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The gentleman's stable manual.
THE GENTLEMAN’S
STABLE MANUAL:

OR, A TREATISE

ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STABLE:

ALSO
ON THE FEEDING AND GROOMING OF HORSES ;
ON THE HYGIENIC TREATMENT OF THE SICK HORSE;
ON SHOEING ;

ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THE HUNTER ;
AND ON
EQUINE DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS, WITH THE MOST SCIENTIFIC

MODES OF TREATMENT.

BY

WILLIAM HAYCOCK, V.S., ano M.R.V.C.S.

THIRD EDITION.

ILLUSTRATED WITH HIGHLY-FINISHED WOOD ENGRAVINGS.

“Experto credo,”

LONDON:
ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, AND ROUTLEDGE,
FARRINGDON STREET.
1861.
PREFACE.

AFTER many delays, arising almost entirely from engagements
of a professional character, I am at last enabled to present this
work to the public.

It professes to be a plain practical treatise upon the
management of the Horse, and upon the diseases aud acci-
dents to which that noble animal is liable; together with
ample details of those modes of treatment which I have found
to be the most efficient and rational hitherto recommended.

This book has been written from a strong conviction that
it is wanted. A plain, useful work, upon Veterinary Hygiene
and the practice of Veterinary Medicine—one that should be
scientific, without any parade of science on the part of its
author—one that should be in accordance with the advanced
spirit of scientific research so characteristic of the age,—has
long been required. If, therefore, the present volume does not
meet this want, its deficiencies will not arise from any lack
of industry on the part of the author, but rather from his
inability to understand, or his want of power to supply, what

is so essentially necessary.
iy. PREFACE.

Horses, like human beings, have advanced in civilization,
and the diseases to which they are liable are greatly changed ;—
they are not marked by that acute sthenic character so peculiar
to those forms of equine disease which prevailed in the “ good
old times ;”” while many diseases have all but disappeared, and
new ones have come into existence.

The assertion that horses, like human beings, have advanced
iu civilization, may appear strange and startling; of its truth,
however, I have no doubt. It is generally admitted that,
during the last century, the breed of horses in this country has
materially improved. Now improvement in the breed of either
a horse or any other animal cannot exist, unless the quality of
the nervous system be also improved—the former, in fact,
implies the latter; and as the faculties of the intelligence of
the animal are resident within, and dependent upon, the ner-
vous system—and as it is a fact that the Horse has improved
in breed—and as the fact of his being an intelligent and
reasoning animal cannot be disproved—and as he occupies
that intimate relation to man which he does, the assertion that
he has advanced in civilization may not, upon due considera-
tion, appear very extravagant. The animal is placed amid
elements, the operation of which must necessarily advance him,
in civilization.

Assuming these statements to be true, two questions are
presented for examination: 1st—How is this change in equine

disease to be satisfactorily accounted for? 2nd—What rela~
PREFACE. Vv.

tion does it bear to the hygienic treatment of horses, and to
the practice of veterinary medicine? A correct answer to the
latter question is of immense importance to the publte,

The answer to the first question is to be found in the
improved breed of the animal; in the different uses to which
horses are made subservient; and in the very different hygienic
conditions under which they are placed from what they were
fifty, forty, or even twenty years ago.

In answering the second question, it may simply be
remarked, that the altered character of equine disease (a
change which is acknowledged on all hands by the elder mem-
bers of the profession) necessarily involves an entire change in
the practice of the veterinary art; it calls forcibly for a higher
degree of education in the veterinary surgeon; it requires him
to possess a deeper knowledge of the allied sciences of medi-
cine—viz.: Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, Botany, and
Therapeutics; to possess a greater skill in diagnosis; and to
know the exact value of medicine in, and its relation to, every
form of disease which may present itself.

The book contains certain peculiarities, attention to which,
it is hoped, will prove of advantage to the reader.

Ist. Of the several diseases treated upon, I have not only
fully detailed the common symptoms and general characters of
each, but I have also carefully noted those which are strictly
pathognomonic of the malady ; these are described in separate

paragraphs, and printed in italics. The practical value of this
vi. PREFACE.

arrangement, and the facility it affords for reference, are too
apparent to require further examination. (For further remarks
upon the importance of pathognomonic symptoms, and how to
recognise them, see pages 184 to 136.)

2nd. It contains a section especially relating to the con-
sideration of feeding and dieting sick horses. This is a new
feature; not a single veterinary treatise in our language con
tains a chapter of a like character

ard. Attention is directed to at least three forms of dis-
ease, which, up to the present time, are either unknown or
without place in our nosology. I may, therefore, claim the
merit of being the first to describe, or properly place them.
These diseases are—QOzena, see pages 238 to 244; Hay
Asthma, see pages 288 to 294; Myositis, see pages 422 to
426. The reader will find, moreover, that an addition has
been made to the list of equine Diseases of the Skin.

In conclusion, I have to thank my friends—W: Crosland,
Esq., architect, Halifax, for the beautiful ground plan and
elevation of a stable, which has been prepared expressly for
this work; Captain IF. W. Kirby, R.E.R., for his kindness in
aiding me with his ready pencil to prepare drawings of many
of the illustrations; and Mr. J. Fountain, of Leeds, for his

care and great skill in engraving the same.

VETERINARY INSTITUTION,
West Parape, Huppgrsriexp,
JULY, 1859,
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

Tue rapid sale of the former edition of this work, and the
very favourable manner in which it was received both by
the press and the public generally, not only in England but
in America, I regard as a flattering proof that my labours
in the advancement of Veterinary Medicine are both under-

stood and appreciated.

The present Edition in all essentials is precisely similar
to the former; and I trust that those who purchase it
will derive from its pages that practical value and usefulness

which I believe them to possess. :

I remain, the Public’s
Most, obedient Servant,

THE AUTHOR,

87, Cross STREET,
MANCHESTER,
Marcx 22, 1860.
Plan of a Stable,

After Designs by W. Crosland, Esq., Architect, Halifax.

ELEVATION.

 
EXPLANATION OF FOREGOING PLAN OF STABLE.
H Yard of stable.

A Saddle and Harness Room. This room has not a direct communi-
cation with any part of the stable.

D Coach-house.—See page 25,

FE Porch of stable. F is the way leading out of the porch into the stable ;
£ the wash-house, provided with boiler, &c.

C Gangway of stable.—See pages 16 and 17.

B B Loose boxes, situate at each end of the stable, These boxes can be
entered either within or from without the stable.

G@ G Towers where hay is supposed to be let down from the chamber above.
‘By a proper arrangement, these towers may be planned to act as
ventilators to the stable.—See Elevation, also pages 17 to 20.

1 1 Way out of the yard and stable into B B loose boxes,

2 2 Stairs leading to chambers above the stable. The stairs on the left
side of Plan have no direct communication with the stable, The
entrance to this flight’ of stairs is behind the harness room A. The
entrance to the stairs on the right side of Plan is within the stable.
These stairs are supposed to lead to the granary and hay-loft,—
See pages 21 and 22,

6 6 Drain of stable—See pages 20 and 21.
9 9 Stalls of stable.—See pages 6, 18, 14, 15, and 16.
10 10 Space between back wall of stable and hay-rack.—See page 8.
3 3 Passages leading out of stable to behind loose boxes,
5 5 Doorways leading to space behind loose boxes,—See pages 23 to 25.
CONTENTS.
PARI'T,

SECTION I.

On THE STaBLE AND ITs PRoPER ConstTRUCTION.—Proper situation
of the Stable, 8. Aspect of, 3. Mode of Lighting, 4. Height of Stable,
5. Size of Stable, 28. Width of Stable, 5. Doorways of, 5. Stalls, 6.
Stalls, proper size of, 6. Setting of ditto, 18. False Bottoms to ditto, 14,
Hayracks, 8. Manger, 8. Head Collars, 9. Roller, 10. Pillar Reins, 11.
Clog, 11. Rack Chain, proper form of, 12. Gangway of Stable, 16.
Ventilation of Stable, 17. Mr. Waitson’s mode considered, 19. Drainage
of Stable, 20. Hay Chambers, 21. Corn Chamber, 22. Loose Boxes, 23.
Saddle and Harness Rooms and Coach House, 25. Porch and Washing
‘Room, 26. Manure Depdt, 27. Water Tanks, 27.

‘ SECTION II.

On Frepive Horsrs.—Preliminary remarks, 82. What constitutes
Food, 32—34, Kinds of Food enumerated, 85. Hay, 35. Chopped Hay,
36. Clover Hay, 37. Oats, 37. Quantity of Oats necessary to give, 38.
Crushed Oats, 39. Beans, Bean Flour, 40 and 41. Locust, its value as a
fattener, 42. Water, 48. Quantity to allow and kind of to give Horses,
43 and 44. Rules for Dieting the Horse, Green Food, 35.

SECTION III.

On Grooms, GROoMING, AND THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF
Horszs.—General remarks upon Grooms, 47 and 48. Grooming, 49. Stable
Tools necessary, 49. Cow Dung Box, 51. Horse Clothing, 52. Linen
Bandages, 52. Wet Bandages, value of, 53. Duties of the Groom, 54—57.
Treatment of the Horse when Perspiring, 57. Temperature of the Stable,
x. CONTENTS.

58. Exercise of Horses, 58. Hours of Feeding, 58. Clothing Horses in the
Stable when wet. 58—60. Bandages and how to Bandage a Limb, 60
and 61. Racking Horses up, Folly of, 62. Washing Legs, 62.

SECTION Iv.

On THE ManacEMENT or THE Huntsr.—Hunting Condition, defini-
tion of, 64.—Management of the Hunter, to obtain Condition of, 65—68.
Paddocks for Hunters, 65. Tips to the Feet of, 66, Purging Medicine to
Hunters, 66. Exercise of, 67. Treatment of the Hunter after the Chase,
68 and 69. Rationale of such Treatment, 70—73. Delicate Feeders, 73.
Sudden attacks of Disease to which Hunters are liable, 74 and 75. Injuries
to their Limbs, 75. Tincture for, “75. Preparation of the Hunter for Physic,
75—77. Sore Backs and their prevention, 78.

SECTION V.

On tHE SHOEING OF HoRSES AND oN THE GENERAL TREATMENT OF
THE Foot.—Preliminary Remarks on the Foot of the Horse, 79 and 80.
The organization of the Foot, 81—85. Rate of growth of the Foot, 86.
Reasons why horses are lamed in Shoeing, 87. Paring and Rasping the
feet, the bad effects of, 88. Form of Fore Foot Shoe, foot surface of
shoe concave, rounded at the toe, 92 and 93. Bearing of the Shoe to be
uniform, 93 and 94. Degree of Cover.necessary to fore feet, 94. Fit of
Shoe, 94 to 96. Number of Nails necessary to secure Shoe to Foot, 96
and 97. Leather and Gutta Percha Soles to Feet, 98 and 99. Shoeing the
Hind Feet, 99. “Rules in Shoeing hind feet, 99 and 100. Cutting, Preven-
tion of, 101—103. Form of Shoe to prevent cutting, 193. Forging and its
prevention, 103—105. Leather Soles to hind feet, necessity of, 105 and
106. Rules to be observed in Shocing the Horse, 106 and 107.

SECTION VI.

