
+dogs, as with horses, no work is so well done as that which is done
+cheerfully; secondly, consistency, that in the exhilaration of his
+spirits, or in his eagerness to secure a bird, he may not permit a fault
+to pass unreproved, I do not say _unpunished_, which at a less exciting
+moment he would have noticed--and that, on the other hand, he may not
+correct a dog the more harshly because the shot has been missed, or the
+game lost; and lastly, the exercise of a little reflection, to enable him
+to judge what meaning an unreasonable animal is likely to attach to every
+word and sign, nay to every look.
+
+7. With the coarsest tackle, and worst flies, trout can be taken in
+unflogged waters, while it requires much science, and the finest gut, to
+kill persecuted fish. It is the same in shooting. With almost any
+sporting-dog game can be killed early in the season, when the birds lie
+like stones, and the dog can get within a few yards of them; but you will
+require one highly broken to obtain many shots when they are wild. Then
+any incautious approach of the dog, or any noise, would flush the game,
+and your own experience will tell you that nothing so soon puts birds on
+the run, and makes them so ready to take flight, as the sound of the human
+voice, especially now-a-days, when farmers generally prefer the scythe to
+the sickle, and clean husbandry, large fields, and trim narrow
+hedges--affording no shelter from wet--have forced the partridge--a
+_short-winged_[3] bird--unwillingly to seek protection, when arrived at
+maturity, in ready flight rather than in concealment. Even the report of a
+gun does not so much alarm them as the command, "Toho," or "Down charge,"
+usually too, as if to make matters worse, hallooed to the extent of the
+breaker's lungs. There are anglers who recommend silence as conducive to
+success, and there are no experienced sportsmen who do not acknowledge its
+great value in shooting. Rate or beat a dog at one end of a field, and the
+birds at the other will lift their heads, become uneasy, and be ready to
+take wing the moment you get near them. "Penn," in his clever maxims on
+Angling and Chess, observes to this effect, "if you wish to see the fish,
+do not let him see you;" and with respect to shooting, we may as truly
+say, "if you wish birds to hear your gun, do not let them hear your
+voice." Even a loud whistle disturbs them. Mr. O----t of C----e says a
+gamekeeper's motto ought to be,--"No whistling--no whipping--no noise,
+when master goes out for sport."
+
+8. These observations lead unavoidably to the inference, that no dog can
+be considered perfectly broken, that does not make his point when first he
+feels assured of the presence of game, and remain stationary _where he
+makes it_, until urged on by you to draw nearer--that does not, as a
+matter of course, lie down without any word of command the moment you have
+fired, and afterwards perseveringly seek for the dead bird in the
+direction you may point out--and all this without your once having
+occasion to speak, more than to say in a low voice, "Find," when he gets
+near the dead bird, as will be hereafter explained. Moreover, it must be
+obvious that he risks leaving game behind him if he does not hunt every
+part of a field, and, on the other hand, that he wastes your time and his
+strength, if he travels twice over the same ground, nay, over any ground
+which his powers of scent have already reached. Of course I am now
+speaking of a dog hunted without a companion to share his labors.
+
+9. You may say, "How is all this, which sounds so well in theory, to be
+obtained in practice without great severity?" Believe me, with severity it
+never can be attained. If flogging would make a dog perfect, few would be
+found unbroken in England or Scotland, and scarcely one in Ireland.
+
+10. Astley's method was to give each horse his preparatory lessons alone,
+and when there was no noise or anything to divert his attention from his
+instructor. If the horse was interrupted during the lesson, or his
+attention in any way withdrawn, he was dismissed for that day. When
+perfect in certain lessons by himself, he was associated with other horses
+whose education was further advanced. And it was the practice of that
+great master to reward his horses with slices of carrot or apple when they
+performed well.
+
+11. Astley may give us a useful hint in our far easier task of
+dog-breaking. We see that he endeavored by kindness and patience to make
+the horse thoroughly comprehend the meaning of certain words and signals
+before he allowed him any companion. So ought you, by what may be termed
+"initiatory lessons," to make your young dog perfectly understand the
+meaning of certain words and signs before you hunt him in the company of
+another dog--nay, before you hunt him at all; and, in pursuance of
+Astley's plan, you ought to give these lessons when you are alone with the
+dog, and his attention is not likely to be withdrawn to other matters.
+Give them, also, when he is fasting, as his faculties will then be
+clearer, and he will be more eager to obtain any rewards of biscuit or
+other food.
+
+12. Be assured that by a consistent adherence to the simple rules which I
+will explain, you can obtain the perfection I have described, 8, with more
+ease and expedition than you probably imagine to be practicable; and, if
+you will zealously follow my advice, I promise, that, instead of having to
+give up your shooting in September--for I am supposing you to be in
+England--while you break in your pup, you shall then be able to take him
+into the field, provided he is tolerably well bred and well disposed,
+perfectly obedient; and, except that he will not have a well-confirmed,
+judicious range, almost perfectly made; at least so far made, that he will
+only commit such faults as naturally arise from want of experience. Let me
+remind you also that the keep of dogs is expensive, and supplies an
+argument for making them earn their bread by hunting to a _useful_ purpose
+so soon as they are of an age to work without injury to their
+constitution. Time, moreover, is valuable to us all, or most of us fancy
+it is. Surely, then, that system of education is best which imparts the
+most expeditiously the required degree of knowledge.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[2] It may be satisfactory to others to know the opinion of so undeniable
+an authority as Colonel Hawker. The Colonel, in the Tenth Edition of his
+invaluable Book on Shooting, writes--page 285--"Since the publication of
+the last edition, Lieut.-Col. Hutchinson's valuable work on 'Dog-breaking'
+has appeared. It is a perfect _vade mecum_ for both Sportsmen and Keeper,
+and I have great pleasure in giving a cordial welcome to a work which so
+ably supplies my own deficiencies."
+
+[3] The American Quail so closely resembles the English partridge in all
+its habits, except that it takes to covert in large woodlands, and
+occasionally _trees_, that all the rules of hunting and beating for it,
+shooting it, and breaking dogs for its pursuit, are entirely
+identical.--H.W.H.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+INITIATORY LESSONS WITHIN DOORS. SHOOTING PONIES.
+
+
+13. It is seldom of any advantage to a dog to have more than one
+instructor. The methods of teaching may be the same; but there will be a
+difference in the tone of voice and in the manner that will more or less
+puzzle the learner, and retard rather than advance his education. If,
+therefore, you resolve to break in your dog, do it entirely yourself; let
+no one interfere with you.
+
+14. As a general rule, let his education begin when he is about six or
+seven months old[4]--although I allow that some dogs are more precocious
+than others, and bitches always more forward than dogs--but it ought to be
+nearly completed before he is shown a bird (111). A quarter of an hour's
+daily in-door training--called by the Germans "house-breaking"--for three
+or four weeks will effect more than a month's constant hunting without
+preliminary tuition.
+
+15. Never take your young dog out of doors for instruction, until he has
+learnt to know and obey the several words of command which you intend to
+give him in the field, and is well acquainted with all the signs which you
+will have occasion to make to him with your arms. These are what may be
+called the initiatory lessons.
+
+16. Think a moment, and you will see the importance of this preliminary
+instruction, though rarely imparted. Why should it be imagined that at the
+precise moment when a young dog is enraptured with the first sniff of
+game, he is, by some mysterious unaccountable instinct, to understand the
+meaning of the word "Toho?" Why should he not conceive it to be a word of
+encouragement to rush in upon the game, as he probably longs to do;
+especially if it is a partridge fluttering before him, in the sagacious
+endeavor to lure him from her brood, or a hare enticingly cantering off
+from under his nose? There are breakers who would correct him for not
+intuitively comprehending and obeying the "Toho," roared out with
+stentorian lungs; though, it is obvious, the youngster, from having had no
+previous instruction, could have no better reason for understanding its
+import than the watch-dog chained up in the adjacent farm-yard. Again he
+hears the word "Toho"--again followed by another licking, accompanied
+perhaps by the long lecture, "Ware springing birds, will you?" The word
+"Toho" then begins to assume a most awful character; he naturally connects
+it with the finding of game, and not understanding a syllable of the
+lecture, lest he should a third time hear it, and get a third drubbing, he
+judges it most prudent, unless he is a dog of very high courage, when next
+aware of the presence of birds, to come in to heel; and thus he commences
+to be a blinker, thanks to the sagacity and intelligence of his tutor. I
+do not speak of all professional dog-breakers,--far from it. Many are
+fully sensible that comprehension of orders must necessarily precede all
+but accidental obedience. I am only thinking of some whom it has been my
+misfortune to see, and who have many a time made my blood boil at their
+brutal usage of a fine high-couraged young dog. Men who had a strong arm
+and hard heart to punish--but no temper and no head to instruct.
+
+17. So long as you are a bachelor, you can make a companion of your dog,
+without incurring the danger of his being spoilt by your wife and
+children; the more, by-the-bye, he is your own companion and nobody else's
+the better: and it is a fact, though you may smile at the assertion, that
+all the initiatory lessons can be, and can best be inculcated in your own
+breakfast-room.
+
+18. Follow Astley's plan. Let no one be present to distract the dog's
+attention. Call him to you by the whistle you propose always using in the
+field. Tie a slight cord a few yards long to his collar. Throw him a small
+piece of toast or meat, saying at the time, "Dead, dead." Do this several
+times, chucking it into different parts of the room, and let him eat what
+he finds. Then throw a piece, always as you do so saying, "Dead," and the
+moment he gets close to it, check him by jerking the cord, at the same
+time saying, "Toho," and lifting up your right arm almost perpendicularly.
+By pressing on the cord with your foot, you can restrain him as long as
+you please. Do not let him take what you have thrown until you give him
+the encouraging word, "On," accompanied by a forward movement of the right
+arm and hand, somewhat similar to the swing of an under-hand bowler at
+cricket.
+
+19. Let all your commands be given in a low voice. Consider that in the
+field, where you are anxious not to alarm the birds unnecessarily, your
+words must reach your dogs' ears more or less softened by distance, and,
+if their influence depends on loudness, they will have the least effect
+at the very moment when you wish them to have the most. For the same
+reason, in the initiatory lessons, be careful not to whistle loudly.
+
+20. After a few trials with the checkcord, you will find yourself enabled,
+without touching it, and merely by using the word "Toho," to prevent his
+seizing the toast or meat, until you say "On," or give him the forward
+signal. When he gets yet more perfect in his lesson, raising your right
+arm only, without employing your voice, will be sufficient, especially if
+you have gradually accustomed him to hear you speak less and less loudly.
+If he draw towards the bread before he has obtained leave, jerk the cord,
+and _drag him back to the spot from which he stirred_. He is not to quit
+it until you order him, occupy yourself as you may. Move about, and
+occasionally go from him, as far as you can, before you give the command
+"On." This will make him less unwilling hereafter to continue steady at
+his point while you are taking a circuit to head him, and so get wild
+birds between him and your gun,--179, 196. The signal for his advancing,
+when you are facing him, is the "beckon"--see 33.
+
+21. At odd times let him take the bread the moment you throw it, that his
+eagerness to rush forward to seize it may be continued, only to be
+instantly restrained at your command.
+
+22. Your _left_ arm raised perpendicularly, in a similar manner, should
+make the young dog lie down. Call out "Drop," when so holding up the left
+hand, and press him down with the other until he assumes a crouching
+position. If you study beauty of attitude, his fore-legs should be
+extended and his head rest between them. Make him lie well down,
+occasionally walking round and round him, gradually increasing the size of
+the circle--your eyes on his. Do not let him raise himself to a sitting
+posture. If you do, he will have the greater inclination hereafter to move
+about: _especially when you want to catch him in order to chide or correct
+him_. A stop is all you require for the "Toho," and you would prefer his
+standing to his point, rather than his lying down,[5] as you then would
+run less risk of losing sight of him in cover, heather, or high turnips,
+&c. Setters, however, naturally crouch so much more than Pointers, that
+you will often not be able to prevent their "falling" when they are close
+to game. Indeed, I have heard some sportsmen argue in favor of a dog's
+dropping, "that it rested him." An advantage, in my opinion, in no way
+commensurate with the inconvenience that often attends the practice.
+
+23. If you are satisfied with teaching him in a slovenly manner, you can
+employ your right arm both for the "Toho" and "Drop;" but that is not
+quite correct, for the former is a natural stop--being the pause to
+determine exactly where the game is lying, preparatory to rushing in to
+seize it--which you prolong by art,[6] whilst the other is wholly opposed
+to nature. The one affords him great delight, especially when, from
+experience, he has learnt well its object: the latter is always irksome.
+Nevertheless, it must be firmly established. It is the triumph of your
+art. It ensures future obedience. But it cannot be effectually taught
+without creating more or less awe, and it should create awe. It is
+obvious, therefore, that it must be advantageous to make a distinction
+between the two signals--especially with a timid dog--for he will not then
+be so likely to blink on seeing you raise your right hand when he is
+drawing upon game. Nevertheless, there are breakers so unreasonable as not
+only to make that one signal, but the one word "Drop," or rather "Down,"
+answer both for the order to point, and the order to crouch! How can such
+tuition serve to enlarge a dog's ideas?
+
+24. To perfect him in the "Down," that difficult part of his
+education,--difficult, because it is unnatural,--practise it in your
+walks. At very uncertain, unexpected times catch his eye, having
+previously stealthily taken hold of the checkcord--a long, light one, or a
+whistle to call his attention, and then hold up your left arm. If he does
+not _instantly_ drop, jerk the checkcord violently, and, as before, drag
+him back to the exact spot where he should have crouched down. Admit of no
+compromise. You must have _implicit_, _unhesitating_, _instant_ obedience.
+When you quit him, he must not be allowed to crawl _an inch_ after you. If
+he attempt it, drive a spike into the ground, and attach the end of the
+checkcord to it, allowing the line to be slack; then leave him quickly,
+and on his running after you he will be brought up with a sudden jerk. So
+much the better; it will slightly alarm him. As before, take him back to
+the precise place he quitted--do this invariably, though he may have
+scarcely moved. There make him again "Drop"--always observing to jerk the
+cord at the moment you give the command. After a few trials of this
+tethering, say less than a dozen, he will be certain to lie down steadily,
+until you give the proper order or a signal--20--let you run away, or do
+what you may to excite him to move. One great advantage of frequently
+repeating this lesson, and thus teaching it _thoroughly_, is that your dog
+will hereafter always feel, more or less, in subjection whenever the cord
+is fastened to his collar. He must be brought to instantly obey the
+signal, even at the extreme limit of his beat.
+
+25. Most probably he will not at first rise when he is desired. There is
+no harm in that--a due sense of the inutility of non-compliance with the
+order of "Drop," and a wholesome dread of the attendant penalty, will be
+advantageous. Go up to him--pat him--and lead him for some paces, "making
+much of him," as they say in the cavalry. Dogs which are over-headstrong
+and resolute can only be brought under satisfactory command by this lesson
+being indelibly implanted--and I think a master before he allows the
+keeper to take a pup into the field to show him game, should insist upon
+having ocular demonstration that he is perfect in the "Drop."
+
+26. When he is well confirmed in this all-important lesson, obeying
+implicitly, yet cheerfully, you may, whilst he is lying down--in order to
+teach him the "down charge"--go through the motions of loading, on no
+account permitting him to stir until you give him the forward signal, or
+say, "On." After a few times you may fire off a copper cap, and then a
+little powder, but be very careful not to alarm him. Until your dog is
+quite reconciled to the report of a gun, never take him up to any one who
+may be firing. I have, however, known of puppies being familiarized to the
+sound, by being at first kept at a considerable distance from the party
+firing, and then gradually and by slow degrees brought nearer. This can
+easily be managed at a rifle or pigeon match, and the companionship of a
+made-dog would much expedite matters. Whenever, in the lessons, your young
+dog has behaved steadily and well, give him a reward. Do not throw it to
+him: let him take it from your hands. It will assist in making him
+tender-mouthed, and in attaching him to you.
+
+27. In some cavalry regiments in India, the feeding-time is denoted by the
+firing off of a pistol. This soon changes a young horse's first dread of
+the report into eager, joyous expectation. You might, if you did not
+dislike the trouble, in a similar manner, soon make your pup regard the
+report of a gun as the gratifying summons to his dinner, but coupled with
+the understanding that, as a preliminary step, he is to crouch the instant
+he hears the sound. After a little perseverance you would so well succeed,
+that you would not be obliged even to raise your hand. If habituated to
+wait patiently at the "drop," however hungry he may be, before he is
+permitted to taste his food, it is reasonable to think he will remain at
+the "down charge," yet more patiently before he is allowed to "seek dead."
+
+28. If your pupil is unusually timid, and you cannot banish his alarm on
+hearing the gun, couple him to another dog which has no such foolish
+fears, and will steadily "down charge." The confidence of the one will
+impart confidence to the other. Fear and joy are feelings yet more
+contagious in animals than in man. It is the visible, joyous animation of
+the old horses, that so quickly reconciles the cavalry colt to the sound
+of the "feeding-pistol."
+
+29. A keeper who had several dogs to break, would find the advantage of
+pursuing the cavalry plan just noticed. Indeed, he might extend it still
+further, by having his principal in-door drill at feeding-time, and by
+enforcing, but in minuter details, that kennel discipline which has
+brought many a pack of hounds to marvellous obedience. He should place the
+food in different parts of the yard. He should have a short checkcord on
+all his pupils; and, after going slowly through the motions of loading
+(the dogs having regularly "down-charged" on the report of the gun), he
+should call each separately by name, and by signals of the hand send them
+successively to different, but designated feeding-troughs.[7] He might
+then call a dog to him which had commenced eating, and after a short
+abstinence, make him go to another trough. He might bring two to his heels
+and make them change troughs, and so vary the lesson, that, in a short
+time, with the aid of the checkcords, he would have them under such
+complete command that they would afterwards give him comparatively but
+little trouble in the field. As they became more and more submissive he
+would gradually retire further and further, so as, at length, to have his
+orders obeyed when at a considerable distance from his pupils. The small
+portion of time these lessons would occupy compared with their valuable
+results should warn him most forcibly not to neglect them.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[4] But from his very infancy you ought not to have allowed him to be
+disobedient. You should have made him know--which he will do nearly
+intuitively--that a whip can punish him, though he ought never to have
+_suffered_ from it. I have heard of pups only four months old being made
+quite _au fait_ to the preliminary drill here recommended. This early
+exercise of their intelligence and observation must have benefited them.
+The questionable point is the unnecessary consumption of the instructor's
+time.
+
+[5] This is one reason for giving initiatory lessons in the "Toho" before
+the "Drop." Another is that the dog may acquire the "Toho" before he has
+run the chance of being cowed in learning the "Drop." If the latter were
+taught first, he might confound the "Toho" with it.
+
+[6] I know of a young man's reading the first edition of this book, and
+taking it into his head to teach his Terrier to point according to the
+method just recommended. He succeeded perfectly. Some Terriers have been
+made very useful for cover shooting.
+
+[7] There is often such a similarity in the names of hounds, that a person
+cannot but be much struck, who for the first time sees them go to their
+meals, one by one as they are called.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+INITIATORY LESSONS CONTINUED. SPANIELS.
+
+
+30. When your young dog is tolerably well advanced in the lessons which
+you have been advised to practise, hide a piece of bread or biscuit. Say
+"Dead, dead." Call him to you. (40.) Let him remain by you for nearly a
+minute or two. Then say "Find," or "Seek." Accompany him in his search. By
+your actions and gestures make him fancy you are yourself looking about
+for something, for dogs are observing, one might say, imitative,
+creatures.[8] Stoop and move your right hand to and fro near the ground.
+Contrive that he shall come upon the bread, and reward him by permitting
+him to eat it.
+
+31. After a little time--a few days I mean--he will show the greatest
+eagerness on your saying, at any unexpected moment, "Dead." He will
+connect the word with the idea that there is something very desirable
+concealed near him, and he will be all impatience to be off and find it;
+_but make him first come to you_--for reason, see 182.--Keep him half a
+minute.--Then say "Find," and, without your accompanying him, he will
+search for what you have previously hidden. Always let him be encouraged
+to perseverance by discovering something acceptable.
+
+32. Unseen by him, place the rewards--one at a time--in different parts of
+the room,--under the rug or carpet, and more frequently on a chair, a
+table, or a low shelf. He will be at a loss in what part of the room to
+search. Assist him by a motion of your arm and hand. A wave of the right
+arm and hand to the right, will soon show him that he is to hunt to the
+right, as he will find there. The corresponding wave of the left hand and
+arm to the left, will explain to him, that he is to make a cast to the
+left. The underhand bowler's swing of the right hand and arm, will show
+that he is to hunt in a forward direction.[9] Your occasionally throwing
+the delicacy--in the direction you wish him to take,--whilst waving your
+hand, will aid in making him comprehend the signal. You may have noticed
+how well, by watching the action of a boy's arm, his little cur judges
+towards what point to run for the expected stone.
+
+33. When the hidden object is near you, but between you and the dog, make
+him come towards you to seek for it, beckoning him with your right hand.
+When he is at a distance at the "Drop," if you are accustomed to
+recompense him for good behavior, you can employ this signal to make him
+rise and run towards you for his reward--and according to my judgment he
+should always join you after the "down charge,"--184. By these means you
+will thus familiarize him with a very useful signal; for that signal will
+cause him to approach you in the field, when you have made a circuit to
+head him at his point--knowing that birds will then be lying somewhere
+between you and him--and want him to draw nearer to the birds and you, to
+show you exactly where they are. This some may call a superfluous
+refinement, but I hope _you_ will consider it a very killing
+accomplishment, and, being easily taught, it were a pity to neglect it.
+When a Setter is employed in cock-shooting, the advantage of using this
+signal is very apparent. While the dog is steadily pointing, it enables
+the sportsman to look for a favorable opening, and, when he has posted
+himself to his satisfaction, to sign to the Setter--or if out of sight to
+tell him--to advance and flush the bird: when, should the sportsman have
+selected his position with judgment, he will generally get a shot. I have
+seen this method very successfully adopted in America, where the forests
+are usually so dense that cocks are only found on the outskirts in the
+underwood.
+
+34. After a little time he will regularly look to you for directions.
+Encourage him to do so; it will make him hereafter, when he is in the
+field, desirous of hunting under your eye, and induce him to look to you,
+in a similar manner, for instructions in what direction he is to search
+for game. Observe how a child watches its mother's eye; so will a dog
+watch yours, when he becomes interested in your movements, and finds that
+you frequently notice him.
+
+35. Occasionally, when he approaches any of the spots where the bread lies
+hidden, say "Care," and slightly raise your right hand. He will quickly
+consider this word, or signal, as an intimation that he is near the object
+of his search.
+
+36. Never deceive him in any of these words and signs, and never
+disappoint him of the expected reward. Praise and caress him for good
+conduct; rate him for bad. Make it a rule throughout the whole course of
+his education, out of doors as fully as within, to act upon this system.
+You will find that caresses and substantial rewards are far greater
+incentives to exertion than any fears of punishment.
+
+37. Your pup having become a tolerable proficient in these lessons, you
+may beneficially extend them by employing the word "Up," as a command that
+he is to sniff high in the air to find the hidden bread or meat, lying,
+say on a shelf, or on the back of a sofa. He will, comparatively speaking,
+be some time in acquiring a knowledge of the meaning of the word, and many
+would probably term it an over-refinement in canine education; but I must
+own I think you will act judiciously if you teach it perfectly in the
+initiatory lessons; for the word "Up," if well understood, will frequently
+save your putting on the puzzle-peg. For this you might be tempted to
+employ, should your dog be acquiring the execrable habit of "raking," as
+it is termed, instead of searching for the delicious effluvia with his
+nose carried high in the air.
+
+38. Whenever birds can be sought for in the wind, the dog should thus hunt
+the field--and the higher he carries his nose the better--for,
+independently of the far greater chance of finding them, they will allow
+the dog to come much nearer than when he approaches them by the foot: but
+of this more anon.
+
+39. Setters and Pointers naturally hunt with their noses sufficiently
+close to the ground--they want elevating rather than depressing.
+Notwithstanding, you will do well to show your pupil a few times out of
+doors how to work out a scent, by dragging a piece of bread unperceived by
+him _down wind_ through grass, and then letting him "foot" it out. Try him
+for a few yards at first; you can gradually increase the length of the
+drag. You must not, however, practise this initiatory lesson too
+frequently, lest you give him the wretched custom of pottering.
+
+40. The word "Heel," and a backward low wave of the right hand and arm to
+the rear--the reverse of the underhand cricket-bowler's swing--will, after
+a few times, bring the dog close behind you. Keep him there a while and
+pat him, but do not otherwise reward him. The object of the order was to
+make him instantly give up hunting, and come to your heels. This signal
+cannot be substituted for the "beckon." The one is an order always obeyed
+with reluctance--being a command to leave off hunting--whereas the
+"beckon" is merely an instruction in what direction to beat, and will be
+attended to with delight. The signal "heel," however, when given
+immediately after loading, is an exception; for the instructions about
+"Dead" in xi. of 141, will show that without your speaking it may be made
+to impart the gratifying intelligence of your having killed. See also 190.
+
+41. To teach him to attach a meaning to the word "Gone," or "Away," or
+"Flown,"[10]--select which you will, but do not ring the changes--you may
+now rub a piece of meat--if you have no one but your servant to scold
+you--in some place where the dog is accustomed frequently to find, and
+when he is sniffing at the place say "Gone," or "Away." This he will,
+after some trials, perceive to be an intimation that it is of no use to
+continue hunting for it.
+
+42. You will greatly facilitate his acquiring the meaning of the command
+"Fence," or "Ware-fence," if, from time to time, as he is quitting the
+room through the open door or garden window, you restrain him by calling
+out that word.
+
+43. Whenever, indeed, you wish him to desist from doing anything, call out
+"Ware,"--pronounced "War"--as it will expedite his hereafter understanding
+the terms "Ware sheep," "Ware chase," and "Ware lark." The last expression
+to be used when he is wasting his time upon the scent of anything but
+game--a fault best cured by plenty of birds being killed to him. However,
+the simple word "No," omitting "Chase" or "Fence," might be substituted
+advantageously for "Ware." All you want him to do is to desist from a
+wrong action. That sharp sound--and when necessary it can be clearly
+thundered out--cannot be misunderstood.
+
+44. That your young dog may not hereafter resist the couples, yoke him
+occasionally to a stronger dog, and for the sake of peace, and in the name
+of all that is gallant, let it be to the one of the other sex who appears
+to be the greatest favorite.
+
+45. When he is thus far advanced in his education, and tolerably obedient,
+which he will soon become if you are consistent, and _patient_, _yet
+strict_, you can, in further pursuance of Astley's plan, associate him in
+his lessons with a companion. Should you be breaking in another
+youngster--though one at a time you will probably find quite enough,
+especially if it be your laudable wish to give him hereafter a well
+confirmed scientific range--they can now be brought together for
+instruction. You must expect to witness the same jealousy which they would
+exhibit on the stubble. Both will be anxious to hunt for the bread, and in
+restraining them alternately from so doing, you exact the obedience which
+you will require hereafter in the field, when in their natural eagerness
+they will endeavor, unless you properly control them, to take the point of
+birds from one another; or, in their rivalry, run over the taint of a
+wounded bird, instead of collectedly and perseveringly working out the
+scent. You can throw a bit of toast, and make them "Toho" it, and then let
+the dog you name take it. In the same way you can let each alternately
+search for a hidden piece, after both have come up to you, on your saying
+"Dead." I would also advise you to accustom each dog to "drop," without
+any command from you, the moment he sees that the other is down.
+
+46. Those lessons will almost ensure their hereafter instantly obeying,
+and nearly instantly comprehending the object of the signal to "back" any
+dog which may be pointing game.
+
+47. When you take out two youngsters for exercise, while they are romping
+about, suddenly call one into "heel." After a time again send him off on
+his gambols. Whistle to catch the eye of the other, and signal to him to
+join you. By working them thus alternately, while they are fresh and full
+of spirits, you will habituate them to implicit obedience. When the birds
+are wild, and you are anxious to send a basket of game to a friend, it is
+very satisfactory to be able merely by a sign, without uttering a word, to
+bring the other dogs into "heel," leaving the ground to the careful
+favorite. Teach the present lesson well, and you go far towards attaining
+the desired result.
+
+48. I trust you will not object to the minutiĉ of these initiatory
+lessons, and fancy you have not time to attend to them. By teaching them
+well you will gain time,--much time,--and the time that is of most value
+to you as a sportsman; for when your dog is regularly hunting to your gun
+his every faculty ought to be solely devoted to finding birds, and his
+undisturbed intellects exclusively given to aid you in bagging them,
+instead of being bewildered by an endeavor to comprehend novel signals or
+words of command. I put it to you as a sportsman, whether he will not have
+the more delight and ardor in hunting, the more he feels that he
+understands your instructions? and, further, I ask you, whether he will
+not be the more sensitively alive to the faintest indication of a haunt,
+and more readily follow it up to a sure find, if he be unembarrassed by
+any anxiety to make out what you mean, and be in no way alarmed at the
+consequences of not almost instinctively understanding your wishes?
+
+49. In all these lessons, and those which follow in the field, the
+checkcord will wonderfully assist you. Indeed it may be regarded as the
+instructor's right hand. It can be employed so mildly as not to intimidate
+the most gentle, and it can, without the aid of any whip, be used with
+such severity, or I should rather say perseverance, as to conquer the most
+wild and headstrong, and these are sure to be dogs of the greatest travel
+and endurance. The cord may be from ten to twenty-five[11] yards long,
+according to the animal's disposition, and may be gradually shortened as
+he gets more and more under command. Even when it is first employed you
+can put on a shorter cord if you perceive that he is becoming tired. In
+thick stubble, especially if cut with a sickle, the drag will be greater,
+far greater than when the cord glides over heather. The cord may be of the
+thickness of what some call strong lay-cord, but made of twelve threads.
+Sailors would know it by the name of log-line or cod-line. To save the end
+from fraying it can be whipped with thread, which is better than tying a
+knot, because it is thus less likely to become entangled.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[8] Imitative creatures! who can doubt it? If you make an old dog perform
+a trick several times in the sight of a young one who is watching the
+proceedings, you will be surprised to see how quickly the young one will
+learn the trick, especially if he has seen that the old dog was always
+rewarded for his obedience.
+
+[9] Obedience to all such signals will hereafter be taught out of doors at
+gradually increased distances; and to confirm him in the habit of sniffing
+high in the air (37) for whatever you may then hide, put the bread or meat
+on a stick or bush, but never in a hedge. With the view to his some day
+retrieving, as instanced in 190, it will be your aim to get him not to
+seek immediately, but to watch your signals, until by obeying them you
+will have placed him close to where the object lies, at which precise
+moment you will say energetically "Find," and cease making any further
+signs.
+
+[10] The least comprehensive and logical of the expressions, yet one often
+used. A dog being no critical grammarian, understands it to apply to fur
+as well as feather.
+
+[11] With a resolute, reckless, dashing dog you may advantageously employ
+a _thinner_ cord of double that length,--whereas, the shortest line will
+sometimes prevent a timid animal from ranging freely. By-the-bye, the
+thinner the cord the more readily does it become entangled--as a rule, a
+checkcord cannot be too firmly twisted--a soft one quickly gets knotted
+and troublesome. (See note to 177.)
+
+50. Hunted with such a cord, the most indomitable dog, when he is
+_perfectly obedient to the "drop,"_ is nearly as amenable to command as if
+the end of the line were in the breaker's hand. By no other means can
+
+
+
+
+SPANIELS
+
+be _quickly_ broken in. The general object of the trainer is to restrain
+them from ranging at a distance likely to spring game out of gun-shot, and
+to make them perfect to the "down charge." If one of these high-spirited
+animals will not range close when called to by whistle or name, the
+breaker gets hold of the cord and jerks it; this makes the dog come in a
+few paces; another jerk or two makes him approach closer, and then the
+breaker, by himself retiring with his face towards the spaniel, calling
+out his name--or whistling,--and occasionally jerking the cord, makes him
+quite submissive, and more disposed to obey on future occasions.
+
+51. In training a large team it is of much advantage to the keeper to have
+a lad to rate, and, when necessary, give the skirters a taste of the
+lash--in short, to act as whipper-in. The keeper need not then carry a
+whip, or at least often use it, which will make his spaniels all the more
+willing to hunt close to him.
+
+52. Lord A----r's head gamekeeper was singularly aided--he possessed a
+four-legged whipper-in. Three years since while Mr. D----s--M.P. for a
+South Eastern County--was with a shooting party at his Lordship's, the
+keeper brought into the field a brace of powerful retrievers, and a team
+of spaniels, among which were two that had never been shot over. On the
+first pheasant being killed all the old spaniels dropped to shot, but one
+of the young ones rushed forward and mouthed the bird. The person who had
+fired ran on to save the bird, but the keeper called aloud, and requested
+him not to move. The man then made a signal to one of the retrievers to
+go. He did so instantly, but, instead of meddling with the bird, he seized
+the spaniel, lifted him up, and shook him well. The moment the pup could
+escape he came howling to the "heels" of the keeper, and lay down among
+his companions. The keeper then confessed that a couple of the spaniels
+had never been shot to--but he confidently assured the sportsmen they
+would see before the day was over that the pups behaved fully as steadily
+as the old dogs, and explained to the party how the retriever did all the
+disagreeable work, and indeed nearly relieved him of every trouble in
+breaking in the youngsters. On the next few shots this novel schoolmaster
+was again deputed to show his pupils that he would not allow his special
+duties as a retriever to be interfered with. Both the young dogs, having
+been thus well chastised, became more careful--made only partial rushes to
+the front, when a recollection of their punishment and a dread of their
+four-footed tutor brought them slinking back to their older companions. As
+the keeper had averred, they soon learned their lesson completely--gave up
+all thought of chasing after shot, and quietly crouched down with the
+other dogs.
