Turn is the most fatal disease to. which the dog is subject, and it is one which he seems doomed to undergo at least once in his life. An attack of it is indicated by a gradual loss of appetite, and spirits, and flesh, without any peculiar local affection; by mucus collecting at the corner of the eye, and by that husky cough to which allusion has been made in the last chapter, and which is rather an apparent attempt to get something from the throat than a true cough. Soon after this, the usual watery discharge from the nose will cease, and it will gradually thicken and stick about, or plug up the nostril, and at length become purulent or bloody. These are the general characteristics of distemper in every dog, except the greyhound, in which it is often characterized by emaciation alone.

The appetite is now generally lost, and one of three symptoms makes its appearance. Either the dog begins to purge, and the discharge rapidly increases, being first almost chalk-coloured, then olive-coloured, then mucus, and, last of all, consisting of mucus and blood mingled together: or fits come on, ushered in by a peculiar champing of the lower'jaw, and which, if only a second appears, bid defiance to all medical aid; or the eyes become inflamed; a film spreads over them; a small ulcer appears in the centre of the transparent cornea; it deepens and spreads; the contents of the forepart of the eye are evacuated; and the sight seems to be irrecoverably lost.

There is scarcely a sportsman or a whipper-in who has not a supposed infallible cure for distemper; but it must be sufficiently plain that the treatment of a disease so variable in its symptoms must be regulated by those symptoms. One thing, however, should be given, whatever be the symptoms, and as the precursor of every plan of treatment, and that is, an emetic. One or two grains of the emetic powder (Recipe No. 14, p. 172) should be sprinkled on the tongue, or dissolved in a little milk, or concealed in a bit of meat.

If the cough is violent, the breathing quickened, and the muzzle hot, the dog should lose blood. The average quantity that should be taken away has already been stated at page 138. Bleeding is serviceable in this stage of the disease alone; afterwards it would be almost certain destruction to the dog.

Next the cough-balls (Recipe No. 20, p. 187) should be given, from half a drachm to. two drachms in weight, according to the size of the dog, and repeated morning, noon, and night; an emetic being repeated every third or fourth day, depending on the degree of huskiness.

In many cases little more will need to be done; but if, when the cough abates, the dog should have become thin and weak, or if he should gradually lose flesh, the cough continuing as violent as ever, some tonic should mingle with the other medicine.

Recipe (No. 22). Tonic Balls

Take - Gentian-root, powdered, one pound;

Chamomile-flowers, ditto, half a pound; Oak-bark, ditto, half a pound;

Ginger, ditto, four ounces; Carbonate of iron, four ounces; Palm-oil, one pound: Beat them well together, and keep the mass in a closed jar for use.

Equal parts of the .cough and tonic medicine will constitute the best ball for this stage of the disease, increasing the cough medicine if the affection of the chest should increase, and the tonic medicine if the strength and condition of the dog should be rapidly wasting.

When the discharge from the nose becomes purulent, and especially if it should be brown, or bloody, or foetid, the cough medicine must be altogether omitted, and the tonic balls alone given.

During every stage of the disease, attention should be paid to the feeding of the dog; he should be moderately fed even when the cough is at the worst, and should be coaxed to eat,and tempted with various kinds of food, when his strength declines.

A physic-ball (Recipe No. 1, p. 138) may be given with advantage at the commencement of the distemper, if the dog is costive, and also during the state of fever; but few things are more to be dreaded than the diarrhoea that often accompanies distemper, and which nothing will arrest. The distemper purging being once established, a physic-ball will probably be too irritating; yet some effort should be made to carry off any irritating matter in the bowels. The Epsom salts will be the safest and the most effectual medicine here; and from one to four drachma may be given, according to the size of the dog, and either dissolved in a little water, or rolled up in tissue paper, in which form they will be less likely to occasion sickness.

The day after the administration of the salts, a course of astringent balls should be commenced.

Recipe (No. 23). Astringent Balls

Taxi - Prepared chalk, two pounds;

Powdered gum arabic, half a pound;. Powdered catechu, half a pound; Powdered oak-bark, half a pound; Powdered ginger, four ounces; Powdered opium, half an ounce; Palm-oil, one pound: Beat them well together, and keep the man in a jar for use.

The size of the ball wilt depend on that of the dog, and vary from half a drachm to two drachms. It should be given morning, noon, and night; simple water being put out of the animal's reach, and water in which a little whole rice has been boiled being -substituted. In cases of very obstinate purging, the following injection may be thrown up:- Good thick starch or gruel, a quarter or half a pint, according to the size of the dog, and from five to ten drops of laudanum.

The method of treating the inflammation of the eye which frequently accompanies distemper has been already described in p. 160.

Sufficient warning is usually given of the approach of distemper fits: there is not only the champing of the lower jaw, but an unwonted and insatiable appetite; the mucus all at once disappears from the eyes; and there is usually a twitching of some part of the frame.

The medicine first to be administered is an emetic (Recipe No. 14, p. 172), and a strong one too, compared with the size of the dog. To this should follow sufficient castor-oil to open the bowels, and repeated doses of it afterwards, so as to obviate costiveness; and to this should succeed the tonic balls (Recipe No. 22, p. 191), with a quarter of a grain of opium in each. Now, also, is the time when a seton will, if- ever, be serviceable. It should be inserted by means of a proper seton-needle (never the farrier's red-hot iron); and extend over the poll, and under the skin, from ear to ear. If there should be little discharge from it, the power of the seton should be increased by moistening it Occasionally with oil of turpentine, or liquid blister.