On tHe Hyciento TREATMENT oF THE Siok Hoxrsu.—Preliminary
Remarks, 108 and 109. Articles of Diet, proper for a sick horse, 110.
Water, 111. Barley Water, 111. Rice Water, 112. Rice, 112 and 115.
Oatmeal and Linseed Gruel, 112. Sago Gruel, 118. Hay Tea, 113.
Milk, Milk and Water, 113 and 114, Bran, 114, Hay, 115. Speared
Corn, 116. Malt, 116, Green Food, 116 and 117. Housing the Sick

Horse, 117. Loose Boxes and temperature of, 117 and 118. Clothing the
Patient, 118 and 119, ;
PART II.

SECTION I.

On THE DISEASES OF THE HORSE, AND ON CERTAIN GENERALITIES
‘CONNECTED WITH HIS TREATMENT.—On the Causes of Disease, 123' and
‘127. Knowledge relating to Horses which amateurs should possess, 123 and
124, Examination of the patient, how to do it, 125. Diagnosis of Disease,
125 and 126. The Pulse, and its importance in disease, 127. Convenient
localities to feel the pulse, 128. Natural character of the pulse in health,
128 and 129. Registration of the natural pulse, necessity of, 129. The
‘Organs of Respiration, 129 and 130. Disturbance of the Respiratory Organs,
180 and 131. Digestive Organs, general symptoms in diseases of, 132.
Depurating Organs: the Skin and the Kidneys, examination of, 132 and
‘183. Organs of Locomotion, examination of, 133 and 134, Pathognomonic
Symptoms, their value and importance in diagnosing disease, 184 and 135-
How to distinguish Pathognomonic Symptoms, 135 and 136. Selection of a
remedy for Disease, and Genuineness of Drugs, 136. Amendment of
patient, Simple Remedies, and Repetition of Medicine, 137 and 138. Medi-
cine in Chronic Disease, 139. Solid and Liquid Medicines, 139, 140, and
141. Rules to observe in giving Drenches, 140 and 141. Danger attending
the giving of liquids, 141. Pouring medicine down the nostrils, danger of,
142. Medicine mixed with Food, 142. Administration of Balls, 143.
Balling Irons, 144. Medicines in Powder, 145. Accidents and Sudden
Illness to Horses, 146. Colic, 147. Drivers of Teams, and Gentlemen
when travelling long distances with Horses, should go prepared for accidents,
147, 148, and 149. What to prepare for in cases of emergency, 149. Poultices,
149, 150, and 151. -Poultices, how made, 151. How to fix a poultice to
the neck, 152, 153, and 154: how to the abdomen, 155. Fomentations, 155:
to the limbs and to the neck, 155 and 156, Temperature of Fomentations,
156, Injections, temperature of, 158. Use and importance of Injections,
157 and 158. Blisters: value of Blisters, and when to apply them, 158.
Articles to use for Blistering, Mustard and Cantharides, 159. James’s
Blister, 161. Use of Firing, and necessity for, 162. Action of the Fire in
different forms of disease, 163. Direction of the lines and depth of do., 164,
Xil. CONTENTS.

Matters to observe relating to the operation of Firing, 165. Setons and
Rowels, 167. Purgatives, 168 and 169. Diuretics, 169. Bleeding. 171.

SECTION II.

ON THE SKIN AND rts DiszasEes.—Preliminary Remarks on the Struc-
ture and Functions of the Skin, -173—175. The law of sympathy which
exists between the Skin and the Mucous Membranes, 175. Necessity of
attending to this in every case of Disease of the Skin, 175. Scarlet Fever, 176.
Forms of, 177 and 178. Malignant Scarlet Fever, 178. Pathognomonic
Symptoms of, 179. Complications of, 180. Prognosis of, 180. Causes of,
180. Non-Contagiousness of, 181. Treatment of, 181. Necessity of pure
and efficient ventilation in Scarlatina: Scarlatina not contagious jn the Horse,
181. Mange and its Symptoms, 185. Cause of, 187. Mange Insect,
description of, 188. Treatment of Mange, 189. Grease and Chapped
Heels, 192. Stages of, 198 Causes, 194. Treatment of, 195. Surfeié,
forms of: Prurigo, 199. Symptoms of, 200. Treatment of, 201. Tiching
of the Extremities, Treatment of, 202 and 203. Eruptions of the Skin, 203.
‘Forms of, 204. Treatment of, 205. Bulbous Prurigo, 205. Symptoms of,
206. Treatment of, 206. Warbles, Symptoms and Causes of, 207. Treat-
ment of, 208. Soreness of the Skin, 209. Symptoms of, 210. Treatment
of, 211. Angleberries and Warts, 212. Cause of, and manner of their
growth, 213. Treatment of, 218. Ringworm, Symptoms of, and Treatment,
215 and 217. Hair Cysts, 217.

SECTION III.

DIskASES OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION.—Preliminary Remarks,
219. On the general characters of the Respiratory Organs, 220. Diseases
to which they are subject, 221. Catarrh, 222. Symptoms of, 223. Treat-
ment of, 223. Epizootic Catarrh and its symptoms, 225. Causes of, 227.
Terminations of, 227. Treatment, 228. Typhoid Pnewmonia, 231. Symp-
toms of, 232. Causes, 233. Complications, 233. Prognosis, 234. Appear-
ances of the animal after death, from Typhoid Pneumonia, 235. Treatment
of, 236 and 237. Ozena and its symptoms, 238 and 239, Seat of the Dis-
ease, 239 and 240. Diseases which may bé mistaken for Ozena, 241.
Treatment, 242, 248, &c. Laryngitis and its symptoms, 247. Treatment
of, 248 and 249. Necessity of Tracheotomy in, 250. Spasm of the
Larynx : Symptoms of, 251. Causes, 252. Treatment of, 253. Bronchitis:
Symptoms of, 254. Terminations of, 255. Causes of, 255. Treatment,
256 and 257. Pneumonia and its symptoms, 259 and 260. Stages of
Pneumonia, 260 and 261. Causes of, 263. Treatment of, 264, Thick
Wind: Broken Wind: Nature of Thick Wind and Broken Wind, 265—267.
Symptoms, 267 and 268. Forms of disease which may be mistaken for
CONTENTS, xiii.

Thick and Broken Wind, 269. Treatment of the two, 270 and 271. Pleu-
risy and Plewrodynia: Symptoms of these diseases, 273, 274, &c. Causes
of, 275. Terminations of, 276. Treatment of, 277. Roaring, 279. Causes
of, 279—281. Treatment, 282 and 283. Prevention of the roaring sound,
284 and 285. ‘Cough: Chronic Cough: Causes of, 287. Treatment of
Chronic Cough, 287 and 288. Hay Asthma: Symptoms of, 289. Causes
of, 290. Treatment of, 292 and 293. :

SECTION IV.

DISEASES OF THE ORGANS oF DicEsTIon.—Preliminary Remarks expla-
natory of the nature and uses of the Digestive Organs, 295-297. Diseases
to which the Digestive Organs are subject, 298. Derangements of the Teeth,
298. Irregularities of their growth, 299. Symptoms of, 300. Treatment
of, 301. Abnormal Growths of the Teeth, 302. Treatment of, 303. Rasping
the Teeth, 303. Caution required in rasping the Teeth, 304. Toothache and
its symptoms, 305. Treatment, 306. Izritation of the Incisor Teeth, 307.
Wolfs Teeth, 307. Lampas, 308. Treatment of, 308. Choking: Symp-
toms of, 309. Causes and Treatment of, 310 and 311. Loss of Appetite ;
Causes of, 312. It may arise from a thorn or a nail being adherent to the
mouth, 312,. Treatment of, 312. Indigestion: Symptoms of,.314 and 315.
Causes and Treatment of, 315. Gorged Stomach : Symptoms of, 317 and 318.
Causes, 318. Complications of, 319. Rupture of Stomach: Symptoms of,
329. Rupture of the Diaphragm: Symptoms of, 321. Treatment of Gorged
Stomach, 321 and 322. Gastritis: Symptoms of, 323 and 324, Chronic
323 and 324. Chronic Gastritis, 325. Causes of, 327. Treatment of, 327.
Colic, and its symptoms and forms, 329331. Treatment of, 332 and 333.
Enteritis and its symptoms, 335 and 336. Treatment of, 337. Necessity of
Hot Fomentations in, 343. Strangulation of the Bowels : Symptoms of, and
Treatment of, 340 and 341. Acute Diarrhea: Symptoms of, 346 and 347.
Causes of, 348. Treatment, 349. Sub-acute and Chronic Diarrhea: Symp-
toms of, 351. Causes, 351. Treatment of, 351 and 352. Superpurgation :
Symptoms of, 853. Treatment. of, 354. Worms: Kind and Varieties of,
355. Treatment of, 356 and 357.

SECTION V.

DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS.—Preliminary Remarks: The Kid-
neys and Urinary Organs generally, and their uses, 359 and 860. Mephritis:
Symptoms of, 861 and 362. Causes and Treatment of, 363. Diuresis:
Symptoms of, 364 and 365. Irritation of the Bladder: Symptoms and
Treatment of, 867. Hematuria: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment of,
367—369. Scanty Emission of Urine: Symptoms and Treatment of, 369
and 370. Spasm of the Bladder : Symptoms and Treatment of, 370 and 371.
xiv. CONTENTS.

SECTION VI.

DIszases oF THE NeRvovs Sysrem.—Preliminary Remarks, 372—874.
Tetanus, or Lock Jaw: General considerations relating to, 374 and 375.
Stages of, 376 and 377. Symptoms of, 375—378. - Causes of, 378. Treat-
ment of, 379—388. Local Treatment of Tetanus, 385. Paralysis : Different
forms of, 888. Causes of, and Treatment, 889393. Apoplexy : Symptoms
of, 394, Stages of, 394 and 395. Treatment of, 395. Megrims : Symptoms,
Causes, and Treatment of, 396 and 397. Hysteria: Symptoms of, 399
and 400. Treatment of, 401 to 403.

SECTION VII.

GENERALITIES.—Preliminary Remarks, 404. Purpura Hemorrhagica,
405. Symptoms of, 400 and 405. Treatment of, 410. Melanosis, 408.
Symptoms of, 409. Treatment of, 410. Lymphitis: Symptoms of, 410.
Causes of. 412. Treatment of, 412 and 413. Strangles: General considera-
tions upon, 415. Symptoms of, 416. Irregular Strangles, and Symptoms
of, 417. Treatment of Regular Strangles, 418. Treatment of Irregular
Strangles, 420 and 421. Myositis, 422. Causes and Symptoms of, 423.
Treatment of, 425. Chill: Symptoms of, 427. Causes of, 427. Treatment
of, 428. Laminitis: Symptoms of, 429, Terminations of, 430. Causes of,
431. Treatment of, 432. Rheumatism: Symptoms of, 435 and 436. Sub-
acute form of, 437. Treatment of, 488. Joint Evil in Foals: Symptoms of,
and Treatment, 440. Common Opthalmia: Symptoms and Treatment of,
440 and 441. Specific Opthalmia: Peculiarities of, 442. Treatment of, 448.
Opacity of the Cornea: Treatment of, 444. Nymphomania: Symptoms and
Treatment of, 445. Glanders and Farcy: Symptoms, Causes, and Treat-
ment of, 445—447. Swelling of the Sheath: Treatment of, 447. Over-
Exhaustion: Symptoms of, and Treatment, 448 and 449.

SECTION VIII.