+
+53. I can easily imagine that it was a feeling of jealousy which first
+prompted the retriever to thrash some spaniel who was endeavoring to carry
+off a bird, and that the clever keeper encouraged him in doing so,
+instantly perceiving the value of such assistance. It is worth a
+consideration whether it would not be advisable to train the retriever
+employed with a team to give this assistance. A dog of a quarrelsome
+disposition could be taught, by your urging him, to seize any spaniel who
+might be mouthing a bird, in the same manner you would set on a young
+terrier to fly at a rat.
+
+54. Doubtless it is the _highest_ training to teach a team to
+"down-charge," but most breakers make their spaniels come into "heel," or
+rather gather close around them--by the word "round"--whenever a gun is
+discharged. This plan, though so injudicious in the case of pointers or
+setters, is but little objectionable in the case of spaniels, for spaniels
+in their small sweep inwards are not likely to spring game while the guns
+are unloaded. It certainly possesses this merit, that it is readily taught
+to puppies--with the aid of a whipper-in--by the trainer's giving them
+some delicacy on their rejoining him. It may be urged too that the method
+much removes any necessity for noise in calling to a dog--whereas, with a
+team trained to the "down-charge," however highly broken, it will
+occasionally happen that the keeper--or assistant--has to rate some
+excited skirter for not instantly "dropping." Moreover, in thick cover, an
+infraction of the irksome rule to "down charge" may sometimes escape
+detection, which might lead to future acts of insubordination. Prince
+Albert's team of Clumbers "down-charge," but the greatest attention is
+paid to them. They are admirably broken, and I may add, are shot over by a
+first-rate hand.
+
+55. When exercising young spaniels it is a good plan to habituate them,
+even as puppies, never to stray further from you than about twenty yards.
+With them, even more than with other kinds of dogs trained for the gun,
+great pains should be taken to prevent their having the opportunity of
+"self-hunting." If it is wished to break from hare, the method to be
+followed is mentioned in 233, &c., for with spaniels as with setters--or
+pointers--it is always advisable to drag them back to the spot from which
+they started in pursuit.
+
+56. Occasionally you may see a country blacksmith when preparing to shoe
+the hind legs of a cart horse that appears disposed to make a disagreeable
+use of his heels, twist the long hair at the end of his tail,--raise the
+foot that is to be shod,--pass the twisted hair round the leg immediately
+above the hock, and by these means press the tendon close to the bone. The
+tail assists in retaining the leg in position, and thus, for the time, the
+limb is rendered powerless. Acting much upon this coercive principle, but
+discarding the aid of the tail, some breakers _slightly_ confine a
+hind-leg of their most unruly spaniels with a soft bandage, shifting it
+from one leg to the other about every hour. Possibly a loop of vulcanized
+india-rubber, being elastic, would best answer the purpose. Restrained in
+this manner a dog is less likely to tumble about, and become injured, than
+if one of his fore legs had been passed through his collar. Other
+breakers, when hunting many couple together, fasten a belt with a few
+pounds of shot round the necks of the wildest. But the sooner such
+adjuncts to discipline can be safely discarded the better; for "brushing"
+a close cover is severe work. Gorse is the most trying[12]. Its prickles
+are so numerous and fine that the ears and eyes of every spaniel hunted
+in it ought to be separately examined on returning home, and well bathed
+in warm water. Their eyes are peculiarly liable to be injured by dust and
+gravel from their hunting so close to the ground.
+
+57. To give young spaniels sufficient courage to face the most entangled
+cover, a judicious trainer will occasionally introduce them to thick
+brakes, or gorse, early in the morning, or in the evening, when the noise
+of his approach will have made the pheasants feeding in the neighborhood
+run far into it for shelter. The effluvia of the birds will then so excite
+the young dogs, especially if cheered with good companionship--which
+always creates emulation--that they will utterly disregard the pricks and
+scratches of the strongest furze.
+
+58. If the time of year will permit, they should be shown game when about
+nine or ten months old. At a more advanced age they would be less amenable
+to control. Happily the example of a riotous pup will not be as
+detrimental to the discipline of the rest of the team as the example of an
+ill-conducted companion would be to a pointer--or setter--for the
+influence of thoroughly steady spaniels makes the pup curtail his range
+sooner than might be expected. Finding that he is not followed by his
+associates he soon rejoins them.
+
+59. A judicious breaker will regard perfection in the "drop"--22 to
+25--as the main-spring of his educational system. He will teach his young
+spaniels to "seek dead"--30, 31, 39--where directed by signs of the hand.
+He will instruct them in "fetching"--92, 94. &c.--with the view to some of
+them hereafter retrieving. He will accustom them to hunt hedge-rows, and
+light open copses--because always under his eye--before taking them into
+closer cover. Nor until they are under some command, and well weaned from
+noticing vermin and small birds, will he allow them to enter gorse or
+strong thickets, and then he will never neglect--though probably he will
+have used them before--to attach bells of _different sounds_ to the
+collars of his several pupils--one to each--so that his ear may at all
+times detect any truant straying beyond bounds, and thus enable him to
+rate the delinquent by name. In this manner he establishes the useful
+feeling elsewhere spoken of--262--that whether he be within or out of
+sight he is equally aware of every impropriety that is committed.
+
+60. Young spaniels, when they have been steadily broken in not to hunt too
+far ahead on the instructor's side of the hedge, may be permitted to beat
+on the other--and this when only one person is shooting is generally their
+most useful position, for they are thus more likely to drive the game
+towards the gun.
+
+61. If a keeper is hunting the team, while you and a friend are beating
+narrow belts or strips of wood, should you and he be placed, as is usual,
+on the outside, a little ahead of the keeper--one to his right, the other
+to his left--you would much aid him in preventing the young spaniels from
+ranging wildly were you to turn your face towards him whenever you saw any
+of them getting too far in advance, for they will watch the guns as much
+as they will him.
+
+62. Among spaniels the great advantage of age and experience is more
+apparent than in partridge-dogs. A young spaniel cannot keep to a
+pheasant's tail like an old one. He may push the bird for forty or fifty
+yards if judiciously managed. After that he is almost sure from impatience
+either to lose it, or rush in and flush out of shot, whereas an old
+cocker, who has had much game shot over him, is frequently knowing enough
+to slacken his pace, instead of increasing it, when he first touches on
+birds, apparently quite sensible that he ought to give the gun time to
+approach before he presses to a flush.
+
+63. Even good spaniels, however well bred, if they have not had great
+experience, generally road too fast. Undeniably they are difficult animals
+to educate, and it requires much watchfulness, perseverance, and attention
+at an early age, so to break in a team of young ones that they shall keep
+within gun range without your being compelled to halloo or whistle to
+them. But some few are yet more highly trained.
+
+64. Mr. N----n, when in France, had a lively, intelligent, liver and white
+cocker which would work busily all day long within gun-shot; and which
+possessed the singular accomplishment of steadily pointing all game that
+lay well, and of not rushing in until the sportsman had come close to him.
+But this is a case of high breaking more curious than useful, for spaniels
+are essentially _springers_, not _pointers_, and the little animal must
+frequently have been lost sight of in cover. Our grandfathers used to
+apply the term springers solely to large spaniels--never to the Duke of
+Marlborough's small breed, which was greatly prized.
+
+65. A dog is generally most attached to that description of sport, and
+soonest recognises the scent of that game, to which he has principally
+been accustomed in youth. He will through life hunt most diligently where
+he first had the delight of often finding. The utility therefore is
+obvious of introducing spaniels at an early age to close covers and
+hedge-rows, and setters and pointers to heather and stubble.
+
+66. In spaniels, feathered sterns and long ears are much admired, but
+obviously the latter must suffer in thick underwood. The chief requisite
+in all kinds of spaniels, is, that they be good finders, and have noses so
+true that they will never overrun a scent. Should they do so when footing
+an old cock[13] pheasant, the chances are that he will double back on the
+exact line by which he came. They should be high-mettled,--as regardless
+of the severest weather as of the most punishing cover, and ever ready to
+spring into the closest thicket the moment a pointed finger gives the
+command.
+
+67. A comprehension of the signal made by the finger--which is far neater
+than the raising of the hand described in 30, but not so quickly
+understood--might with advantage be imparted to all dogs trained for the
+gun, in order to make them hunt close _exactly_ where directed. It is
+usually taught by pointing with the fore-finger of the right hand to
+pieces of biscuit, previously concealed, near easily recognised tufts of
+grass, weeds, &c. It is beautiful to see how correctly, promptly, yet
+quietly, some spaniels will work in every direction thus indicated.
+
+68. Breasting a strong cover with cockers, is more suited to young, than
+to old men. The gun must follow rapidly, and stick close when a dog is on
+the road of feather. A shot will then infallibly be obtained, if a good
+dog be at work; for the more closely a bird is pressed, the hotter gets
+the scent. If a pheasant found in thick cover on marshy ground near
+water--a locality they much like in hot weather--is not closely pushed, he
+will so twist, and turn, and double upon old tracks that none but the most
+experienced dogs will be able to stick to him.
+
+69. The preceding observations respecting spaniels apply to all
+descriptions employed on land-service, whether of the strong kind, the
+Sussex breed and the Clumber, or the smallest cockers, Blenheims and King
+Charles'. But whether they are to be trained not to hunt flick[14]--the
+most difficult part of their tuition, and in which there is generally most
+failure,--and whether they shall be bred to give tongue, or run mute, will
+depend much upon the nature of the country to be hunted, and yet more upon
+the taste of the proprietor. No fixed rules can be given for a sport that
+varies so much as cover-shooting.
+
+70. Of the large kind, most sportsmen will think a couple and a half a
+sufficient number to hunt at a time. Certainly one of them should
+retrieve: and they ought to be well broken in not to notice flick. These
+dogs are most esteemed when they run mute. If they do, they must be hunted
+with bells in very thick cover; but the less bells are employed the
+better, for the tinkling sound, in a greater or smaller degree, annoys all
+game. Such dogs, when good, are very valuable.
+
+71. I once shot over a team of Clumber spaniels belonging to Mr.
+D----z.[15] The breed--the Duke of Newcastle's, taking their name from one
+of his seats--are mostly white with a little lemon color, have large,
+sensible heads, thick, short legs, silky coats, carry their sterns low,
+and hunt perfectly mute. The team kept within twenty or twenty-five yards
+of the keeper, were trained to acknowledge rabbits, as well as all kinds
+of game; and in the country Mr. D----z was then shooting over afforded
+capital sport. One of the spaniels was taught to retrieve. He would follow
+to any distance, and seldom failed to bring. A regular retriever was,
+however, generally taken out with them. Mr. D----z told me that they
+required very judicious management, and encouragement rather than
+severity, as undue whipping soon made them timid. They are of a delicate
+constitution. He rather surprised me by saying that his spaniels from
+working quietly and ranging close,--therefore, alarming the birds
+less,--procured him far more shots in turnips than his pointers; and he
+had three that looked of the right sort. He explained matters, however, by
+telling me that it was his practice to make a circuit round the outskirts
+of a turnip or a potato field before hunting the inner parts. This of
+course greatly tended to prevent the birds breaking. A juvenile sportsman
+would rejoice in the services of the spaniels, for many a rabbit would
+they procure for him without the aid of powder and shot.
+
+72. When Colonel M----, who died in Syria, was stationed with his troop of
+Horse Artillery at Pontefract, he was asked to shoot partridges at Lord
+P----n's seat in Yorkshire. On meeting the gamekeeper, according to
+appointment, he found him surrounded by a team of Clumber spaniels.
+Colonel M----, in some surprise at seeing no setters or pointers, remarked
+that he had expected some _partridge_ shooting. "I know it," answered the
+man, "and I hope to show you some sport." To the inquiry why one of the
+spaniels was muzzled, the keeper said that his master had threatened to
+shoot it should it again give tongue, and, as it possessed a particularly
+fine nose, he--the keeper--was anxious not to lose it. They walked on, and
+soon the man told M---- to be prepared, as the spaniels were feathering. A
+covey rose. The Colonel, who was a good shot, killed right and left. All
+the spaniels dropped instantly. When he was reloading the keeper begged
+him to say which of the dogs should retrieve the game. M---- pointed to a
+broad-headed dog lying in the middle, when the keeper directed by name the
+spaniel so favored to be off. It quickly fetched one of the birds. The
+keeper then asked M---- to choose some other dog to bring the remaining
+bird--a runner. He did so, and the animal he selected to act as retriever
+performed the duty very cleverly; the rest of the team remaining quite
+still, until its return.
+
+The Colonel had capital sport, killing nearly twenty brace, and the dogs
+behaved beautifully throughout the day. When afterwards relating the
+circumstances, he observed that, although an old sportsman, he had seldom
+been so gratified, as it was a novel scene to him, who had not been
+accustomed to shoot over spaniels.
+
+73. Of small cockers, three couple appear ample to form a team. Some teams
+of small springers greatly exceed this number, and many sportsmen shoot
+over more than a couple and a half of the larger spaniels; but it is a
+question whether, in the generality of cases, the gun would not benefit by
+the number being diminished rather than increased. The smaller in number
+the team, the greater is the necessity that none of them should stick too
+close to "heel." The difficulty is to make them hunt far enough, and yet
+not too far. At least one of the number should retrieve well. If they give
+tongue, it ought to be in an intelligible manner; softly, when they first
+come on the haunt of a cock, but making the cover ring again with their
+joyous melody, when once the bird is flushed. A first rate cocker will
+never deceive by opening upon an old haunt, nor yet find the gun
+unprepared by delaying to give due warning before he flushes the bird.
+When cocks are abundant, some teams are broken, not only to avoid flick,
+but actually not to notice a pheasant, or anything besides woodcock.
+Hardly any price would tempt a real lover of cock-shooting, in a cocking
+country, to part with such a team. Hawker terms the sport, "the
+fox-hunting of shooting." Some sportsmen kill water-hens to young spaniels
+to practise them in forcing their way through entangled covers, and get
+them well in hand and steady against the all-important cocking season.
+
+74. When a regular retriever can be constantly employed with spaniels, of
+course it will be unnecessary to make any of them fetch game--certainly
+never to lift anything which falls out of bounds--though all the team
+should be taught to "seek dead." This is the plan pursued by the Duke of
+Newcastle's keepers, and obviously it is the soundest and easiest
+practice, for it must always be more or less difficult to make a spaniel
+keep within his usual hunting limits, who is occasionally encouraged to
+pursue wounded game, at his best pace, to a considerable distance.
+
+75. Other teams are broken no more than to keep within range, being
+allowed to hunt all kinds of game, and also rabbits; they, however, are
+restricted from pursuing wounded flick further than fifty or sixty yards.
+Where rabbits are abundant, and outlying, a team thus broken affords
+lively sport--nothing escapes them.
+
+76. Wild spaniels, though they may show you most cock, will get you fewest
+shots, unless you have well-placed markers. There are sportsmen who like
+to take out one steady dog to range close to them, and a couple of wild
+ones to hunt on the flanks, one on each side, expressly that the latter
+may put up birds for the markers to take note of.
+
+77. An old sportsman knows _mute_ spaniels to be most killing: a young one
+may prefer those which give tongue--if true from the beginning owning
+nothing but game,--because, though undeniably greater disturbers of a
+cover, they are more cheerful and animating. The superiority of the former
+is, however, apparent on a still calm day, when the least noise will make
+the game steal away long before the gun gets within shot. But it is not so
+in all countries.
+
+78. In very thick covers it is obvious, the height of setters being
+greatly against them, that spaniels are far preferable: but in light
+covers, and when the leaves are off the trees, _handy_ old setters--if
+white, all the better--that will readily confine themselves to a
+restricted range, and will flush their game when ordered--IV. and VII. of
+119 and 196--afford quite as much sport, if not more. Setters do not, to
+the same degree, alarm birds; and there is, also, this advantage, that
+they can be employed on _all_ occasions, excepting in low gorse or the
+closest thickets, whereas spaniels, from their contracted "beat," are
+nearly useless in the open when game is scarce. You will be prepared, when
+first you hunt a setter in cover, to sacrifice much of your sport. There
+must be noise; for it is essential to make him at once thoroughly
+understand the very different "beat" required of him, and this can only be
+effected by constantly checking and rating him, whenever he ranges beyond
+the prescribed limits. He should hunt slowly and carefully to the right
+and left, and never be much in advance of the guns. In a short time he
+will comprehend matters, if you are so forbearing and judicious as
+invariably to call him away from every point made the least out of bounds.
+A less severe test of your consistency will not suffice. The few first
+days will either make or mar him as a cover-dog. You must naturally expect
+that hunting him much in cover will injure his range in the open, and
+make him too fond of hedge-rows.
+
+79. But there is a man in Yorkshire, who will not willingly admit
+this.[16] C----e, Sir George A----e's gamekeeper--and a good one he is,
+for he has a particularly difficult country to protect, one intersected
+with "rights of way" in every direction--makes his pointers as freely hunt
+the cover as the open. You never lose them, for they are sure to make
+their appearance when they think they have given you ample time to go to
+them if you choose. This cover work does not the least unsteady them, but
+it is right to state that C---- is an unusually good breaker, and works
+his dogs with singular temper and patience. They are very attached to him,
+and appear to listen anxiously to what he says when he talks to
+them--which, I own, he does more than I recommend.
+
+80. Pointers, however, are manifestly out of place in strong cover, though
+an unusually high-couraged one may occasionally be found, who will dash
+forward in defiance of pricks and scratches; but it is not fair to expect
+it. In a very light cover I have often shot over one belonging to a
+relation of mine, which was so clever, that when I came close to her as
+she was pointing, she would frequently run around to the other side of
+the thicket, and then rush in to drive the game towards me. This killing
+plan had in no way been taught her; she adopted it solely of her own
+sagacity. Having been much hunted in cover when young, she was so fond of
+it (65) as to be, comparatively speaking, quite unserviceable on the
+stubbles.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[12] There is no gorse in America. It is a prickly shrub, severe enough,
+but nothing to compare to catbriars, or even to the hollies of Southern
+Jersey.--H.W.H.
+
+[13] The only bird which we have in America, at all analogous in habit to
+the pheasant, though totally different in species and appearance, is the
+Ruffed Grouse, erroneously called Pheasant in the South, and Partridge in
+the Eastern States. It is, however, for cock and quail shooting in covert,
+that the Spaniel would be of such inestimable service to sportsmen in
+North America.--H.W.H.
+
+[14] For the benefit of those who have the good fortune, or the bad
+fortune, as the case may be, of always living within the sound of Bow
+bells, "Flick," be it observed, is a synonym for "Fur," thereby meaning
+Hare or Rabbit.
+
+[15] Contrary to my usual system, I preserve these anecdotes, as relating
+to the Clumber Spaniels, which are so little known, and which I so much
+desire to see introduced in America.--H.W.H.
+
+[16] I leave these two anecdotes, contrary to my usual system, as we use
+setters and pointers so generally in cover in America, that the idea of
+their being utterly unfit for cover work seems strange. Yet such is the
+opinion in England, and where they are chiefly used in the open it _does_
+operate to spoil their range.--H.W.H.
+
+
+
+
+WATER SPANIELS (OR WATER RETRIEVERS).
+
+81. A young water spaniel might, with advantage, occasionally be indulged
+with a duck hunt in warm weather. It would tend to make him quick in the
+water, and observant. The finishing lessons might conclude with your
+shooting the bird and obliging him to retrieve it. He should be made handy
+to your signals--IV. to VII. and X. of 119--so as to hunt the fens and
+marshes, and "seek dead" exactly where you may wish.
+
+82. This obedience to the hand is particularly required; for when the
+spaniel is swimming he is on a level with the bird, and therefore is not
+so likely to see it--especially if there is a ripple on the water--as you,
+who probably are standing many feet above him on the shore. As you may
+frequently, while he is retrieving, have occasion to direct his movements
+when at a considerable distance from him, you probably would find it more
+advantageous to teach him the forward signal used by shepherds, than the
+one described in IV. of 119.
+
+83. A water spaniel should also be taught to fetch--86, 87, 91 to 94--be
+accustomed to follow quietly close to your heels,--be broken in, not to
+the "down charge"--26--but to the "drop"--22 to 25--the instant you signal
+to him, while you are noiselessly stalking the wild-fowl previously
+reconnoitred, with the aid of your Dollond, from some neighboring height;
+nor should he stir a limb, however long he and you may have to await,
+ensconced behind a favoring bush, the right moment for the destructive
+raking discharge of your first barrel, to be followed by the less
+murderous but still effective flying shot. On hearing the report, it is
+his duty to dash instantly into the water, and secure the slain as rapidly
+as possible.
+
+84. A really good water retriever is a scarce and valuable animal. He
+should be neither white nor black, because the colors are too conspicuous,
+especially the former--a hint by-the-bye for your own costume;[17]--he
+should be perfectly mute; of a patient disposition, though active in the
+pursuit of birds; of so hardy a constitution as not to mind the severest
+cold,--therefore no coddling while he is young near a fire,--and possess
+what many are deficient in, viz. a good nose: consequently a cross that
+will improve his nose, yet not decrease his steadiness, is the great
+desideratum in breeding. He should swim rapidly, for wild fowl that are
+only winged, will frequently escape from the quickest dog if they have
+plenty of sea-room and deep water--see also 96, 302.
+
+85. In the wild-_rice_ lakes, as they are commonly called, of America, a
+brace of highly-trained spaniels will sometimes, on a windy day, afford
+you magnificent sport. The cover is so good that, if it is not often
+beaten, the birds will frequently get up singly, or only a couple at a
+time. The dogs should keep swimming about within gun shot, while you are
+slowly and silently paddling, or probably poling your canoe through the
+most likely spots. Relays of spaniels are requisite, for it is fatiguing
+work. If, by any rare chance, you are situated where you can get much of
+this delightful shooting, and _you are an enthusiast in training_, it may
+be worth your while to consider whether there would not be an advantage in
+making the dogs perfect in the "down charge," as they would then cease
+swimming the instant you fired. But this long digression about spaniels
+has led us away from your pup, which we assumed--3--to be a pointer, or
+setter.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[17] But when the moors are covered with snow, poachers, who emerge in
+bands from the mines, often put a shirt over their clothes, and manage to
+approach grouse at a time when a fair sportsman cannot get a shot; but
+this is the only occasion on which one uniform color could be
+advantageous. A mass of _any_ single color always catches, and arrests the
+eye. Nature tells us this; animals that browse, elephants, buffaloes, and
+large deer, as well as those which can escape from their enemies by speed,
+are mostly of one color. On the contrary, the tiger kind, snakes, and all
+that lie in wait for, and seize their prey by stealth, wear a garment of
+many colors, so do the smaller animals and most birds, which are saved
+from capture by the inability of their foes to distinguish them from the
+surrounding foliage or herbage. The uniform of our rifle corps is too much
+of one hue.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+LESSONS IN "FETCHING."--RETRIEVERS.
+
+
+86. Though you may not wish your young pointer (or setter) to perform the
+duties of a regular retriever (292), still you would do well to teach him,
+whilst he is a puppy, to fetch and deliver into your hand anything soft
+you may occasionally throw for him, or leave behind you in some place
+where he will have observed you deposit it, while he is following at your
+heels. In a little time you can drop something _without_ letting him see
+you, and afterwards send him back for it. A dog thus made, who is your
+intimate companion, becomes so conversant with every article of your
+apparel, and with whatever you usually carry about you, that, should you
+accidentally drop anything, the observant animal will be almost certain to
+recover it. On receiving your order to "be off and find" he will
+accurately retrace your footsteps for miles and miles, diligently hunting
+every yard of the ground. Of course the distances to which you at first
+send your dog will be inconsiderable, and you should carefully avoid
+persevering too long a time, lest he get sick of the lesson. Indeed, in
+all his lessons--as well in-doors as out--but particularly in this, let it
+be your aim to leave off at a moment when he has performed entirely to
+your satisfaction; that you may part the best of friends, and that the
+last impression made by the lesson may be pleasing as well as correct,
+from a grateful recollection of the caresses which he has received. In
+wild-duck shooting you may be in situations where you would be very glad
+if the dog would bring your bird; and when it is an active runner in
+cover, I fear you will be more anxious than I could wish--221--that the
+dog should "fetch." It is probable that he will thus assist you if he be
+practised as I have just advised; and such instruction may lead, years
+hence, to his occasionally bringing you some dead bird which he may come
+across, and which you otherwise might have imagined you had missed, for
+its scent might be too cold, and consequently too changed, for the dog to
+have thought of regularly pointing it.
+
+87. Mark my having said "deliver into your hand," that your young dog may
+not be satisfied with only dropping, within your sight, any bird he may
+lift, and so, perhaps, leave it on the other side of a trout stream, as I
+have seen dogs do more than once, in spite of every persuasion and
+entreaty. With a young dog, who retrieves, never pick up a bird yourself,
+however close it may fall to you. Invariably, make him either deliver it
+into your hand or lay it at your feet. The former is by far the better
+plan. If the dog has at one moment to drop the bird at your will, he is
+likely to fancy himself privileged to drop it at another time for his own
+convenience. In other respects, too, the former is the safest method. I
+have a bitch now in my recollection, who frequently lost her master
+slightly winged birds,--which she had admirably recovered--by dropping
+them too soon on hearing the report of a gun, or coming on other game--for
+off they ran, and fairly escaped, it being impracticable, by any
+encouragement, to induce her to seek for a bird she had once lifted.
+
+88. I observed it was something soft which you should teach your dog to
+fetch. Probably you have seen a retriever taught to seek and bring a
+stone, upon which, in a delicate manner, the tutor has spit. Does it not
+stand to reason that the stone must have tended to give his pupil a hard
+mouth? And what may, later in life, cause him much misery, in dashing at a
+bounding stone, he may split a tooth. Dogs of an advanced age suffer more
+in their mouths than most of us suspect.
+
+89. Should your pup be unwilling to enter water, on no account push him
+in, under the mistaken idea that it will reconcile him to the element--it
+will but augment his fears. Rather, on a warm day, throw some biscuit for
+him, when he is hungry, close to the edge of the bank, where it is so
+shallow as merely to require his wading. Chuck the next piece a little
+further off, and, by degrees, increase the distance until he gets beyond
+his depth, and finds that nature has given him useful swimming powers. On
+no occasion will the example of another dog more assist you. Your
+youngster's diving can never be of service; therefore throw in only what
+will float. Otherwise he might have a plunge for nothing, and so be
+discouraged; and evidently it should be your constant aim to avoid doing
+anything likely to shake his confidence in you.
+
+90. If you ever have occasion to teach a dog to dive and retrieve, first
+accustom him, on land, to fetch something heavy, of a conspicuous color.
+When he brings it eagerly, commence your diving lesson by throwing it into
+the shallowest parts of the stream. Only by slow degrees get to deep
+water, and let your lessons be very short. Never chuck in a stone. The
+chances are twenty to one that there are several at the bottom not very
+dissimilar, and the young dog ought not to be subjected to the temptation
+of picking up one of them in lieu of that he was sent for. Should he on
+any occasion do so, neither scold nor caress him; quietly take what he
+brings, lay it at your feet, to show him that you want it not, and
+endeavor to make him renew his search for what you threw in; do this by
+signs, and by encouragement with your voice, rather than by chucking
+stones in the right direction, lest he should seek for them instead of
+searching for what you originally sent him.
+
+91. Some teachers make a young dog fetch a round pin cushion, or a cork
+ball, in which needles are judiciously buried; nor is it a bad plan, and
+there need be no cruelty in it, if well managed. At least it can only be
+cruel once, for the dog's recollection of his sufferings will prevent his
+picking up the offending object a second time. Others, after he is well
+drilled into "fetching," and takes pleasure in it, will make him bring a
+bunch of keys. There are few things a dog is less willing to lift. Most
+probably they gave him some severe rebuffs when first heedlessly snatching
+at them; and the caution thereby induced tends to give him a careful,
+tender mouth. A fencing master, I knew in France, had a spaniel,
+singularly enough for a Frenchman, called "Waterloo," that would take up
+the smallest needle.
+
+92. When your dog has picked up what you desired, endeavor to make him run
+to you quickly. Many who teach a dog to fetch, praise and encourage him
+while he is bringing what he was sent after. Clearly this is an error. It
+induces the dog to loiter and play with it. He thinks he is lauded for
+having it in his mouth and carrying it about. Reserve your encomiums and
+caresses until he has delivered it. If you walk away, the fear of your
+leaving him will induce him to hurry after you. Let a dog retrieve ever so
+carelessly, still, while on the move, he will rarely drop a bird.
+
+93. Dogs that retrieve should be gradually brought to lift heavy, flexible
+things, and such as require a large grasp, that they may not be quite
+unprepared for the weight and size of a hare; otherwise they may be
+inclined to drag it along by a slight hold of the skin, instead of
+balancing it across their mouths. Thus capacious jaws are obviously an
+advantage in retrievers. The French gamekeepers, many of whom are capital
+hands at making a retriever--excepting that they do not teach the "down
+charge,"--stuff a hare or rabbit skin with straw, and when the dog has
+learned to fetch it with eagerness, they progressively increase its weight
+by burying larger and larger pieces of wood in the middle of the straw:
+and to add to the difficulty of carrying it, they often throw it to the
+other side of a hedge or thick copse. If the dog shows any tendency to a
+hard mouth they mix thorns with the straw.
+
+94. I ought to have mentioned sooner that you should commence teaching a
+puppy to "fetch" by shaking your glove--or anything soft--at him, and
+encouraging him to seize and drag it from you. Then throw it a yard or two
+off, gradually increasing the distance, and the moment he delivers it to
+you, give him something palatable. Should you, contrary to every
+reasonable expectation, from his having no inclination to romp or play
+with the glove, not be able to persuade him to pick it up, put it between
+his teeth--force him to grasp it by tightly pressing his jaws together,
+speaking all the while impressively to him--scold him if he is obstinate
+and refuses to take hold of the glove. After a little time retire a few
+paces, keeping one hand under his mouth--to prevent his dropping the
+glove,--while you lead or drag him with the other. When you halt, be sure
+not to take the glove immediately from him--oblige him to continue holding
+it for at least a minute--lest he should learn to relinquish his grip too
+soon,--before you make him yield at the command "give;" then bestow a
+reward. Should he drop it before he is ordered to deliver it, replace it
+in his mouth and again retreat some steps before ordering him to "give."
+He will soon follow with it at your heels. If you have sufficient
+perseverance you can thus make him earn all his daily food. Hunger will
+soon perfect him in the lesson. Observe that there are four distinct
+stages in this trick of carrying--the first, making the dog grasp and
+retain--the second, inducing him to bring, following at your heels--the
+third, teaching him not to quit his hold when you stop--the fourth,
+getting him to deliver into your hands on your order. The great advantage
+of a sporting dog's acquiring this trick is that it accustoms him to
+deliver into your _hands_; and it often happens that you must thus teach a
+dog to "carry" as a preparative to teaching him to "fetch." It certainly
+will be judicious in you to do so, if the dog is a lively, riotous animal;
+for the act of carrying the glove--or stick, &c.--quietly at your heels
+will sober him, and make him less likely to run off with it instead of
+delivering it when you are teaching him to fetch. As soon as he brings the
+glove tolerably well, try him with a short stick. You will wish him not to
+seize the end of it, lest he should learn to "drag" instead of "carry."
+Therefore fix pegs or wires into holes drilled at right angles to each
+other at the extremities of the stick. He will then only grasp it near
+the middle.
+
+95. This drill should be further extended if a
+
+
+
+
+REGULAR LAND RETRIEVER
+
+
+be your pupil. Throw dead birds of any kind for him to bring--of course
+one at a time,--being on the alert to check him whenever he grips them too
+severely. If he persists in disfiguring them, pass a few blunted knitting
+needles through them at right angles to one another. When he fetches with
+a tender mouth, you will be able to follow up this method of training
+still further by letting him "road"--or "foot," as it is often termed--a
+rabbit in high stubble, one--or both, if a strong buck--of whose hind legs
+you will have previously bandaged in the manner described in 56. Be
+careful not to let him see you turn it out, lest he watch your proceedings
+and endeavor to "hunt by eye." Indeed it might be better to employ another
+person to turn it out. Keep clear of woods for some time--the cross scents
+would puzzle him. If by any chance you have a winged pheasant or
+partridge, let him retrieve it. You will not, I presume, at the
+commencement select a morning when there is a dry cold wind from the
+north-east, but probably you will wish to conclude his initiatory lessons
+on days which you judge to possess least scent. The more he has been
+practised as described in 39, the better will he work; for he cannot keep
+his nose too perseveringly close to the ground. With reference to the
+instructions in that paragraph, I will here remark, that before you let
+the dog stoop to hunt, you should have placed him by signal (31) near the
+spot from which you had begun dragging the bread. In paragraph 190 an
+instance is given of the manner in which a dog who retrieves should be put
+upon a scent; and why that mode is adopted is explained in 184.
+
+96. It is quite astonishing how well an old dog that retrieves knows when
+a bird is struck. He instantly detects any hesitation or uncertainty of
+movement, and for a length of time will watch its flight with the utmost
+eagerness, and, steadily keeping his eye on it, will as surely as yourself
+mark its fall. To induce a young dog to become thus observant, always let
+him perceive that _you_ watch a wounded bird with great eagerness; his
+imitative instinct will soon lead him to do the same. This faculty of
+observation is particularly serviceable in a water retriever. It enables
+him to swim direct to the crippled bird, and, besides the saving of time,
+the less he is in the water in severe weather, the less likely is he to
+suffer from rheumatism.