‘Woonns and Insurres.—Preliminary Remarks upon, 451. Causes of, are
of a twofold character—viz., Chemical and Mechanical, 452. Consideration.
of the mode in which causes operate, 452—459. Wounds and Injuries, how
arranged and considered, 460. Five varieties of Wounds detailed, 460.
Healing of Wounds, 460. Nature of the Healing Process, 461. Treatment
of Wounds, 462—464. Sutures to Wounds, kinds of, 465. Rules for fixing
Sutures, 466. Dressing of Wounds, Lotions proper for, 468. Bandaging
Wounds, 469. Fomentations of, 470. High-heeled Shoe, 470. ‘Loose Box
to wounded patients, 471. Exercise to ditto, 470. _Punctwred Wounds, and
their Treatment, 472—474. Contused Wounds, and their Treatment, 474
and 475. Sympathetic Fever, or Systemic Disturbance caused by ‘Wounds,
CONTENTS. xv.

475. Treatment of Sympathetic Fever, 477. Broken Knees, 479. Struc-
tures usually injured in Broken Knees, 480. Examination of the Knees,
482. Washing the Knees, and how, 482 and 483. Treatment of Open
Knee Joint, 485. Surgical Treatment necessary to ditto, 486. Open Joint,
488. Treatment of, 489. Capped Hock, 490. Treatment of, 491. Fistu-
lous Withers, Bruised Back, 492. Trawmatic Opthalmia, 493. Treatment
of, 494.

SECTION Ix.

LamEness.—Preliminary Remarks, 495—497. Sprain of the Flexor
Tendons, 497. Symptoms and Treatment of, 498—500. Spavin; Considera-
tions of, 500—502. Symptoms of, 503. Treatment of, 503 and 504. Naw-
cular Disease, 505. Symptoms of, 506 and 507. Causes of, 507. Treat-
ment of, 507 and 508. Splint: General Considerations of, 508. Treatment
of, 509 and 510, Ring Bone and Side Bone, 510. Wind Galls, Bog Spain,
and Thorough Pin, 511. Treatment of, 511 and 512. Curb, 512 and 513.
Symptoms of, 514, Treatment of, 514: Shoulder Sprain, 515. Symptoms
of, 516. Causes of, 516 and 517. Treatment of, 517. Thrush—Canker,
517. Treatment of Thrush, 518. Do. of Canker, 519 and 520. Sandcrack,
520 and 521. Treatment of, 521. Corns, and Treatment of, 522 and 528.
Pricks from Shoeing, Punctwred Foot, and Treatment of, 523 and 524.
Quittor : Causes and Treatment of, 524.
$2 99 TD OT go po Ls

LIST OF WOOD ENGRAVINGS.

Ground Plan and Elevation of a Stable - - - -

Head Collar - - -

Roller to fix in front of ‘Nangin -

Rack Chain - - - a

False Bottom for Stable -  - - -

Plan of a Loose Box - - -

Horse in Loose Box - - * of

Chaff Cutter - - - :

Oat Crusher - 3 : 2

Hoof of Horse é ie

Microscopie Section of Hoof

Section of Hoof a a

Ground Surface of Hoof, or Sole of des -

Fore Foot Shoe ; Foot, surface of -

Fore Foot Shoe, Ground Surface of - - -

Cutting Shoe for Hind Foot

Ball Iron “

Poultice Cloth for Neck #

Syringe

Mange Insects

Head of the Horse (Section of)

Diagram of the Lungs 3

Grass, Anthox Odoratum

Tooth Rasp -

Body Sacking - - i <

Tetanic Horse

Sutures, Twisted and Interrupted = «

Needle for Interrupted Suture :

High-heeled Shoe. - é 2

Knee Joint of a Horse dissected

Fore Leg of a Horse dissected, showing the Flexor etilons and
the Metacarpal Ligament

High-heeled Shoe “

A View of the inside of the Hock te oint - -

The Bones of the Fore Leg of a Horse - -

Hind Leg of a Horse Dissected -

Shoulder of a Horse Dissected : ei

480

498
499
502
509
513
516
THE GENTLEMAN’S STABLE MANUAL.

‘

 

PART I.

Section L—THE STABLE.

PROPER CONSTRUCTION OF STABLE. HAY AND CORN CHAMBERS,

STALLS: THEIR WIDTH AND LENGTH. LOOSE BOXES.

FALSE BOTTOMS, SADDLE AND HARNESS ROOMS
VENTILATION. MANURE DEPOT.

DEAINAGE. WATER TANKS, &c.

 

Srvc the publication of my first treatise on the diseases and
medical treatment of the Horse, I have, on many occasions,
received letters from numerous gentlemen, desiring me to write
on the proper construction of the stable, and on the superinten-
dence and general management of the horse. On these topics
I shall offer a few remarks ;—more I cannot do in a volume like
the present. Indeed, a proper treatise upon either of these
matters would, if justice were done, require a volume to itself.
In the hope that what I may write upon these subjects will
prove of service to the reader, I have pleasure in complying
A
2 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

with these numerous requests, and in presenting a few sug-
gestions upon the subjects stated. Possibly I may not advance
much that is new; I do not presume, however, to write for the
instruction of the experienced. It is the novice in these mat-
ters I seek to benefit; the object being to disseminate sound
information to those who require it, and who may think proper
to seek it from the present volume. The dearth of correct
information with regard to the proper construction and furnish-
ing of the stable, may, perhaps, be mainly attributable to the
want of practical knowledge displayed by the generality of
architects in details relating to Stable Architecture, Before
an architect can design a plan for a first-rate stable—a stable
replete with every necessary convenience, and with every conve-
nience placed in the most advantageous situation—it is certainly
necessary that he be practically conversant with the require-
ments of a stable. Yet how frequently we look upon stables,
which outwardly are very noble in appearance, and still, so far as
utility and comfort are concerned, are anything but what they
should be. They are either wrongly placed, badly ventilated,
damp, or ill-drained; or the racks and mangers are badly con-
structed ; or the stalls are too narrow or too broad; or there are
other deficiencies which a practical eye detects at once. We
should suppose it would be a very natural question for a gen-
tleman, about to build a stable, to ask his architect if he knew
practically every requirement necessary to the proper feeding,
grooming, and hygienic treatment of the horse; and if he did
not, how could such an architect give a plan wherefrom to con-
struct a stable, replete with every arrangement and contrivance
necessary for the comfort of its inmates? In the construction
of a dwelling-house, an architect may be supposed not to be
ignorant of the requirements necessary: he should, in fact, be
familiar with them from the necessity of his position. But a
SITUATION AND ASPECT. 3

familiarity with horses, and with their requirements, does not
fall to the lot of every man; neither is the information to be
obtained in a day. It is only by a practical knowledge of the
wants and requirements of the animal to be lodged, that a man
is qualified to construct a proper dwelling for it. In speaking
of the general ignorance of architects upon these matters, I do
not wish to be understood as writing in a spirit of censure ; but
it cannot be expected that architects, not conversant with practi-
cal details of this kind, should be able to meet the requirements
of the case.

Without entering into minute details, I will enumerate, and
treat upon the principal essentials to be attended to in the con-
struction of the stable. They are, for the most part, comprised
in the following :—

I.—Situation and aspect of the Stable, and manner of
Lighting.
II.—Height and width of Stable within.
ITI.—Height and width of Doorways; kind of Door; and
Fixings.
IV.—Width and length of Stalls ; their Construction, and
Furniture.
V.—Ventilation of Stables.
VI.—Drainage of Stables.

In addition to the above, will have to be considered what may
be termed appendages to the stable, viz..—Loose Boxes, Saddle
and Harness Rooms, Porch, Stove, Fire-Places, and Boilers,
Manure Deptés, and Water Tanks.

L—Srrvation anp ASPECT OF THE STABLE, AND Mops oF
Lianrine.— Never build a stable, if it can possibly be avoided,
4 SITUATION AND ASPECT.

in a situation closely contiguous to two streams of water; as,
for example, a river on one side, and a goit or mill stream, or a
canal on the other ; particularly if the site be low, and the river
be the common receptacle of the refuse from towns, and from
manufacturing establishments, such as chemical works, mills,
and dyehouses. I know of several stables so situate, belonging
to the most profitable customers I have. In every example of
the kind alluded to, the foundation of the stable and the bed of
the river are upon the same level. Very few people would think
of erecting a dwelling in a situation obviously so unhealthy:
why, then, build a stable or a cowhouse in such a position ?

A stable, to be well placed, should be built upon rising
ground; with the front to the south, and the inmates facing
the north. If possible, have the heads of the horses due north.
A south light is usually cheerful and steady throughout the day.
Have the windows a good size, both in width and in height.
Many, not aware of the great importance of light, and its
influence upon the health of animals, have their stables nearly
dark. This isa great mistake; for light is as essential to the
continued health and vigour of animals, as it is to vegetation.
On this account, a north aspect for the stable should be avoided
if it be possible. The number of windows necessary will, of
course, depend upon the size of the stable: as a general rule,
however, there should be one good-sized window for every three
stalls. Again, the stable should not be closely surrounded with
large trees; they impede the light and the air, and in addition
they afford shelter to flies and annoying insects, and also, by
their foliage, they attract a deal of moisture, which constantly
tends to keep the building and the surrounding air damp, and
unhealthy. The reason for prefering a south aspect will be obvi-
ous upon a little reflection. A west aspect is undesirable, not
only on account of its being exposed to the west winds, but in
THE STABLE.—HEIGHT.—DOORWAYS. 5

summer the stable will be intolerably hot in the afternoon ;
while, against an east aspect a similar objection presents itself.
In summer, such a stable is intolerably hot, and uncomfortable
in every respect, early in the morning. A north aspect is cold,
and the sunlight never directly penetrates the apartment with
any degree of power. To recapitulate: a stable, to be healthy,
should stand upon rising ground; should face the south ; should
be fully exposed to the sunlight, and to the atmosphere; and it
should be well drained.

TL.—Haieur anp WiptH or Stasis wirnin.—Eleven
feet of height within the stable is quite sufficient. A greater
height is objectionable on account of the chillness it might
occasion; while, if lower to any considerable extent, it would
be dark, and perhaps might prove unhealthy. In width, (or
from front wall to back wall,) it should not be less than twenty-
two feet. Many speak of eighteen feet as being sufficient,
but experience shows that eighteen feet is too narrow; and
where ground is not an object, seven yards from wall to wall,
within, is not too much. This width leaves plenty of room
for gangway; and a broad gangway contributes greatly to the
noble appearance of a stable, and also to the convenience of
those who attend upon the inmates.

Uil—Herenr anp Winte or Doorways.—Kinp oF
Doors, anp Frxtnas.—Have the doorways seven feet high,
and about four feet six inches in width. The doors should
either be made to slide, or—what perhaps is better—should be
made in two halves, and the hinges fixed on the outside.
Should the stable, however, be large, and it be considered
desirable to give a neater finish, have the chief entrance door
of that form which may best suit the general design of the
building. Have it of the size stated.
6 WIDTH AND LENGTH OF STALLS.

The doors of all loose boxes should be suspended so as to’
open on the outside. If made to open within, they not only do
so against the litter, but they frequently prove in the way
when horses are brought out; and unless great care be taken
serious consequences may ensue from the animal rushing against:
the projecting edges.

The sides of the doorways (door jambs, as they are called
in Yorkshire) should be rownded where the edges usually are,
to prevent a horse, when going into the stable, or when coming
out, from injuring his hips, should he make a rush, or become
alarmed during the act of passing through the doorway.

IV.—Woprs anp Levers or Sratis.—T err Consteve-
TION AND FurnitvrE.—Stalls, where space of ground will
allow, should be six feet in width; but certainly not less than
five feet eight or nine inches. What is meant by height of
stall, is simply the height from the ground to the top of the
stall partition at its highest part. Seven feet six inches, at the
highest part, is abundantly sufficient for the largest-sized horse,
and about six feet at the lowest end. For my own part, I like
to see a nice finish given to a stall, especially in the form of its
post. Have the sides of the post octagonal, and its top termi-
nated by a tastfully formed head. I am aware that stall-posts
with turned tops have been considered dangerous: horses, it
is stated, have been known to kick themselves across, and have
thereby become ruptured in the flank. Such accidents, how-
ever, are exceedingly rare ; and the possibility of their happen-
ing will be altogether prevented by having the stall partitions
of the height specified above.

A common practice with many, is to have the stall-post to
proceed from the ground up to the ceiling. This is objection-
able on two grounds :—it looks ugly; and a large-sized horse
WIDTH AND LENGTH OF STALLS. 7

placed in the stall, and made to turn quickly round, would be
very liable to strike his head against it, and possibly damage
an eye, or knock out a tooth. Accidents of this nature have
occurred, but by judicious arrangements they may be entirely
prevented.

The stall partitions should consist of boards four or five
inches in width, and about two and a half inches thick. They
should not be tongued and grooved, but simply fitted close and
compact to one another. The lower end of the boards should
terminate in a groove cut ina stone fixed deep within the ground ;
the stone descending at least to the depth of from two to three
feet. The top of the boards should be made secure, by fixing
them into a strong oak or ash capping, having a deep groove
on its under surface to receive the boards. The ends of this
capping should be made secure by passing one (the top) end
into the wall, and the other (the lower end) into a mortice
situate near the top end of the stall-post. The capping should
be made to descend, with a graceful curve, from its upper to its
lower end, as it adds to the appearance of the stall. The stall-
posis should descend into the ground from three to four feet,
to keep them firm and secure. Before the posts are fixed in
the soil, they should be well charred in those parts which are
required to be buried or sunk: it will prevent the timber from
decay. Charring will be easily accomplished by means of a
bonfire. When charring is not practicable, a free coating of
well-boiled gas tar is the next best preservative from decay.
The advantage of having the boards forming the stalls simply
placed side by side is obvious: if one becomes broken or splin-
tered from a kick, it can be easily removed, and another fixed
in its place. The length of the stall partitions, from the back
of the manger to where the boards join the stall-post (that is
to say, the length of the stalls from the hay rack to the heel
post behind,) should be nine feet.
8 FURNITURE OF STALLS.

FurNITURE oF Statis.— By furniture of stalls is meant
Hay Rack, Manger, Head Collar, Roller, Pillar Reins, Clog,
Rack Chain, Setting of Stalls, Grate, Urine Channel, and False
Bottom.

The Hay Rack should in part consist of oak, and in part of
pine. The frame of the rack and the rollers require to be of
hard wood, as they are the most subject to wear and tear. From
the front of the hay rack to the wall behind, against which it
s fixed, there should be a width of thirty inches. The bottom
of the rack should consist of a one-inch board, numerously
pierced with holes. This board should be inclined from the
wall to the front of the hay rack, so that the hay will fall
forward; while the holes are necessary to allow the seeds to
drop into the unoccupied space below. It is seldom that hay
racks are made so wide as here recommended; but the advan-
tage is, that it allows of a boy to go behind the wood-work,
and remove the seeds which from time to time collect; and also
to thorougly clean away other accumulations, which if permitted
to remain, may become deleterious to health.

The Manger should be made of ash, (or of any other close,
hard-grained wood,) with an oak capping, fixed to and along its
upper edge. The bottom of the manger should resemble the
bottom of an oblong pie dish. Mangers are usually made with
square corners: this form favours the accumulation of dirt.
The depth of the manger should be twelve or fourteen inches,
particularly if the bottom be made of the form recommended.
The width of the manger at the top (that is at the broadest
part) should be fourtéen inches. The oak capping will need to
be firmly fixed, as horses frequently bite it with great violence.
Some horses have the habit, when eating, of throwing the corn
out of the manger: to prevent this, place rods of half-inch iron
firmly across the top and at intervals along the entire length
HEAD COLLAR. 9

of the manger, so as to divide it into several spaces; this will
prevent the evil, and consequent loss of food. The iron rods
do not require to be more than fourteen inches apart from one
another. Avoid covering the outside of the manger with sheet
iron, tin, zine, or in fact with thin metal of any kind. In course
_of time these metals wear away in certain places, the broken
portions become elevated, thus presenting sharp edges, against
which a horse may tear and lacerate his skin. Besides it pre-
sents an ugly appearance, and in no way is it of benefit. The
height of the manger from the ground should be about three
feet seven or eight inches; and, as a rule, from the top of the
manger to the top of the hay rack should be the same distance.
Head Collar.—Head Collars are of various kinds; but the
most preferable is the old-fashioned
one of all, such as is exhibited in
the annexed engraving. Experience
has proved them to be the most se-
cure, and in appearance they are
quite as neat as any of the newer
styles. Going from the head collar,
and firmly attached to its lower part,
is the shank, which is sometimes a
chain, sometimes a rope, and at other
times a long piece of flat leather.

 

 

Chains are disagreable from the rattling noise they make when
moved: nevertheless with some horses a chain is indispensable.
A rope or a leathern shank they will bite to pieces, and thus
liberate themselves ; while, apart from this, rope is not altoge-
ther safe, as it is apt to chafe and break. Leather, as a rule, is
the best of all: it moves through the ring or roller at the bot-
tom of the manger evenly and without noise. It also wears the
longest, because it suffers the least from friction. One shank
10 ROLLER.

is sufficient; more than one is not only unnecessary, but at
times even dangerous. A horse, when biting a hind leg, may
get the foot over one of the head collar shanks, (when two are
used) and by this means the animal may be cast in the stall,
and death speedily ensue unless assistance be at hand. I
remember two instances where valuable horses died in conse-
quence of being so caught.

Lhe Roller—The Roller is the part over and behind which
the shank passes, to make the horse secure in the stall. The
proper place to fix the roller is the central part of the manger,
near to its lower edge. It is usual to fix an iron ring to this
part, but it neither looks nor acts so well as a roller. The form
of the Roller should be as represented in the accompanying
engraving.* Its length should

   
  
 

—, be about twelve or fourteen in-
| ches, and the diameter at its
i. thickest parts four inches. Some
\ horses have a practice of becom-
ia ing entangled with afore limb in
ri the head collar shank ; they seem

to take a delight in the practice ;

and many are the contrivances to prevent them. The most
simple plan is to box the shank from the top edge of the manger
down to the ground, leaving, of course, a small opening or door
at the bottom, so that the clog or weight can be got at when
desired. If the plan described should not succeed, it will be
necessary to box the collar shank against the side of the stall,
as close to the front of the manger as the boxing can be fixed.
Such boxing will require to rise from the floor to about fourteen
or eighteen inches higher than the manger. The collar shank

* The Roller is made thicker at each end, by which means the collar
shank will always work in the middle.
PILLAR REINS.— CLOG. 11

will of course require to be of an additional length, and the clog
heavier in proportion. The adoption of this simple plan will
effectually prevent the practice, as the shank (if the clog be
sufficiently weighty, and the roller moves with freedom,) will be
completely out of the way. Finally, from the form of the roller,
and the position of its fixings, the whole will project further
from the front of the manger than a mere ring; and such projec-
tion is liable to be in the way of the knees of the animal. This
is objectionable for many reasons; but it admits of being easily
obviated. Make a false front to the manger, by fixing with
screws a few boards to the real front. The roller will then
work in a recess, and be entirely out of the way. Indeed, if it be
desirable, the roller may be covered, merely leaving an opening
above and below, to allow of the collar shank to pass in and
out.. The securing of the false front with screws will at any
time allow of its being readily removed and replaced.

Pillar Reins.—Pillar Reins are used for the purpose of
fixing a horse temporarily in the stalls: It is usual to fix these
appendages to the stall-posts ; others, prefer having them fixed
to the sides of the stall, midway between the stall-post and the
manger. The best place however, to have them, is at the stall-
posts. Horses, when turned round in the stall, cannot kick
each other, and they admit of the animals being more readily
led out of the stable. Each pillar rein should terminate with
a closed spring hook. They secure the head more effectually,
and they cannot. at any time become fixed into the limbs of the
animal. These pillar reins should be of chain, formed of small
but strong links. They are the most durable, and the least
frequently out of repair.

The Olog.—The Clog is a round ball, usually made of wood
or iron, and is used to weight the shank of the head collar. The
iron clog is preferable: it ovcupies less room, and is not'so liable
12 RACK CHAIN.

to split as a wood one. The clog should weigh from two to
three pounds; and if required for a very long shank, it- should
be at least a pound heavier. The proper length of the head collar
shank, available for the animal’s use, can be determined by
the following very simple rule:—bring the chin of the horse
to the top edge of the manger; pass the loose end of the
head collar shank through the ring, or over and behind the
roller fixed at the bottom of the manger; hold the head of the
animal firmly, and let the whole length of the shank pass down-
wards; and that part of the loose end which lies upon the
ground (if any) is more of the shank than is required: all
additional length, (or length not upon the stretch when the
chin of the horse rests upon the manger,) is dangerous. It is
obvious that when the animal is laid down, and the head flat
upon the straw, the clog will be drawn close to the roller, and
that when the animal stands up the head may be moved up-
wards and downwards and laterally with the greatest freedom.
All length of collar shank, we may again observe, in addition to
the length stated, is unnecessary, and may be the cause of
mischief from becoming entangled amongst the limbs.

Rack Ohain.—The Rack Chain should be eighteen or twenty
inches in length. One end of the chain hangs loose, while the
other is made secure to the wood work a little below the bottom
of the hay rack. The loose end of this chain should terminate

Fig. 8. as shown in the annexed
engraving. It is a com-
mon practice to have a
hook in place of the end
as represented; but a
hook is dangerous, espe-
a me cially to young horses.
I tas Loans common hooks to ter the lips and the eyelids

 
SETTING OF STALLS. 13

and split open a nostril. Accidents of this kind, however,
cannot occur if the chain terminates as shown above ; at least
they cannot be supposed so likely to occur.

Serrina or Sranus.—The stalls should be set with good,
hard eight-inch sets, which should be placed in clay puddle, and
fitted to each other in lime, and after the whole is dry and
properly settled, the interspaces should be filled with boiling
asphalte.

The stall should rise about three inches, from the heel post
to underneath the manger, in stables where it is intended to
put down false bottoms in addition; but where these are not
intended to be used, a fall of one inch will suffice. "Where
it is intended to put down false bottoms to the stalls, and such
false bottoms to be placed above the sets, the manger ‘will
require to be placed higher from the ground than stated. In
the latter case, the height of the manger should be measured
from the top surface of the false bottom. Running up the
centre of every stall should be a channeled stone, to conduct
away the urine. These channels should all terminate in one
broad channel, running the entire length of the stable. Into
this long channel, or main stable channel, should be placed iron
grates to allow of the urine passing off into the drains beneath.
One iron grate to every second stall will be ample. Avoid
placing these grates in the middle of the stall-way. Place them
opposite the stall-posts, where they will be out of the way of
the feet of the horses. The urine grates should be made of
wrought iron, eight inches in length, perforated with a number of
small holes, and of the width and form of the channel they are
fitted to. Each grate should be fixed by means of a strong
hinge. The main urine channel, or the one running the entire
length of the stable, should be six inches broad, and about one
inch and a half in depth. If it be desirable to give greater
14 FALSE BOTTOMS.

certainty of fixedness to the urine grates, short bars of iron
can be placed immediately over them, and soldered into the
stones below. Imperfectly fixed or loose urine grates are
sources of great danger.