+
+97. As an initiatory lesson in making him observant of the flight and fall
+of birds, place a few pigeons, or other birds, during his absence, each in
+a hole covered with a tile. Afterwards come upon these spots apparently
+unexpectedly, and, kicking away the tiles--or, what is better, dragging
+them off by a previously adjusted string,--shoot the birds for him to
+bring; it being clearly understood that he has been previously tutored
+into having no dread of the gun. As he will have been taught to search
+where bidden--IV. to VIII. of 119,--nothing now remains but to take him
+out on a regular campaign, when the fascinating scent of game will
+infallibly make him search--I do not say deliver--with great eagerness.
+When once he then touches upon a scent, leave him entirely to himself--not
+a word, not a sign. Possibly his nose may not be able to follow the bird,
+but it is certain that yours cannot. Occasionally you may be able to help
+an old retriever (296), but rarely, if ever, a young one. Your
+interference, nay, probably your mere presence, would so excite him as to
+make him overrun the scent. Remain, therefore, quietly where you are until
+he rejoins you.
+
+98. When we see a winged pheasant racing off, most of us are too apt to
+assist a young dog, forgetting that we thereby teach him, instead of
+devoting his whole attention to work out the scent, to turn to us for aid
+on occasions when it may be impossible to give it. When a dog is hunting
+_for_ birds, he should frequently look to the gun for signals, but when he
+is _on_ them he should trust to nothing but his own scenting faculties.
+
+99. If, from a judicious education, a retriever pup has had a delight in
+"fetching" rapidly, it is not likely he will loiter on the way to mouth
+his birds; but the fatigue of carrying a hare a considerable distance may,
+perhaps, induce a young dog to drop it in order to take a moment's rest.
+There is a risk that when doing so he may be tempted to lick the blood,
+and, finding it palatable, be led to maul the carcase. You see, therefore,
+the judiciousness of employing every means in your power to ensure his
+feeling anxious to deliver _quickly_, and I know not what plan will answer
+better--though it sounds sadly unsentimental--than to have some pieces of
+hard boiled liver[18] at hand to bestow upon him the moment he surrenders
+his game, until he is thoroughly confirmed in an expeditious delivery.
+Never give him a piece, however diligently he may have searched, unless he
+succeeds in bringing. When you leave off these rewards do so gradually.
+The invariable bestowal of such dainties during, at least, the retriever's
+first season, will prevent his ever dropping a bird on hearing the report
+of a gun--as many do--in order to search for the later killed game.
+
+100. Should a young retriever evince any wish to assist the cook by
+plucking out the feathers of a bird; or from natural vice or mismanagement
+before he came into your possession,[19] show any predisposition to taste
+blood, take about two feet (dependent upon the size of the dog's head) of
+iron wire, say the one-eighth of an inch in diameter, sufficiently
+flexible for _you_, but not for _him_ to bend. Shape this much into the
+form of the letter U, supposing the extremities to be joined by a straight
+line. Place the straight part in the dog's mouth, and passing the other
+over his head and ears, retain it in position by a light throat lash
+passed through a turn in the wire, as here roughly represented. The
+flexibility of the wire will enable you to adjust it with ease to the
+shape of his head. When in the kennel he ought to be occasionally thus
+bitted, that he may not fret when he is first hunted with it. It will not
+injure his teeth or much annoy him if it lie on his grinders a little
+behind the tushes.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+101. Sometimes a retriever, notwithstanding every encouragement, will not
+pursue a winged bird with sufficient rapidity. In this case associate him
+for a few days with a quicker dog, whose example will to a certainty
+animate him and increase his pace. It is true that when he is striving to
+hit off a scent he cannot work too patiently and perseveringly; but, on
+the other hand, the moment he is satisfied he is on it, he cannot follow
+too rapidly. A winged bird, when closely pressed, seems, through
+nervousness, to emit an increasing stream of scent; therefore, though it
+may sound paradoxical, the retriever's accelerated pace then makes him
+(his nose being close to the ground) the less likely to overrun it; and
+the faster he pursues the less ground must he disturb, for the shorter
+will be the chase.
+
+102. Retrievers are generally taught to rush in the instant a bird falls.
+This plan, like most other things, has its advocates and its opponents. I
+confess to being one of the latter, for I cannot believe that in the long
+run it is the best way to fill the bag. I think it certain that more game
+is lost by birds being flushed while the guns are unloaded, than could be
+lost from the scent cooling during the short period the dog remains at the
+"down charge." Unquestionably some retrievers have so good a nose, that
+the delay would not lead to their missing any wounded game however
+slightly struck; and the delay has this great advantage, that it helps to
+keep the retriever under proper subjection, and diminishes his anxiety to
+rush to every part of the line where a gun may be fired, instead of
+remaining quietly at his master's heels until signalled to take up the
+scent. Moreover, a retriever by neglecting the "down charge," sets an
+example to the pointers or setters who may be his companions, which it is
+always more or less difficult to prevent the dogs, if young, from
+following. But I once shot over a retriever which I could hardly wish not
+to have "run on shot." On a bird being hit he started off with the
+greatest impetuosity, kept his eye immovably fixed on its flight, and
+possessed such speed that a winged bird scarcely touched the ground ere it
+was pinned. He would, too, often seize a slightly injured hare before it
+had acquired its best pace. The pursuit so soon terminated that possibly
+less game escaped being fired at than if the retriever had not stirred
+until the guns were reloaded. On a miss he was never allowed--indeed
+appeared little inclined--to quit "heel." Of course a trainer's trouble
+is decreased by not breaking to the "down charge," which may induce some
+to recommend the plan; though it is to be observed, that this class of
+dogs is more easily than any other perfected in it, because the breaker
+nearly always possesses the power of treading upon or seizing the
+checkcord the instant a bird is sprung.
+
+103. The nature of your shooting will much influence you in deciding which
+of the two methods to adopt; but should you select the one which the
+generality of good sportsmen consider to be most according to rule, and to
+possess the greatest beauty, viz., the "down charge," rather lose any
+bird, however valuable, so long as your retriever remains young, than put
+him on the "foot" a second before you have reloaded. Undoubtedly it ought
+to be taught to every dog broken for sale, as the purchaser can always
+dispense with it should he judge it unnecessary--it can soon be untaught.
+It is clear that not "quitting heel" until ordered is tantamount to the
+regular "down charge," but I think the last is the easiest to enforce
+constantly. It is the more decided step.
+
+104. Large retrievers are less apt to mouth their game than small ones:
+but very heavy dogs are not desirable, for they soon tire. And yet a
+certain medium is necessary, for they ought to have sufficient strength to
+carry a hare with ease through a thicket, when balanced in their jaws, and
+be able to jump a fence with her. They should run mute. And they should be
+thick coated: unless they are so,--I do not say long coated,--they cannot
+be expected to dash into close cover, or plunge into water after a duck or
+snipe when the thermometer is near zero.
+
+105. It is usually allowed that, as a general rule, the best land
+retrievers are bred from a cross between the setter and the
+Newfoundland--or the strong spaniel and Newfoundland. I do not mean the
+heavy Labrador, whose weight and bulk is valued because it adds to his
+power of draught, nor the Newfoundland, increased in size at Halifax and
+St. John's to suit the taste of the English purchaser,--but the far
+slighter dog reared by the settlers on the coast,--a dog that is quite as
+fond of water as of land, and which in almost the severest part of a North
+American winter will remain on the edge of a rock for hours together,
+watching intently for anything the passing waves may carry near him. Such
+a dog is highly prized. Without his aid the farmer would secure but few of
+the many wild ducks he shoots at certain seasons of the year. The patience
+with which he waits for a shot on the top of a high cliff--until the
+numerous flock sail leisurely underneath--would be fruitless, did not his
+noble dog fearlessly plunge in from the greatest height, and successfully
+bring the slain to shore.
+
+106. Probably a cross from the heavy, large headed setter, who, though so
+wanting in pace, has an exquisite nose; and the true Newfoundland, makes
+the best retriever. Nose is the first desideratum. A breaker may doubt
+which of his pointers or setters possesses the greatest olfactory powers,
+but a short trial tells him which of his retrievers has the finest nose.
+
+107. Making a first-rate retriever is a work of time, but his being
+_thoroughly_ grounded in the required initiatory lessons facilitates
+matters surprisingly. Indeed after having been taught the "drop"--22, 24,
+25,--to "fetch"--92 to 94--and "seek dead" in the precise direction he is
+ordered--XI of 119,--almost any kind of dog can be made to retrieve. The
+better his nose is, the better of course he will retrieve. Sagacity, good
+temper, quickness of comprehension, a teachable disposition, and all
+cultivated qualities are almost as visibly transmitted to offspring as
+shape and action; therefore the stronger a dog's hereditary instincts lead
+him to retrieve, the less will be the instructor's trouble; and the more
+obedient he is made to the signals of the hand, the more readily will he
+be put upon a scent. Dogs that are by nature quick rangers do not take
+instinctively to retrieving. They have not naturally sufficient patience
+to work out a feeble scent. They are apt to overrun it. A really good
+retriever will pursue a wounded bird or hare as accurately as a bloodhound
+will a deer or man; and if he is put on a false scent, I mean a scent of
+uninjured flick or feather, he will not follow it beyond a few
+steps--experience will have shown him the inutility of so doing. (297.)
+
+108. Avail yourself of the first opportunity to make a young retriever
+lift a woodcock, lest in after life, from novel scent, he decline touching
+it, as many dogs have done to the great annoyance of their masters.
+Ditto, with the delicate landrail.
+
+109. The directions given about "fetching" led me to talk of retrievers;
+and, having touched upon the subject, I thought it right not to quit it,
+until I had offered the best advice in my power. I have but one more
+recommendation to add before I return to your setter--or pointer--pup:
+carefully guard a young retriever--indeed any dog bred for the gun--from
+being ever allowed to join a rat-hunt. Rat-hunting would tend to destroy
+his tenderness of mouth, nay, possibly make him mangle his game. But this
+is not all. It has often gradually led good dogs to decline lifting hares
+or rabbits, apparently regarding them more in the light of vermin than of
+game. Some dogs, however, that are not bad retrievers, are capital
+ratters, but they are exceptions to the general rule. Indeed, you should
+never permit your dog to retrieve any kind of ground or winged vermin. If
+the creature were only wounded it might turn upon him. He in self-defence
+would give it a grip, and he might thus be led to follow the practice on
+less pardonable occasions. Remember, that a winged bittern or heron might
+peck out his eye.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[18] A drier and cleaner article than you may suppose, and which can be
+carried not inconveniently in a Mackintosh, or oil-skin bag--a toilet
+sponge bag.
+
+[19] If a retriever has the opportunity, while prowling about, of gnawing
+hare or rabbit-skins thrown aside by a slovenly cook, it will not be
+unnatural in him, when he is hungry, to wish to appropriate to himself the
+hide, if not the interior, of the animals he is lifting.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+INITIATORY LESSONS OUT OF DOORS.--TRICKS.
+
+
+110. As I before observed, you can practise most of the initiatory lessons
+in your country walks. Always put something alluring in your pocket to
+reward your pupil for prompt obedience. Do not take him out unnecessarily
+in bad weather. On no account let him amuse himself by scraping
+acquaintance with every idle cur he meets on the way; nor permit him to
+gambol about the lanes. Let him understand by your manner that there is
+business at hand. Never let him enter a field before you. _Always keep him
+at your heels, until you give him the order to be off._ You will find him
+disposed to presume and encroach. According to the old adage, "Give him an
+inch, and he will take an ell." He will be endeavoring to lead rather than
+to follow, and, if he fancies himself unobserved, he will most
+perseveringly steal inch upon inch in advance. Be ever on the watch, ready
+to check the _beginning_ of every act of disobedience. Implicit obedience
+in trifles will insure it in things of more importance.
+
+111. For some time, but the period is uncertain--say from his being eight
+months old until double that age[20]--he will merely gallop and frisk
+about, and probably will take diligently to persecuting butterflies. Let
+him choose what he likes. Don't think he will prize small beer, when he
+can get champagne. He will leave off noticing inferior articles as he
+becomes conversant with the taste of game. It is now your main object to
+get him to hunt; no matter what, so that he is not perpetually running to
+"heel." And the more timid he is the more you must let him chase, and
+amuse himself as his fancy dictates. When you see that he is really
+occupying himself with more serious hunting, _eagerly_ searching for small
+birds, especially larks, you must begin instructing him how to quarter his
+ground to the greatest advantage, _under your constant direction_. Should
+any one join you, or anything occur likely to prevent your giving him your
+strictest attention, on no account permit him to range--keep him to "heel"
+until you are quite prepared to watch and control all his movements. Hunt
+him where he is least likely to find game, for he will take to quartering
+his ground far more regularly, under your guidance, where his attention is
+least distracted by any scent. The taint of partridge would be almost sure
+to make him deviate from the true line on which you are anxious he should
+work. Labor now diligently, if possible daily, though not for many hours
+a day; for be assured a good method of ranging can only be implanted when
+he is young.
+
+112. Should your pup be so long before taking to hunting that your
+patience becomes exhausted, let an older dog accompany you a few times.
+When _he_ finds birds, gradually bring the young one upon them from
+leeward, and let him spring them. Encourage him to sniff the ground they
+have quitted, and allow him to run riot on the haunt. After that
+enjoyment, the example of the old dog will most likely soon make him
+range, and employ his nose in seeking a repetition of what has afforded
+him such unexpected delight. If it does not, and the old dog is steady and
+good-humored enough to bear the annoyance cheerfully, couple the young one
+to him. Before this he should have learned to work kindly in couples--44.
+But I am getting on too fast, and swerving from the track I had marked for
+myself. By-and-by I will tell you how I think you should instruct your
+youngster to quarter his ground to the best advantage--127, &c.
+
+113. Common sense shows that you ought not to correct your dog for
+disobedience, unless you are certain that he knows his fault. Now you will
+see that the initiatory lessons I recommend must give him that knowledge,
+for they explain to him the meaning of almost all the signs and words of
+command you will have to employ when shooting. That knowledge, too, is
+imparted by a system of rewards, not punishments. Your object is not to
+break his spirit, but his self-will. With his obedience you gain his
+affection. The greatest hardship admissible, in this early stage of his
+education, is a strong jerk of the checkcord, and a sound rating, given,
+_when necessary_, in the loudest tone and sternest manner; and it is
+singular how soon he will discriminate between the reproving term
+"bad"--to which he will sensitively attach a feeling of shame--and the
+encouraging word "good"--expressions that will hereafter have a powerful
+influence over him, especially if he be of a gentle, timid disposition.
+
+114. In educating such a dog--and there are many of the kind, likely to
+turn out well, if they are judiciously managed, often possessing noses so
+exquisite--perhaps I ought to say cautious--as nearly to make up for their
+general want of constitution and powers of endurance--it is satisfactory
+to think that all these lessons can be inculcated without in the slightest
+degree depressing his spirit. On the contrary, increasing observation and
+intelligence will gradually banish his shyness and distrust of his own
+powers; for he will be sensible that he is becoming more and more capable
+of comprehending your wishes, and therefore less likely to err and be
+punished (245).
+
+115. I fear you may imagine that I am attributing too much reasoning power
+to him. You would not think so if you had broken in two or three dogs.
+What makes dog-teaching, if not very attractive, at least not laborious,
+is the fact that the more you impart to a dog, the more readily will he
+gain further knowledge. After teaching a poodle or a terrier a few tricks,
+you will be surprised to see with what increasing facility he will
+acquire each successive accomplishment. It is this circumstance which, I
+think, should induce you not to regard as chimerical the perfection of
+which I purpose to speak by-and-by, under the head of "refinements in
+breaking." Indeed I only adopt this distinction in deference to what I
+cannot but consider popular prejudice; for I well know many will regard
+such accomplishments as altogether superfluous. It is sad to think that an
+art which might easily be made much more perfect, is allowed, almost by
+universal suffrance, to stop short just at the point where excellence is
+within grasp.
+
+116. Far more dogs would be _well-broken_, if men would but keep half the
+number they usually possess. _The owner of many dogs cannot shoot often
+enough over them, to give them great experience._
+
+117. I am, however, wandering from our immediate subject. Let us return to
+the lecture, and consider how much knowledge your pupil will have acquired
+by these preliminary instructions. We shall find that, with the exception
+of a systematically confirmed range, really little remains to be learned,
+save what his almost unaided instinct will tell him.
+
+118. For it is wonderful how much you can effect by initiatory
+instruction: indeed, afterwards, you will have little else to do than
+teach and confirm your dog in a judicious range--his own sagacity and
+increasing experience will be his principal guides--for consider how much
+you will have taught him.
+
+119. He will know--
+
+    I. That he is to pay attention to his whistle--the whistle
+    that you design always to use to him. I mean that, when he
+    hears _one_ low blast on his whistle he is to look to you
+    for orders, but not necessarily run towards you, unless he
+    is out of sight, or you continue whistling (18).
+
+    II. That "Toho," or the right arm raised nearly
+    perpendicularly, means that he is to stand still (19 to 21).
+
+    III. That "Drop," or the left arm raised nearly
+    perpendicularly, or the report of a gun, means that he is to
+    crouch down with his head close to the ground, between his
+    feet, however far off he may be ranging. Greater relaxation
+    in the position may be permitted after he has been a little
+    time shot over (22 to 26).
+
+    IV. That "On,"--the shortest word for "hie-on,"--or the
+    forward underhand swing of the right hand, signifies that he
+    is to advance in a forward direction--the direction in which
+    you are waving. This signal is very useful. It implies that
+    you want the dog to hunt ahead of you. Yon employ it also
+    when you are alongside of him at his point, and are desirous
+    of urging him to follow up the running bird or birds, and
+    press to a rise. If he push on too eagerly, you restrain him
+    by slightly raising the right hand--XII. of this paragraph
+    (18 to 21).
+
+    V. That a wave of the right arm and hand--the arm being
+    fully extended and well to the right--from left to right,
+    means that he is to hunt to the right. Some men wave the
+    left hand across the body from left to right, as a direction
+    to the dog to hunt to the right; but that signal is not so
+    apparent at a distance as the one I have described (32).
+
+    VI. That a wave of the left arm from right to left--the arm
+    being fully extended and well to the left--means that he is
+    to hunt to the left (33).
+
+    VII. That the "Beckon," the wave of the right hand towards
+    you, indicates that he is to hunt towards you (33. See also
+    67).
+
+    VIII. That the word "Heel," or a wave of the right hand to
+    the rear--the reverse of the underhand, cricket-bowler's
+    swing,--implies that he is to give up hunting, and go
+    directly close to your heels (40).
+
+    IX. That "Fence" means that he is not to leave the place
+    where you are. After being so checked a few times when he is
+    endeavoring to quit the field, he will understand the word
+    to be an order not to "break fence" (42, 43).
+
+    X. That "Find" or "Seek" means that he is to search for
+    something which he will have great gratification in
+    discovering. When he is in the field he will quickly
+    understand this to be game (30, 31).
+
+    XI. That "Dead"--which it would be well to accompany with
+    the signal to "Heel," means that there is something not far
+    off, which he would have great satisfaction in finding. On
+    hearing it, he will come to you, and await your signals
+    instructing him in what direction he is to hunt for it.
+    When, by signals, you have put him as near as you can upon
+    the spot where you think the bird has fallen, you will say
+    "Find;" for, until you say that word, he ought to be more
+    occupied in attending to your signals than in searching for
+    the bird. When you have shot a good many birds to him, if he
+    is within sight, in order to work more silently, omit saying
+    "Dead," only signal to him to go to "Heel" (18, 30, 31, 40).
+
+    XII. That "Care" means that he is near that for which he is
+    hunting. This word, used with the right hand slightly
+    raised--the signal for the "Toho," only not exhibited nearly
+    so energetically--will soon make him comprehend that game is
+    near him, and that he is therefore to hunt cautiously. You
+    will use it when your young dog is racing too fast among
+    turnips or potatoes (35).
+
+    XIII. That "Up" means that he is to sniff with his nose high
+    in the air for that of which he is in search (37).
+
+    XIV. That "Away"--or "Gone," or "Flown"--is an indication
+    that the thing for which he was hunting and of which he
+    smells the taint, is no longer there. This word is not to be
+    used in the field until your young dog has gained some
+    experience (41).
+
+    XV. That "Ware"--pronounced "War"--is a general order to
+    desist from whatever he may be doing. "No" is perhaps a
+    better word; it can be pronounced more distinctly and
+    energetically. If the command is occasionally accompanied
+    with the cracking of your whip, its meaning will soon be
+    understood (43).
+
+    XVI. He will also know the distinction between the chiding
+    term "Bad" and the encouraging word "Good"; and, moreover,
+    be sensible, from your look and manner, whether you are
+    pleased or angry with him. Dogs, like children, are
+    physiognomists (36, end of 104).
+
+120. You will perceive that you are advised to use the right hand more
+than the left. This is only because the left hand is so generally employed
+in carrying the gun.
+
+121. You will also observe, that when the voice is employed--and this
+should be done only when the dog will not obey your signals--I have
+recommended you to make use of but _one_ word. Why should you say "Come to
+heel," "Ware breaking fence," "Have a care?" If you speak in sentences,
+you may at times unconsciously vary the words of the sentence, or the
+emphasis on any word; and as it is only by the sound that you should
+expect a dog to be guided, the more defined and distinct in sound the
+several commands are the better.
+
+122. This consideration leads to the remark that, as, by nearly universal
+consent, "Toho" is the word employed to tell a dog to point, the old rule
+is clearly a judicious one, never to call him "Ponto," "Sancho," or by any
+name ending in "o." Always, too, choose one that can be hallooed in a
+sharp, loud, high key. You will find the advantage of this whenever you
+lose your dog, and happen not to have a whistle. Observe, also, if you
+have several dogs, to let their names be dissimilar in sound.
+
+123. I have suggested your employing the word "Drop" instead of the usual
+word "Down," because it is less likely to be uttered by any one on whom
+the dog might jump or fawn; for, on principle, I strongly object to any
+order being given which is not strictly enforced. It begets in a dog, as
+much as in the nobler animal who walks on two legs, habits of inattention
+to words of command, and ultimately makes greater severity necessary. If I
+felt certain I should never wish to part with a dog I was instructing, I
+should carry this principle so far as to frame a novel vocabulary, and
+never use any word I thought he would be likely to hear from others. By
+the bye, whenever you purchase a dog, it would be advisable to ascertain
+what words of command and what signals he has been accustomed to.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[20] I once had a pointer pup whose dam was broken in (after a fashion)
+and regularly shot to when seven months old. Without injury to her
+constitution, she could not have been hunted for more than an hour or two
+at a time. She ought not to have been taken to the field for _regular_ use
+until fully a year old.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN COMMENCED. RANGING.
+
+
+124. A keeper nearly always breaks in his young dogs to "set," if their
+ages permit it, on favorable days in Spring, when the partridges have
+paired.[21] He gets plenty of points, and the birds lie well. But I cannot
+believe it is the best way to attain great excellence, though the plan has
+many followers: it does not cultivate the intelligence of his pupils, nor
+enlarge their ideas by making them sensible of the object for which such
+pains are taken in hunting them. Moreover, their natural ardor--a feeling
+that it should be his aim rather to increase than weaken--is more or less
+damped by having often to stand at game before they can be rewarded for
+their exertions by having it killed to them,--it prevents, rather than
+imparts, the zeal and perseverance for which Irish dogs are so remarkable.
+Particularly ought a breaker, whose pupil is of nervous temperament, or
+of too gentle a disposition, to consider well that the want of all
+recompense for finding paired birds must make a timid dog far more likely
+to become a "blinker," when he is checked for not pointing them, than when
+he is checked for not pointing birds which his own impetuosity alone
+deprives him of every chance of rapturously "touseling." The very fact
+that "the birds lie well" frequently leads to mischief; for, if the
+instructor be not very watchful, there is a fear that his youngsters may
+succeed in getting too close to their game before he forces them to come
+to a staunch point. A keeper, however, has but little choice--and it is
+not a bad time to teach the back--if his master insists upon shooting over
+the animals the first day of the season, and expects to find them what
+some call "perfectly broken in." But I trust some of my readers have
+nobler ends in view; therefore,
+
+125. I will suppose your youngster to have been well grounded in his
+initiatory lessons, and that you take him out when the crops are nearly
+off the ground--by which time there will be few squeakers--on a fine cool
+day in September,--alas! that it cannot be an August day on the moors,--to
+show him birds for the first time. As he is assumed to be highly bred, you
+may start in the confident expectation of killing partridges over him,
+especially if he is a pointer. Have his nose moist and healthy. Take him
+out when the birds are on the feed, and of an afternoon in preference to
+the morning,--unless from an unusually dry season there be but little
+scent,--that he may not be attracted by the taint of hares or rabbits.
+Take him out alone, if he evince any disposition to hunt, which, at the
+age we will presume him to have attained next season, we must assume that
+he will do, and with great zeal. Be much guided by his temper and
+character. Should he possess great courage and dash, you cannot begin too
+soon to make him point. You should always check a wild dog in racing after
+pigeons and small birds on their rising; whereas you should encourage a
+timid dog--one who clings to "heel"--in such a fruitless but exciting
+chase. The measures to be pursued with such an animal are fully detailed
+in 111, 112.
+
+126. I may as well caution you against adopting the foolish practice of
+attempting to cheer on your dog with a constant low whistle, under the
+mistaken idea that it will animate him to increased zeal in hunting. From
+perpetually hearing the monotonous sound, it would prove as little of an
+incentive to exertion as a continued chirrup to a horse; and yet if
+habituated to it, your dog would greatly miss it whenever hunted by a
+stranger. Not unregarded, however, would it be by the birds, to whom on a
+calm day it would act as a very useful warning.
+
+127. Though you have not moors, fortunately we can suppose your fields to
+be of a good size. Avoid all which have recently been manured. Select
+those that are large, and in which you are the least likely to find
+birds, until his spirits are somewhat sobered, and he begins partly to
+comprehend your instructions respecting his range. There is no reason why
+he should not have been taken out a few days before this, _not to show him
+birds_, but to have commenced teaching him how to traverse his ground.
+Indeed, if we had supposed him of a sufficient age--111--he might by this
+time be somewhat advanced towards a systematic beat. It is seeing birds
+early that is to be deprecated, not his being taught how to range.
+
+128. _Be careful to enter every field at the leeward_[22] side--about the
+middle,--that he may have the wind to work against. Choose a day when
+there is a breeze, but not a boisterous one. In a calm the scent is
+stationary, and can hardly be found unless accidentally. In a gale it is
+scattered to the four quarters.[23] You want not an undirected ramble,
+but a judicious traversing beat under your own guidance, which shall leave
+no ground unexplored, and yet have none twice explored.
+
+129. Suppose the form of the field, as is usually the case, to approach a
+parallelogram or square, and that the wind blows in any direction but
+diagonally across it. On entering at the leeward side send the dog from
+you by a wave of your hand or the word "On." You wish him, while you are
+advancing up the middle of it, to cross you at right angles, say from
+right to left,--then to run up-wind for a little, parallel to your own
+direction, and afterwards to recross in front of you from left to right,
+and so on until the whole field is regularly hunted. To effect this,
+notwithstanding your previous preparatory lessons, you will have to show
+him the way, as it were--setting him an example in your own person,--by
+running a few steps in the direction you wish him to go--say to the
+right,--cheering him on to take the lead. As he gets near the extremity of
+his beat, when he does not observe you, he can steal a small advance in
+the true direction of your own beat, which is directly up the middle of
+the field meeting the wind. If perceiving your advance he turn towards
+you, face him--wave your right hand to him, and, while he sees you, run on
+a few paces in his direction--that is, _parallel_ to his true direction.
+As he approaches the hedge--the one on your right hand, but be careful
+that he does not get close to it, lest, from often finding game there, he
+ultimately become a potterer and regular hedge hunter--face towards him,
+and on catching his eye, wave your left arm. If you cannot succeed in
+catching his eye, you must give one low whistle--the less you habituate
+yourself to use the whistle, the less you will alarm the birds--study to
+do all, as far as is practicable, by signals. You wish your wave of the
+left arm to make the dog turn to the left--his head to the wind,--and that
+he should run parallel to the side of the hedge for some yards--say from
+thirty to forty--before he makes his second turn to the left to cross the
+field; but you must expect him to turn too directly towards you on your
+first signal to turn. Should he by any rare chance have made the turn--the
+first one--correctly, and thus be hunting up-wind, on no account interrupt
+him by making any signals until he has run up the distance you wish--the
+aforesaid thirty or forty yards,--then again catch his eye, and, as
+before--not now, however, faced towards him and the hedge, but faced
+towards your true direction,--by a wave of the left arm endeavor to make
+him turn to the left--across the wind. If, contrary to what you have a
+right to suppose, he will not turn towards you on your giving a whistle
+and wave of your hand, stand still, and continue whistling--eventually he
+will obey. But you must not indulge in the faintest hope that all I have
+described will be done correctly; be satisfied at first with an approach
+towards accuracy; you will daily find an improvement, if you persevere
+steadily. When you see that there is but little chance of his turning the
+way you want, at once use the signal more consonant to his views, for it
+should be your constant endeavor to make him fancy that he is always
+ranging according to the directions of your hands. Be particular in
+attending to this hint.
+
+130. His past tuition--34--most probably will have accustomed him to watch
+your eye for directions, therefore it is not likely, even should he have
+made a wrong turn near the hedge--a turn down-wind instead of up-wind,
+which would wholly have prevented the required advance parallel to the
+hedge,--that he will cross in rear of you. Should he, however, do so,
+retreat a few steps,--or face about, if he is far in the rear,--in order
+to impress him with the feeling that all his work must be performed under
+your eye. Animate him with an encouraging word as he passes. When he gets
+near the edge to the left, endeavor, by signals--agreeably to the method
+just explained--129--to make him turn to the--his--right, his head to the
+wind, and run up alongside of it for thirty to forty yards, if you can
+manage it, before he begins to recross the field, by making a second turn
+to the right. If you could get him to do this, he would cross well in
+advance of you.
+
+131. Though most likely his turn--the first--the turn up-wind--will be too
+abrupt--too much of an acute angle instead of the required right
+angle,--and that consequently, in order to get ahead of you, he will have
+to traverse the field diagonally, yet after a few trials it is probable he
+will do so rather than not get in front of you. This would be better than
+the former attempt--not obliging you to face about--express your approval,
+and the next turn near the hedge may be made with a bolder sweep. Remember
+your aim is, that no part be unhunted, and that none once commanded by his
+nose should be again hunted. He ought to cross, say thirty yards in front
+of you, but _much_ will depend upon his nose.
+
+132. Nearly on every occasion of catching his eye, except when he is
+running up-wind parallel to the hedge, give him some kind of signal. This
+will more and more confirm him in the habit of looking to you, from time
+to time, for orders, and thus aid in insuring his constant obedience.
+After a while, judging by the way in which your face is turned, he will
+know in what direction you propose advancing, and will guide his own
+movements accordingly. Should he, as most probably he will for some time,
+turn too sharply towards you when getting near the hedge, I mean at too
+acute an angle, incline or rather face towards him. This, coupled with the
+natural wish to range unrestrained, will make him hunt longer parallel to
+the hedge, before he makes his second turn towards you.
+
+133. You may at first strive to correct your dog's turning too abruptly
+inwards--the first turn--by pushing on in your own person further ahead on
+your own beat; but when he has acquired if merely the slightest idea of a
+correct range, be most careful not to get in advance of the ground he is
+to hunt; your doing so might habituate him to cross the field
+diagonally--thereby leaving much of the sides of the fields unhunted,--in
+order to get ahead of you; and, moreover, _you_ might spring birds you are
+anxious _he_ should find. Should he, on the other hand, be inclined to
+work too far upward before making his turn to cross the field, hang back
+in your own person.
+
+134. Though you may be in an unenclosed country, let him range at first to
+no more than from seventy to eighty yards on each side of you. You can
+gradually extend these lateral beats as he becomes conversant with his
+business--indeed at the commencement rather diminish than increase the
+distances just named, both for the length of the parallels and the space
+between them. Do not allow the alluring title "a fine wide ranger" to
+tempt you to let him out of leading strings. If he be once permitted to
+imagine that he has a discretionary power respecting the best places to
+hunt, and the direction and length of his beats, you will find it
+extremely difficult to get him again well in hand. On the moors his range
+must be far greater than on the stubbles, but still the rudiments must be
+taught on this contracted scale or you will never get him to look to you
+for orders. Do _you_ keep entire control over his beats; let _him_ have
+almost the sole management of his drawing upon birds, provided he does not
+puzzle, or run riot too long over an old haunt. Give him time, and after a
+little experience his nose will tell him more surely than your judgment
+can, whether he is working on the "toe" or "heel" of birds, and whether he
+diverges from or approaches the strongest and most recent haunt--do not
+flurry or hurry him, and he will soon acquire that knowledge.
+
+135. As the powers of scent vary greatly in different dogs, the depth of
+their turns--or parallels--ought to vary also, and it will be hereafter
+for you to judge what distance between the parallels it is most
+advantageous for your youngster ultimately to adopt in his general
+hunting. The deeper its turns are, of course, the more ground you will
+beat within a specified time. What you have to guard against is the
+possibility of their being so wide that birds may be passed by unnoticed.
+I should not like to name the distance within which good _cautious_ dogs
+that carry their heads high will wind game on a favorable day.
+
+136. If you design your pupil, when broken in, to hunt with a companion,
+and wish both the dogs, as is usual, to cross you, you will, of course,
+habituate him to make his sweeps--the space between the parallels--wider
+than if you had intended him to hunt without any one to share his labors.
+
+137. I need hardly warn you to be careful not to interrupt him whenever he
+appears to be winding birds. However good his nose may be by nature, it
+will not gain experience and discrimination unless you give him a certain
+time to determine for himself whether he has really touched upon a faint
+scent of birds, and whether they are in his front or rear, or gone away
+altogether. Like every other faculty, his sense of smell will improve the
+more it is exercised. But on the other hand, as I observed before, do not
+let him continue puzzling with his nose close to the ground,--urge him
+on,--make him increase his pace,--force him to search elsewhere, and he
+will gradually elevate his head, and, catching the scent of other
+particles, will follow up these with a nose borne aloft, unless he is a
+brute not worth a twentieth part of the pains which you think of bestowing
+upon him; for,
+
+138. Besides the greatly decreased chance of finding them, birds that to a
+certainty would become uneasy, and make off if pursued by a dog tracking
+them, will often lie well to one who finds them by the wind. They are then
+not aware that they are discovered, and the dog, from the information his
+nose gives him, can approach them either boldly or with great wariness,
+according as he perceives them to be more or less shy.
+
+139. If, being unable to catch the dog's eye, you are forced to use the
+whistle frequently, and he continues inattentive to it, notwithstanding
+his previous tuition, stand still--make him lie down--by the word "drop,"
+if he will not obey your raised left arm--go up to him--take hold of his
+collar, and rate him, saying, "Bad, bad," cracking your whip over him--let
+the whip be one that will crack loudly, not for present purposes, but
+that, when occasion requires, he may hear it at a distance--and whistling
+softly. This will show him--should you beat him, you would confuse his
+ideas--that he is chidden for not paying attention to the whistle. Indeed,
+whenever you have occasion to scold or punish him, make it a constant
+rule, while you rate him, to repeat many times the word of command, or the
+signal which he has neglected to obey. There is no other way by which you
+will make him understand you _quickly_. You must expect that your young
+dog will for some time make sad mistakes in his range;--but be not
+discouraged. Doubtless there is no one thing,--I was going to say, that
+there are no dozen things,--in the whole art of dog-breaking, which are so
+difficult to attain, or which exact so much labor, as a high,
+well-confirmed, systematic range. Nature will not assist you--you must do
+it all yourself; but in recompense there is nothing so advantageous when
+it is at length acquired. It will abundantly repay months of persevering
+exertion. It constitutes the grand criterion of true excellence. Its
+attainment makes a dog of inferior nose and action far superior to one of
+much greater natural qualifications, who may be tomfooling about,
+galloping backwards and forwards, sometimes over identically the same
+ground, quite uselessly exerting his travelling powers; now and then,
+indeed, arrested by the suspicion of a haunt, which he is not experienced
+enough, or sufficiently taught, to turn to good account,--and occasionally
+brought to a stiff point on birds accidentally found right under his nose.
+It is undeniable, _coeteris paribus_, that the dog who hunts his ground
+most according to rule must in the end find most game.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[21] In ordinary seasons immediately after St. Valentine's Day--before the
+birds have made their nests. The first of September is the commencement of
+partridge shooting in England, as the 26th of Oct. and the 1st of Nov. are
+generally in America for quail.
+
+All the breaking for partridge in this work, is applicable and must be
+referred to quail in America. Grouse shooting on the moors in England is
+applicable to our prairie shooting, and pheasant shooting to our ruffed
+grouse shooting, when that may be had. The reader must, therefore,
+transfer the months and seasons accordingly.--H.W.H.
+
+[22] "Leeward"--a nautical phrase--here meaning the side towards which the
+wind blows _from_ the field. If you entered elsewhere, the dog while
+ranging would be tempted, from the natural bearing of his nose towards the
+wind, to come back upon you, making his first turn inwards instead of
+outwards.
+
+[23] But, independently of these obvious reasons, scent is affected by
+causes into the nature of which none of us can penetrate. There is a
+contrariety in it that ever has puzzled, and apparently ever will puzzle,
+the most observant sportsman--whether a lover of the chase or gun,--and
+therefore, in ignorance of the doubtless immutable, though to us
+inexplicable, laws by which it is regulated, we are contented to call it
+"capricious." Immediately before heavy rain there frequently is none. It
+is undeniable that moisture will at one time destroy it--at another time
+bring it. That on certain days--in slight frost, for instance,--setters
+will recognise it better than pointers, and, on the other hand, that the
+nose of the latter will prove far superior after a long continuance of dry
+weather, and this even when the setter has been furnished with abundance
+of water--which circumstance pleads in favor of hunting pointers and
+setters together. The argument against it, is the usual inequality of
+their pace, and, to the eye of some sportsmen, the want of harmony in
+their appearance. Should not this uncertainty respecting the recognition
+of scent teach us not to continue hunting a good dog who is frequently
+making mistakes, but rather to keep him at "heel" for an hour or two? He
+will consider it a kind of punishment, and be doubly careful when next
+enlarged. Moreover, he may be slightly feverish from overwork, or he may
+have come in contact with some impurity,--in either of which cases his
+nose would be temporarily out of order.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. CAUTION.
+
+
+140. If it is your fixed determination to confirm your dog in the
+truly-killing range described in last Chapter, do not associate him for
+months in the field with another dog, however highly broken. It would be
+far better to devote but two hours per diem to your pupil exclusively,
+than to hunt him the whole day with a companion.
+
+141. Many breakers do exactly the reverse of this. They take out an old
+steady ranger, with the intention that he shall lead the young dog, and
+that the latter, from imitation and habit, shall learn how to quarter his
+ground. But what he gains by imitation will so little improve his
+intellects, that, when thrown upon his own resources, he will prove a
+miserable finder. On a hot, dry day he will not be able to make out a
+feather, nor on any day to "foot" a delicate scent. I grant that the plan
+expedites matters, and attains the end which _most_ professional trainers
+seek; but it will not give a dog self confidence and independence, it will
+not impart to him an inquiring nose, and make him rely on its
+sensitiveness to discover game, rather than to his quickness of eye to
+detect when his friend touches upon a haunt; nor will it instruct him to
+look from time to time towards the gun for directions. It may teach him a
+range, but not to hunt where he is ordered; nor will it habituate him to
+vary the breadth of the parallels on which he works, according as his
+master may judge it to be a good or bad scenting day.
+
+142. To establish the rare, noble beat I am recommending,--one not
+hereafter to be deranged by the temptation, of a furrow in turnips or
+potatoes,--you must have the philosophy not to hunt your dog in them until
+he is accustomed in his range to be guided entirely by the wind and your
+signals, and is in no way influenced by the nature of the ground. Even
+then it would be better not to beat narrow strips across which it would be
+impossible for him to make his regular casts. Avoid, too, for some time,
+if you can, all small fields--which will only contract his range,--and all
+fields with trenches or furrows, for he will but too naturally follow
+them instead of paying attention to his true beat. Have you never, in low
+lands, seen a young dog running down a potato or turnip trench, out of
+which his master, after much labor, had no sooner extracted him than he
+dropped into the adjacent one? It is the absence of artificial tracks
+which makes the range of nearly all dogs _well_ broken on the moors, so
+much truer than that of dogs hunted on cultivated lands.
+
+143. Moreover, in turnips, potatoes, clover, and the like thick shelter,
+birds will generally permit a dog to approach so closely, that if he is
+much accustomed to hunt such places, he will be sure to acquire the evil
+habit of pressing too near his game when finding on the stubbles--instead
+of being startled as it were into an instantaneous stop the moment he
+first winds game,--and thus raise many a bird out of gun-shot that a
+cautious dog--one who slackens his pace the instant he judges that he is
+beating a likely spot--would not have alarmed.
+
+144. "A _cautious_ dog!" Can there well be a more flattering epithet?[24]
+Such a dog can hardly travel too fast[25] in a tolerably open country,
+where there is not a superabundance of game, _if_ he really hunt with an
+inquiring nose;--but to his master what an all-important "if" is this! It
+marks the difference between the sagacious, wary, patient, yet diligent
+animal, whose every sense and every faculty is absorbed in his endeavor to
+make out birds, not for himself but the gun, and the wild harum-scarum who
+blunders up three-fourths of the birds he finds. No! not _finds_, but
+frightens,--for he is not aware of their presence until they are on the
+wing, and seldom points unless he gets some heedless bird right under his
+nose, when an ignoramus, in admiration of the beauty of the dog's sudden
+attitude, will often forget the mischief which he has done.
+
+145. Though you cannot improve a dog's nose, you can do what is nearly
+tantamount to it--you can increase his caution. By watching for the
+slightest token of his feathering, and then calling out "Toho," or making
+the signal, you will gradually teach him to look out for the faintest
+indication of a scent, and _point the instant he winds it_, instead of
+heedlessly hunting on until he meets a more exciting effluvia. See 174 to
+176, and 228.
+
+146. If from a want of animation in his manner you are not able to judge
+of the moment when he first winds game, and you thus are not able to call
+out "Toho" until he gets close to birds, quietly pull him back from his
+point "dead to leeward" for some paces, and there make him resume his
+point. Perseverance in this plan will ultimately effect your wishes,
+unless his nose is radically wrong. A dog's pointing too near his game
+more frequently arises from want of caution--in other words, from want of
+good instruction--than from a defective nose.
+
+147. Slow dogs readily acquire this caution; but fast dogs cannot be
+taught it without great labor. You have to show them the necessity of
+diminishing their pace, that their noses may have fair play. If you have
+such a pupil to instruct, when you get near birds you have marked down,
+signal to him to come to "heel" _Whisper_ to him "Care," and let him see
+by your light, slow tread, your anxiety not to alarm the birds. If he has
+never shown any symptoms of blinking, you may, a few times, thus spring
+the birds yourself while you keep him close to you. On the next occasion
+of marking down birds, or coming to a very likely spot, bring him into
+"heel," and after an impressive injunction to take "care," give him two or
+three very limited casts to the right or left, and let _him_ find the
+birds while you instruct him as described in 228. As there will be no fear
+of such a dog making false points, take him often to the fields where he
+has most frequently met birds. The expectation of again coming on them,
+and the recollection of the lectures he there received, will be likely to
+make him cautious on entering it. I remember a particular spot in a
+certain field that early in the season constantly held birds. A young dog
+I then possessed never approached it afterwards without drawing upon it
+most carefully, though he had not found there for months. At first I had
+some difficulty in preventing the "draw" from becoming a "point."
+
+148. I have elsewhere observed that fast dogs, which give most trouble in
+breaking, usually turn out best: now if you think for a moment you will
+see the reason plainly. A young dog does not ultimately become first-rate
+because he is wild and headstrong, and regardless of orders, but because
+his speed and disobedience arise from his great energies,--from his
+fondness for the sport, from his longing to inhale the exhilarating scent
+and pursue the flying game. It is the possession of these qualities that
+makes him, in his anxious state of excitement, blind to your signals and
+deaf to your calls. These obviously are qualities that, _under good
+management_,[26] lead to great excellence and superiority,--that make one
+dog do the work of two. But they are not qualities sought for by an idle
+or incompetent breaker.
+
+149. These valuable qualities in the fast dog, must, however, be
+accompanied with a searching nose. It is not enough that a dog be always
+apparently hunting, that is to say, always on the gallop--his nose should
+always be hunting. When this is the case, and you may be pretty certain it
+is if, as he crosses the breeze, his nose has intuitively a bearing to
+windward, you need not fear that he will travel too fast, or not repay you
+ultimately for the great extra trouble caused by his high spirits and
+ardor for the sport.
+
+150. You have been recommended invariably to enter every field by the
+leeward side. This you can generally accomplish with ease, if you commence
+your day's beat to leeward. Should circumstances oblige you to enter a
+field on the windward side, make it a rule, as long as your dog continues
+a youngster, to call him to "heel," and walk down the field with him until
+you get to the opposite side--the leeward--then hunt him regularly up to
+windward.
+
+151. I have read wondrous accounts of dogs, who, without giving themselves
+the trouble of quartering their ground, would walk straight up to the
+birds if there were any in the field. It has never been my luck, I do not
+say to have possessed such marvellous animals, but even to have been
+favored with a sight of them. I therefore am inclined to think, let your
+means be what they may, that you would find it better not to advertise for
+creatures undoubtedly most rare, but to act upon the common belief that,
+as the scent of birds, more or less, impregnates the air, no dog, let his
+nose be ever so fine, can, except accidentally, wind game unless he seeks
+for the taint in the air--and that the dog who regularly crosses the wind
+must have a better chance of finding it than he who only works up
+wind--and that down wind he can have little other chance than by
+"roading."
+
+152. It is heedlessness--the exact opposite of this extreme caution--that
+makes young dogs so often disregard and overrun a slight scent; and since
+they are more inclined to commit this error from the rivalry of
+companionship, an additional argument is presented in favor of breaking
+them separately, and giving them their own time, leisurely and
+methodically, to work out a scent, _provided the nose be carried high_. I
+am satisfied most of us hurry young dogs too much.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[24] Provided always he be not perpetually pointing, as occasionally will
+happen--and is the more likely to happen if he has been injudiciously
+taught as a puppy to set chickens, and has thereby acquired the evil habit
+of "standing by eye;" which, however, may have made him a first-rate hand
+at pointing crows.
+
+[25] With the understanding that the pace does not make him "shut up"
+before the day is over.
+
+[26] The more resolute a dog is, the more pains should be taken, before he
+is shown game, to perfect him in the instant "drop"--25--however far off
+he may be ranging.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. CUNNING OF AGE. RANGE OF FROM TWO TO SIX
+DOGS.
+
+
+153. Of course you will not let your pupil "break fence," or get out of
+your sight. Be on the watch to whistle or call out "Fence," the instant
+you perceive that he is thinking of quitting the field. Do not wait until
+he is out of sight; check him by anticipating his intentions. Should he,
+unperceived, or in defiance of your orders, get into a field before you,
+call him back--by the same opening, if practicable, through which he
+passed, the more clearly to show him his folly;--and do not proceed
+further until he has obeyed you. A steady adherence to this rule will soon
+convince him of the inutility of not exercising more patience, or at least
+forbearance; then signal to him "away" in the direction _you_ choose, not
+in the direction _he_ chooses. It is essential that you should be the
+first over every fence. In the scramble, birds, at which you ought to have
+a shot, are frequently sprung. If he is not obedient to your orders make
+him "drop," and rate him as described in 139.
+
+154. A dog from his own observation so much feels,--and in a greater or
+less degree, according to his education,--the necessity of watching in
+what direction you are walking, that if he is habituated to work under
+your eye,--I mean, is never allowed to hunt behind you,--by turning your
+back upon him when he is paying no attention to your signals, you will
+often be able to bring him away from a spot where he is ranging--perhaps
+down wind--against your wishes, at a time when you are afraid to whistle,
+lest you should alarm the birds. Waving your hand backwards and forwards
+near the ground, and stooping low while walking slowly about, as if in
+search of something, will often attract the attention of an ill-taught,
+self-willed dog; and his anxiety to participate in the find, and share the
+sport which he imagines you expect, will frequently induce him to run up,
+and hunt alongside of you for any close lying bird.
+
+155. Never be induced to hunt your young dog,--nor indeed any dog,--when
+he is tired. If you do, you will give him a slovenly carriage and habits,
+and lessen his zeal for the sport. In order to come in for a sniff, at a
+time when he is too fatigued to search for it himself, he will crawl after
+his companion, watching for any indication of his finding. As they become
+wearied you will have a difficulty in keeping even old well-broken dogs
+separate--much more young ones, however independently they may have ranged
+when fresh. You may also, to a certainty, expect false points; but what is
+of far more consequence, by frequently overtasking your dog, you will as
+effectually waste his constitution as you would your horse's by premature
+work.
+
+156. If he is very young when first entered, two or three hours' work at a
+time will be sufficient. When he is tired, or rather before he is tired,
+send him home with the man who brings you a relief. Do not fancy your dog
+will be getting a rest if he is allowed to follow at your heels for the
+remainder of the day, coupled to a companion. His fretting at not being
+allowed to share in the sport he sees, will take nearly as much out of him
+as if you permitted him to hunt. If you can persuade John always to rub
+him down, and brush and dry him--nay even to let him enjoy an hour's
+basking in front of the fire--before he shuts him up in the kennel, you
+will add years to his existence; and remember that one old experienced
+dog, whose constitution is uninjured, is worth two young ones.
+
+157. When you hunt a brace of dogs, to speak theoretically, they should
+traverse a field in opposite directions, but along parallel lines, and the
+distance between the lines should be regulated by you according as it is a
+good or a bad scenting day, and according to the excellence of the dogs'
+noses. Mathematical accuracy is, of course, never to be attained, but the
+closer you approach the better.
+
+158. You should attempt it--on entering the field to _leeward_, as before
+directed--by making one dog go straight ahead of you to the distance which
+you wish the parallel lines to be apart from each other, before you cast
+him off--say--to the right; then cast off his companion to the left. If
+the dogs are nearly equal in pace, the one ahead, so long as he does not
+fancy he winds game, should continue to work on a parallel more advanced
+than the other.
+
+159. Should you not like to relinquish, for the sake of this formal
+precision, the chance of a find in the neglected right-hand corner of the
+field, cast off one dog to the right and the other to the left, on
+entering it, and make the one that soonest approaches his hedge take the
+widest sweep--turn--and so be placed in the _advanced_, parallel.
+
+160. With regard to hunting more than a brace--when your difficulties
+wonderfully multiply--your own judgment must determine in what manner to
+direct their travelling powers to the greatest advantage. Much will depend
+upon the different speed of the dogs; the number you choose from whim, or
+otherwise, to hunt; the kind of country you beat; and the quantity and
+sort of game you expect to find. It is, however, certain you must wish
+that each dog be observant of the direction in which your face is turned,
+in order that he may guide his own movements by yours;--that he from time
+to time look towards you to see if you have any commands; and that he be
+ever anxious to obey them.
+
+161. Herbert writes as follows, in his work on shooting in the United
+States:[27] his words ought to have influence, for manifestly he is a good
+sportsman; but I own I cannot quite agree with him as to the _facility_
+with which a range can be taught: "It is wonderful how easily dogs which
+are always shot over by the same man--he being one who knows his
+business--will learn to cross and re-quarter their ground, turning to the
+slightest whistle, and following the least gesture of the hand. I have
+seen old dogs turn their heads to catch their master's eye, if they
+thought the whistle too long deferred; and I lately lost an old Irish
+setter, which had been stone deaf for his last two seasons, but which I
+found no more difficulty in turning than any other dog, so accurately did
+he know when to look for the signal."
+
+162. To beat your ground _systematically_ with three dogs, you should
+strive to make them cross and recross you each on a different parallel, as
+just described for two dogs; but each dog must make a proportionally
+bolder sweep--turn--or,
+
+163. If you have plenty of space, you can make one dog take a distinct
+beat to the right, another a separate beat to the left, and direct the
+third--which ought to be the dog least confirmed in his range--to traverse
+the central part,--and so be the only one that shall cross and recross
+you. If one of your dogs is a slow potterer, and you prefer this method to
+the one named in 162, give him the middle beat, and let his faster
+companions take the flanks. In our small English fields you have not space
+enough, but on our moors, and in many parts of the Continent, it cannot be
+want of room that will prevent your accomplishing it. To do this well,
+however, and not interfere with each other's ground, how magnificently
+must your dogs be broken! In directing their movements, the assistance
+that would be given you by each dog's acknowledging his own particular
+whistle, and no other--275--is very apparent.
+
+164. It is difficult enough to make three dogs traverse across you on
+tolerably distinct parallels; and at a judicious distance between the
+parallels you will find it hopeless to attempt it with more than three;
+and one can hardly imagine a case in which it would be advantageous to
+uncouple a greater number of good rangers. If, however, the scarcity of
+game, and the extensiveness of your beat, or any peculiar fancy, induce
+you habitually to use four dogs, hunt one brace to the right, the other to
+the left; and, so far as you can, let those which _form a brace be of
+equal speed_.[28] Your task will be facilitated by your always keeping the
+same brace to one flank--I mean, by making one brace constantly hunt to
+your right hand; the other brace to your left. The same reasoning holds
+with regard to assigning to each dog a particular side when hunting
+three, according to the mode described in last paragraph. It should,
+however, be borne in mind, that constantly hunting a dog in this manner on
+one and the same flank, tends to make him range very disagreeably whenever
+employed single-handed.
+
+165. If you hunt five dogs, four of them ought to work by braces to the
+right and left, and the fifth--the dog whose rate of speed most varies
+from the others--should have a narrow beat assigned him directly in
+advance of you.
+
+166. If three brace are to be used, let the third brace hunt the central
+ground, as recommended for the fifth dog--or they could be worked in
+leashes, one on the right of the gun, the other on the left.
+
+167. These are the correct _theoretical_ rules, and the more closely you
+observe them, the more truly and killingly will your ground be hunted.
+
+168. Probably you will think that such niceties are utterly impracticable.
+They must be impracticable if you look for mathematical precision; but if
+you hope to shoot over more than mere rabble, you should work upon
+_system_. If you do not, what can you expect but an unorganized mob?--an
+undrilled set, perpetually running over each other's ground,--now grouped
+in this part, now crowded in that,--a few likely spots being hunted by all
+(especially if they are old dogs), the rest of the field by none of them;
+and to control whose unprofitable wanderings, why not employ a regular
+huntsman and a well-mounted whip? Doubtless it would be absurd to hope
+for perfect accuracy in so difficult a matter as a systematic range in a
+brigade of dogs; but that you may approach correctness, take a true
+standard of excellence. If you do not keep perfection in view, you will
+never attain to more than mediocrity. I earnestly hope, however, that it
+cannot be your wish to take out a host of dogs--but should you have such a
+singular hobby, pray let them be regularly brigaded, and not employed as a
+pack. In my opinion, under no circumstances can more than relays of
+leashes be desirable; but I should be sorry in such matters to dispute any
+man's right to please himself; I only wish him, whatever he does, to
+strive to do it correctly.
+
+169. Some men who shoot on a grand scale make their keepers hunt each a
+distinct brace of dogs,--the gun going up to whatever dog points. It is
+the most killing plan to adopt; but that is not the matter we were
+considering. The question was, what method a man ought to pursue who had a
+fancy to himself hunt many dogs at a time.
+
+170. If a professional breaker could show you a brigade of dogs well
+trained to quarter their ground systematically, and should ask from fifty
+to sixty guineas[29] a brace for them, you ought not to be surprised.
+What an extent of country they could sweep over in an hour and not leave
+a bird behind! And consider what time and labor must have been spent in
+inculcating so noble a range. He would have been far better paid if he had
+received less than half the money as soon as they "pointed steadily," both
+at the living and the dead; "down charged;" "backed:" and were broken from
+"chasing hare," or noticing rabbits.
+
+171. Some men fancy that the faster they walk, the more country they hunt.
+This is far from being always the case. Dogs travel at one rate, whether
+you walk fast or slow, and the distance between the parallels on which
+they work--being determined by the fineness of their noses, and the
+goodness of the scent--ought not to be affected by your pace. Suppose,
+therefore, that you shoot in an unenclosed country, whether you walk
+quickly, or merely crawl along, the only difference in the beat of your
+dogs _ought_ to be that, in the latter case, they range further to the
+right and the left. You thus make up in your _breadth_ what you lose in
+your _length_ of beat.
+
+172. Nor do the fastest dogs, however well they may be broken, always
+truly hunt the most ground. The slower dogs have frequently finer
+olfactory nerves than their fleeter rivals,--therefore the parallels on
+which the former work may correctly be much wider apart than the parallels
+of the latter. The finer nose in this manner commands so much more ground
+that it beats the quicker heels out and out.
+
+173. You will see, then, how judicious it is to show forbearance and give
+encouragement to the timid, but high-bred class[30] of dogs described in
+114; for it is obvious that, though they may travel slower, yet they may
+really hunt _properly_, within a specified time, many more acres of ground
+than their hardier and faster competitors; and it is certain that they
+will not so much alarm the birds. Dogs that are most active with their
+heels are generally least busy with their noses.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[27] Entitled, "Field Sports in the United States and British Provinces,
+by Frank Forester."
+
+[28] A rule to be followed whenever you employ relays of braces.
+
+[29] 250 to 300 dollars. This would be by no means an extraordinary price
+here, however extraordinary it might be to see dogs so qualified.--H.W.H.
+
+[30] It is admitted, however, that they are often difficult animals to
+manage; for the _least_ hastiness on the part of the instructor may create
+a distrust that he will find it very hard to remove.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. "POINT" NOT RELINQUISHED FOR "DOWN
+CHARGE."
+
+
+174. To proceed, however, with our imaginary September day's work. I will
+suppose that your young dog has got upon birds, and that from his boldness
+and keenness in hunting you need not let him run riot on a haunt, as you
+were recommended (in 111) when you wished to give courage and animation to
+a timid dog. You must expect that his eagerness and delight will make him
+run in and flush them, even though you should have called out "Toho" when
+first you perceived his stern begin feathering, and thence judged that
+his olfactory nerves were rejoicing in the luxurious taint of game. Hollo
+out "Drop" most energetically. If he does not immediately lie down, crack
+your whip loudly to command greater attention. When you have succeeded in
+making him lie down, approach him quietly: be not angry with him, but yet
+be stern in manner. Grasping the skin of his neck, or, what is better,
+putting your hand within his collar--for he ought to wear a light
+one--quietly drag him to the precise spot where you think he was _first_
+aware of the scent of the birds. There make him stand--if stand he will,
+instead of timidly crouching--with his head directed towards the place
+from which the birds took wing, and by frequently repeating the word
+"Toho," endeavor to make him understand that he ought to have pointed at
+that identical spot. Do not confuse him by even threatening to beat him.
+The chances are twenty to one that he is anxious to please you, but does
+not yet know what you wish. I assume also that he is attached to you, and
+his affection, from constantly inducing him to exert himself to give
+satisfaction, will greatly develope his observation and intelligence.
+
+175. Consider it a golden rule never to be departed from--for I must again
+impress upon you a matter of such importance--invariably to drag a dog who
+has put up birds incautiously, or wilfully drawn too near them, and so
+sprung them--or, what is quite as bad,--though young sportsmen will not
+sufficiently think of it,--_endangered_ their rising out of shot--to the
+exact spot at which you judge he ought to have pointed at first, and
+awaited your instructions.
+
+176. Think for one moment what could be the use of chiding--or beating, as
+I have seen some ***** do--the poor animal at the spot where he flushed
+the birds. You are not displeased with him (or ought not to be) because
+the birds took wing,--for if they had remained stationary until he was
+within a yard of them, his fault would have been the same: nor are you
+angry with him because he did not catch them--which interpretation he
+might, as naturally as any other, put upon your rating him at the spot
+where he flushed them--you are displeased with him for _not having
+pointed_ at them steadily the moment he became sensible of their presence.
+This is what you wish him to understand, and this you can only teach him
+by dragging him, as has been so often said, to the spot at which he ought
+to have "toho-ed" them. Your object is to give the young dog, by
+instruction, the caution that most old dogs have acquired by experience.
+Doubtless experience would in time convince him of the necessity of this
+caution; but you wish to save time,--to anticipate that experience; and by
+a judicious education impart to him knowledge which it would take him
+years to acquire otherwise. What a dog gains by experience is not what you
+teach him, but what he teaches himself.
+
+177. Many carelessly-taught dogs will, on first recognising a scent, make
+a momentary point, and then slowly crawl on until they get within a few
+yards of the game--if it be sufficiently complaisant to allow of such a
+near approach--and there "set" as steady as a rock by the hour together.
+Supposing, however, that the birds are in an unfriendly, distant mood, and
+not willing to remain on these neighborly terms, "your game is up," both
+literally and metaphorically,--you have no chance of getting a shot. This
+is a common fault among dogs hastily broken in the spring.
+
+178. But to resume our supposed lesson. You must not be in a hurry--keep
+your dog for some time--for a long time, where he should have pointed. You
+may even sit down alongside him. Be patient; you have not come out so much
+to shoot, as to break in your dog. When at length you give him the wave of
+the hand to hie him on to hunt, you must not part as enemies, though I do
+not say he is to be caressed. He has committed a fault, and he is to be
+made sensible of it by your altered manner.
+
+Suppose that, after two or three such errors, all treated in the way
+described, he makes a satisfactory point. Hold up your right hand, and the
+moment you catch his eye, remain quite stationary, still keeping your arm
+up. Dogs, as has been already observed, are very imitative; and your
+standing stock still will, more than anything else, induce him to be
+patient and immovable at his point. After a time--say five minutes, if,
+from the hour of the day and the dog's manner, you are convinced that the
+birds are not stirring--endeavor to get up to him so quietly as not to
+excite him to move. Whenever you observe him inclined to advance,--of
+which his lifting a foot or even raising a shoulder, or the agitation of
+his stern will be an indication,--stop for some seconds, and when by your
+raised hand you have awed him into steadiness, again creep on. Make your
+approaches within his sight, so that he may be intimidated by your eye and
+hand. If you succeed in getting near him without unsettling him, actually
+stay by him, as firm as a statue, for a quarter of an hour by one of
+Barwise's best chronometers. Let your manner, which he will observe, show
+great earnestness. Never mind the loss of time. You are giving the dog a
+famous lesson, and the birds are kindly aiding you by lying beautifully
+and not shifting their ground.
+
+179. Now attempt a grand _coup_, in which if you are successful, you may
+almost consider your dog made staunch for ever. Keeping your eye on him,
+and your hand up--of course the right one--make a circuit, so that the
+birds shall be between him and you. Be certain that your circle is
+sufficiently wide--if it is not, the birds may get up behind you, and so
+perplex him that at his next find he will feel doubtful how to act. Fire
+at no skirter, or chance shot. Reserve yourself for the bird or birds at
+which he points; a caution more necessary on the moors than on the
+stubbles, as grouse spread while feeding. When you have well headed him,
+walk towards him and spring the birds. Use straight shooting-powder. Take
+a cool aim well forward, and knock down one. Do not flurry the dog by
+firing more than a single barrel, or confuse him by killing more than
+_one_ bird. If you have been able to accomplish all this without his
+stirring--though, to effect it, you may have been obliged to use your
+voice--you have every right to hope, from his previous education, that he
+will readily "down-charge" on hearing the report of your gun. Do not hurry
+your loading:--indeed, be unnecessarily long, with the view of making him
+at all such times patient and steady. If, in spite of all your calls and
+signals, he ever gives chase to the sprung birds, make him
+"drop,"--instantly if possible--and proceed much as described in 174,
+dragging him back to the place where he should have "down-charged."
+
+180. When you have loaded, say "Dead,"[31] in a low voice, and signalling
+to "heel" make him come up to you, yourself keeping still. By signs--XI.
+of 119--place him as near as you can, _but to leeward_ of the dead bird.
+Then, and not till then, say, "Find;" give him no other assistance. Let
+him have plenty of time to make out the bird. It is not to be find and
+_grip_, but find and _point_,[32] therefore the moment you perceive he is
+aware that it is before him, make him--by word of command--"toho:"--go up
+to him, stay for a while alongside him, then make a small circuit to head
+him, and have the bird between you and him; approach him. If he attempt to
+dash in, thunder out "No," and greet him with at least the sound of the
+whip: slowly pick up the dead bird; call the dog to you; show him the
+bird; but on no account throw it to him, lest he snatch at it; lay it on
+the ground, encourage him to sniff it; let him--for reason why see
+216--turn it over with his nose--teeth closed--say to him, "Dead, dead;"
+caress him; sit down; smoothe the feathers of the bird; let him perceive
+that you attach much value to it; and after a while loop it on the game
+bag, allowing him all the time to see what you are doing. After that, make
+much of him for full five minutes: indeed with some dogs it would be
+advisable to give a palatable reward, but be not invariably very prodigal
+of these allurements; you may have a pupil whose attention they might
+engross more than they ought. Then walk about a little time with him at
+your heels. All this delay and caressing will serve to show him that the
+first tragedy is concluded, and has been satisfactorily performed. You may
+now hie him on to hunt for more birds.
+
+181. Pray mind what is said about making your youngster point the dead
+bird staunchly, the moment you perceive that he first scents it. Should he
+be allowed to approach so near as to be able to touch it--instead of
+being made to point the instant he finds,--the chances are, that if
+hard-mouthed he will give it a crunch, if tender-mouthed a fumbling of the
+feathers; and either proceeding satisfying him, that he will quit it, and
+not further aid you in a search. As "pointing" is only a natural
+pause--prolonged by art--to determine exactly where the game is lying,
+preparatory to rushing forward to seize, it would be unreasonable to
+expect him willingly to make a second point at game he has not only found
+but mouthed--the evil, however, does not rest here. There is such a
+disagreeable thing as blinking a dead bird, no less than blinking a sound
+one. For mouthing the bird you may possibly beat the dog, or for nosing it
+and not pointing you may rate him harshly, either of which, if he be not
+of a bold disposition, may lead, on the next occasion, to his slinking off
+after merely obtaining a sniff. You ought, in fact, to watch as carefully
+for your pupil's first "feathering" upon the dead bird, as you
+did--174--upon his first coming upon the covey. You see, then, that your
+teaching him to "point dead" is absolutely indispensable; unless, indeed,
+you constantly shoot with a retriever. Pointing at a live bird or at a
+dead one should only differ in this, that in the latter case the dog makes
+a nearer point. _Begin_ correctly, and you will not have any difficulty;
+but you may expect the greatest if you let your dog go up to one or two
+birds and mouthe them, before you commence making him point them. The
+following season, should you then permit him to lift his game, it will be
+time enough to dispense with his "pointing dead." I dwell upon this
+subject because many excellent dogs, from not having been properly taught
+to "point dead," often fail in securing the produce of a successful shot,
+while, on the contrary, with judiciously educated dogs it rarely happens
+that any of the slain or wounded are left on the field. Moreover, the
+protracted search and failure--as an instance see 217--occasions a
+lamentable loss of time. Were a sportsman who shoots over dogs not well
+broken to "point dead"--or retrieve--to calculate accurately, watch in
+hand, he would, I think, be surprised to find how many of his best
+shooting hours are wasted in unprofitable searching for birds of the
+certainty of whose untimely fate his dogs had probably long before fully
+convinced themselves.