Fatsz Borrom.—A False Bottom to stalls, is constructed
entirely of strong timber, of the form represented in the an-
L iy nexed engraving. It
/ a Fig. 4. is shaped as follows:
it its base consists of

ii | | timber, or sleepers ;

il 1 eh each piece at least
i i is i four inches square,
|

“a
Va f

 

 

four pieces of strong
and about one foot

 

longer than the

 

(=>

i

length of the stall.
: tj! The four pieces of

LSSSEEZ Knit Sie c timber are arranged

ees as in the annexed

 

 

engraving, viz., one piece within, and on each side of the stall,
close to its woodwork ; and one piece on each side of the urine
channel (that is, the channel passing down the middle of
the stall). Running across these sleepers, or in the opposite
direction, are boards of the same length as the stall is wide.
These boards must be four inches in width, and not less than
two inches in thickness. They are to be fixed firmly down to
the sleepers by means of screws, and placed half an inch apart
from one another. The number of cross pieces required, will
of course depend upon the length of the stall, and the distance
they require to be taken in a backward direction, so that the
animal can at all times stand or lie upon the false bottom.
The foregoing directions relate to the construction of the false -
FALSE BOTTOMS, 15

bottoms, where it is determined to use them upon the floor of
the ordinary made stalls. But a better plan would be, to sink
the paved and channeled floor of the stall so as to receive the
false bottom, which can be readily done by making provision
for the proper junction of the channeled stone in the centre of
the stall, with the drains of the stable. Where these are sunk,
and the false bottom in its place, the stall would present its
original level, neither would there be any step as would be the
case, when the false bottom is laid upon the ordinary floor.
It would also be well if the false bottom should fit somewhat
loosely, so as to allow of its ready removal, for the purpose of
washing and cleaning the floor beneath, and it would be better
‘still to have the false bottom made in three portions, each por-
tion so fitted to the others, as not to allow of its being acciden-
tally displaced. If the false bottom be laid down without the
floor being first sunk in the manner here spoken of, have it
simply of two halves, and make it so secure, that the lower half
cannot slide away from the upper one. In any case, by having
the longitudinal timbers or sleepers thicker at their lower end,
it will be very easy to throw the stall devel, instead of following
the slope of the floor beneath ; the increased thickness of course
depending on the degree of fall the stall possesses.* On no
account need the cross boards be more than half an inch
apart from one another. This space is amply sufficient to allow

* The late Mr. James Young, livery stable keeper, of Leeds, adopted
these false bottoms to a twelve-stalled stable, and the following is his descrip-
tion of the process, The cross boards to be made of elm, six inches broad,
two inches thick, and one inch apart from one another. The back or bottom
cross board to be bevelled, to prevent the horse when walking into the stall
from catching his toe and tripping in consequence. The ground sleepers
should be the whole length of the stall, from wall to outside of gutter, and
made of larch or oak, two inches thick, and four inches broad. If the stalls
be wide ones, four sleepers will be required. The cross boards to be nailed
on with what is called diamond nails, four nails through into each sleeper.
16 GANGWAY.

of the urine to flow readily away; all additional space is not
only unnecessary, but might result in the foot of the horse
becoming entangled amongst the bars. The advantages arising
from the use of these false bottoms are numerous. In
the first place, they save the litter; and this, when straw is
purchased for a considerable number of horses, will be found
to be something very considerable, particularly in seasons of
searcity and consequent dearness. Secondly, they presenta safer
footing to horses. Thirdly, they allow of the stall to be made
perfectly level, and so take away that peculiar mode of standing,
so painful to a horse, when confined for some time within a
sloping stall. Fourthly, they render the stall warmer mm
winter, and cooler in summer. And lastly, it is found by expe-
rience, that where they are in use, the inmates rest better than
when placed within the ordinary stall.

These false bottoms will require to be lifted from their
position at least once a week in winter, and twice a week in
summer, and the floor beneath to be washed of all its accu-
mulated impurities, as well as the false bottom also. It is
impossible to overrate the advantages of cleanliness in the
stable; and unless this be carefully and regularly attended to,
the stable will become unhealthy. Mere brooming is not suf-
ficient to secure complete cleanliness; there should be water
and frequent washing.

Ganeway.—lIt has been previously stated that the width of
the stable within, should be twenty-two feet. Divide this
space as follows: viz., two feet for breadth of hay rack; nine
feet for length of stall; three feet from the bottom of the stall
post to the inner border of the main urine channel; six inches
for the width of the main urine channel; and seven feet six
inches for width of gangway, and we obtain the relative sizes of
every part. The space between the stall post, and the border
VENTILATION OF STABLE. 17

of the main urine channel, should be set with eight inch sets,
the same in fact that are used for setting the stalls. The urine
channel is next to be laid down, and the remaining space
covered with larged-sized flags, three and a half inches thick,
and having a roughened surface. It is best to bed flags in lime,
and what in Yorkshire are called scraplings. Ashes are not so
good: they imbibe and retain moisture; and they also favour
the propagation of black beetles, and other imsects of a dis-
agreeable kind. Where it is desirable to give a more complete
finish to the interior of a stable, a plinth, eight or ten inches
deep, may be put down along the bottom of the wall; this
plinth should be made of Roman cement, it being cheaper than
wood, and far more durable. The window backs may also be
lined with boards, and a cornice run along the top of the ceiling.
In short, where expense is not regarded, the taste of the owner
may direct itself in a thousand ways to beautify the interior.

V.—Ventitation oF Srasne.—tIn treating upon the
ventilation of the stable, it is taken for granted that every
thinking person must be perfectly aware of the necessity for a
regular and copious supply of pure air, for the maintenance
of the health not only of ourselves, but of the lower animals
also. This, although admitted as a fact, and not unfrequently
theorized upon, is yet very far from being adopted in practice
to the extent which might be anticipated. People continue to
build dwelling houses for themselves, and stables for their
horses, as though totally unconscious that those destined to live
within them will require such a very necessary element as
air. The capacity of the lungs of the horse is enormous. He
requires a large amount of pure air to thoroughly purify the
blood. Bad ventilation is the cause of innumerable diseases ;
and where it does not directly cause disease, if a diseased

B
18 VENTILATION OF STABLE.

animal be subjected for any length of time to its deleterious
influence, matters become worse, and serious aggravations of the
malady result. Glanders, one of the most loathsome, infectious,
and incurable forms of disease to which the hores is subject,
frequently arises from bad ventilation. Horses when on ship- ©
board, have become glandered from simply shutting down the

hatchways during the prevalence of a storm. Epidemic Catarrh,

is another form of disease familiar to most men who own horses,

Glanders is a common sequence to this malady; and the same

may be said of Scarlatina, Typhoid Pneumonia, and Coughs of

a very obstinate nature. Such sequences, however, are not

common except in stables that are badly ventilated. No surer

indication, in a general way, of a badly ventilated stable, than

where scarlatina readily supervenes upon catarrh, or where

obstinate coughs remain after its inmates have suffered from

the epidemic forms of the disease. Another sign—alike indica-

tive of uncleanliness and bad ventilation,—is where the paint

upon the woodwork of the stable takes on a dull leaden colour.

This is a common effect, and one readily seen by an observer.

Bzst Mopz T0 OBTAIN THOROUGH Ventination.—By
thorough ventilation is meant, a constant supply of pure air,
im quantity sufficient to disperse that which is impure in any
apartment into which it may be admitted, and in which gases are
generated unfit for the healthy maintenance of life.

Several modes are in use by which air is admitted into
stables to effect this purpose: sometimes it is done by a move-
able trellis fixed in the lower half of the window—sometimes
by openings cut through the wall either in front of, or behind
the horses. In short, it is sought to be done by any mode or
contrivance, just as chance may hit upon, or necessity at the
moment may devise. We cannot ventilate an apartment with-
out the admission of air. The difficulty is, to admit the air in
VENTILATION OF STABLE. 19

a manner which will not prove objectionable. Cold draughts
are very objectionable. The supply of air within the stable
should be regularly and equally distributed. A very excellent
plan to effect this is pursued by Mr. Watson, of Halifax.
This gentlemen, by his process, has ventilated numbers of
stables, many of which I know where the mode in question
answers admirably. The plan he adopts is at once simple and
complete. It mainly consists of a large tube, which is equally
divided within, from top to bottom. This tube descends from
above the roof, down through the floor or ceiling of the stable;
at the bottom of the tube, two trap doors are secured by hinges
to the central division. The doors are constructed to move by
the aid of cords and pulleys, and being opened either wholly or
in part, a double current of air is established ; or in other words,
the bad air is made to ascend and depart, at the same moment
the pure air descends, and diffuses itself through the stable. Thus
a gentle, but perfect interchange of good and bad air is effected.
The expense attending the fixing of Mr. Watson’s apparatus is
not excessive ; and where a permanent improvement of the kind
is necessary, and about to be effected, perhaps his plan will be
the best to adopt. It is also to be strongly recommended on
another account, that it does not readily work out of repair.

If the premises are favourably situate, good ventilation
may be effected by the following mode, one equally simple
as the above recommended. Make an opening ten inches
square through the wall in front of the heads of the inmates.
Make it behind the woodwork dividing the hay racks from one
another, or immediately behind where the divisions of the
stalls commence. One opening in the position named, and of
the size specified, will be sufficient to afford air for a single
horse. To modify the current, and prevent the entrance of
foreign bodies from without, place an iron grate against the
20 DRAINAGE OF THE STABLE.

outside of the opening. Where it is impracticable to cut
through in the manner directed, the difficulty may be obviated
by carrying tubes made of iron or wood, through the roof,
taking care to cover the upper opening of the tube with per-
forated caps. A corresponding number of openings of the
same size are next to be made through the wall behind the
horses. These openings must be cut within a few inches of
the ground, and protected by grates fixed on the outside, as
directed above. Each opening must terminate in a square
tube, placed within the stable. Each tube must be five feet
high, having an upright position, and secured to the wall by
means of holdfasts. They should be five or six inches square,
having three sides of wood, the fourth being formed by the wall
against which they are fixed. On the top of every tube, fix a
thick plate of zinc, well perforated with small holes. Should
these tubes admit more air into the stable than requisite, slides
of wood may be inserted in place of the perforated plates, and
the air currents checked either wholly or in part. The above
is a very excellent plan to ventilate a stable; but stablemen
require watching, or many of them, unless prevented, will keep
the tubes permanently closed. They want a close stable, and
they cannot be prevailed upon to adopt any other method.

VI.—Dratnace or THE Stapie.—A stable to be free from
bad smells arising from the decomposition of urine, and other
offensive matters, must not only be thoroughly ventilated, but
thoroughly drained also, and the drainage conducted to some
distance from the premises. I have elsewhere described the
position of the various surface channels, for conducting the
urine into the underground drain. Below the main surface
channel, and in a line parallel with it, place the underground
drain. Joint and socket pipes are the best for small drains.
APPENDAGES TO STABLE. 21

Care must be taken in putting down the pipes, to ascertain
that they are evenly placed, that the joints are well cemented,
and that a sufficient fall be given to allow the urine to run freely
away. Wherever the urine passes into the underground drain,
let it do so by means of atrap. Traps of the proper kind can be
procured from those who supply the joint and socket pipes.
Traps have a twofold use: they prevent any back stench which
may arise, and they prevent rats from attempting to enter the
stable through the urine grates, or where the traps may be
fixed. All the openings leading from the surface channels into
the underground drain should be covered with suitable grates.
The proper place to fix such grates is described at page 13.