+
+182. As to the word "Dead," whether you choose to continue using it
+immediately after loading, or, as I have recommended--XI. of 119--_after a
+time_ omit it, and merely let the signal to "heel" intimate that you have
+killed, always make your dog go to you before you allow him to seek for
+the fallen bird.
+
+183. Some may say, "As a dog generally sees a bird fall, what is the use
+of calling him to you before you let him seek?--and even if he does not
+see the bird, why should any time be lost? Why should not you and he go as
+direct to it as you can?"
+
+184. Provided you have no wish that the "finder"--see 295--rather than any
+of his companions, should be allowed the privilege of "seeking dead," I
+must admit that in the cultivated lands of England, when a dog "sees a
+bird fall," he might in nine cases out of ten go direct to it without
+inconvenience. Even here, however, there are occasions when intervening
+obstacles may prevent you observing what the dog is about; and in cover,
+so far from being able to give him any assistance by signalling, you may
+be ignorant whether or not he has seen the bird knocked over, or is even
+aware of the general direction in which he ought to seek. But in the
+oft-occurring cases in which "he does not see the bird fall," it is
+obvious--particularly when he happens to be at the extremity of his
+beat,--that you will far more quickly place him where you wish, if you
+make him, at first, run up to you, and then advance from you, straight to
+the bird, by your forward signal--190. These good results at least will
+follow, if you remain stationary, and make him join you. You do not lose
+sight of the spot where you marked that the bird or birds fell. The foil
+is not interfered with by your walking over the ground--a matter of much
+importance, especially on bad-scenting days. The dog, if habituated to
+"seek" without your companionship, will readily hunt morasses and ravines,
+where you might find it difficult to accompany him. He will feel the less
+free to follow his own vagaries; and this consciousness of subjection will
+dispose him to pay more watchful attention to your signals. He will the
+more patiently wait at the "down charge;" and when you are reloaded will
+not be so tempted to dash recklessly after the bird, regardless whether
+or not he raises others on the way. If he is dragging a cord, you can the
+more easily take hold of its end, in order to check him, and make him
+point when he first winds the dead bird--and, should you be shooting over
+several dogs, by none of them being permitted to run direct to the fallen
+bird they will the less unwillingly allow you to select the one who is to
+approach close to you before "seeking dead."
+
+185. The opponents of this method argue, that the practice may give the
+dog the bad habit of running immediately after the "down charge" to the
+gun, instead of recommencing to hunt; particularly if he is shot over by a
+first-rate performer. Granted; but is not the temptation to bolt off in
+search of a dead bird still stronger? To check the former evil, endeavor
+to make the coming to "heel" an act of obedience rather than a voluntary
+act, by never failing, as soon as you are re-loaded, to give the customary
+signal--VIII. of 119--when you have killed, or the signal to "hie on"
+should you have missed.
+
+186. Moreover, you will sometimes meet with a dog who, when a bird has
+been fired at, though it be the first and only one sprung of a large
+covey, commences "seeking dead" immediately after the "down charge,"
+apparently considering that his first duty. This sad, sad fault--for it
+frequently leads to his raising the other birds out of shot--is generally
+attributable to the dog's having been allowed to rush at the fallen bird,
+instead of being accustomed to the restraint of having first to run up to
+the gun.
+
+187. To prevent your pupil ever behaving so badly, often adopt the plan of
+not "seeking dead" immediately after loading, especially if the birds are
+lying well. Mark accurately the spot where your victim lies, and closely
+hunt for others, endeavoring to instil great caution into the dog, much in
+the manner--being guided by his disposition and character--described in
+144, 145, and 228. As long as any of the covey remain unsprung, you ought
+not to pick up one dead bird, though you should have a dozen on the
+ground. Your dog ought not even to "down charge" after you have fired, if
+he is fully aware that more birds are before him. To impart to him the
+knowledge that, _however important is the "down charge," his continuing at
+his point is still more so_, you may, when the birds are lying well and he
+is at a fixed point, make your attendant discharge a gun at a little
+distance while you remain near the dog, encouraging him to maintain his
+"toho." If you have no attendant, and the birds lie like stones, fire off
+a barrel yourself while the dog is steadily pointing. He will fancy you
+see birds which he has not noticed, and, unless properly tutored and
+praised by you, will be desirous to quit those he has found, to search for
+the bird he conceives you have shot.
+
+188. It is a fine display of intelligence in the dog, and of judicious
+training in the breaker--may it be your desert and reward ere long to
+witness it in your pupil,--when a pointer--or setter--in goodly turnips
+or strong potatoes draws upon birds which obligingly rise one after the
+other, while by continuing his eloquent attitude he assures you that some
+still remain unsprung, to which he is prepared to lead you if you will but
+attend to them and him, and, instead of pot-hunting after those you have
+killed, wait until his discriminating nose informs him that, having no
+more strangers to introduce, he is at liberty to assist you in your
+search.
+
+189. To revert, however, to the point particularly under discussion, viz.,
+whether you prefer that your dog go direct to the fallen bird, or--as I
+strongly recommend--that he first join you, pray be consistent, exact
+which you will, but always exact the same, if you are anxious to obtain
+cheerful unhesitating obedience.
+
+190. I have seen the advantage of the latter method very strikingly
+exemplified in America, in parts of which there is capital
+snipe-shooting.[33] In the high grass and rushes on the banks of the
+Richelieu, many a bird have I seen flushed and shot at, of which the liver
+and white pointer, ranging at a little distance, has known nothing. As he
+was well broken in, on hearing the report of the gun, he, of course,
+dropped instantly. His master, when he had reloaded, if the bird had
+fallen, used invariably to say "Dead,"[34] in a low tone of voice, on
+which the dog would _go up to him_; and then his master, without stirring
+from the spot where he had fired, directed him by signals to the place
+where the bird had tumbled, and in proceeding thither, the dog often had
+to swim the stream. His master then said "Find." At that word, and not
+before it, his intelligent four-footed companion commenced the search for
+the bird, nor did he ever fail to find and bring; and so delicate was his
+mouth that I have often seen him deliver up a bird perfectly alive,
+without having deranged a feather, though, very probably, he had swam with
+it across one of the many creeks which intersect that part of the country.
+If the shot was a miss, his master's silence after reloading, and a wave
+of his arm to continue hunting--or the command to "Hie on," if the dog was
+hidden by the rushes--perhaps a low whistle would have been better,--fully
+informed his companion of the disappointment. He was quite as good on the
+large quail, and small wood-cock found in Canada, which latter makes a
+ringing noise on rising, not unlike the sound of a distant soft bell; but
+reminiscences of that capital old dog are leading me away from your young
+one.
+
+191. For some days you cannot shoot to your pupil too steadily and
+quietly--I had well nigh said too slowly. By being cool, calm, and
+collected yourself, you will make him so. I am most unwilling to think
+that you will be too severe, but I confess I have my misgivings lest you
+should occasionally overlook some slight faults in the elation of a
+successful right and left. Filling the game-bag must be quite secondary to
+education. Never hesitate to give up any bird if its acquisition interfere
+with a lesson. Let all that you secure be done according to rule, and in a
+sportsmanlike manner.
+
+
+[Illustration: SETTERS.--BOB.]
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[31] As he acquires experience he will wish to rise the moment he observes
+that your loading is completed. Do not allow him to move, however
+correctly he may have judged the time. Let his rising be always in
+obedience to signal or word. You may make a mistake in charging, or your
+friend may not load as expeditiously as yourself.
+
+[32] Never being allowed to grip conduces so much to making him
+tender-mouthed, that, should he hereafter be permitted to lift his game,
+it is probable he will deliver it up perfectly uninjured.
+
+[33] I reserve this anecdote on account of its interest and applicability
+to American readers.--H.W.H.
+
+[34] In order to work in silence, I advised--XI. of 119--that the signal
+to "heel" whenever the dog could observe it, should supersede the word
+"dead." It might be necessary to sing out with a boat-swain's voice should
+the dog be far off.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. ASSISTANT.
+
+
+192. It is proper you should be warned that you must not always expect a
+dog will "toho" the first day as readily as I have described, though most
+will, and some--especially pointers--even more quickly, if they have been
+previously well-drilled, and have been bred for several generations from
+parents of pure blood.
+
+I do not say bred in and in. Breeding in and in, to a certainty, would
+enfeeble their intellects as surely as their constitutions. In this way
+has many a kennel been deprived of the energy and endurance so essential
+in a sportsman's dog.
+
+193. As in the present instance, it often occurs that a dog is less
+inclined to dash in at first than when he is more acquainted with birds.
+He is suddenly arrested by the novelty of the scent, and it is not until
+he is fully assured from what it proceeds that he longs to rush forward
+and give chase. In autumnal breaking the dog gets his bird--it is killed
+for him--he is satisfied--and therefore he has not the same temptation to
+rush in as when he is shown birds in the spring.
+
+194. If you find your dog, from excess of delight and exuberance of
+spirits, less under general command than from his initiatory education you
+had expected, and that he will not "toho" steadily at the exact spot at
+which you order him, at once attach a checkcord to his collar. It will
+diminish his pace, and make him more cautious and obedient. The moment you
+next see him begin to feather, get up quickly, _but without running_, to
+the end of the cord, and check him with a sudden jerk, if you are
+satisfied that game is before him and that he ought to be pointing. If
+from his attitude and manner you are _positive_ that there is game, drive
+a spike--or peg--into the ground, and tie the cord to it. I only hope the
+birds will remain stationary. If they do, you can give him a capital
+lesson by remaining patiently alongside of him and then heading him and
+the birds in the manner before described--178, 179.
+
+195. As a general rule, an attendant or any companion cannot be
+recommended, because he would be likely to distract a young dog's
+attention; but an intelligent fellow who would readily obey your signals,
+and not presume to speak, would doubtless, with a very wild dog, be an
+advantageous substitute for the spike. You could then employ a longer and
+slighter cord than usual, and, on the man's getting hold of the end of it,
+be at once free to head and awe the dog. Whenever you had occasion to
+stand still, the man would, of course, be as immovable as yourself.
+
+Your signals to him might be:--
+
+  The gun held up,--"Get near the dog."
+  Your fist clenched,--"Seize the rope."
+  Your fist shaken,--"Jerk the cord."
+  Your hand spread open,--"Let go the cord."
+
+Or any signs you pleased, so that you understood each other without the
+necessity of speaking.
+
+196. Should it ever be your misfortune to have to correct in a dog evil
+habits caused by past mismanagement, such an attendant, if an active,
+observant fellow, could give you valuable assistance, for he sometimes
+would be able to seize the cord immediately the dog began "feathering,"
+and generally would have hold of it before you could have occasion to
+fire. But the fault most difficult to cure in an old dog is a bad habit of
+ranging. If, as a youngster, he has been permitted to beat as his fancy
+dictated, and _has not been instructed in looking to the gun for orders_,
+you will have great, very great difficulty in reclaiming him. Probably he
+will have adopted a habit of running for a considerable distance up wind,
+his experience having shown him that it is one way of finding birds, but
+not having taught him that to seek for them by crossing the wind would be
+a better method.
+
+The great advantage of teaching a dog to point the instant he is sensible
+of the presence of birds--175--and of not creeping a foot further until he
+is directed by you, is particularly apparent when birds are wild. While he
+remains steady, the direction of his nose will lead you to give a
+tolerable guess as to their "whereabouts," and you and your companion can
+keep quite wide of the dog--one on each side,--and so approach the birds
+from both flanks. They, meanwhile, finding themselves thus intercepted in
+three directions, will probably lie so close as to afford a fair shot to
+at least one gun, for they will not fail to see the dog and be awed by his
+presence. Raise your feet well off the ground to avoid making a noise.
+Walk quickly, but with no unnecessary flourish, of arms or gun.
+
+197. You must not, however, too often try to work round and head your
+pupil when he is pointing. Judgment is required to know when to do it with
+advantage. If the birds were running, you would completely throw him out,
+and greatly puzzle and discourage him, for they probably would then rise
+out of shot, behind you if they were feeding up wind,--behind him if they
+were feeding down wind. Far more frequently make him work out the scent by
+his own sagacity and nose, and lead you up to the birds, every moment
+bristling more and more, at a pace entirely controlled and regulated by
+your signals. These being given with your right hand will be more
+apparent to him if you place yourself on his left side. It is in this
+manner that you give him a lesson which will _hereafter_ greatly aid him
+in recovering slightly winged birds,--in pressing to a rise the
+slow-winged, but nimble-heeled rail,--or in minutely following the devious
+mazes through which an old cock pheasant, or yet more, an old cock grouse,
+may endeavor to mislead him. And yet this lesson should not be given
+before he is tolerably confirmed at his point, lest he should push too
+fast on the scent; and make a rush more like the dash of a cocker than the
+sober, convenient "road" of a setter. As his experience increases he will
+thus acquire the valuable knowledge of the position of his game--he will
+lead you to the centre of a covey, or what is of greater consequence--as
+grouse spread--to the centre of a pack,--instead of allowing himself to be
+attracted to a flank by some truant from the main body,--and thus get you
+a good double shot, and enable you effectually to separate the birds--he
+will, moreover, become watchful, and sensible of his distance from game--a
+knowledge all important, and which, be it remarked, he never could gain in
+turnips, or potatoes, or any thick cover.
+
+198. There is another and yet stronger reason why you should not consider
+it a rule always to head your young dog at his point. You may--although at
+first it seems an odd caution to give--make him too stanch. This, to be
+sure, signifies less with partridges than with most birds; but if you have
+ever seen your dog come to a fixed point, and there, in spite of all your
+efforts, remain provokingly immovable--plainly telling you of the vicinity
+of birds, but that you must find them out for yourself--your admiration of
+his steadiness has, I think, by no means reconciled you to the
+embarrassing position in which it has placed you. I have often witnessed
+this vexatious display of stanchness, although the owner cheered on the
+dog in a tone loud enough to alarm birds two fields off.
+
+199. A keeper will sometimes praise his dog for such stanchness; but it is
+a great fault, induced probably by over-severity for former rashness,--and
+the more difficult to be cured, if the animal is a setter, from the
+crouching position he often naturally assumes when pointing.
+
+200. I here desire to warn you against the too common error of fancying
+that a young dog is making false points if birds do not get up directly.
+They may have taken leg-bail, and thus have puzzled him in his
+inexperience. Dogs not cowed by punishment will, after a little hunting,
+seldom make false points, while they are unfatigued. To a certainty they
+will not draw upon a false point for any distance: therefore, never punish
+what is solely occasioned by over-caution. Your doing so would but
+increase the evil. Self-confidence and experience are the only cures for a
+fault that would be a virtue if not carried to excess. Even a good dog
+will occasionally make a point at larks from over-caution when birds are
+wild; but see the first note to 144.
+
+201. After you have shot over a dog a short time, his manner and attitude
+will enable you to guess pretty accurately whether birds are really before
+him; whether they are far off or near; and whether or not they are on the
+move. Generally speaking, the higher he carries his head, and the less he
+stiffens his stern, the further off are the birds. If he begins to look
+nervous, and become fidgety, you will seldom be wrong in fancying they are
+on the run. But various, and at times most curious, are the methods that
+dogs will adopt, _apparently_ with the wish to show you where the birds
+are, and _certainly_ with the desire to get you a shot.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONCLUDED. BAR. LEG STRAP. SPIKE COLLAR.
+
+
+202. After a few trials you will, I hope, be able to dispense with the peg
+recommended in 194, and soon after with the checkcord also. But if your
+dog possesses unusually high spirits, or if he travels over the ground at
+a pace which obviously precludes his making a proper use of his nose, it
+may be advisable to fasten to his collar a bar, something like a
+diminutive splinter-bar, that it may, by occasional knocking against his
+shins, feelingly admonish him to lessen his stride. If he gets it between
+his legs and thus finds it no annoyance, attach it to both sides of his
+collar from points near the extremities. One of his forelegs might
+occasionally be passed through the collar; but this plan is not so good as
+the other; nor as the strap on the hind leg--56. These means--to be
+discarded, however, as soon as obedience is established--are far better
+than the _temporary_ ascendancy which some breakers establish by low diet
+and excessive work, which would only weaken his spirits and his bodily
+powers, without eradicating his self will, or improving his intellect. You
+want to force him, when he is in the highest health and vigor, to learn by
+experience the advantage of letting his nose dwell longer on a feeble
+scent.
+
+203. I have made no mention of the spiked collar, because it is a brutal
+instrument, which none but the most ignorant or unthinking would employ.
+It is a leather collar, into which nails, much longer than the thickness
+of the collar, have been driven, with their points projecting inwards. The
+French spike-collar is nearly as severe. It is formed of a series of
+wooden balls,--larger than marbles,--linked--about two and a half inches
+apart--into a chain by stiff wires bent into the form of hooks. These
+sharp pointed hooks punish cruelly when the checkcord is jerked.
+
+204. We have, however, a more modern description of collar, which is far
+less inhuman than either of those I have mentioned, but still I cannot
+recommend its adoption, unless in extreme cases; for though not so
+severely, it, likewise, punishes the unfortunate dog, more or less, by the
+strain of the checkcord he drags along the ground: and it ought to be the
+great object of a good breaker as little as is possible to fret or worry
+his pupil, that all his ideas may be engaged in an anxious wish to wind
+birds. On a leather strap, which has a ring at one end, four wooden
+balls--of about two inches in diameter--are threaded like beads, at
+intervals from each other and the ring, say, of two inches--the exact
+distance being dependent on the size of the dog's throat. Into each of the
+balls sundry short pieces of thickish wire are driven, leaving about
+one-sixth of an inch beyond the surface. The other end of the strap--to
+which the checkcord is attached--is passed through the ring. This ring
+being of somewhat less diameter than the balls, it is clear, however
+severely the breaker may pull, he cannot compress the dog's throat beyond
+a certain point. The effect of the short spikes is rather to crumple than
+penetrate the skin.
+
+205. I have long been sensible of the aid a spiked collar would afford in
+reclaiming headstrong, badly educated dogs, if it could be used at the
+moment--and only at the precise moment when punishment was required,--but
+not until lately did it strike me how the collar could be carried so that
+the attached cord should not constantly bear upon it, and thereby worry,
+if not pain the dog. And had I again to deal with an old offender, who
+incorrigibly crept in after pointing, or obstinately "rushed into dead,"
+I should feel much disposed to employ a slightly spiked collar in the
+following manner.
+
+206. That the mere carrying the collar might not annoy the dog, I would
+extract or flatten the nails fixed on the top of the collar, on the part,
+I mean, that would lie on the animal's neck. This collar I would place on
+his neck, in front of his common light collar. I would then firmly fasten
+the checkcord, in the usual way, to the spiked collar; but, to prevent any
+annoyance from dragging the checkcord, at about five or six inches from
+the fastening just made I would attach it to the common collar, with very
+slight twine--twine so slight that, although it would not give way to the
+usual drag of the checkcord, however long, yet it would readily break on
+my having to pull strongly against the wilful rush of an obstinate dog,
+when, of course, the spikes would punish him, as the strain would then be
+borne by the spiked collar alone.
+
+207. Guided by circumstances, I would afterwards either remove the spiked
+collar, or, if I conceived another bout necessary, refasten the checkcord
+to the common collar with some of the thin twine, leaving, as before, five
+or six inches of the checkcord loose between the two collars.
+
+208. If you should ever consider yourself forced to employ a spiked
+collar, do not thoughtlessly imagine that the same collar will suit all
+dogs. The spikes for a thin coated pointer ought to be shorter than for a
+coarse haired setter! You can easily construct one to punish with any
+degree of severity you please. Take a common leather collar; lay its inner
+surface flat on a soft deal board: through the leather drive with a hammer
+any number of tacks or flat-headed nails: then get a cobbler to sew on
+another strap of leather at the back of the nails, so as to retain them
+firmly in position.
+
+209. I have supposed that your dog has _scented_ the birds before they
+rose, but if he springs them without having previously noticed them--as in
+some rare cases happens even to well-bred dogs--you _must_ bring him back
+to the spot at which you feel assured that he ought to have been sensible
+of their presence, and _there_ make him "Toho." Afterwards endeavor to
+make him aware of the haunt by encouraging him to sniff at the ground that
+the birds have just left. The next time watch very carefully for the
+_slightest_ indication of his feathering, and then instantly call out
+"Toho." After a few times he will, to a certainty, understand you.
+
+210. You should kill outright the few first birds at which you fire. I
+would infinitely prefer that you should miss altogether than that one of
+the two or three first birds should be a runner. Afterwards you have full
+leave to merely wing a bird; but still I should wish it not to be too
+nimble. This is a good trial of _your_ judgment as well as the dog's. I
+hope he is to leeward of the bird, and that it will not catch his eye. See
+he touches on the haunt. Do not let him work with his nose to the ground.
+"Up, up," must be your encouraging words,--or "On, on," according to
+circumstances,--whilst with your right hand--IV. of 119--you are
+alternately urging and restraining him, so as to make him advance at a
+suitable pace. From his previous education, not being flurried by any
+undue dread of the whip, he will be enabled to give his undisturbed
+attention, and devote all his faculties to follow unerringly the
+retreating bird. But from inexperience he may wander from the haunt. On
+perceiving this, bring him, by signals, back to the spot where he was
+apparently last aware of the scent. He will again hit it off. If you view
+the bird ever so far ahead, on no account run. I hope you will at length
+observe it lie down. Head it, if possible, and strike it with your whip,
+if you think you will be unable to seize it with your hand. Endeavor to
+prevent its fluttering away;--it is too soon to subject the youngster to
+such a severe trial of his nerves and steadiness. Then,--having put the
+poor creature out of its misery, by piercing its skull, or rapping its
+head against your gun, as before--180--show your dog the gratifying prize
+which your combined exertions have gained.
+
+211. Should he unluckily have caught sight of the running bird, and, in
+spite of all your calls, have rushed forward and seized it, you ought to
+have proceeded as described in 221. Clearly, however, you would not have
+dragged the dog back to the place where he "down charged," but merely to
+the spot from which he had made his unlawful rush. If the bird had been
+very active, it would have been far better to have fired at it a second
+time--while it was running--than to have incurred the risk of making your
+dog unsteady by a wild pursuit. Suppose that it was not winged, but rose
+again on your approaching it, and fluttered off,--a hard trial for the
+young dog,--you must, however, have made him bear it, and obey your loud
+command to "drop,"--you would--or should--have taken another shot, and
+have proceeded in exactly the same manner as if this had been your first
+find--179, 180.
+
+212. As the wounded bird was to windward of the dog, the course to follow
+was obvious,--it was plain sailing; but the case would have varied greatly
+if the dog had been to windward. Had you pursued the usual plan, he must
+have roaded the bird by the "foot;" and the danger is, that in allowing
+him to do so, you may create in him the evil habit of hunting with his
+nose close to the ground, which is, above all things, to be deprecated.
+You have another mode--you can "lift" the dog--I suppose you know the
+meaning of that hunting term,--and make him take a large circuit, and so
+head the bird, and then proceed as if it had fallen to windward.
+
+213. The latter plan would avoid all risk of your making him a potterer,
+and it is, I think, to be recommended, if you find him naturally inclined
+to hunt low. But the former method, as a lesson in "footing," must be
+often resorted to, that he may learn unhesitatingly to distinguish the
+"heel" from the "toe," and how to push an old cock-grouse, or to flush a
+pheasant running through cover, or the red-legged, I was nearly saying,
+the everlasting-legged partridge;[35] and, indeed, generally, how to draw
+upon his birds, and with confidence lead you to a shot, when they are upon
+the move and running down wind.--See end of 98; and for further
+directions, and for "seeking dead" with two dogs, look at 296. The heavy
+Spanish pointer, from his plodding perseverance and great olfactory
+powers, was an excellent hand at retrieving a slightly injured bird on a
+broiling, bad scenting day.
+
+214. When I advised you--180--to let the dog "have plenty of time to make
+out the bird," I spoke from personal experience, and from a vivid
+recollection of errors committed in my novitiate. A young hand is too apt
+to imagine that every bird which falls to his gun is killed outright, and
+lying dead on the spot where it fell. He will, therefore, often
+impatiently, and most injudiciously, call away the dog who, at a little
+distance, may have hit-off the trail of the winged bird, and be "footing"
+it beautifully.
+
+215. If in these lessons you should lose one or two wounded birds, though
+it might not be a matter of any moment to yourself personally, it would be
+extremely vexatious on the dog's account, because, in this early stage of
+his education, it would tend to discourage him. The feeling which you must
+anxiously foster in him is this, that after the word "find"[36] the
+search must never be relinquished, even though he be constrained to hunt
+from morning till night. And it is clear that to make an abiding, valuable
+impression, this lesson must be inculcated on the several first occasions
+with unremitting, untiring diligence.
+
+216. Persevere, therefore, for an hour, rather than give up a wounded
+bird. Join in the search yourself. Even if you see where it lies, do not
+pick it up hastily. On the contrary, leave it, but mark well the spot.
+Keep on the move. Hold your gun as if in expectation of a rise. Pretend to
+seek for the bird in every direction, even for a good half hour, if you
+can encourage your dog to hunt so long. If, indeed, you see him flag, and
+get wearied and dispirited, gradually bring him close, but to leeward of
+the spot where the bird lies, in order to make him "point dead" and be
+rewarded for all his diligence by finding it himself. Let him, also, have
+a good sniff at it and nose it--but let there be no biting or
+mouthing--before you put it into the bag. Otherwise, what return has he
+for the pains he has taken?
+
+217. It is no conclusive argument against the practice of allowing him to
+"nose," that many first-rate dogs have never been so indulged. It is
+certain that they would not have been worse if they had; and many a dog,
+that would otherwise have been extremely slack, has been incited to hunt
+with eagerness from having been so rewarded. There are dogs who, from
+having been constantly denied all "touseling," will not even give
+themselves the trouble of searching for any bird which they have seen
+knocked over, much less think of pointing it. They seem satisfied with
+this ocular evidence of its death; for, odd to say, these very dogs will
+often zealously obey the order to hunt for any bird whose fall they have
+not noticed; but on winding it they will indulge in no more than a passing
+sniff,--which sniff, unless you are watchful, you may not observe, and so
+lose your bird. Never fail, therefore, to let your pupil ruffle the
+feathers a little, while you bestow on him a caress or kind word of
+approbation. You then incite to perseverance, by, even with dogs, a very
+abiding motive,--"self-interest;" but mind the important rule, that his
+"nosing" be only _when_ the bird is in your possession, not _before_ it is
+in your possession. If you wish to establish for ever a confirmed
+perseverance in "seeking dead," you must sacrifice _hours_--I say it
+seriously--rather than give up any of the first wounded birds. Be
+persuaded that every half hour spent in an unremitting search for _one_
+bird, if ultimately successful, will more benefit the young dog than your
+killing a _dozen_ to him, should you bag them the moment you are reloaded.
+Of course you would not, when you are giving such a lesson in
+perseverance, fire at another bird, even if it sprang at your feet,--for
+your doing so, whether you missed or killed, would unsettle the young dog,
+and make him relinquish his search. Be stimulated to present exertion by
+the conviction, that if he be not _now_ well instructed, you must expect
+him to lose, season after season, nearly every bird only slightly disabled
+by a merely tipped wing.
+
+218. I hope you will not say, as would most of our neighbors[37] on the
+other side of the Channel: "But if, instead of waiting to load, I had gone
+after the winged bird just as it fell, when first I saw it start off
+running, the evil you have now spoken of--215--could not have occurred,
+for there would have been but little risk of losing it." Probably not, but
+you would almost have ruined your dog; and to secure this one bird, in all
+likelihood you would subsequently lose a hundred.[38] How could you with
+justice blame him if, when next you killed, he rushed headlong after the
+bird--instead of dropping patiently to the "down charge"--and so sprung a
+dozen birds while you were unloaded?
+
+219. Perhaps you will say, "You tell me to fire at a running bird, but
+when a winged cock-pheasant or red-legged partridge is racing off _out of
+shot_, how am I to get it if I proceed in the slow, methodical manner you
+advise? May it not lead me an unsuccessful dance for an hour, if I do not
+allow the dog to shoot ahead and seize?" It may--but I hope months will
+pass before you witness such agility--and this shows that those who do not
+employ a retriever, and yet are sticklers for a setter's--or
+pointer's--never being permitted to touch a feather, must on such
+occasions get into a dilemma; and, unless they are willing to lose the
+bird, must plead guilty to the inconsistency of being pleased--however
+loudly they may roar out "Toho," "ware dead,"--when they see their dog, in
+defiance of all such calls, disable it by a sudden grip. This plan, though
+frequently followed, cannot be correct. They blame the dog for doing what
+they really wish! and if he be too tender-mouthed to injure the bird, he
+keeps them at top speed, while he is alternately picking up the
+unfortunate creature--acting on his natural impulses--and letting it fall,
+on being rated. I therefore repeat, that even if you do not wish your dog
+constantly to retrieve--292--you would still act judiciously in teaching
+him as a puppy to fetch--86--for then he will give chase to the winged
+bird, and bring it to you _on getting the order_, instead of permitting
+it to escape for a fresh _burst_, or carrying it off, as I have seen done.
+You thus maintain discipline. The dog will do what you wish, in obedience
+to orders,--not in opposition to orders. The sticklers for dogs never
+being allowed to nose a feather ought, unless they are quite willing to
+give up slightly-winged birds, not to shrink from the difficult task of
+teaching their pupils to stop and retain with their paws.
+
+220. We have only spoken of instances 180, 210, 212, in which all has gone
+on smoothly, the dog most obediently dropping to shot and permitting _you_
+to take up the bird notwithstanding the poor creature's death-struggles.
+Suppose, however, and this may probably happen, that he does not restrain
+himself at the "down charge," but, in spite of all your calls and signals,
+rushes forward, yet yields to your menaces and halts in mid-career. It is
+well--your course is clear; you have to lug him back and threaten and
+lecture him. But should he not check himself until he sniffs the game, his
+stop then becomes a "point;" and if he is of a timid disposition, or has
+ever evinced any disposition to blink, you dare not force him to retrace
+his steps lest he should mistake your motives, and fancy himself
+encouraged to abandon his point. If you merely make him "down charge," you
+violate the axiom named in 255. In short you are in a difficulty. It is a
+nice case, in which your own judgment of the dog's character can alone
+decide you.
+
+221. But, if from inadequate initiatory instruction--for I will maintain
+that such marked rebellion can arise from no other cause--in the
+excitement of the moment he actually rushes in and seizes the bird, he
+must be punished, I am sorry to say it; but however much we may deplore
+it, _he must_; for he has been guilty of great disobedience, and he well
+knows that he has been disobedient. But the temptation was strong, perhaps
+too strong, for canine nature--that is to say, for canine nature not early
+taught obedience. The wounded bird was fluttering within sight and
+hearing--it was, too, the first he had ever seen,--and this is almost his
+first glaring act of disobedience; be therefore merciful, though firm.
+Make him "drop." Get up to him at once. Probably he will relinquish his
+grip of the bird; if not, make him give it up to you, but do not pull it
+from him: that would only increase the temptation to tear it. Lay it on
+the ground. Then drag him back to the spot from which he rushed; there
+make him lie down. Rate him. Call out "Toho."[39] Crack the whip over
+him--and, I am pained to add, make use of it--but moderately, not
+severely. Three or four cuts will be enough, provided he has not torn the
+bird; if he has, his chastisement must be greater. Let him now have one
+nibble without punishment, and soon a whole carcase will not suffice for
+his morning's meal. Do not strike him across the body, but lengthwise.
+
+222. An ill-tempered dog might attempt to bite you. Prevent the
+possibility of his succeeding, by grasping and twisting his collar with
+your left hand, still keeping him at the "down." Consider coolly whether
+you are flagellating a thick-coated dog, or one with a skin not much
+coarser than your own. Pause between each cut; and, that he may comprehend
+why he is punished, call out several times, but not loudly,
+"Toho--bad--toho," and crack your whip. Let your last strokes be milder
+and milder, until they fall in the gentlest manner--a manner more
+calculated to awaken reflection than give pain. When the chastisement is
+over stand close in front of him, the better to awe him, and prevent his
+thinking of bolting. Put the whip quietly in your pocket, but still remain
+where you are, occasionally rating and scolding him while you are loading;
+gradually, however, becoming milder in manner that he may be sensible that
+though your dissatisfaction at his conduct continues, his punishment is
+over--241 to 242. Indeed, if you have any fear of his becoming too timid,
+you may at length fondle him a little, provided that while you so
+re-encourage him, you continue to say "Toho--toho," most
+impressively--then, giving him the wind, go up together to the bird and
+make him "point dead" close to it. Take it up, and let him fumble the
+feathers before you loop it on the bag.
+
+223. Never let a dog whom you have been forced to chastise bolt or creep
+away until you order him. If he is ever allowed to move off at _his_ wish,
+he will improve upon the idea, and on the next occasion will far too soon
+anticipate _yours_. And do not send him off until he has given some
+evidence of having forgiven you, and of his desire to be reconciled, by
+crawling towards you, for instance, or wagging his tail. On no
+occasion--under circumstances of ever such great provocation--be so weak
+or irritable--but I hope you do not need the warning--as to give him a
+kick or a blow when he is going off. He ought to have stood with reassured
+confidence alongside of you, for perhaps a minute or so, before you
+sanctioned his departure; and the severer his punishment the longer should
+have been the detention. You are always to part tolerable friends, while
+he feels perfectly convinced that his chastisement is over. If you do not,
+you may find it rather difficult to catch him when he commits another
+fault. It will be owing to your own injudiciousness if he ever becomes
+afraid of approaching you after making a blunder. Should he be so, sit
+down. He will gradually draw near you; then quietly put your hand on his
+collar.
+
+224. If a man cannot readily get hold of any dog under his tuition whom he
+desires to rate or punish, you may be certain that he fails either in
+temper or judgment; perhaps in both. He may be an excellent man; but he
+cannot be a good dog-breaker. There are men who get quite enraged at a
+dog's not coming instantly to "heel," on being called. When at length the
+poor brute does come within reach, he gets a blow, perhaps a licking--a
+blow or licking, he has the sense to see he should have longer avoided had
+he stayed longer away. Thus the punishment increases instead of remedying
+the evil.
+
+225. Never correct or even rate a dog, in the mere _belief_ that he is in
+error; be first _convinced_ of his guilt. If you have good reason to
+suspect that unseen by you he has wilfully sprung birds, still rather give
+him an earnest caution than any severer rebuke. It is not easy to repair
+the mischief occasioned by unjust punishment. When from his sheepish look,
+or any other cause, you imagine that he has raised game, either through
+heedlessness or from their being unusually wild, be sure to give him a
+short lecture, and accompany him to the haunt. A lingering bird may
+occasionally reward you. If his manner has led you to form an incorrect
+opinion, your warning can have no other effect than to increase his
+caution--rarely an undesirable result;--and if you are right the
+admonition is obviously most judicious.
+
+226. Let me caution you against the too common error of punishing a dog by
+pulling his ears. It has often occasioned bad canker. Some men are of
+opinion that it is frequently the cause of premature deafness. When you
+rate him you may lay hold of an ear and shake it, but not with violence.
+
+227. I would strongly recommend you always to make your young dog "drop"
+for half-a-minute or so, when he, sees a hare; or when he hears a bird
+rise.[40] To effect this, stand still yourself. After a few seconds you
+can either hie him on, or, which is yet better, get close to him if you
+expect other birds to spring. You will thus, especially in potatoes or
+turnips, often obtain shots at birds which would have made off, had he
+continued to hunt, and early in the season be frequently enabled to bag
+the tail-bird of a covey. This plan will also tend to make him cautious,
+and prevent his getting a habit of blundering-up birds, and cunningly
+pretending not to have noticed their escape. It will also make him less
+inclined to chase hares and rabbits, or rush at a fallen bird.
+
+228. On approaching a piece of turnips, you may have heard, "Let us couple
+up all the dogs excepting Old Don:" the veteran's experience having shown
+him, that the only effect of his thundering through them would be to scare
+every bird and make it rise out of shot. _You_, on the contrary, when your
+pupil is well confirmed in his range, and has some knowledge of his
+distance from game, ought to wish the other dogs kept to
+"Heel"--especially when the seed has been broadcast,--that by the word
+"Care" and the right hand slightly raised you may instil into him the
+necessary caution and so, by judicious tuition, give him the benefit of
+your own experience. Most probably you would be obliged to employ the
+checkcord,[41] which I presume to be always at hand ready for occasional
+use. Or you might strap your shot-belt round his throat, for it is
+essential that he traverse such ground slowly, and greatly contract his
+range--see 145. The several cross scents he will encounter should afford
+him a valuable lesson in detecting the most recent, and in discriminating
+between the "heel and toe" of a run. Be patient,--give him time to work,
+and consider what he is about. It is probable that he will frequently
+overrun the birds on their doubling back, and imagine that they are gone.
+Should he do so, bring him again on the spot where he appeared to lose the
+scent. He now rushes up the adjacent drill. "Slower, slower," signals your
+right arm; "go no faster than I can walk comfortably." On the other hand,
+the birds may lie like stones. Not until you have remained nearly a minute
+alongside of him let him urge them to rise; and make him effect this, not
+by a sudden dash, but by steadily pressing on the scent. Bear in mind, as
+before warned--143--that the confidence with which he can here creep on to
+a near find may lead, if he is now mismanaged, to his springing on future
+occasions, from want of care, many a bird at which he ought to get you a
+shot.
+
+229. If you can contrive it, let your pupil have some little experience in
+the field before you give him a real lesson in "Gone"--or "Flown." Instead
+of being perplexed, he will then comprehend you. Should you, therefore,
+during the first few days of hunting him, see birds make off in lieu of
+taking him to the haunt--as many breakers erroneously do,--carefully keep
+him from the spot. You cannot let him run riot over the reeking scent
+without expecting him to do the same when next he finds; and if, in
+compliance with your orders, he points, you are making a fool of
+him--there is nothing before him; and if he does not fancy you as
+bewildered as himself, he will imagine that the exhilarating effluvia he
+rejoices in is the sum total you both seek. This advice, at first sight,
+may appear to contradict that given in 111 and 209; but look again, and
+you will find that those paragraphs referred to peculiar cases. Should
+your young dog be loitering and sniffing at a haunt which he has _seen_
+birds quit, he cannot well mistake the meaning of your calling out, "Gone,
+gone."
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[35] The speed with which one of these extremely beautiful, but in every
+other respect far, far inferior partridges will run, when only slightly
+wounded, is quite marvellous.
+
+[36] The force of the word "Dead"--preceding the command "Find"--that
+joyous, exciting note of triumph--ought never to be lessened by being
+employed, as I have heard it, to stimulate a dog to hunt when no bird is
+down; or, like the shepherd-boy's cry of "Wolf! wolf!" it will have little
+influence at the moment when it should most animate to unremitting
+exertions.
+
+[37] In favor of such unsportsman-like haste they ingeniously argue that a
+continued noise after firing makes birds lie, from attracting their
+attention. They say that a sudden change to quiet--and a great change it
+must be, for a _chasseur_ is always talking--alarms the birds. As an
+evidence of this, they adduce the well-known fact of its frequently
+happening that a partridge gets up the moment the guns have left the spot,
+though no previous noise had induced it to stir.
+
+[38] Had you lost the bird from there being but little scent, it is
+probable you might have found it by renewing your search on your return
+homewards in the evening. If a runner, it would most likely have rejoined
+the covey.
+
+[39] "Toho," rather than "Drop,"--your object now being to make him stand
+at, and prevent his mouthing game; for you are satisfied that he would
+have "down charged" had the bird been missed.
+
+[40] Of course, with the proviso that he is not pointing at another
+bird--187.
+
+[41] Lest the cord should cut the turnip-tops, it might be better to
+employ the elastic band spoken of in 56.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+SHOOTING HARES. COURAGE IMPARTED.--"BACKING" TAUGHT.
+
+
+230. Probably you may be in a part of the country where you may wish to
+kill hares to your dog's point. I will, therefore, speak about them,
+though I confess I cannot do it with much enthusiasm. Ah! my English
+friend, what far happier autumns we should spend could we but pass them in
+the Highlands! Then we should think little about those villanous hares. We
+should direct the whole _undivided_ faculties of our dogs, to work out
+the haunt of the noble grouse.[42] As for rabbits, I beg we may have no
+further acquaintance, if you ever even in imagination, shoot them to your
+young dog. Should you be betrayed into so vile a practice, you must resign
+all hope of establishing in him a confirmed systematic range. He will
+degenerate into a low potterer,--a regular hedge-hunter. In turnips he
+will always be thinking more of rabbits than birds. It will be soon enough
+to shoot the little wretches to him when he is a venerable grandfather.
+The youngster's noticing them--which he would be sure to do if you had
+ever killed one to him--might frequently lead to your mis-instructing him,
+by earnestly enforcing "Care" at a moment when you ought to rate him
+loudly with the command "Ware"--or "No." But to our immediate subject.
+
+231. Defer as long as possible the evil day of shooting a hare over him,
+that he may not get too fond--65--of such vermin--I beg pardon, I mean
+game--and when you do kill one, so manage that he may not see it put into
+the bag. On no account let him mouthe it. You want him to love the pursuit
+of feather more than of fur, that he may never be taken off the faintest
+scent of birds by coming across the taint of a hare. I therefore entreat
+you, during his first season, if you will shoot hares, to fire only at
+those which you are likely to kill outright; for the taint of a wounded
+hare is so strong that it would probably diminish his zeal, and the
+sensitiveness of his nose, in searching for a winged bird.
+
+232. The temptation is always great to quit for a strong scent of
+hare--which any coarse-nosed dog can follow--a feeble one of birds;
+therefore it is a very satisfactory test of good breaking to see a dog,
+when he is drawing upon birds, in no way interrupted by a hare having just
+crossed before him. If you aim at such excellence, and it is frequently
+attained in the Highlands, it is certain you must not shoot hares over
+your youngster.
+
+233. I hope that he will not see a hare before you have shot a few birds
+over him. The first that springs up near him will test the perfection to
+which he has attained in his initiatory lessons. Lose not a moment. It is
+most essential to restrain instantaneously the naturally strong impulse of
+the dog to run after four-footed game. Halloo out "Drop" to the extent of
+your voice,--raise your hand,--crack your whip,--do all you can to prevent
+his pursuing. Of course you will not move an inch. Should he commence
+running, thunder out "No," "no." If, in spite of everything, he bolts
+after the hare, you have nothing for it but patience. It's no use to give
+yourself a fit of asthma by following him. You have only half as many legs
+as he has--a deficiency you would do well to keep secret from him as long
+as possible. Wait quietly where you are--for an hour if necessary. You
+have one consolation,--puss, according to her usual custom, has run down
+wind,--your dog has lost sight of her, and is, I see, with his nose to the
+ground, giving himself an admirable lesson in reading out a haunt. After a
+time he will come back looking rather ashamed of himself, conscious that
+he did wrong in disobeying, and vexed with himself from having more than a
+suspicion forced upon him, that he cannot run so fast as the hare. When he
+has nearly reached you, make him "drop." Scold him severely, saying, "Ware
+chase"--a command that applies to the chase of birds as well as of
+hares.--Pull him to the place where he was when first he got a view of the
+hare,--make him lie down--rate him well,--call out "No," or "Hare," or
+"Ware chase," or any word you choose, provided you uniformly employ the
+same. Smack the whip and punish him with it, but not so severely as you
+did when we assumed that he tore the bird--end of 221. You then flogged
+him for two offences: first, because he rushed in and seized the bird;
+secondly, because he tore it and _tasted_ blood. If you had not then
+punished him severely, you could never have expected him to be
+tender-mouthed. On the next occasion he might have swallowed the bird,
+feathers and all.
+
+234. Should he persist in running after hares, you must employ the
+checkcord. If you see the hare, at which he is pointing, in its form,
+drive a peg firmly into the ground, and attach the cord to it, giving him
+a few slack yards, so that after starting off he may be arrested with a
+tremendous jerk. Fasten the line to the part of the spike close to the
+ground, or he may pull it out.
+
+235. I have known a dog to be arrested in a headlong chase by a shot fired
+at him--an act which you will think yet more reprehensible than the
+previous mismanagement for which his owner apparently knew no other remedy
+than this hazardous severity.
+
+236. When you are teaching your dog to refrain from chasing hares, take
+him, if you can, where they are plentiful. If they are scarce, and you are
+in the neighborhood of a rabbit-warren, visit it occasionally of an
+evening. He will there get so accustomed to see the little animals running
+about unpursued by either of you, that his natural anxiety to chase fur,
+whether it grow on the back of hare or rabbit, will be gradually
+diminished.
+
+237. In Scotland there are tracts of heather where one may hunt for weeks
+together and not find a hare; indeed, it is commonly observed, that hares
+are always scarce on those hills where grouse most abound. In other parts
+they are extremely numerous. Some sports men in the Highlands avail
+themselves of this contrasted ground in order to break a young dog from
+"chasing." They hunt him, as long as he continues fresh, where there are
+no hares; and when he becomes tired, they take him to the Lowlands, where
+they are plentiful. By then killing a good many over him, and severely
+punishing him whenever he attempts to follow, a cure is often effected in
+two or three days. In the yet higher ranges, the mountain-hares, from
+possessing a peculiarly strong scent, and not running to a distance, are a
+severe trial to the steadiest dog.
+
+238. Killing a sitting hare to your dog's point will wonderfully steady
+him from chasing; but do not fire until he has remained stanch for a
+considerable time. This will show him that puss is far more likely to be
+bagged by _your_ firing than by _his_ pursuing.
+
+239. For the same object,--I mean to make your young dog stanch,--I would
+recommend your killing a few birds on the ground to his point were it not
+that you rarely have the opportunity.
+
+240. When you have made your dog perfectly steady from chasing you
+may--supposing you have no retriever at hand,--naturally enough, inquire
+how you are to teach him to follow any hare you may be so unlucky as
+merely to wound. I acknowledge that the task is difficult. I would say, at
+once resolve to give up every wounded hare during his first season.[43]
+The following year, provided you find that he remains quite steady, on
+your wounding an unfortunate wretch, encourage your dog to pursue it by
+running yourself after it. When he gets hold of it, check him if he mauls
+it, and take it from him as quickly as possible. As I cannot suppose that
+you are anxious to slaughter every hare you see, let the next two or three
+go off without a shot. This forbearance will re-steady him, and after a
+while his own sagacity and nose--297--will show him that the established
+usage was departed from solely because puss was severely struck.
+
+241. As you wish to flog your dog as little as possible, never go out
+without your whip, paradoxical as this may appear. The dog's salutary awe
+of the implement which he sees in your possession, like a horse's
+consciousness of your heel being armed with a spur, will tend to keep him
+in order. If your dog is a keen ranger, you may much spare the whip by
+making him crouch at your feet for several minutes after he has committed
+a fault. The detention will be felt by him, when he is all anxiety to be
+off hunting, as a severe punishment. If he is a mettlesome, high-couraged
+animal, he will regard as a yet severer punishment his being compelled to
+follow at your heels for half-an-hour, while the other dogs are allowed
+the enjoyment of hunting.
+
+242. Excess of punishment has made many a dog of good promise a confirmed
+blinker; and of far more has it quenched that keen ardor for the sport,
+without which no dog can be first-rate. For this reason, if not from more
+humane motives, make it a rule to give but few cuts; let them, however, be
+tolerably severe. Your pupil's recollection of them, when he hears the
+crack of the whip, will prevent the necessity of their frequent
+repetition.
+
+243. I knew of a young fellow's purchasing a pointer of an excellent breed
+from a gamekeeper for a _few shillings_ merely, as the animal had become
+so timid from over-chastisement, that she not only blinked her game, but
+seldom quitted the man's heels. The lad had the good sense to treat the
+bitch, at all times, with the greatest kindness: and in order to induce
+her to hunt, he used to break off the feet of every bird he killed, and
+give them to her to eat along with the sinews. The plan succeeded so well
+that she eventually became an unusually keen and fast ranger. This would
+be a hazardous step to take with a dog wanted to retrieve. There are few,
+if any dogs who may not be tempted by hunger to eat game. A gentleman told
+me, that, to his great astonishment, he one day saw an old tender-mouthed
+retriever, that he had possessed for years, deliberately swallow a
+partridge. Before he could get up to the dog even the tail-feathers had
+disappeared. On inquiry it turned out that, through some neglect, the
+animal had not been fed.
+
+244. Some argue that blinking arises from a defective nose, not from
+punishment; but surely it is the injudicious chastisement following the
+blunders caused by a bad nose that makes a dog, through fear, go to "heel"
+when he winds birds. A bad nose may lead to a dog's running up birds from
+not noticing them, but it cannot _naturally_ induce him to run away from
+them. Possibly he may be worthless from a deficiency in his olfactory
+powers; but it is hard to conceive how these powers can be improved by a
+dread of doing mischief when he finds himself near game. Some dogs that
+have been unduly chastised do not even betray themselves by running to
+"heel," but cunningly slink away from their birds without giving you the
+slightest intimation of their vicinity. I have seen such instances. When a
+young dog, who has betrayed symptoms of blinking, draws upon birds, _head_
+him, if you can, before you give him the order to "toho:" he will then
+have such a large circuit to make, that he will feel the less tempted to
+run to your heels.
+
+245. Obedience and intelligence are, as I have already remarked, best
+secured by judicious ratings and encouragements--scoldings for bad
+conduct,--praise, caresses, and rewards for good. Never forget, therefore,
+to have some delicacy in your pocket to give the youngster whenever he may
+deserve it. All dogs, however, even the most fearful, ought to be made
+able to bear a little punishment. If, _unfortunately_, your dog is
+constitutionally timid--I cannot help saying _unfortunately_, though so
+many of the sort have fine noses--the whip must be employed with the
+greatest gentleness, the lash being rather laid on the back than used,
+until such forbearance, and many caresses before his dismissal, have
+gradually banished the animal's alarm, and ultimately enabled you to give
+him a very slight beating, on his misconducting himself, without any
+danger of making him blink. By such means, odd as it may sound, you
+_create_ courage, and with it give him self-confidence and range.
+
+246. A judiciously-educated dog will know as well as you do whether or not
+he has earned a chastisement, and many a one is of so noble a nature that
+he will not wish to avoid it if he is conscious that he deserves it. He
+will become as anxious for good sport as you are, and feel that he ought
+to be punished, if from his own misconduct he mars it. Indeed, he will not
+have much opinion of your sagacity if you do not then give him a sound
+rating, or let him have a taste of the lash, though it matters not how
+slight. Clearly this feeling, which it will be right to foster, must have
+arisen from his belief that you are always conscious of his
+actions--262--therefore never check him for coming towards you on his
+committing any unseen error. Moreover, when he has been but a little shot
+to, you will find that if you abstain from firing at a bird which through
+his fault he has improperly flushed, although in its flight it affords you
+an excellent shot, you will greatly vex him; and this will tend to make
+him-more careful for the future.
+
+247. When, after a few weeks, you perceive that the youngster has
+confidence in himself, and is likely to hunt independently, not
+deferentially following the footsteps of an older companion, take out a
+well-broken dog with him, that you may have the opportunity of teaching
+him to "back." Be careful to choose one not given to make false points;
+for if he commits such mistakes, your pupil will soon utterly disregard
+his pointing. Select also one who draws upon his birds in a fine,
+determined attitude; not one to whose manner even _you_ must be habituated
+to feel certain he is on game. Be watchful to prevent your dog ever
+hunting in the wake of the other, which, in the humility of canine youth,
+he probably will, unless you are on the alert to wave him in a different
+direction, the moment you observe him inclined to seek the company of his
+more experienced associate. By selecting a slow old dog you will probably
+diminish the wish of the young one to follow him; for it is likely that
+the youngster's eagerness will make him push on faster, and so take the
+lead.
+
+248. The example for a _few_ days--but only for a few days--of a good
+stanch dog who is not a hedge-hunter,--has no bad habits, and does not
+require being called to--will be advantageous to your inexperienced
+animal.
+
+249. On the old dog's pointing, catch the eye of the young one. If you
+cannot readily do so, and are not afraid of too much alarming the birds,
+call to the old fellow by name, and desire him to "toho." The order will
+make the young one look round, and awaken him to a suspicion of what is
+going forward. Hold up your right arm--stand still for a minute--and then,
+carrying your gun as if you were prepared momentarily to fire, retreat, or
+move sideways in crab-like fashion towards the old dog, continuing your
+signal to the other to remain steady, and turning your face to him, so
+that he may be restrained by the feeling that your eye is constantly fixed
+upon him. He will soon remark the attitude of the old dog, and almost
+intuitively guess its meaning. Should the old one draw upon his game,
+still the other dog must remain stationary. If he advance but an inch,
+rate him. Should he rush up--which is hardly to be expected--at him at
+once;--having made him drop, catch hold of him, and drag him to the place
+at which he should have backed--there--if you judge such strong measures
+necessary--peg him down until after you have had your shot and are
+reloaded. If by heading the birds you can drive them towards the young
+dog, do so; and aim at the one most likely to fall near him. Endeavor to
+make him comprehend that any sign or word to urge on or retard the leading
+dog in no way applies to him. This he will soon understand, if he has been
+properly instructed with an associate in the initiatory lesson described
+in 45. After you have picked up the bird let him sniff at it.
+
+250. It is most important that the dog which first winds birds should be
+allowed to "road" them to a spring without being flurried, or in any way
+interfered with by another dog. Few things are more trying to your temper
+as a sportsman, than to see a self-sufficient cub, especially when birds
+are wild, creep up to the old dog whom he observes pointing at a distance,
+or cautiously drawing upon a covey. The young whipper-snapper pays no
+attention to your most energetic signals: you are afraid to speak lest
+you should alarm the birds, and before you can catch hold of the
+presumptuous jackanapes, he not only steals close to the good old dog, but
+actually ventures to head him; nay, possibly dares to crawl on yet nearer
+to the birds in the hope of enjoying a more intoxicating sniff.
+
+251. All dogs but the "finder" should stand wholly by sight,--just the
+reverse of pointing. Your dog's nose ought to have nothing to do with
+backing. If you permit it, he will get the abominable habit of creeping up
+to his companions in the manner just described--250--when he observes them
+to be winding birds; and though he may not presume to take the lead, nay,
+even keep at so respectful a distance as in no way to annoy the "finder,"
+yet a longing to inhale the "grateful steam"--as that good poet and
+capital sportsman, Somerville, terms it--will make him constantly watch
+the other dogs, instead of bestowing his undivided attention and faculties
+upon finding game for himself. It is quite enough if he backs whenever you
+order him, or he accidentally catches sight of another dog either
+"pointing" or "roading;" and the less he is looking after his companions,
+the more zealously will he attend to his own duties.
+
+252. If you have any fears that the old dog when he is on birds will not
+act steadily, should you have occasion to chide the young one, be careful
+to give the old dog a word expressive of your approval, before you
+commence to rate the other.
+
+253. When your youngster is hereafter hunted in company, should he make a
+point, and any intrusive companion, instead of properly backing him, be
+impertinently pressing on, the youngster should not be induced--however
+great may be the trial upon his patience and forbearance--to draw one foot
+nearer to the game than his own knowledge of distance tells him is
+correct; not even if his friend, or rather, jealous rival, boldly assumes
+the front rank. Your pupil will have a right to look to you for
+protection, and to expect that the rash intruder, however young, be _at
+the least_ well rated.
+
+254. It is a matter of little moment whether the "backer" attends to the
+"down charge," or continues to back as long as the other dog remains at
+his point. It appears, however, best that he should "drop," unless he is
+so near that he winds the game, when he would be rather pointing than
+backing--and should, consequently, behave as explained in 187;--for the
+fewer exceptions there are to general rules the more readily are the rules
+observed.
+
+255. Should both dogs make separate points at the same moment, it is clear
+that neither can back the other. They must act independently--each for
+himself. Moreover, your firing over one should not induce the other to
+"down charge," or in any way divert his attention from his own birds. He
+ought to remain as immovable as a statue. Some dogs, whose high courage
+has not been damped by over-correction, will do this from their own
+sagacity; but to enable you to _teach_ them to behave thus steadily, game
+should be plentiful. When you are lucky enough to observe both dogs
+pointing at the same time, let your fellow-sportsman--or your
+attendant--flush and fire at the birds found by the older dog, while you
+remain stationary near the young one, quietly but earnestly cautioning him
+to continue firm. When your companion has reloaded and picked up his
+game--and made the other dog "back,"--let him join you and knock over the
+bird at which your pupil is pointing. It will not be long before he--your
+young dog--understands what is required of him, if he has been
+practised--as recommended in 187--not to "down charge" when pointing
+unsprung birds. In short, it may be received as an axiom, that _nothing
+ought to make a dog voluntarily relinquish a point so long as he winds
+birds; and nothing but the wish to continue his point should make him
+neglect the "down charge" the instant he hears the near report of a gun_.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[42] A superior dog on grouse more easily becomes good on partridge than
+a superior partridge-dog becomes good on grouse. Grouse run so much,
+both when they are pairing, and after the first flight of the young
+pack, that a dog broken on them has necessarily great practice in
+"roading,"--"roading," too, with the nose carried high to avoid strong
+heather--a valuable instructor,--whereas the dog broken on partridge
+often becomes impatient, and breaks away when he first finds grouse. The
+former dog, moreover, will learn not to "break fence," and the necessity
+of moderating his pace when hunting stubbles and turnips, sooner than
+the latter will acquire the extensive fast beat so desirable on heather,
+where he can work for hours uninterrupted by hedge, ditch, or furrow;
+making casts to the right and left a quarter of a mile in length. First
+impressions are as strong in puppyhood as in childhood; therefore the
+advantage of having such ground to commence on must be obvious. There
+are, however, favored spots in Perthshire, &c., where game so abounds
+that close rangers are as necessary as when hunting in England. Alas!
+even the grouse-dog will take far too quickly to hedge hunting; and
+pottering when on the stubbles. It is, of course, presumed that he is
+broken from "chasing hare"--a task his trainer must have found
+difficult--though none are ever shot to him--from the few that,
+_comparatively_ speaking, his pupil could have seen. Independently,
+however, of want of pace and practice in roading, it never would be fair
+to take a dog direct from the Lowlands to contend on the Highlands with
+one habituated to the latter,--and _vice versâ_, for the stranger would
+always be placed to great disadvantage. A _faint_ scent of game which
+the other would instantly recognise, he would not acknowledge from being
+wholly unaccustomed to it. Sometimes, however, a grouse dog of a
+ticklish temper will not bear being constantly called to on "breaking
+fence." A fine, free-ranging pointer, belonging to one of the brothers
+Hy, when brought to an enclosed country, became quite subdued and
+dispirited. He could not stand the rating he received for bounding over
+the hedges, and he evidently derived no enjoyment from the sport, though
+there were plenty of birds. On returning to the Highlands, he quite
+recovered his animation and perseverance. He added another to the many
+evidences that dogs are most attached to, and _at home_ on, the kind of
+country they first hunted.
+
+This note is applicable to the pointer, used to the pinnated grouse on the
+Prairies, when brought into close shooting on quail, &c. H.W.H.
+
+[43] This appears extremely cruel; remember, however, that I entreated you
+to abstain entirely from shooting hares; but if you would not make this
+sacrifice, at least "only to fire at those which you were likely to kill
+outright"--231.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+HINTS TO PURCHASERS. SHEEP KILLING.
+
+
+256. When your dog has been properly taught the "back," fail not to
+recommence hunting him alone, if it is your object to establish a perfect
+range.
+
+257. Professional dog-breakers, I have remarked, almost invariably hunt
+too many dogs together. This arises, I suppose, from the number which they
+have to train; but the consequence is, that the younger dogs are
+spectators rather than actors, and, instead of ranging independently in
+search of game, are watching the manoeuvres of their older associates.
+
+258. A glimmering of knowledge may be picked up in this way; but no one
+will argue that it is likely to create great excellence. Doubtless the
+young ones will be good backers; and to the inexperienced a troop of
+perhaps a dozen dogs, all in chiselled form, stanchly backing an old
+leader, is a most imposing sight--but if the observer were to accompany
+the whole party for a few hours, he would remark, I will bet any money,
+that the same veterans would over and over again find the birds, and that
+the _"perfectly"_ broken young ones in the rear would do nothing but
+"back" and "down charge." What can they know of judicious quartering? Of
+obeying the signals of the hand? Of gradually drawing upon the faintest
+token of a scent--only perceptible to a nose carried high in the
+air--until they arrive at a confident point? Of perseveringly working out
+the foil of a slightly-winged bird, on a hot still day, to a sure "find?"
+Nothing, or next to nothing,--nearly all is to be taught; and yet the
+breaker will show off those raw recruits as perfectly drilled soldiers.
+Would they not have had a much better chance of really being so, if he had
+given a small portion of his time each day to each? He well knows they
+would; but the theatrical display would not be half so magnificent. If he
+had truly wished to give his pupils a good systematic range, without a
+doubt he would have devoted one hour in the field exclusively to each dog,
+rather than many hours to several at once--and not have associated any
+together in the field until he had gained full command over each
+separately. And this he would have done--_because it would have tended to
+his interest_,--had he supposed that his dog's qualifications would be
+investigated by judges--by those who would insist on seeing a dog hunted
+singly--in order to observe his method of ranging,--or with but one
+companion, before they thought of definitively purchasing.
+
+259. At the beginning of a partridge season, I unexpectedly wanted to
+purchase a dog. An old gamekeeper--one on whose judgment I could rely, and
+who, I knew, would not willingly deceive me,--saw a setter in the field
+that he thought would please, and accordingly sent it to my kennel. I
+greatly liked the looks of the animal. He quartered his ground well--was
+obedient to the hand--carried a high and apparently tender nose--pointed,
+backed, and down-charged steadily. Unquestionably he had been well broken.
+I thought myself in great luck, and should not have hesitated to complete
+the purchase, but that fortunately I had an opportunity of shooting a bird
+over him, when to my horror he rushed at it with the speed of a greyhound.
+As, in spite of all my remonstrances, shouted in the most determined
+manner, he repeated this manoeuvre whenever a bird fell, I returned him. I
+afterwards heard he had just been shot over by a party on the moors, who,
+no doubt, had spoilt him by their ignoble, pot-hunting propensities.
+
+260. Had I chosen to sacrifice my shooting in order to reclaim him--which
+I must have done, had I too hastily concluded the purchase,--I ought to
+have sent home the other dogs, and proceeded, but with greater severity,
+much in the manner described in 220 and 222. I ought not, however, to have
+gone after him when first he bolted; I ought merely to have endeavored to
+check him with my voice, for it would have been most important to set him
+a good example by remaining immovable myself, and he might have
+misconstrued any hasty advance on my part into rivalship for possession of
+the bird; in short, into a repetition of one of the many scrambles to
+which he had recently been accustomed, and in which I feel sure he must
+invariably have come off victorious. I ought, when loaded, to have walked
+calmly up to him, and, without taking the slightest notice of the
+disfigured bird, have dragged him back, while loudly rating him, to the
+spot where he should have "down charged." After a good flagellation--a
+protracted lecture--and a long delay,--the longer the better,--I ought to
+have made him cautiously approach the bird; and by a little scolding, and
+by showing him the wounds he had inflicted, have striven to make him
+sensible and ashamed of his enormities. Probably, too, had the birds lain
+well, the moment he pointed I should have employed the checkcord[44] with
+a spike, giving him a liberal allowance of slack line--234. Had I thus
+treated him throughout the day, I have little doubt but that he would have
+become a reformed character; though an occasional outbreak might not
+unreasonably have been expected. See 205 to 208.
+
+261. To create a feeling of self-dependence, obviously there is no better
+plan than for a considerable time to take out the dog by himself, and thus
+force him to trust for sport to his own unaided powers; and when he is at
+length hunted in company, never to omit paying him the compliment of
+attending to every indication he evinces of being upon birds, even
+occasionally to the unfair neglect of confirmed points made by the other
+dogs.
+
+262. I conceive those dogs must be considered the _best_ which procure a
+persevering sportsman most shots in a season and lose him fewest winged
+birds.[45] If you are anxious for your pupil to attain this superlative
+excellence,--I will repeat it, at the risk of being accused of
+tautology,--you must be at all times consistently strict but never severe.
+Make him as much as you can, your constant companion; you will thereby
+much develope his intelligence, and so render him a more efficient
+assistant in the field, for he will understand your manner better and
+better, and greatly increase in affection as well as observation. Many men
+would like so faithful an attendant. _Teach_ obedience at home--to
+_obtain_ it in the field. Consider the instantaneous "drop," the moment he
+gets the signal, as all-important,--as the very key-stone of the arch that
+conducts to the glorious triumphs of due subordination. Notice every
+fault, and check it by rating, but never punish with the whip unless you
+judge it absolutely necessary. On the other hand, following Astley's
+plan--10--reward, or at least praise, every instance of good behavior, and
+you will be surprised how quickly your young dog will comprehend your
+wishes, and how anxious he will be to comply with them. Remember that evil
+practices, unchecked until they become confirmed habits, or any errors in
+training committed at the commencement of his education, cannot be
+repaired afterwards without tenfold--nay, twentyfold--trouble. Never let
+him hunt from under your eye. Unceasingly endeavor to keep alive in him as
+long as possible his belief that you are intuitively aware as fully when
+he is out of sight as within sight of every fault he commits, whether it
+arise from wilfulness or mere heedlessness. This is a very important
+admonition. Remember, however, that the best dogs will occasionally make
+mistakes when they are running down wind--especially if it blows
+hard,--and that there are days when there is scarcely any scent.--Note to
+128.
+
+263. Attend most carefully to the injunction not to let your dog hunt out
+of sight. It is essential that you do so.
+
+264. Notwithstanding Beckford's capital story of the hounds making a
+dinner of the old ram which his lordship had left in their kennel to
+intimidate them, if your dog be unhappily too fond of mutton or lamb of
+his own killing, perhaps no better cure can be _attempted_, provided you
+superintend the operation, than that of muzzling him, and letting a strong
+ram give him a butting at the time that you are administering the lash,
+and hallooing out "Ware" or "Sheep." But, unfortunately, this too often
+fails.
+
+265. If you do not succeed, you must hang or drown him,--the latter is
+probably the less painful death, but a charge of shot well lodged behind
+the ear in the direction of the brain would be yet better. Therefore you
+will not mind giving him another chance for his life, though confessedly
+the measure proposed is most barbarous. Procure an ash-pole about five
+feet long. Tie one extremity of the pole to a strong ram, by the part of
+the horns near the forehead. To the opposite extremity of the pole attach
+a strong spiked collar, and strap it round the dog's throat, to the
+audible tune of "Ware" or "Sheep." To prevent the possibility of the cord
+slipping, through each end of the pole burn a hole. The continued efforts
+of the ram for some hours either to free himself from his strange
+companion, or to attack him, will possibly so worry and punish the dog as
+to give him a distaste ever afterwards for anything of a woolly nature.