The underground drain should terminate in a tank, if it
be desirable to preserve the urine for manure. The loss of
manure arising from the want of tanks is incredible. Possibly
a time may come when people will look to these matters some-
what differently.

AppenpagEs To StaBiz.—A Stable, to be complete in all
essentials, will require the following, viz., Hay Chamber, Corn
Chamber, Loose Boxes, Saddle and Harness Rooms, Coach
House, Porch, Washing Room, Manure Depédt, and Water
Tanks. :

Hay Chambers.—Hay Chambers have been frequently con-
demned, but without due consideration. If properly constructed
T cannot see the force of such objections as are generally
urged against them. They should be lofty, moderately lighted,
and counter-floored. Counter-flooring the chamber is very
necessary where a portion of the room is required as a dwelling
for those employed within the stable. It prevents noise, and the
descent of dirt into the stable beneath. The openings through
the floor to admit of the hay being put into the racks, should be
22 HAY—CORN CHAMBERS.

provided with covers of wood to exclude the descent of cold
draughts in winter, and the ingress and egress of cats. The
principal objections to hay chambers are, the disturbance arising
to the horses from the running to and fro of cats; the noise over-
head, arising from the necessary movements of the people living
above; and the descent of dust. In order to prevent the first,
do away with the openings above the hay racks, and make a
large trap door in one corner of the ceiling, through which the
hay can be let down from above, when required, into a corre-
sponding division upon the floor in the corner immediately
below. The second and third objections are readily set aside,
by counter-flooring the chamber, and by having the entrance to
the dwelling department distantly situate from the stable.
Without these arrangements, I admit that stables are better
without hay chambers ; but with them, advantages are obtained
which are worthy of consideration. Less hay is wasted, the
hay is more convenient for immediate use, and the stable is
thereby made warmer in winter, and cooler in summer.

Hay Chambers do not require to be plastered. If the walls
are occasionally lime-washed, it will prove sufficient. They will,
however, need ventilation. This may be done by openings
through the walls, or by the adoption of openings, and wooden
tubes of the size and kind already described.

Corn Ohamber or Granary.—Respecting a Granary, little
will be stated upon the present occasion. Where a number of

* _ horses are kept, a granary is indispensable. The apartment

should be constructed in a compact manner, otherwise rats
will gain access to the interior, and destroy the grain. The
size of the room will of course be determined by the extent
and requirements of the establishment. A granary should
be a clean, dry, cool, moderately lighted, and well ventilated
apartment.
LOOSE BOXES. 23

Loose Boxes.—Loose Boxes may be put down as indispens-
able to a large stable. They possess numerous advantages.
To a wearied horse they afford more room than a stall. They
are hospitals in which to place sick horses, with the additional
advantage of enabling sick animals to be separated from the
healthy, should there be an epidemic disease or an infectious
malady of any kind amongst the stud; and where horses are
intended to be thrown completely out of work, and yet be
confined, loose boxes will afford greater freedom to the animals
within.

‘Where room is a matter of importance, the stalls in the
stable should be so constructed as to throw two into one, and
thus a box for temporary purposes may be readily obtained ;
but where room is not a matter of importance, it is better to
have the boxes situate apart from the stable. The directions
given with regard to the construction of the stable, are to be
observed in the construction of a loose box. The place requires
lighting, paving, ventilating, and draining. Like the stable,
loose boxes, when practicable, should be built to face the south.
The windows may be placed above the main entrance; they are
then clearly out of the way of any mischievous animal which
may be placed within. Make the entrance door to a loose box
six feet six inches high, and four feet wide. Let it be hung
on the outside, or so as to open without. It should also be
divided transversely into two portions. Have the lower portion
four feet high. Let the length of the apartment be nineteen
feet; its width, fifteen or sixteen feet; and its height ten
feet. A part of the room may be used as follows:—at the
top, take six feet, which appropriate to the furniture necessary
to the box. In the first place, fix a strong wooden apparatus,
divided in a similar manner to that shewn in the adjoining
engraving, and the one at the end of this section, viz.,—one
24 LOOSE BOXES.

division for the hay ; one as a manger; and if desirable, one as
a water-trough. The height of this apparatus will require to
be about four feet; the width, two feet six or seven inches,
including the width of the boards composing it; while its
length must extend from one side of the box to the other.
The division intended for the hay, to occupy the entire width
of the feeding apparatus. Perforate the bottom of this
division with half inch holes to allow the hay seeds to escape
below. The front of the apparatus may be made either as a
regular hay rack, or plain, according to the taste of the owner.
If made plain, the front should consist of battens, two and a
half inches thick, four inches wide, and fitted closely to each
other. Battens of the same width and thickness should extend
around the box, except in front of the end wall behind the
feeding apparatus.

The object in lining the apartment in the manner described,
is to render it warmer, and give completeness of finish through-
out. The battens lining the walls to reach six feet in height,
to be capped with oak along the top, and secured firmly to the
walls by means of wooden plugs. The floor to be paved with
eight-inch sets, or the best quality of bricks which can be
purchased ; or, if it be desirable to have a false one, it can be
effected in the way treated upon at page 14. Plaster the
ceiling, and the parts of the wall exposed, or free from battens.
Drain well. Ventilate effectually ; and in fitting up or furnishing
the box, be certain that every part is free from hocks, projecting
bodies, such as door latches, the ends of nails, and all articles of
a like nature. Horses, whether young or old, when at liberty,
particularly if over-fed and under-worked, are continually smell-
ing and playing with anything that comes in their way, thereby
not unfrequently (and perhaps permanently) injuring themselves,
besides laying the foundation of a long veterinary bill.
LOOSE BOXES. 25

By this simple arrangement, a loose box is secured, con-
taining thirteen or fourteen square feet of room, available for
a horse. The space behind the Feeding Apparatus, can be
used as a receptacle for hay, and it may be readily entered
by means of a door fixed I
in one corner as shown by
the accompanying woodeut.
The number of loose boxes
necessary to a complete
establishment, will of course
depend upon the number
of horses kept; as a general

 

[Retr 14-F 7
rule, however, one box to five a

or six horses will be suffi-

 

cient. In breeding estab-
lishments, a much greater
number will be required.
It is common to have iron
racks and mangers to loose
boxes. These are objec- Fig. 5.

tionable. A horse feeding from one fixed against the wall, will
generally have the head, neck, and mane covered with hay seeds
and dust. Hay seeds not unfrequently drop into the eyes of
the horse, and occasion inflammation of these organs. Iron
work is also very apt to rust; in fact iron racks are objection-
able in every way. The feeding apparatus here described is the
cheapest, and will be the most durable.

Saddle and Harness Rooms, and Ooach House.—These appen-
dages I shall treat upon in a very brief manner. In making
arrangements for the Saddle and Harness Rooms, and for the
Carriage House, one of the principal matters is to have these
apartments so situate as to have no direct or immediate con-

 

 

 

 
26 PORCH AND WASHING BOOM.

nection between them and the stable. Where these places are
open to one another, the dirt and steam occasioned by the
necessary operations going on within the stable, particularly
in bad weather, occasion much unnecessary labour in the har-
ness room and the coach house. The saddle and harness room
may be placed at one end of the building, and the coach house
at the other. This arrangement will aid in keeping the entire
building more dry and comfortable. The harness room should
be lofty, the floor boarded, and the apartment well supplied and
fitted up with closets, cupboards, and drawers, to hold harness,
horse clothing, bandages, wash leathers, sponges, halters, and
in fact a regular supply of extra thmgs necessary to meet the
requirements of the establishment.

The Coach House should be roomy, well lighted, and well
supplied with fire ranges. The floor should be boarded or
otherwise covered with a false bottom, in a similar manner to
those used for stables described at page 14.

Porch and Washing Room.*—Every stable should have a
Porch, if practicable. It is useful in a number of ways. Horses
can be cleaned in it. It affords shelter to the horses either in
hot or cold weather. It is convenient as a place to perform
many of the minor operations in, such as paring a foot, setting
on a shoe, brushing the legs in dirty weather, and many other
duties of a like nature. A good stable cannot be considered
as complete in its appendages, without a commodious porch.

Wash House.—Behind the porch, or in any other position
the most convenient, should be a Wash House. A room,
in which may be done the rough work of the establishment,
such as washing harness, horse clothing, bandages, and the
horses also when necessary ; also cooking food for invalids,
or such horses as may require it. The wash room will need

* See Frontispiece.
MANURE DEPOT—WATER TANK. 27

to be a commodious apartment. The floor should be paved
with three or three-and-a-half inch flags, and so constructed
or provided with surface water channels from every side,
that the water will run to the middle of the room into a
shallow dished flag, provided with a grate to let away the fiuid
into a commodious drain beneath. In fixing upon the situation
of the wash room, the following matters should be taken into
consideration: 1st.—To place the room, that a horse can be
led out of it into the stable without being under the necessity
of going out of doors, 2nd.—To arrange matters, that the
steam and dust arising within the place cannot pass into the
stable, coach house, or harness room.

Manure Dep6t.— Manure Depiéts, unless properly situated,
are certain to prove a nuisance. If placed near to the stable or
any of the loose boxes, they attract swarms of flies in summer,
and these to a horse, either in health or in sickness, are an
intolerable annoyance. Have such depéts altogether away
from the premises, if practicable. The manure should never be
allowed to accumulate near to the stable: it is best to remove
it daily.

Water Tanks—Pure soft water is essential to horses,
Hard water is unfit for regular use. Horses which regularly
partake of hard water, are liable to suffer from colic, and from
the production of intestinal calculi. Every stable should be
provided with an ample supply of soft water. Tanks to contain
water are best when made either of stone, or wood lined with
blue slate, and the joints made waterproof with a cement con-
sisting of two-thirds black pitch, and one-third gutta percha
melted together, and applied hot to the joints.

In addition to the essentials already named, attention must
be given to one or two others. Dampness is one. Avoid if
possible a damp stable. It is most destructive to the health of
28 DAMP AND WARM STABLES.

the inmates. Horses kept in damp stables are more prone to
Opthalmia, Grease, Pneumonia, Chronic Cough, Broken Wind,
Rheumatism, and states of general debility, which of course
predispose horses to every form of disease. Dampness may
arise from a variety of causes. Firstly, if the stable is closely
surrounded with trees, dampness of the interior will be inevi-
table. Secondly, dampness may arise from imperfect ventilation.
Thirdly, from bad drainage. Fourthy, from the want of suffi-
cient light. Fifthly, from having one or more sides of the stable
built against ground which slopes towards the wall. And lastly,
from all these causes acting in association. To remedy damp-
ness in the stable, the proprietor should closely examine into
its causes, and remove them, so far as practicable, at once.

Warmth of stable is indispensable to high bred horses, and
horses of great value. Warmth without good ventilation is
injurious. Warmth, with good ventilation, are associates to be
desired. The temperature at which a stable should be kept
will depend upon circumstances, such as the breed of the
inmates, and the peculiar uses for which they may be required.
Common bred horses, and horses of a very robust nature, do
not require so warm a stable as do those horses kept for racing,
steeple chasing, or hunting purposes. A temperature ranging
from 60 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit, will generally be found of
sufficient warmth for most horses. If greater warmth to the
inmates be desirable, it can be effected by additional clothing,
a mode to be preferred to that of increasing the general heat of
the stable.