+The pole will so effectually separate these unwilling--but still too
+intimate--associates, that you need not muzzle the dog.
+
+266. There is yet another remedy, which I will name, as it sounds
+reasonable, though I cannot speak of its merits from personal observation,
+never having seen it tried.
+
+267. Wrap a narrow strip of sheep-skin, that has much wool on it, round
+the dog's lower jaw, the wool outwards, and fasten it so that he cannot
+get rid of it. Put this on him for a few hours daily and there is a chance
+that he will become as thoroughly disgusted as even you could wish, with
+every animal of the race whose coat furnished such odious mouthfuls; but
+prevention being better than cure, pay great attention to your dog's
+morals during the lambing season. Dogs not led away by evil companionship
+rarely commence their depredations upon sober full-grown sheep. In
+ninety-nine cases out of a hundred,[46] they have previously yielded to
+the great temptation of running down some frisking lamb, whose animated
+gambols seemed to court pursuit.
+
+268. If ever you have fears that you may be unable to prevent a dog's
+breaking away to worry sheep, hunt him in a muzzle of a size that will not
+interfere with his breathing, and yet effectually prevent the wide
+extension of his jaws.
+
+269. The killing of fowls is more easily prevented. The temptation, though
+equally frequent, is not so great--he will only have tasted blood, not
+revelled in it. Take a dead fowl--one of his recent victims, if you can
+procure it--and endeavor, by pointing to it, while you are scolding him,
+to make him aware of the cause of your displeasure. Then secure him to a
+post, and thrash him about the head with the bird, occasionally favoring
+his hide with sundry applications of a whip, and his ears with frequent
+repetitions of the scaring admonition, "Ware fowl," "Fowl--fowl--fowl."
+Whenever you afterwards catch him watching poultry, be sure to rate him.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[44] I am glad to say I have never had occasion to adopt so severe a
+remedy as the following; but I have heard of an otherwise incorrigible
+taste for blood being cured by a partridge pierced transversely with two
+knitting-pins being _adroitly_ substituted for the fallen bird which the
+dog had been restrained by a checkcord from bolting. The pins were cut to
+a length somewhat less than the diameter of its body, and were fixed at
+right angles to one another. Several slight wires would, I think, have
+answered better.
+
+[45] And if hares are shot to him, fewest wounded hares.
+
+[46] In the remaining odd case--one out of a hundred--the propensity may
+be traced to the animal's belonging to a vicious stock--in short, to
+hereditary instinct.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+DISTINGUISHING WHISTLES. "BACKING" THE GUN. RETREAT FROM AND RESUMPTION OF
+POINT. RANGE UNACCOMPANIED BY GUN. HEADING RUNNING BIRDS.
+
+A DISTINGUISHING WHISTLE FOR EACH DOG.
+
+
+271. Though you may have only begun to shoot last season, have you not
+often wished to attract the attention of one of your two dogs, and make
+him hunt in a particular part of the field, but for fear of alarming the
+birds, have been unwilling to call out his name, and have felt loath to
+whistle to him, lest you should bring away at the same time the other dog,
+who was zealously hunting exactly where you considered him most likely to
+find birds?
+
+272. Again: have the dogs never been hunting close together instead of
+pursuing distinct beats; and has it not constantly happened, on your
+whistling with the view to separate them, that _both_ have turned their
+heads in obedience to the whistle, and _both_ on your signal changed the
+direction of their beat, but still the _two together_? And have you not,
+in despair of ever parting them by merely whistling and signalling, given
+the lucky birds--apparently in the most handsome manner, as if scorning to
+take any ungenerous advantage--fair notice of the approach of the guns by
+shouting out the name of one of the dogs.
+
+273. Or, if one dog was attentive to the whistle, did he not gradually
+learn to disregard it from observing that his companion was never chidden
+for neglecting to obey it?--and did not such laxity more and more confirm
+both in habits of disobedience?
+
+274. I believe several of my readers will be constrained to answer these
+questions in the affirmative; and, further, I think their own experience
+will remind them of many occasions, both on moor and stubble when birds
+were wild, on which they have wished to attract the notice of a particular
+dog--perhaps running along a hedge, or pottering over a recent haunt; or
+hunting down wind towards marked game--by _whistling_ instead of calling
+out his name, but have been unwilling to do so, lest the other dogs should
+likewise obey the shrill sound to which all were equally accustomed.
+
+275. Now, in breaking young dogs, you could, by using whistles of
+dissimilar calls, easily avoid the liability of these evils; and by
+invariably employing a particular whistle for each dog to summon him
+separately to his food--29--each would distinguish his own whistle as
+surely as every dog knows his own master's whistle, and as hounds learn
+their names. Dogs not only know their own names, but instantly know by the
+pronunciation when it is uttered by a stranger. To prevent mistakes, each
+dog's name might be marked on his own whistle. You might have two
+whistles, of very different sound, on one short stock. Indeed, _one_
+whistle would be sufficient for two dogs, if you invariably sounded the
+same two or three sharp short notes for one dog, and as invariably gave a
+sustained note for the other. Nay, the calls could thus be so diversified,
+that one whistle might be used for even more than two dogs.
+
+But whatever whistle you choose to employ, be sure, both in and out of the
+field, to sound it softly whenever the dog is near you. Indeed, you would
+act judiciously to make it a constant rule, wherever he may be, _never to
+whistle louder than is really requisite_, otherwise--as I think I before
+remarked--he will, comparatively speaking, pay little attention to its
+summons, when, being at a distance, he hears it but faintly.
+
+
+
+
+TO BACK THE GUN.
+
+
+276. In shooting, especially late in the season, you will often mark down
+a bird, and feel assured that you stand a better chance of getting a shot
+at it if the dogs cease hunting whilst you approach it. You can teach your
+dog to do this by holding up your right hand _behind_ you when you mark
+down a bird, saying at the same time, "Toho," in an earnest, quiet voice,
+and carrying your gun as if you were prepared to shoot. He will soon
+begin, I really must say it to _back you_,--for he actually will be
+backing you, ludicrous as the expression may sound. After a few times he
+will do so on the signal, without your speaking at all; and he will be as
+pleased, as excited, and as stanch, as if he were backing an old dog.
+Making him "drop" will not effect your object, for, besides that it in no
+way increases his intelligence, you may wish him to follow at a respectful
+distance, while you are stealing along the banks of some stream, &c. Ere
+long he will become as sensible as yourself that any noise would alarm the
+birds, and you will soon see him picking his steps to avoid the crisp
+leaves, lest their rustling should betray him. I have even heard of a dog
+whose admirable caution occasionally led him, when satisfied that his
+point was observed, to crawl behind a bush, or some other shelter, to
+screen himself from the notice of the birds.
+
+277. The acquisition of this accomplishment--and it is easily taught to a
+young dog previously made steady in backing another--it should not be
+attempted before--will often secure you a duck, or other wary bird, which
+the dog would otherwise, almost to a certainty, spring out of gun-shot. If
+you should "toho" a hare, and wish to kill one, you will have an excellent
+opportunity of practising this lesson.
+
+278. In America there is a singular duck, called, from its often alighting
+on trees, the Wood-duck. I have killed some of these beautiful,
+fast-flying birds, while they were seated on logs overhanging the water,
+which I could not have approached within gun-shot had the dog not
+properly backed the gun when signalled to, and cautiously crept after me,
+still remaining far in the rear.
+
+
+
+
+TO RETREAT FROM A POINT AND RESUME IT.
+
+
+279. Amidst coppices, osiers, or broom--indeed, some times on a rough
+moor--you will occasionally lose sight of a dog, and yet be unwilling to
+call him, feeling assured that he is somewhere steadily pointing; and
+being vexatiously certain that, when he hears your whistle, he will either
+leave his point, not subsequently to resume it, or--which is far more
+probable--amuse himself by raising the game before he joins you. There are
+moments when you would give guineas if he would retreat from his point,
+come to you on your whistling, lead you towards the bird, and there resume
+his point.
+
+280. This accomplishment--and in many places abroad its value is almost
+inappreciable--can be taught him, if he is under great command, by your
+occasionally bringing him in to your heel from a point when he is within
+sight and near you, and again putting him on his point. You will begin
+your instruction in this accomplishment when the dog is pointing quite
+close to you. On subsequent occasions, you can gradually increase the
+distance, until you arrive at such perfection that you can let him be out
+of sight when you call him. When he is first allowed to be out of your
+sight, he ought not to be far from you.
+
+281. You may, for a moment, think that what is here recommended
+contradicts the axiom laid down in 255; but it is there said, that nothing
+ought to make a dog "_voluntarily_" leave his point. Indeed, the
+possession of this accomplishment, so far from being productive of any
+harm, greatly awakens a dog's intelligence, and makes him perceive, more
+clearly than ever, that the sole object for which he is taken to the field
+is to obtain shots for the gun that accompanies him. When he is pointing
+on your side of a thick hedge, it will make him understand why you call
+him off;--take him down wind, and direct him to jump the fence: he will at
+once go to the bird, and, on your encouraging him, force it to rise on
+your side.
+
+282. You will practise this lesson, however, with great caution, and not
+before his education is nearly completed, lest he imagine that you do not
+wish him always to remain stanch to his point. Indeed, if you are
+precipitate, or injudicious, you may make him blink his game.
+
+283. After a little experience, he will very likely some day
+satisfactorily prove his consciousness of your object, by voluntarily
+coming out of thick cover to show you where he is, and again going in and
+resuming his point.
+
+
+
+
+TO HUNT REGULARLY FROM LEEWARD TO WINDWARD WITHOUT THE GUN.
+
+
+284. In paragraph 147 I observed, that when you are obliged, as
+occasionally must be the case, to enter a field to windward with your
+pupil, you ought to go down to the leeward side of it, keeping him close
+to your heels, before you commence to hunt. After undeviatingly pursuing
+this plan for some time, you can, before you come quite to the bottom of
+the field, send him ahead--by the underhand bowler's swing of the
+right-hand, IV. of 119,--and, when he has reached the bottom, signal to
+him to hunt to the right--or left. He will be so habituated to work under
+your eye--130--that you will find it necessary to walk backwards--up the
+middle of the field,--while instructing him. As he becomes, by degrees,
+confirmed in this lesson, you can sooner and sooner send him ahead--from
+your heel--but increase the distances very gradually,--until at length he
+will be so far perfected, that you may venture to send him down wind to
+the extremity of the field--before he commences beating,--while you remain
+quietly at the top awaiting his return, until he shall have hunted the
+whole ground, as systematically and carefully as if you had accompanied
+him from the bottom. By this method you will teach him, on his gaining
+more experience, invariably to run to leeward, and hunt up to
+windward--crossing and recrossing the wind--whatever part of a field you
+and he may enter. What a glorious consummation! and it can be attained,
+but only by great patience and perseverance. The least reflection,
+however, will show you that you should not attempt it until the dog is
+perfected in his range.
+
+285. A careful dog, thus practised, will seldom spring birds, however
+directly he may be running down wind. He will pull up at the faintest
+indication of a scent, being at all times anxiously on the look-out for
+the coveted aroma.
+
+286. Not only to the idle or tired sportsman would it be a great benefit
+to have a field thus beaten, but the keenest and most indefatigable shot
+would experience its advantages in the cold and windy weather customary in
+November, when the tameness of partridge-shooting cannot be much
+complained of; for the birds being then ever ready to take wing, surely
+the best chance, by fair means, of getting near them would be to intercept
+them between the dog and yourself.
+
+287. Here the consideration naturally arises, whether dogs could not be
+_taught_--when hunting in the ordinary manner with the gun in the rear--
+
+
+
+
+TO HEAD RUNNING BIRDS.
+
+
+Certainly it could be done. There have been many instances of old dogs
+_spontaneously_ galloping off, and placing themselves on the other side of
+the covey--which they had pointed--as soon as they perceived that it was
+on the run,--and by good instruction you could develope or rather excite,
+that exercise of sagacity.
+
+288. If dogs are taught to "hunt from leeward to windward without the
+gun," they become habituated to seeing game intercepted between themselves
+and their masters,--and then their spontaneously heading running
+birds--though undeniably evincing great intelligence--would not be very
+remarkable. They would but reverse matters by placing themselves to
+windward of the birds while the gun was to leeward. This shows that the
+acquisition of that accomplishment would be a great step towards securing
+a knowledge of the one we are now considering. Indeed there seems to be a
+mutual relation between these two refinements in education, for the
+possession of either would greatly conduce to the attainment of the other.
+
+289. This accomplishment--and hardly any can be considered more useful--is
+not so difficult to teach an intelligent dog as one might at first
+imagine; it is but to lift him, and make him act on a larger scale, much
+in the manner described in 212 and 296. Like, however, everything else in
+canine education--indeed, in all education--it must be effected gradually;
+nor should it be commenced before the dog has had a season's steadying,
+then practise him in heading every wounded bird, and endeavor to make him
+do so at increased distances. Whenever, also, he comes upon the "heel" of
+a covey which is to leeward of him--instead of letting him "foot"
+it--oblige him to quit the scent and take a circuit--sinking the wind--so
+as to place himself to leeward of birds. He will thereby _head the covey_,
+and you will have every reason to hope that after a time his own
+observation and intellect will show him the advantage of thus intercepting
+birds and stopping them when they are on the run, whether the manoeuvre
+places him to leeward or to windward of them.
+
+290. If you could succeed in teaching but one of your dogs thus to take a
+wide sweep when he is ordered, and head a running covey before it gets to
+the extremity of the field--while the other dogs remain near you--you
+would be amply rewarded for months of extra trouble in training, by
+obtaining shots on days when good sportsmen, with fair average dogs, would
+hardly pull a trigger. And why should you not? Success would be next to
+certain if you could as readily place your dog exactly where you wish, as
+shepherds do their collies. And whose fault will it be if you cannot?
+Clearly not your dog's, for he is as capable of receiving instruction as
+the shepherd's.
+
+291. Manifestly it would be worth while to take great pains to teach this
+accomplishment, for in all countries it would prove a most killing one
+when birds become wild; and it would be found particularly useful wherever
+the red-legged partridge abounds,--which birds you will find do not lie
+badly when the coveys are, by any means, well headed and completely
+broken. But there are other accomplishments nearly as useful as those
+already detailed; the description of them, however, we will reserve for a
+separate Chapter.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+SETTER TO RETRIEVE. BLOODHOUNDS. RETRIEVERS TO "BEAT." WOUNDED WILD FOWL
+RETRIEVED FIRST.
+
+SETTER TO RETRIEVE.
+
+
+292. Undeniably there is some value in the extra number of shots obtained
+by means of highly-broken dogs; and nearly as undeniable is it that no
+man, who is not over-rich, will term that teaching superfluous which
+enables him to secure in one dog the services of two. Now, I take it for
+granted--as I cannot suppose you are willing to lose many head of killed
+game--that you would be glad to be always accompanied in the field by a
+dog that retrieves. Unless you have such a companion, there will be but
+little chance of your often securing a slightly winged bird in turnips.
+Indeed, in all rough shooting, the services of a dog so trained are
+desirable to prevent many an unfortunate hare and rabbit from getting away
+to die a painful, lingering death; and yet, if the possession of a large
+kennel is ever likely to prove half as inconvenient to you as it would to
+me, you would do well, according to my idea of the matter, to dispense
+with a regular retriever, provided you have a highly-broken setter who
+retrieves well.
+
+293. I say setter rather than pointer, not on account of his more
+affectionate, and perhaps more docile disposition--for certainly he is
+less liable to sulk under punishment,--but because, thanks to his long
+coat, he will be able to work in any cover, and that from nature he
+"roads" quicker.
+
+I must, however, plead _guilty_--for many good sportsmen will think I
+evince bad taste--to a predilection for setters--meaning always _cautious_
+setters--a partiality, perhaps, attributable to having shot more over
+wild, uncertain ground than in well-stocked preserves. Doubtless, in a
+very inclosed country, where game is abundant, pointers are preferable,
+far preferable,--more especially should there be a scarcity of water; but
+for severe and fast work, and as a servant of all work, there is nothing,
+I humbly conceive, like the setter. He may be, and generally is, the more
+difficult to break; but, when success has crowned your efforts, what a
+noble, enduring, sociable, attached animal you possess. I greatly, too,
+admire his long, stealthy, blood-like action,--for I am not speaking of
+the large heavy sort before which in old days whole coveys used to be
+netted,--and the animated waving of his stern, so strongly indicative of
+high breeding; though strange to say, in gracefulness of carriage, the
+fox, when hunting, and actually on game, far excels him. But we are again
+getting astray beyond our proper limits; let us keep to the subject of
+dog-breaking.
+
+294. As it will be your endeavor, during your pupil's first season, to
+make him thoroughly stanch and steady, I cannot advise you, as a general
+rule--liable, of course, to many exceptions--one of which is named in
+219--to let him retrieve--by retrieve I always mean fetch--until the
+following year. There is another advantage in the delay. His sagacity will
+have shown him that the design of every shot is to bag the game--when,
+therefore, he has once been permitted to pick up a bird, he will be
+desirous of carrying it immediately to you, and will resist the temptation
+to loiter with it, mouthing and spoiling it; and however keenly he may
+have heretofore "sought dead," he will henceforth search with redoubled
+zeal, from the delight he will experience in being permitted to carry his
+game. Moreover, the season's shooting, without lifting, will have so
+thoroughly confirmed him in the "down charge," that the increased[47]
+inclination to bolt off in search of a falling bird will be successfully
+resisted. If he has been taught while young to "fetch"--92, 94, &c.,--he
+will be so anxious to take the birds to you, that instead of there being
+any difficulty in teaching him this accomplishment, you will often, during
+his first season, have to restrain him from lifting when he is "pointing
+dead." The least encouragement will make him gladly pick up the birds, and
+give them, as he ought, to no one but yourself.
+
+295. You need hardly be cautioned not to let more than one dog retrieve
+the same bird. With more dogs than one the bird would, almost to a
+certainty, be torn; and if a dog once becomes sensible of the enjoyment he
+would derive in pulling out the feathers of a bird, you will find it
+difficult to make him deliver it up before he has in some way disfigured
+it. If you shoot with several dogs that retrieve, be careful always to let
+the dog who finds the game be the one to bring it. It is but fair that he
+should be so rewarded, and thus all will be stimulated to hunt with
+increased diligence.
+
+296. If the dog that found the covey be not able to wind the bird you have
+shot, make one of the other dogs take a large circuit. The latter may
+thus, without interfering with the first dog, come upon the bird, should
+it have run far. Send him in the direction the covey has taken--the
+chances are great that the bird is travelling towards the same point. By
+pursuing this plan, obviously there will be much less chance of your
+losing a bird than if you allow the dogs to keep close together while
+searching.--See also 98.
+
+297. Do not think that by making your setter lift--after his first
+season--instead of "pointing dead," there will be any increased risk of
+his raising unsprung birds. The difference between the scent of dead or
+wounded game, and that of game perfectly uninjured, is so vast, that no
+steady, experienced dog will fail to point any fresh bird he may come
+across whilst seeking for that which is lost.
+
+As a proof of this I may mention that,
+
+298. In North America I once saw, lying on the ground, three snipe, which
+a pointer, that retrieved, had regularly set one after the other, having
+found a couple on his way to retrieve the first, and which he afterwards
+brought in succession to his master, who had all the time governed the dog
+entirely by signs, never having been obliged to use his voice beyond
+saying, in a low tone, "Dead," or "Find." I remember, also, hearing of a
+retrieving setter that on one occasion pointed a fresh bird, still
+retaining in her mouth the winged partridge which she was carrying,--and
+of a pointer who did the same when he was bringing a hare; there must,
+too, be few sportsmen who will not admit that they have found it more
+difficult to make a dog give up the pursuit of a wounded hare than of one
+perfectly uninjured. I know of a sportsman's saying he felt certain that
+the hare his retriever was _coursing_ over the moors must have been
+struck, although the only person who had fired stoutly maintained that the
+shot was a regular miss.[48] The owner of the dog, however, averred that
+this was impossible, as he never could get the discerning animal to
+follow any kind of unwounded game; and, on the other hand, that no rating
+would make him quit the pursuit of _injured_ running feather or fur. The
+retriever's speedy return with puss, conveniently balanced between his
+jaws, bore satisfactory testimony to the accuracy of both his own and his
+master's judgment.
+
+299. Some good sportsmen maintain that a retrieving setter--or pointer--on
+finding a dead bird ought to point it until desired to lift it. This
+training they hold to be advisable, on the ground that it conduces to the
+dog's steadiness by diminishing his wish to run forward on seeing a bird
+fall; but the plan has necessarily this evil consequence, that should the
+setter, when searching for the dead bird, come across and point, _as he
+ought_, any fresh game, on your telling him to fetch it--as you naturally
+will--he must spring it if he attempt to obey you. Surely this would tend
+more to unsteady him than the habit of lifting his dead birds as soon as
+found? Your dog and you ought always to work in the greatest harmony--in
+the mutual confidence of your, at all times, thoroughly understanding each
+other--and you should carefully avoid the possibility of ever perplexing
+him by giving him any order it is out of his power to obey, however much
+he may exert himself. Moreover, if you teach your retrieving setter to
+"point dead," you at once relinquish--surely unnecessarily?--all hope of
+ever witnessing such a fine display of sagacity and steadiness as has just
+been related in the first part of 298.
+
+300. If you object to a setter's being taught to lift on the ground that
+it will make the other dogs jealous, pray remember that the argument has
+equal force against the employment of a regular retriever in their
+presence.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[47] "Increased:" the gratification of carrying being far greater than
+that of merely "pointing dead."
+
+[48] I retain this anecdote because every one of the occurrences related
+has happened to myself. The first many times in the United States; the
+second once in the United States when my dog Chavee pointed a fresh
+woodcock with a dead bird in his mouth, and a winged bird under his fore
+paw; the last, many times in England over an old Russian setter,
+Charm.--H.W.H.
+
+
+
+
+REGULAR RETRIEVER TO BEAT.
+
+
+301. We all have our prejudices--every Englishman has a right to many. One
+of mine is to think a _regular_ retriever positively not worth his keep
+for general shooting _if one of your setting dogs will retrieve well_.
+However, if you shoot much in cover, I admit that a regular retriever
+which can be worked in perfect silence, never refusing to come in when he
+is merely signalled to, or, if out of sight, softly whistled to, is
+better[49]--particularly when you employ beaters[50]--but even then he
+need not be the idle rascal that one generally sees--he might be broken in
+to hunt close to you, and give you the same service as a mute spaniel. I
+grant this is somewhat difficult to accomplish, for it much tends to
+unsteady him, but it can be effected--I have seen it--and, being
+practicable, it is at least worth trying; for if you succeed, you, as
+before--292--make one dog perform the work of two; and, besides its
+evident advantage in thick cover, if he accompany you in your every-day
+shooting, you will thus obtain, in the course of a season, many a shot
+which your other dogs, especially in hot weather, would pass over. If,
+too, the retriever hunts quite close to you, he can in no way annoy his
+companions, or interfere with them, for I take it for granted he will be
+so obedient as to come to "heel" the instant he gets your signal.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[49] Of course, a regular retriever is absolutely necessary when a team of
+spaniels is hunted, none of which are accustomed to retrieve.
+
+[50] Regular retrievers are never used in America except on the Chesapeake
+bay for fowl-shooting.--H.W.H.
+
+
+
+
+WATER RETRIEVERS--OR WATER SPANIELS--TO RETRIEVE WOUNDED BEFORE PICKING UP
+DEAD WILD FOWL.
+
+
+302. This a knowing old dog will often do of his own accord; but you must
+not attempt to teach a young one this useful habit until you are satisfied
+that there is no risk of making him blink his birds. You can then call him
+off when he is swimming towards dead birds, and signal to him to follow
+those that are fluttering away. If the water is not too deep, rush in
+yourself, and set him a good example by actively pursuing the runaways;
+and until all the cripples that can be recovered are safely bagged, do not
+let him lift one of those killed outright. If very intelligent, he will
+before long perceive the advantage of the system, or at least find it the
+more exciting method, and adhere to it without obliging you to continue
+your aquatic excursions. For advice about water retrievers, see 81 to 85.
+I have placed this paragraph among the "refinements" in breaking; but I
+ought, perhaps, to have entered it sooner; for if you are fond of
+duck-shooting, and live in a neighborhood where you have good
+opportunities of following it, you should regard this accomplishment as a
+necessary part of your spaniel's education.
+
+303. In your part of the country none of these extra, or, as some will
+say, always superfluous accomplishments may be required; but if you
+consider that a pupil of yours attaining any one of them would be
+serviceable, be not deterred from teaching it by the idea that you would
+be undertaking a difficult task. Any one of them, I was nearly saying all
+of them, could be taught a dog with far greater ease, and in a shorter
+time, than a well-established, judicious range.
+
+304. It would be quite unreasonable to expect a regular breaker--"mark" I
+do not say your game-keeper--to teach your dog any of these
+accomplishments. He may be fully aware of the judiciousness of the system,
+and be sensible of its great advantages, but the many imperious calls upon
+his time would preclude his pursuing it in all its details. At the usual
+present prices, it would not pay him to break in dogs so highly.
+
+305. In following Beckford's advice respecting your making, as far as is
+practicable, your dog your "constant companion," do not, however, forget
+that you require him to evince great diligence and perseverance in the
+field; and, therefore, that his highest enjoyment must consist in being
+allowed to hunt.
+
+306. Now, it seems to be a principle of nature,--of canine as well as
+human nature,--to feel, through life, most attachment to that pursuit,
+whatever it may be, which is most followed in youth. If a dog is
+permitted as a youngster to have the run of the kitchen, he will be too
+fond of it when grown up. If he is allowed to amuse himself in every way
+his fancy dictates, he will think little of the privilege of hunting.
+Therefore, the hours he cannot pass with you--after you have commenced his
+education,--I am sorry to say it, but I must do so, he ought to be in his
+_kennel_--loose in his kennel,[51] not tied up; for straining at his
+collar would throw out his elbows, and so make him grow up bandy-legged.
+If, however, he must be fastened, let it be by a chain. He would soon
+learn to gnaw through a cord, especially if a young puppy, who, from
+nature, is constantly using his teeth, and thus acquire a trick that some
+day might prove very inconvenient were no chain at hand. You would greatly
+consult his comfort by having the chain attached, with a loose ring and
+swivel, to a spike fixed a few paces in front of his kennel, so that he
+could take some exercise by trotting round and round.
+
+307. When your dog has attained some age, and hunting has become with him
+a regular passion, I believe you may give him as much liberty as you
+please without diminishing his zeal--but most carefully prevent his ever
+hunting alone, technically called "self-hunting." At that advanced time of
+life, too, a few occasional irregularities in the field may be
+innocuously permitted. The steadiest dogs will, at times, deviate from the
+usual routine of their business, sagaciously thinking that such departure
+from rule must be acceptable if it tends to obtain the game; and it will
+be advisable to leave an experienced dog to himself whenever he evinces
+great perseverance in spontaneously following some unusual plan. You may
+have seen an old fellow, instead of cautiously "roading" and "pointing
+dead," rush forward and seize an unfortunate winged bird, while it was
+making the best use of its legs after the flight of the rest of the
+covey--some peculiarity in the scent emitted having probably betrayed to
+the dog's _practised_ nose that the bird was injured. When your pup
+arrives at such years of discrimination, you need not so vigorously insist
+upon a patient "down charge" should you see a winged cock-pheasant running
+into cover. Your dog's habits of discipline would be, I should hope, too
+well confirmed by his previous course of long drill for such a temporary
+departure from rule to effect any permanent mischief; but oh! beware of
+any such laxity with a _young_ pupil, however strongly you may be tempted.
+In five minutes you may wholly undo the labor of a month. On days,
+therefore, when you are anxious, _coûte qui coûte_, to fill the game-bag,
+pray leave him at home. Let him acquire any bad habit when you are thus
+pressed for birds, and you will have more difficulty in eradicating it
+than you would have in teaching him almost any accomplishment. This reason
+made me all along keep steadily in view the supposition, that you had
+commenced with a dog unvitiated by evil associates, either biped or
+quadruped; for assuredly you would find it far easier to give a thoroughly
+good education to such a pupil, than to complete the tuition (particularly
+in his range) of one usually considered broken, and who must, in the
+natural order of things, have acquired some habits more or less opposed to
+your own system. If, as a puppy, he had been allowed to self-hunt and
+chase, your labor would be herculean. And inevitably this would have been
+your task had you ever allowed him to associate with any dog who
+"self-hunted." The oldest friend in your kennel might be led astray by
+forming an intimacy with the veriest cur, if a "self-hunter." There is a
+fascination in the vice--above all, in killing young hares and
+rabbits--that the steadiest dog cannot resist when he has been persuaded
+to join in the sport by some vagabond of a poacher possessing a tolerable
+nose, rendered keenly discerning by experience.
+
+308. I hope that by this time we too well understand each other for you
+now to wonder why I think that you should not commence hunting your young
+dog where game is abundant. Professional breakers prefer such ground,
+because, from getting plenty of points, it enables them to train their
+dogs more quickly, and _sufficiently well_ to ensure an early sale. This
+is _their_ object, and they succeed. _My_ object is that you shall
+establish _ultimately_ great perseverance and a fine range in your young
+dog, let birds be ever so scarce. If you show him too many at first, he
+will subsequently become easily dispirited whenever he fails in getting a
+point.
+
+309. The good condition of a dog's nose is far from being an immaterial
+part of his conditioning, for on the preservation of its sensitiveness
+chiefly depends your hope of sport. If it be dry from being feverish, or
+if it be habituated to the villanous smells of an impure kennel, how are
+you to expect it to acknowledge the faintest taint of game--yet one that,
+if followed up by olfactory nerves in high order, would lead to a sure
+find? Sweetness of breath is a strong indication of health. Cleanliness is
+as essential as a judicious diet; and you may be assured, that if you look
+for excellence, you must always have your youngster's kennel clean, dry,
+airy, and yet sufficiently warm. The more you attend to this, the greater
+will be his bodily strength and the finer his nose.
+
+In India the kennels are, of course, too hot; but in the best constructed
+which fell under my observation, the heat was much mitigated by the roofs
+being thickly thatched with grass. In England, however, nearly all
+kennels--I am not speaking of those for hounds--are far too cold in
+winter.
+
+310. There must be _sufficient_ warmth. Observe how a petted dog,
+especially after severe exercise, lays himself down close to the fire, and
+enjoys it. Do you not see that instinct teaches him to do this? and must
+it not be of great service to him? Why, therefore, deny him in cold
+weather, after a hard day's work, a place on the hearth-rug? It is the
+want of sufficient heat in the kennels, and good drying and brushing after
+hard work, that makes sporting dogs, particularly if they are long-coated
+ones, suffer from rheumatism, blear eyes, and many ills that generally,
+but not necessarily, attend them in old age.
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[51] Twice a day he should be allowed to run out, that he may not be
+compelled to adopt habits wholly opposed to his natural propensities. If
+he has acquired the disagreeable trick of howling when shut up, put a
+muzzle on him.
+
+
+
+
+CONCLUSION.
+
+
+311. Gentle Reader, according to the courteous phraseology of old novels,
+though most probably I ought to say Brother Sportsman;--If you have had
+the patience to attend me, through the preceding pages, while I have been
+describing the educational course of a dog from almost his infancy, up to
+maturity, I will hope that I may construe that patience into an evidence
+that they have afforded you some amusement, and perhaps, some useful
+instruction.
+
+312. Though I may have failed in persuading you to undertake the
+instruction of your dogs yourself, yet I trust I have shown you how they
+ought to be broken in: and if you are a novice in the field, I hope I have
+clearly explained to you in what manner they ought to be shot over--a
+knowledge which no one can possess by intuition, and which you will find
+nearly as essential to the preservation of the good qualities of
+well-tutored dogs as to the education of uninformed ones.
+
+313. I believe that all I have said is perfectly true, and, as the system
+which I have described advocates kind treatment of man's most faithful
+companion, and his instruction with mildness rather than severity, I
+trust that you will be induced to give it a fair trial, and if you find it
+successful, recommend its adoption.
+
+314. I dare not ask for the same favor at the hands of the generality of
+regular trainers--I have no right to expect such liberality. They,
+naturally enough, will not readily forgive my intruding upon what they
+consider exclusively their own domain,--and, above all, they will not
+easily pardon my urging every sportsman to break in his own dogs. They
+will, I know, endeavor to persuade their employers that the finished
+education which I have described is useless, or quite unattainable,
+without a great sacrifice of time; and that, therefore, the system which I
+advocate is a bad one. They will wish it to be forgotten--that I advise a
+gradual advance, step by step, from the A, B, C;--that accomplishments
+have only been recommended _after_ the acquisition of essentials--never at
+the expense of essentials; that at any moment it is in the instructor's
+power to say, "I am now satisfied with the extent of my pupil's
+acquirements, and have neither leisure nor inclination to teach him
+more;"--and that they cannot suggest quicker means of imparting any grade
+of education, however incomplete; at least they do not--I wish they would;
+few would thank them more than myself.
+
+315. Greatly vexed at the erroneous way in which I saw some dogs
+instructed in the north by one who from his profession should have known
+better, I promised, on the impulse of the moment, to write. If I could
+have purchased any work which treated the subject in what I considered a
+judicious and perspicuous manner, and, above all, which taught by what
+means a _finished_ education could be imparted, I would gladly have
+recommended the study of it,--have spared myself the trouble of detailing
+the results of my own observations and experience,--and not have sought to
+impose on any one the task of reading them. When I began the book, and
+even when I had finished it, I intended to put it forth without any token
+by which the writer might be discovered. Mr. Murray, however, forcibly
+represented that unless the public had some guarantee for the fidelity of
+the details there would be no chance of the little work being circulated,
+or proving useful; therefore, having written solely from a desire to
+assist my brother sportsmen and to show the injudiciousness of severity,
+with a wish that my readers might feel as keen a zest for shooting as I
+once possessed, and with a charitable hope that they might not be
+compelled to seek it in as varied climates as was my lot, I at once
+annexed my address and initials to the manuscript.
+
+  W.N.H.
+
+_United Service Club, Pall Mall._
+
+
+
+
+EDITOR'S NOTE.
+
+
+In section 299, page 643, Col. Hutchinson argues _against_ a retrieving
+Pointer or Setter, pointing a dead bird when ordered "_find_," and not
+lifting it until ordered to "fetch." This is the single rule of breaking
+in which I wholly differ from the Colonel; but _here_ I differ so widely,
+that I would not own a dog which did _not_ point until ordered to "fetch;"
+and I consider that one which "fetches" without pointing, when simply
+ordered to "find," is worthless.
+
+Col. Hutchinson argues that there is a difference in the scent of a
+wounded and an unwounded bird, which enables a dog certainly to
+discriminate between the two, so that he may be trusted to point all the
+live birds he may meet in the way to find his dead bird, and yet to rush
+upon the latter and pick him up without making any pause. On the other
+hand, he argues as if there were _no_ difference in the scent of the two,
+when he says that if the dog be taught to point until ordered to "fetch,"
+and chance to point a live bird before finding the dead, he will _flush_
+the live bird on being ordered to "fetch" the dead. I admit that there
+_is_ a difference of scent at all times to the best nosed dogs, but very
+faint, even to the best, in bad scenting weather; but that difference will
+more easily make the dog refuse to flush a live bird, if he do point
+before fetching, than make him pause to point a live one, if allowed to
+rush in upon dead ones. The only rule that will keep a dog always up to
+his business is, that he shall always "_point_" every game bird or animal
+he comes upon, dead or living, and always "_drop_," when it runs or rises,
+whether a shot be fired or not. I have always shot over dogs broken to
+point before fetching. I have often been deceived in supposing a fresh
+bird newly pointed to be the killed one, but have always found my dogs to
+hesitate so distinctly, before obeying the order to "_fetch_," as to make
+it evident that I was in error, and allow me to correct it.
+
+For the better comprehension of the above admirable treatise on breaking,
+I wish to add, for the benefit of the American sportsmen, that, wherever
+Col. Hutchinson speaks of the partridge, it is the English bird which he
+intends, which, in its habits, is closely analogous to our quail; and that
+all his precepts as to breaking on partridge hold good precisely for the
+quail with us. In the same way all his precepts for grouse-shooting apply,
+letter for letter, to our prairie-fowl-shooting; and his precepts for
+pheasant-shooting to the hunting and shooting of our ruffed grouse, called
+in the northern states the partridge, and in the southern and western the
+pheasant. When he speaks of the rabbit as distinct from the hare, he
+alludes to a European animal which does not exist in America, the original
+stock of the tame rabbit, which has the habit of burrowing in the ground
+and dwelling in great communities, known as warrens. We have two kinds of
+hare, the small one commonly known as the rabbit, and the large Canadian
+hare, which turns white in winter; but no genuine rabbit. Hutchinson's
+rules as to breaking, in regard to the English hares and rabbits, hold
+good of both our varieties.
+
+I will only say farther, that when he speaks of shooting in turnips or
+potatoes, we may apply his rules to any tall-growing vegetable covert,
+such as clover, rag weed, wild meadow-grass, or the like, those crops not
+being so extensively cultivated with us as to be haunted in general by
+game. Similarly, when he mentions breaking spaniels to gorse, we may
+substitute hollies, black-brush, cat-briers, and any other thorny covert
+common in any section of the country; but, in fact, no especial breaking
+is needed with us, as we have no brake which exactly compares with furze.
+H.W.H.
+
+
+
+
+
+INDEX.
+
+
+  A.
+
+  Abscess, about the tail, 283, 284.
+    treatment of, 284
+    in the flap of the ear, 427.
+    treatment of, ib.
+
+  Accomplishments or Refinements--
+    distinguishing dog whistles, 629.
+    dog to back the gun, 630.
+    to head running birds, 635.
+    to hunt without gun, 633.
+    to retreat and resume point, 632.
+    regular retrievers to beat, 644.
+    setter to retrieve, 638.
+    water retriever to fetch cripples, 645.
+
+  Action of physic on dogs, 107.
+
+  Acute purgation, 263.
+      treatment of, 264.
+    rheumatism, 274.
+      treatment of, 276.
+
+  Administration of medicine, 106.
+
+  Advice to practitioners, 80.
+
+  Affection an incentive, 565.
+
+  After-discharge, 394.
+
+  Age for education, 470, 495, 527.
+
+  Aids to promote labor, 376.
+
+  Assistance, when to be afforded during pupping, 360.
+
+  Asthma, 218.
+    treatment of, 220.
+
+  Attention, necessary, for the sucking bitch, 400.
+    necessary, to the teeth of the dog, 183.
+
+  Author's cause of writing, 653.
+
+  Avoid having a battle with a dog, 82.
+
+  Axioms, 576, 618.
+
+
+  B.
+
+  Back, turned brings dog away, 557.
+
+  Backing, how taught, 614, 615.
+    initiatory lesson in, 488.
+    the gun, 630.
+
+  Battle, avoid having one with a dog, 82.
+
+  Beagles, 21.
+
+  Beat, a range, taught, 527,  529, 538, 541, 544.
+    bad, hard to cure, 581.
+
+  Beat, good, difficult but invaluable, 548
+    Herbert's opinion, 560.
+    without gun, 633.
+    of five or six dogs, 562.
+    of four dogs, 561.
+    of three dogs, 560.
+    of two dogs, 558.
+    taught following dog, 549.
+
+  Beef-tea, how to make, 97.
+
+  Beckon, why useful signal, 482.
+    and "Heel" differ, 485.
+
+  Bitch, in use, 24.
+    in pup, 26.
+
+  Bells put on dogs, 496.
+
+  Best dogs err, concise hints, 623.
+
+  Bird, dead, loss of discourages dog, 592
+    dead, seized and torn by dog, 597.
+    shot on ground steadies dog, 610.
+    shot, search for, 570, 589, 591, 593, 597, 641.
+    shot, signal heel, 573.
+    winged, shoot on ground, 591.
+
+  Birds, lie well, dog winding them, 547.
+    wild, intercepted, 635, 636.
+    wounded, scent differs, 641.
+    wounded, first retrieved, 645.
+    wounded, make for covey, 641.
+    wounded, found evening, 595.
+    wounded, the search for, 570.
+    wounded, observed by dog, 518.
+
+  Black too conspicuous a color, 508.
+
+  Blacksmith shoeing kicker, 494.
+
+  Blinking dead bird, 571.
+    from punishment, 611.
+    initiatory lessons prevent, 471.
+
+  Bones of the dog not rightly placed in the skeleton at the London
+                                           Veterinary College, 109.
+    stones and bricks not good for dogs, 185.
+    when large, do not injure dogs, 91.
+
+  Boots, to render waterproof, 57.
+
+  Bowel diseases, 56, 246.
+
+  Brace of dogs sufficient, if good, 137.
+
+  Breaking of young dogs, 29.
+
+  Break in dogs yourself, 464.
+
+  Breaker, qualifications required, 466.
+    one better than two, 470.
+
+  Breaker, hunt too many, 475, 620.
+    idle, dislike bold dogs, 554.
+
+  Breaking fence prevented, 556.
+
+  Breeding in-and-in bad, 579.
+
+  Breeding, 15, 21, 25.
+
+  Bronchocele, 148.
+    treatment of, 199.
+
+  Bruises, remedy for, 55.
+
+  Bull-dogs, remarks upon, 402.
+
+
+  C.
+
+  Cancer of the scrotum, 319.
+    of the teats, 408.
+    of the vagina, 344.
+
+  Canker, within and without the ear, 53, 54, 419.
+    causes, ib.
+    external, 421.
+      treatment of, 423.
+    internal, 424.
+      former accounts of, ib.
+      treatment of, 423.
+    of the mouth, 189.
+      treatment of, 190.
+
+  Capped hock or elbow, 452.
+    treatment for, 453.
+
+  Care, necessary for the pups, 378.
+    required after pupping, 391.
+    signal for, 484.
+
+  Carrots for horses, 469.
+
+  Carrying, how taught, 510.
+
+  Carts, dog, 442.
+
+  Cases, details of various, 61
+
+  Castor oil, 116.
+
+  Castration, 323.
+
+  Cataract, 429.
+    causes of, 430.
+
+  Catheter, passing of the, 329, 377.
+
+  Caution, taught to fast dogs, 516, 552.
+    in excess, 583.
+    cure for, 584.
+
+  Cautious and wild dog contrasted, 551.
+    dog rarely too fast, 551.
+
+  Chain better than cord, 647.
+
+  Check cord, 489, 490, 581, 588.
+    spike to, 476, 580, 609.
+
+  Chemists to be avoided as doctors for dogs, 196.
+
+  Choice of a male, 347.
+
+  Chronic diarrhoea, 265.
+    treatment of, 266.
+
+  Chronic hepatitis, 221.
+    symptoms of, 222.
+    treatment of, 225.
+
+  Circle wide when heading dog, 569.
+
+  Claws, 437.
+    to cut, 438.
+    dew, 437.
+    falling off of the, 439.
+    sinuses up the, 440.
+
+  Clean, to, the dog's teeth, 186.
+
+  Clumber spaniels, 502.
+
+  Cock shooting, 482.
+
+  Cocker, the, 20.
+
+  Cold or coriza, 209.
+
+  Colic, 252.
+    symptoms of, 258.
+    treatment of, 255.
+
+  Collar and chain, 102.
+    a light one on dog, 565.
+
+  Colors for concealment, 508.
+
+  Commands, given in a low tone, 473.
+    understood before seeing game, 471.
+
+  Comb and brush, 101.
+
+  Companion, dog to be yours, 473.
+    initiatory lessons with, 487, 488.
+
+  Condition, 42.
+
+  Confidence of the dog, how to gain, 82.
+
+  Consistency necessary, 466, 578.
+
+  Coolness recommended, 578.
+
+  Costiveness, 247.
+    treatment of, 250.
+
+  Cough, 202.
+    treatment of, 203.
+
+  Couple to older dog, 479.
+
+  Couples, accustomed to, 487.
+
+  Courage, created, 530, 614.
+
+  Covert, pointers in, 506.
+
+  Cripples, first retrieved, 645.
+
+  Crochet, 384.
+
+
+  D.
+
+  Danger of domestic remedies, 77.
+
+  Dead bird, blinking of, 571.
+    lifted by you, error of, 511.
+    loss of, discourages dog, 592.
+    rushing into, 597, 622.
+    search for, 626, 647, 649.
+    search for, with two dogs, 641.
+    the first killed, 569.
+    to be pointed, 571.
+    but not by retrieving pointer, &c., 643.
+    torn by dog, 597.
+
+  Dead, initiatory lesson in, 473, 480.
+
+  Death of unborn pups, sign of, 383.
+
+  Dew-claws, 437.
+
+  Diarrhoea, 261.
+
+  Digestive discharge, 313.
+    symptoms of, 314.
+    treatment of, 316.
+
+  Diseases dependent on internal organs, 240.
+    of the limbs, 437.
+
+  Distance, between parallels, 546.
+    dog's knowledge of, 582.
+
+  Distemper, 46, 58, 120.
+    brain not subject to disease in, 138.
+    chorea in, 145.
+    disposition of dogs to gnaw their bodies in, 143.
+    dogs may have the disease many times, 135.
+    the dogs that most escape its attacks, 126.
+
+  Distemper, earliest symptoms of, 126.
+    eruption in, 142.
+    exercise and food influence the disorder, 126.
+    eyes in, 132.
+    fainting fits in, 149.
+    fearful cries in, 137.
+    fits in, 140.
+    its causes undiscovered, 124.
+    importance of diet in, 152.
+    liver involved in, 134.
+    lungs diseased in, 133.
+    morbid appetite during the fits in, 167.
+    ordinary treatment for, 121.
+    paralysis of the hind legs in, 145.
+    periods when it attacks animals, 125.
+    popular remedies for, 122.
+    resembles continued fever, 123.
+    skin peels after an attack of, 149.
+    stomach and intestinal diseases in, 135.
+    symptoms when it abates, 132.
+    treatment for, 154.
+    tumours in, 144.
+    very treacherous, 130.
+    when the disease is established, 127.
+
+  Distribution of the dog, 73.
+
+  Diving, how taught, 513.
+
+  Dog-carts, 442.
+
+  Dog's tooth-brush, 188.
+
+  Dogs, are generally misunderstood, 76.
+    are very intelligent, 103.
+    shape of, 639.
+    slow beating, more than faster, 503.
+    wildest, most energetic, 489, 531.
+
+  Down, _see_ "Drop."
+    charge, dog pointing not to, 618.
+      initiatory lesson in, 478.
+      why retrievers should, 521.
+
+  "Drop," a better word than "down," 536.
+    dog, to another dropping, 488.
+    dog, to game rising, 601.
+    Initiatory lessons in, 474, 476, 478.
+    unnatural, "Toho," natural, 476.
+
+  Dropsy of the chest, 217.
+      treatment of, 217.
+    of the uterus, 345.
+    of the perinĉum, 289.
+      treatment of, 291.
+
+  Duck, wood duck of America, 631.
+    shooting, in wild rice, 509.
+
+  Ducks, wounded, first retrieved, 645.
+
+  Dysentery, 261.
+
+
+  E.
+
+  Ear, canker within and without, 53, 54, 419.
+      causes, 420.
+    torn, 56.
+    rounding of the dog's, 422.
+
+  Ears, not pulled violently, 601.
+
+  Eating, dogs have lively sympathies for, 95.
+    of the young by the mother, 393.
+
+  Education, age when commenced, 471.
+    best conducted by one, 470.
+    commenced from A B C, 652.
+    expeditious, economical,489.
+
+  Ejection of the eye, 435.
+    treatment for, 436.
+
+  Emetics, 117.
+
+  Energy, wildest dogs have most, 489, 531.
+
+  Enlargement of the testicle, 335.
+    treatment of, ib.
+
+  Enteritis, 257.
+    symptoms of, 258.
+    treatment of, 259.
+
+  Ergot of rye not a good uterine excitant to the bitch, 365.
+
+  Examination of a dog, how to conduct, 81.
+
+  Example, advantageous, 615.
+    especially to spaniels, 495.
+    yours, has influence, 569, 622.
+
+  Exercise, 42, 90.
+    on the road, 493.
+
+  Experiments, 108.
+
+  External canker, 421.
+    treatment of, 423.
+
+  Eye, the, 429.
+    films over, 56.
+    ejection of, 435.
+    treatment for, 436.
+
+
+  F.
+
+  Falling off of the claw, 439.
+    of the vagina, 402.
+
+  Fastest dogs not beating most, 502.
+    walkers not beating most, 564.
+
+  Fasting, initiatory lessons in, 469.
+
+  Fatigued, dog not hunted when, 557.
+
+  Faults, punishment expected for, 614.
+
+  Feeding time, lessons at, 479.
+    pistol fired at, 478.
+
+  Feet, 53.
+    ailments of, 437-443.
+    of partridges given to dogs, 642.
+
+  Fence, not to be broken, 556.
+    "ware fence," initiatory lesson in, 486.
+
+  Fetching, evil of not, 638.
+    lessons in, 510, 512.
+
+  Fevers, bilious, 55.
+
+  Fields, largest beat, 539.
+
+  Films over the eyes, 56.
+
+  "Find," initiatory lessons, 480, 481.
+
+  "Finder" not to advance, 617.
+
+  "Finder" retrieves, 641.
+
+  Fire, dog to bask before, 558.
+
+  First good point, 568.
+    bird killed, 569.
+
+  Fits in the dog, 55, 295.
+    sucking, 396.
+    what to do when they occur, 296.
+    treatment of, 297.
+
+  Flap of the ear, abscess in, 427.
+    treatment of, ib.
+
+  Flapper shooting, 647.
+
+  Fleas, remedy for, 56.
+
+  Flogging, how administered, 598.
+    reprobated, 468, 611.
+
+  "Flown," initiatory lesson, 486.
+    real, 603.
+
+  Fluids, to give, 118.
+
+  Food for a diseased dog, 96.
+    proper for dogs, 40, 90.
+
+  Foot-sore, 53, 440.
+
+  Footing a scent, 487, 511, 581.
+
+  Forceps ought not to be used during parturition, 371.
+
+  Form desirable in a bitch for breeding, 349.
+
+  Forward initiatory lesson, 481.
+
+  "Foul," 239.
+
+  Fowls, killing of, the cure, 627.
+
+  Fractures, 444.
+    treatment for, 446.
+
+  Fungoid tumours, 340.
+
+
+  G.
+
+  Gain, to, the confidence of a dog, 82.
+
+  Game book, form of, 68.
+    lies too close in turnips, 551.
+    not shown too soon to dog, 471, 588.
+    spring toward gun, 496, 508.
+
+  Gastritis, 233.
+    what dogs most liable to, 234.
+    treatment of, 236.
+
+  Generative organs, female, 337.
+    male, 313.
+
+  Give, to, solids, 111.
+    fluids 113.
+
+  Glans, swelling of, 327.
+
+  Gone, initiatory lesson, 486.
+    real, 603.
+
+  Gorse, spaniels to be habituated to, 495.
+
+  Greyhounds, food for, in training, 56.
+
+  Growths, morbid, in the bitch, 338.
+
+  Gun, dog to back the, 630.
+    first over fence, not dog, 556.
+    game flushed toward the, 496, 508, 603.
+
+  Guns, a few words on, 41.
+    to preserve the barrels from rust of salt water, 57.
+    water-proofing for the locks, 58.
+
+  Gutta Serena, 431.
+    causes, ib.
+
+
+  H.
+
+  Hĉmaturia, 326.
+
+  Hand, bird delivered into, 511.
+
+  Hand, rewards taken from, 478.
+
+  Hare, chase of, checked, 607, 608.
+    heavy, tempts dog to drop, 519.
+    killed in form, steadies dog, 610.
+    scent of strong, 607.
+    shooting of condemned, 604.
+    wounded, dog may pursue, 610.
+
+  Haste, when imperative, during pupping, 383.
+
+  Heading birds, 635.
+    dog, making too stanch, 583.
+      circle wide, 509.
+
+  Heat, 55, 353.
+
+  Hedge, farthest side hunted, 496.
+    rows not to be hunted, 542.
+
+  Heel, signal to, on killing, 573, 577.
+    signal to, 482, 485.
+
+  Hepatitis, 221.
+    chronic, ib.
+    symptoms of, 223.
+    treatment of, 225.
+
+  Herbert's Field Sports in the United States, 560.
+
+  Hereditary instincts, 525, 597.
+
+  Horses how taught at Astley's, 468.
+    fed on firing, 478.
+
+  Hot bath kills during parturition, 364.
+
+
+  I.
+
+  Imitative, dogs are, 568.
+
+  In-and-in breeding injudicious, 579.
+
+  Independence imparted, 623.
+
+  Indigestion, 237, 282.
+    symptoms of, 228.
+    treatment of, 229.
+
+  Inflammation of the bowels, 56.
+    of the lungs, 211.
+    treatment of, 215.
+
+  Initiatory lessons important, 469, 471, 480, 529, 532.
+
+  Injuries to the tongue, 195.
+    treatment of, ib.
+
+  Instrument, parturition, recommended, 381.
+
+  Instruments, certain, when lawful to employ them in pupping, 372.
+    as a rule deadly in parturition, 368.
+
+  Internal canker, 424.
+    former accounts of, ib.
+    treatment for, 425.
+
+  Intestines, peculiarity of, 246.
+
+  Introsusception, 268.
+
+  Inversion of the womb, 404.
+
+
+  K.
+
+  Kennel, the, 44.
+    dog ought to be in his, 646.
+
+  Killing fowls, the remedy, 627.
+    sheep, cure attempted, 625.
+
+  Kind of dogs alluded to in this book, 89.
+
+
+  L.
+
+  Labor pains, false, 361.
+
+  Large bone may be given to dogs, 91.
+
+  Larynx, 201.
+
+  Leeward, beat from, 555.
+
+  Left hand signals "down charge," 476.
+      less than right, 535.
+    side of dog, keep on, 583.
+    signal for dog to go on the, 481.
+
+  Lessons, initiatory, reasonable, 469, 471, 488, 529.
+    walking in the fields, 527.
+
+  Lice, 27, 55, 105.
+
+  Lifting a dog, 591, 636, 642.
+
+  Limbs, diseases of the, 437.
+
+  Liver, a mild laxative to dogs, 93.
+    hard-boiled, 519.
+
+  Lungs, inflammation of, 211.
+    treatment of, 215.
+
+  Luxuries hurt the teeth of dogs, 182.
+
+
+  M.
+
+  Make beef-tea, how to, 97.
+
+  Mange, a general term only, 410.
+    a second description of, 412.
+    treatment for, 413.
+    true, ib.
+    treatment for, ib.
+    another form, 414.
+    treatment for, 51, 415.
+    a fourth sort, 417.
+    treatment for, ib.
+    a fifth kind, ib.
+    treatment for, ib.
+
+  Markers used with spaniels, 505.
+
+  Medicine, how to administer, 50, 106.
+    generally alluded to, 119.
+
+  Milk, how to draw from a bitch, 401.
+
+  Morbid growths in the bitch, 338.
+
+  Mouth, how to hold open, 111.
+    teeth, tongue, gullet, &c., 179.
+    canker of the, 189.
+    treatment of, 190.
+
+  Mute spaniels, old sportsmen prefer, 506.
+
+  Muzzle, to, the dog with tape for operations, 428.
+
+
+  N.
+
+  Names ending in "O" dissimilar, 536.
+
+  Nervous diseases, 295.
+    system, 299.
+
+  Nipping the teeth off, 193.
+
+  "No," Better word than "ware," 487.
+
+  Noise spoils sport, 466, 473, 539.
+
+  Nose carried high, 485, 547.
+
+  Nosing allowed, 593.
+
+  Number of pups a bitch can rear, 26, 395.
+
+  Numerous pretenders to cure the dog's diseases, 76.
+
+
+  O.
+
+  OEstrum, 353.
+
+  Old dog allowed liberties, 648.
+    range taught with, 549.
+
+  "On," initiatory lesson in, 473, 474.
+
+  Opening pills, 116.
+
+  Operations, 450.
+    mode of performing, 451.
+
+  Ophthalmia, simple, 432.
+    symptoms of, ib.
+    treatment for, 433.
+
+  Original of the dog inquired after, 73.
+
+
+  P.
+
+  Parallels, distance between, 546, 547.
+
+  Paralysis, 270.
+    treatment of, 273.
+    of the tongue, 193.
+
+  Parturition, 346.
+    what is necessary at, 359.
+
+  Passing the catheter, 330.
+
+  Patience enjoined, 568.
+    required at a pupping, 376.
+
+  Peculiarity of the intestines, 246.
+
+  Peg or spike on a check-cord, 580, 609.
+
+  Perseverance and range attained, 649.
+    in seeking taught, 593.
+
+  Perinĉum, dropsy of, 345.
+
+  Physic, how to administer, 50, 106.
+    action of, on dogs, 107.
+
+  Piles, 278.
+    treatment of, 281.
+
+  Pills, opening, 116.
+
+  Pincushion, retrievers fetch, 513.
+
+  Pistol, horse fed at discharge of, 478.
+
+  Point, dead, 570.
+    left and resumed, 633.
+    not quitted for down charge, 576, 618.
+    the first good one, 568.
+
+  Pointers, 16, 28.
+    out of place in strong cover, 506.
+    points, 638.
+
+  Pointing, dog not soon, 528, 580, 589.
+    dog when not to down, 618.
+    origin of, 476.
+
+  Poisoning, what to do in case of, 55.
+
+  Polypus, 341.
+    how to recognise, 342.
+
+  Pot-hunting sportsmen ruin dogs, 621.
+
+  Preparatory lessons, important, 469, 471, 529, 522, 563.
+
+  Presentations, false, rare in the bitch, 375.
+
+  Pretenders are numerous in the cure of canine diseases, 76.
+
+  Protrusion of the rectum, 287.
+    treatment of, ib.
+
+  Punishment avoided by lessons, 471.
+    causes blinking, 611.
+    decreases, whip carried, 611.
+    not shunned by dogs, 614.
+    how administered, 598.
+    making dogs too stanch, 583.
+    not inflicted on suspicion, 601.
+
+  Punishment, reprobated, 468, 611.
+
+  Pupping, 346.
+
+  Pups, when they may be felt in the mother, 356.
+    when broken difficult to bring away, 379.
+    feeding and weaning, 27, 397.
+
+  Purchasers of dogs, hints to, 536.
+
+  Purgation, acute, 263.
+    treatment of, 264.
+
+  Purgatives, 53, 115.
+
+  Puzzle-peg saved by the word "up," 484.
+
+  "Puzzling" with nose to ground, 547.
+
+
+  Q.
+
+  Quail, large in Canada, 578.
+
+  Qualities expected in good dog, 468.
+
+  Quarter ground, _see_ Beat.
+
+  Quartering, how taught, 33.
+
+
+  R.
+
+  Rabbit-shooting reprobated, 604.
+
+  Rabies, 299.
+
+  "Range," _see_ Beat.
+
+  Ranging, how taught, 30.
+
+  Receipts, various, 50.
+    _See_ the names of diseases for which remedies are sought.
+
+  Rectum, 278.
+    protrusion of, 287.
+    treatment of, ib.
+
+  Refinements, _see_ Accomplishments.
+
+  Regularity essential in the feeding of dogs, 94.
+
+  Relays desirable, not a pack, 563.
+
+  Remedies, domestic, the danger of, 77.
+
+  Requisites in a dog, 467.
+    in a breaker, 466.
+
+  Respiratory organs, 200.
+
+  Retention of urine, 328.
+
+  Retriever, the, 21.
+    bit for one that mouths, 521.
+    evil of assisting, 519.
+    footing scent, lesson in, 517.
+    for water, qualities in, 508.
+    made whipper in, 492.
+    observes struck bird, 518.
+    to "down charge," or not, 521.
+
+  Retrievers, shape, &c. of, 523.
+    to beat, 644.
+    to fetch, taught, 514.
+    to pursue faster, 521.
+    water, to fetch cripples first, 645.
+    how fed, 524.
+
+  Retrieving, not taught first season, 640.
+    pointers or setters not to point dead, 643, 654.
+    setters not pointers, 639.
+
+  Rewards always given, 478, 481.
+
+  Rheumatism, 274.
+    acute, ib.
+    treatment of, 276.
+
+  Rice, wild lakes, duck-shooting in 509.
+
+  Right, the signal to go toward, 482.
+    hand for "toho" and "drop," 476.
+      signals more than left, 536.
+
+  Rounding dogs' ears, 422.
+
+  Rope to dog, 647.
+
+  Running bird, firing at, 590.
+
+  Rushing in to "dead" cured, 622.
+
+
+  S.
+
+  Saint Vitus's dance, 240.
+    symptoms of, 241.
+    treatment of, 242.
+
+  Scent bad in calm or gale, 540.
+    differently recognized by pointers or setters, 541.
+    of birds not left for hare, 607.
+    "footing," an initiatory lesson in, 485.
+    of wounded and unwounded birds differs, 641.
+
+  Scrotum, cancer of the, 319.
+
+  Search, "dead," 570.
+    with two dogs, 641.
+    for wounded bird to leeward, 589.
+    to windward, 591.
+
+  Seeking dead, how taught, 593.
+
+  Self-hunting, prevent, 647.
+
+  Servant useful in the field, 580.
+
+  Seton, to make a, 54.
+
+  Setter, the, 18, 25, 28.
+    the Russian, 10.
+    to retrieve, 638.
+
+  Setters crouch more than pointers, 475.
+    for covert shooting, 506.
+    points in, 639.
+
+  Shoes, to render waterproof, 57.
+
+  Shooting excellence in breaker, not necessary, 465.
+
+  Shot-belt on spaniels and setters, 496, 602.
+
+  Shy birds to be intercepted, 582, 635, 636.
+
+  Sight, dog not to be out of, 625.
+
+  Sign when parturition is concluded, 390.
+
+  Silence enjoined, 467, 539.
+
+  Simple ophthalmia, 432.
+    symptoms of, ib.
+    treatment for, 433.
+
+  Single-handed, shot to, 623.
+
+  Sinuses up the claws, 440.
+
+  Skin diseases, 410.
+
+  Slow dog associate for young one, 615.
+    hunting more than fast one, 564.
+
+  Snake, bite of a, 57.
+
+  Snipes, three lifted in succession, 642.
+
+  Snoring, 207.
+
+  Snorting, ib.
+
+  Spaniel, 20.
+
+  Spaniels, age when shown game, 495.
+    hunted in gorse, ib.
+    mute preferred, 504.
+    numbers for a team, 500, 508.
+
+  Spaniels, requisites in, 498.
+    shot-belt on wildest, 494.
+    that pointed, 498.
+    water, how broken in, 508.
+
+  Spike-collar, 586.
+    fastened to check-cord, 580, 609.
+
+  Sportsmen to break dogs, 464.
+
+  Spring, dogs broken in, 537.
+
+  Springing the other birds after pointing one, 575.
+
+  Staggers, 55.
+
+  Stanch, made too by heading, 583.
+
+  Stone, error of retrieving with, 512.
+    in the bladder, 325.
+
+  Stoppage, 268.
+
+  Strain, remedy for, 54.
+
+  Strangulation, 267.
+
+  Substances fit for sick dogs, 96.
+
+  Summary imparted by lessons, 532.
+
+  Swelling of the glans, 327.
+
+
+  T.
+
+  Tape, to make a muzzle of, for operations, 428.
+
+  Tapes, their use objected to when giving medicine, 114.
+
+  Teats, swelling, 56.
+    cancer of the, 408.
+
+  Teeth of the dog are hurt by luxuries, 182.
+    to clean the dog's, 188.
+    nipping off the, 193.
+
+  Temperament of the dog, 79.
+
+  Temper, hereditary, 525.
+    in breaker necessary, 466.
+
+  Temporary teeth, how to extract them, 184.
+
+  Testicle, the absence of, 333.
+    enlargement of, 335.
+    treatment of, ib.
+
+  Thorns, to extract, 51.
+
+  Time proper for putting to the dog, 355.
+    given determines education, 463.
+    saved by initiatory lessons, 488.
+
+  Timidity cured, 530, 612, 613.
+
+  "Toho," first good one in the field, 568.
+    initiatory lessons in, 473, 474, 476.
+
+  Tongue, paralysis, 193.
+    injuries to, 195.
+    treatment of, ib.
+
+  Tooth-brush, 188
+
+  To tell when the bitch is in pup, 357.
+
+  Tranquillity, how to ascertain when the dog has recovered it, 83.
+
+  Tumours, fungoid, 340.
+
+  Turning back brings dog away, 577.
+
+  Two dogs, beat of, 558, 559.
+
+
+  U.
+
+  "Up," signal for, initiatory lesson, 484.
+
+  Uterus, dropsy of, 345.
+    form of the, 372.
+
+
+  V.
+
+  Vagina, cancer of the, 344.
+    falling of the, 402.
+
+  Vermin, 104.
+
+
+  W.
+
+  Walkers, fastest, not beating most, 564.
+
+  Ware not so good a word as "No," 487.
+
+  Warmth necessary for dog, 318.
+
+  Water-brash, 231.
+    spaniels, 507.
+    retrievers, how broken, 508.
+      observe struck bird, 518.
+      qualities in, 508.
+    dog taught to plunge in, 512.
+
+  Whip carried saves punishment, 611.
+    to crack loudly, 548.
+
+  Whistle, low, 473, 630.
+    dissimilar notes on one, 629.
+    distinguishing for each dog, 628.
+    inattentive to, how to punish, 548.
+    initiatory lesson in, 473.
+
+  Whistling, to animate, injudicious, 466, 539.
+
+  White too conspicuous a color, 508.
+
+  Wild birds intercepted, 582, 635, 636.
+
+  Wild dog compared with cautious, 551.
+    dogs turning out best, 553.
+
+  Wild fowl, wounded, retrieved first, 645
+    reconnoitred with glass, 508.
+
+  Winged birds, _see_ Bird winged.
+
+  Womb, shape of, 372
+    inversion of, 404.
+    treatment for, 405
+
+  Worming, 192.
+
+  Worms, 51.
+
+  Wounds, 53.
+
+  Wounded birds, _see_ Bird wounded.
+
+
+  Y.
+
+  Youth, game followed in, liked, 498.
+    occupation followed in, liked 647.
+
+
+Transcriber's notes
+
+The following typographical errors have been corrected as noted below.
+
+  Page  57 headed     corrected to healed
+  Page  66 Rhubard    corrected to Rhubarb
+  Page  87 membrance  corrected to membrane
+  Page  90 greese     corrected to grease
+  Page 243 vonica     corrected to vomica
+  Page 394 pleaseed   corrected to pleased
+  Page 457 SHOOITNG   corrected to SHOOTING
+  Page 658 Crotchet   corrected to Crochet
+  Page 660 Hane       corrected to Hand
+
+  Errors in Table of contents and List of Illustration descriptions
+  have not been corrected.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's The Dog, by Dinks, Mayhew, and Hutchinson
+
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