Size of Stable.— By Size of Stable is meant the number of
horses the stable should contain. Most horsemen who pride
themselves upon their knowledge of these matters, are opposed
to the congregation of a large number of horses in one apart-
ment. Some state eight stalls in one stable as the maximum;
SIZE OF STABLE. 29

seven of which are to be occupied each with a horse, the other
to be used for the larger utensils of the stable, such as buckets,
shovels, forks, and brooms. Others, again, state three stalls as
the maximum. A medium, however is the best, say from six
to eight. Whatever may be the size determined upon, it must
be borne in mind that the larger the number of animals kept
together, the greater the necessity for efficient ventilation.

In conclusion, we may sum up our remarks as follows. He
who requires a first-class stable should construct it upon the
principles herein laid down, and which I may again recapitulate
in a very brief manner. The stable should be situate upon
rising ground, its aspect should be direct south, it should be
well lighted, and the ground around it free and open. It
should be eleven feet in height, and twenty-two feet in width,
within the apartment wherein the horses are kept. Its principal
doorway should be seven feet high, and four feet wide, and
the door should open well back within. The stalls should be
six feet wide, and furnished with all necessaries. The stable
should be well ventilated, and well drained; and it should
possess all the appendages named, because they are valuable to
the comfort and to the welfare of the animals, and also at all
times to those having the care of them.

Architects may ornament to the utmost of their ability such
buildings as they may be commissioned to superintend, but
unless the natural requirements of the living are considered ;—
unless the existence of lungs, eyes, and digestive organs,: are
acknowledged, and their functions provided for sanitarily, the
builder achieves but a fraction of what he ought to accomplish.

The generality of matters essential to the stable, and the
comfort of the horse, are here treated upon. The plans herein
recommended, if followed, will make a substantial stable.
30 SIZE OF STABLE.

Where expense is not considered, beauty may be given to the
fabric in numerous ways. I go upon the principle, however, of
first securing the essentials which are necessary, and then
proceed to ornament as taste may dictate, and the pocket allow.
Let us at all times cultivate what is beautiful, but let us have
what is useful in association with it.

SS Fi a See

be iy n rs

 
Szotion IT.

ON FEEDING HORSES.

HAY. CHAFF CUTTERS.
CLOVER HAY. BEAN FLOUR.
OATS. LOCUST.

BEANS. GREEN FOOD.
OAT CRUSHERS, 7 WATER,

———

How must I feed my horse, and what is the best plan to
pursue with regard to his diet? are questions frequently asked
by the inexperienced. To the enlightened owner, or intelligent
groom, however, the answer will doubtless appear simple and
obvious. The novice may be at a loss to understand them.

To learn the common requirements of a properly conducted
stable, as for instance, how to distinguish good fodder from
bad; how to feed horses; to know the kind of food which may
be suitable for one horse, and not for another ; the best modes
of cooking food for horses, when cooked food is necessary ; how
to diet and manage a horse, known as a delicate feeder ; how to
diet a sick horse ; or to recognize when a horse is well groomed,
properly shod, and to judge as to whether his saddle, bridle, and
harness properly fit, so that the animal may travel with comfort
and perform his labour efficiently,—are matters of great impor-
tance; a knowledge of which, on the part of the novice, is not
to be attained unless by his regularly aiding in the performance
of its numerous duties, and the general cultivationjof his observ-
ing faculties.
32 ON FEEDING HORSES.

It is held as a rule, that no one can tell when a horse ts pro-
perly groomed, except he can groom one himself; a statement I
‘believe to be true. “Learn to do the work yourself, then you
will know when it is properly done,” is a proverbial axiom of
wide significance. To those, however, who cannot devote the
necessary time to undergo the practical ordeal which this
axiom involves, or who are otherwise inclined, certain things
relating to these matters may be learnt from the present
treatise; which, as regards ordinary experience, may prove
amply and generally sufficient.

The keep necessary to be afforded to a horse, will depend
upon a variety of circumstances, the nature and extent of
which, if fully stated, would occupy a volume. The kind of
horse is one thing, and the class of work he is required to
perform is another. Our remarks, however, will be limited to
the feeding and general management of hunters, hacks, and
harness horses.

To enable the reader of the present work to understand
the importance of proper feeding, it will be as well for him to
understand, as far as possible, the principles upon which true
hygienic rules are based.

“Mere rules,” says Combe, “ may be apprehended and prac-
tised by ordinary minds; but to understandings ignorant of
their foundations and sanctions in nature, their importance and
authority are far from being so evident as to carry with them a
deep sense of obligation.” With the view set forth, and in the
spirit expressed in the above quotation, I shall attempt a brief
exposition of those principles upon which correct rules for the
dieting of horses naturally depend.

And firstly, it may be asked, What is Foop ? What are its
uses? and, Why is it necessary? The ‘first part of the ques-
tion I shall dismiss in a very brief manner; while the answer
ON FEEDING HORSES. 383

to the second, will in a great measure comprehend the answer
to the third.

‘What constitutes Food? We shall the better understand
this question, if we consider the wants and the requirements of
the animal. 5

The organism of the horse is of'a most elaborate and com-
plex character. A variety of functions are performed within
its interior. One of the most important of these functions is
that of respiration; upon the due performance of which the
natural temperature of the body mainly depends. Through
the medium of the lungs, oxygen is passed into the blood;
and through the agency of the blood this element (oxygen) iy
carried and diffused through the entire body of the animal.
The action of the oxygen is twofold: it purifies the blood in
the lungs, and by so doing renders this fluid in a fit state to
supply the waste which is produced within the animal, by what
is denominated the process of internal combustion. As the
blood, however, is imbibed by the various tissues in its transit
through the body, a portion of oxygen is again liberated ; the
direct action of which is to cause another series of effects. It
acts immediately upon the old, effete materials of this complex
apparatus; new compounds are formed; and it is during the
formation of these new compounds, that heat is generated.
Chemical action and heat are inseparable. It would appear,
in fact, as though the former expended itself, and became
ultimately resolved into the latter.

In addition, however, to the production of heat, from the
action of oxygen upon the waste materials of the organism,
the same process goes on between the oxygen and certain
constituents of the food, which principally consist of carbon,
sugar, gum, starch, and fat; and which either separately, or in
combination, are always to be found in the food of the horse.

c
34 ON FEEDING HORSES.

The quantity of these materials consumed by oxygen in the
manner stated varies to a considerable extent. If the food
be rich and abundant, and the work of the animal dispropor-
tionately low, the carbonaceous elements not consumed are
deposited; or in other words, the animal becomes what is
designated fat. When, however, the food is poor, or in
quantity not too abundant for the labour performed, the con-
stituents named are for the most part consumed, in addition to
the waste substances of the body.

Food, then, to be thoroughly suitable to the animal, must
possess a twofold capability. It must contain elements to
supply the waste of the body generally; that is, the waste of
such structures as muscle, brain, bone, skin, and other textures
which enter into the formation of the animal; and it must
also contain carbonaceous elements, or elements capable of
uniting with oxygen, so that heat may be generated, and the
temperature of the organism maintained. The food usually
given to the horse possesses this double capability ; hence we
at once perceive that it should fulfil this twofold condition. In
addition it may be remarked, that food for horses should at all
times be of the best quality, and the animal continually live ina
pure atmosphere. If the food be not good, neither will the
various structures composing the body be sound or good; while
if the animal be kept in a vitiated atmosphere, as for instance,
in a badly ventilated stable,. blood cannot be made of the
required purity, nor can the animal heat be generated so well
or so vigorously as desirable. Pure food supplied in abun-
dance, implies purity and abundance of blood; and as a general
physiological truth, such purity and abundance of blood may
be held to promote the great disiderata, viz., increased vital
power, and additional physical vigour to the horse.
KINDS OF FOOD. 35

The uses of food, and its necessity to the organism has, I
trust, been clearly and simply shewn. The next things to
observe, are the kinds of food best adapted to the wants of the
horse, and the best modes in which to administer it.

Kins oF Foop.—Of the many substances used as food
for horses, the following (including Water) may be enumerated
as chief :—

List No. 1.—GREEN.

Grass Tares Mangold Wurzel
Green Clover Carrots Potatoes
Ryegrass Turnips

List No. 2.—DRY.
Hay Beans Linseed
Clover Hay Bean Flour Locust
Oats Barley Bran

Crushed Oats Malt

Green Food, or those articles of diet enumerated in List 1,
J shall remark upon but briefly in the present part of the work.
This class of diet is the staple article of food for young animals.
It is given to horses in hard work, as an agreeable and salutary
change. In like manner, and also for the same purpose, it is
given, when in season, to sick and lame horses. As I shall
devote a section to the consideration of such matters as relate
to the hygienic management of the latter class,—the kinds of
food named in this list, together with the following, viz., barley,
malt, linseed, and bran, will be more fully treated upon in the
section in question.

Hay.—Hay stands in much the same relation to the horse
that bread does to the human species. Hay is considered at
its best when from one to three years old: when good, it is
known by its clear bright colour, its freedom from dust, and its
36 HAY.—CHAFF CUTTERS.

sweetness of smell. Bad hay is soft to the feel, dull in colour,
smells fusty or mouldy, and readily breaks in the straw. Hay
is frequently spoilt from becoming what is called mow-burnt;
that is, the hay, when not sufficiently dried before stacking,
becomes charred from the excessive heat generated within the
mass. This charring varies from a slight tinge to an almost
black colour. When the charring is but slight, the hay is
perhaps none the worse ; but when much burnt, it is not only
worthless as food, but is highly injurious. Within my own
experience, I have known horses fed upon hay in this condition
become effected with chronic cough, broken wind, diabetes, and
diseases of the digestive organs.

It is customary with many to chop a portion of hay, and
give it with the corn. This is done with the intention of
causing horses to masticate
their corn more thorough-
ly; and, to some extent,
this purpose is thereby
answered ; but a greedy
feeder is not to be cured
in this way. The com
should be crushed, or else
ground in a rough manner
in addition to mixing it
with the chaff. The an-
~ nexed woodeut represents

Fig. 6. a very effective chopper.

Chaff Cutters of the best kind may be readily procured, at
a reasonable price, adapted either for hand or steam power,
from Messrs. Richmond and Chandler, of Salford, Manchester,

whose implements are held, and deservedly so, in the highest
repute.

 
CLOVER HAY—OATS. 37

The quantity of hay which a horse may require during a
period of twenty-four hours, will depend upon circumstances ;
such as the size of the animal, and the corn which may be
allowed in addition. Some horses, having the same allowance
of corn as others, will require more hay. Some again, not only
consume more hay than others, but more food of every kind.
Where the horse is of an ordinary size (say fifteen hands one or
two inches high), the work not being severe, and the allowance
of corn moderate,—such an animal may perhaps do with twelve
or fourteen pounds of hay per day. There are others which
will eat double this quantity, and perhaps after all not look so
well as the most sparing eater. It is impossible to lay down
absolute rules with regard to the quantity of food which a
horse should have—so much depending upon its size, and the
nature of the work to be performed.

Clover Hay.—Clover Hay is a food which is eaten with
avidity by the majority of horses. It is not, however, adapted
for constant use to the same animal. A preferable method is
to mix it with ordinary grass hay; or, that a portion should be
given occasionally. Great care is necessary in the purchase of
clover hay. From its open coarse fibre it favours the collection
of dust within the mass. In addition to this, great difficulty
is experienced in stacking it, so that strict attention should
always be paid to its condition. Good clover hay is known by
its clear dark brown colour, its freedom from dust and mould,
and the fragrance of its smell. Hay, and in fact cereal food
of any kind, is not good, if grown near to a large manufac-
turing town. Soot, smoke, and other deleterious matters,
which are constantly falling from the atmosphere, so injures
vegetation that it is rendered unfit for food.

Oats.—Oats are given to horses whole, crushed, or ground.
The crushed state is the preferable one for horses which are
a

38 OATS.

greedy feeders, and those which bolt their corn. The best oats
weigh about three stones, or from forty to forty-two pounds per
bushel. Good oats are readily distinguished by their thinness
of husk, their comparative weight, the clean colour of the outer
husk, their dryness, their freedom from dust, and sweetness of
smell. Bad oats, if given to horses, will prove injurious in
many ways; being productive of diabetes, unsoundness of
wind, and general debility. They are known by their lightness
and dullness of colour, a peculiar soft, damp feel, and their
musty smell.

The quantity of oats necessary for the daily support of a
horse will depend upon circumstances. Some horses will per-
form a greater amount of labour than others with one-third
less corn. Horses that eat inordinately are not always the best
to get through work. Horses severely laboured require a liberal
allowance of corn: they should have at least from thirteen to
fifteen pounds weight of corn per day. Cab horses in well-
regulated establishments are each allowed daily from fifteen to
eighteen pounds weight. Hunters in full work should average
about the same, including beans. The oats given to hunters
are usually supplied in a quartern measure. A quartern of |
oats will weigh about two pounds and three quarters. Four
quarterns, and frequently five, are given to each horse daily ;
and with every feed, a double handful of split beans. Taking
the four feeds of oats to weigh eleven pounds, and the beans as
three, it gives a daily average of fourteen pounds of corn: the
extra quartern making up the weight a little over seventeen
pounds, including the beans. This quantity of corn, let it be
understood however, is not necessary except for the larger sized —
and more severely laboured hunters and harness horses. When
the labour is easy, or the journeys not prolonged, it is desirable
to regulate the quantity of corn accordingly.
CRUSHED OATS. 39

By careful management a horse, under the circumstances
described, may be kept upon very little comparatively speaking,
and at the same time be much improved in general condition.
The secret of freshening horses mainly depends upon their
having good food in small quantities at a time. A horse of
fifteen or fifteen hands and a half high, not an inordinate
feeder, and whose labour is not severe, may be kept in a very
efficient state upon three quarterns of oats per day, with a
moderate allowance of hay in addition.

Crushed Oats.— When horses feed greedily, and bolt their
corn without first masticating it, the best plan is to give the
oats in a crushed state. This
is done by means of a mill
similar to the one shewn in
the annexed engraving. Ex. ===
cellent mills for the purpose
here recommended may be
procured at a trifling cost
from Messrs. Richmond and
Chandler, of Salford, Man-
chester. They are of great
service, and few well con-
ducted stables are without so
necessary an appendage.

The owner of a single horse, whose labour is not severe,
may find it advantageous to use a mixture of corn composed as
follows :—

 

Crushed Oats ... ... ... 23 stones.
Split Beans... .........2 4,
Bran (coarse) ... ... .. Dy

A portion of which is to be given two or three times a day, in
such proportions as that it may last eight or ten days. Should
40 BEANS.

the work of the horse happen to become more severe than
ordinary, more of the corn is of course to be given. A large-
sized horse, or one excessively worked, will of necessity require
a larger quantity of corn during the period named. It is common
to add a portion of chopped hay and a little water to the feed at
the time it is given. In using the above mixture, care should be
exercised in the first instance to have the crushed oats genuine;
otherwise, through the nefarious tricks of the corn-dealer, the
buyer may possibly find himself the possessor of ground husks
destitute of meal. When, however, the oats are crushed at
home, it is the fault of the buyer if he is cheated.
Beans.—Beans are considered by the majority of grooms to
be stronger corn than oats; by which I suppose is meant that
beans contain more nutrition than the latter. Beans are cer-
tainly specifically much heavier than oats, and this may account
for the difference which is to be observed when horses are fed
by measure rather than by weight. The best samples of oats
will rarely weigh over forty-two pounds to the bushel, while
the same measure of good beans will weigh sixty-three pounds;
a difference of one-third in favour of the latter. The opinion
of the more intelligent of our grooms, is to the effect that beans
are more suitable for old than for young horses: in the latter
the use of them is found to produce rashes upon the skin,
cracks within the heels, and (if given in very large quantities)
inflammation within the laminew of the feet. Horses suddenly
removed from a poor diet, and liberally fed with beans, are
almost certain to be attacked with either inflammation of the
feet or of the skin. Some horses cannot do with beans at all.
Their use occasions disorder in almost every way. Great care
is therefore necessary in using them, particularly as regards
young horses, or those in a state of poverty. The usual care
should be exercised in the purchase of beans: the small-sized
BEAN FLOUR. 41

ones being the best; and they should be at least twelve months
old, properly dried, and free from grub ravages, otherwise they
certainly cannot be fit to give to horses. When beans are
affected with the grub, the ravages of the insect may be easily
detected. If minutely examined, when whole, it will be seen
that they are perforated at the side; the perforation being
round and deeply penetrating, as though it had been effected
by a very small gimlet,—this being simply due to the operation
of the grub, which eats its way into the interior, and in many
instances destroys the entire vegetable.

Beans and oats contain similar substances, but’ united in
different proportions. ‘“ Beans, (says Liebeg,) are proportionally
much richer in bone earth than oats.“ “The labourers (we are
told,) in the mines of South America, whose daily labour—
perhaps the most severe in the world,—consists in carrying upon
their shoulders a load of earth from 180 to 200Ibs. weight,
from a depth of 450 feet, subsist only upon bread and beans.
They would prefer to confine themselves to bread, but their
masters have found that they cannot work so much on this diet,
and they therefore compel them, like horses, to eat beans.’’*

Beans when given to horses, should be split or crushed.
A will for the double purpose of crushing beans and oats, can
be procured at a very reasonable price, from the eminent
makers, Messrs. Richmond & Chandler, of Salford, Manchester.
New beans are decidedly dangerous; and as to

Bean Flour, it is objectionable as a diet for fast-working
horses. It is more suitable for cattle. It is a good deal used
for draught horses. It requires to be mixed with other kinds
of food, such as chopped hay, steamed turnips, and with water.
Unless well moistened when given, it is liable to cake within
the intestines, and kill the animal. It is much adulterated ; and

* Darwin’s Journal of Researches, and Liebeg’s Chemistry of Agriculture.
42 LOCUST.

ifa large quantity be kept at one time within a narrow space,
it will heat, become sour, and quickly harden into a solid mass.
In short, this is not a form of diet to be recommended without
qualification.

Locust.—Locust is a new article of provender, and one not
generally known. It is a vegetable imported, I understand,
from the Levant. It is of a dark red brown colour, and in form
closely resembles the pod of the common broad bean, which is
cultivated in our fields and gardens. It may be procured from
the retail dealer in a very dry state. It is exceedingly sweet,
such sweetness arising from the presence of sugar within its
fibrous tissues. It is stated that the pod contains more than
fifty per cent. of saccharine matter; the sugar in fact can be
seen in a crystalized state within the cells of the pod. Before
using it, the pod must either be ground into a coarse kind of a
meal or broken into fragments, and afterwards steeped for some
hours in water. Without the adoption of one or other of
these methods, the pod, however much broken, will be found
too hard and dry for eating. The effects of locust, when
liberally given to a lean horse are surprising. It speedily
fattens the animal, and produces that which grooms so much
desire, viz., a fine, soft, glossy coat. When this food is first given
to horses théy generally manifest a repugnance to it, but soon
look for the accustomed allowance, and devour it with avidity
and relish. The proper quantity to administer for a feed will
depend upon circumstances. If in a ground state, a pint of the
article will be sufficient. If broken and macerated in water,
from three pints to two quarts of the mash may be allowed,
according to the size of the horse. The feed may be repeated
three or four times a day. It may either be given alone, or
mixed with any other kind of provender.
WATER. 43

Wartrr.— Water is an article of diet, as necessary to the
health of the body as oxygen is to the blood. Of all the
articles of diet enumerated as necessary to a horse, perhaps the
most important is water. This the reader will at once admit,
when he is informed that, in respect of its component parts,
three-fourths of the entire body of a horse are simply water.
Without a sufficiency of water the animal cannot be maintained
in a state of health. He will be dull, lose flesh rapidly, and
become incapable of feeding. Hay and corn, and indeed any
of the ordinary kinds of food, would prove useless unless a
sufficiency of water be also allowed. It is most important
then that the water should be in abundance, and of the most
suitable kind. Pure soft water is the best for horses. Hard
water is liable to produce colic. This I have witnessed over
and over again. Water which contains earthy and mineralized
substances in solution (and most kinds of hard water do) is
apt to produce calculous deposits within the intestines of those
animals regularly drinking it. A similar effect will also occur
in the case of horses regularly in the habit of drinking muddy
water. No better test to determine the comparative softness
or hardness of water can be applied than a little soap. Hard
water curdles soap; but with soft water, soap combines readily
without flake or precipitate of any kind.

The quantity of water necessary to allow a horse is, of
course, what the animal will drink, I mean as a general rule;
but it is not at all times a good plan to allow this. Horses
perspiring much from severe labour in the hot sun would, if
allowed, frequently drink an injurious quantity of cold water.
Horses when about to be used for the chase should have
very little water given to them for some hours before being
mounted. A hunter with a belly full of water in the hunting
field, would be an annoyance both to the rider and to himself.
44 WATER—CONCLUDING REMARKS.

He would perspire copiously, breathe heavily, and very likely
purge a good deal. Again, when the chase is over, the animal
should not be immediately allowed to drink his fill of water;
otherwise serious consequences might very probably be the result,
Indeed horses entering the stable in a state of excessive
perspiration, or exhausted from severe labour of any kind,
should not for some time be allowed the quantity of cold water
they would naturally drink, It is better to let them wait a
short time, or otherwise to give them chilled water. Cold water
is highly refreshing, and a mere mouthful or two will frequently
prove beneficial. Asa general rule, horses should not be allowed
large quantities of water in a morning, or during the actual
time of work; but when the day’s work is over, and the
organism cool and free from excitement, they may then be
allowed to drink what water they please. Horses when allowed
to have their fill of water at night, seldom require much ina
morning, so that in such cases small quantities may be frequently
given during the day with advantage. It is only when horses
have been kept for a long time without water, and have been
worked hard in the hot sun, or when perspiring excessively,
or immediately after feeding, that to allow them to drink large
quantities of cold water would be objectionable.

Having thus briefly noticed the principal articles of diet in
connection with the feeding of healthy horses, I may conclude
the present section by concisely detailing to the reader such
rules regarding their every-day treatment as he may find of
practical value in maintaining that health, without which, com-
paratively speaking, the animal is valueless to his owner.

I.—Allow your horse as much water as he will drink, or
the quantity he is intended to have, prior to being fed with
corn.
RULES FOR DIETING. 45

The reason why an obedience to this rule in the generality of
instances will prove beneficial, especially with horses of delicate
constitution, is obvious. The food when masticated, is passed
into the stomach there to be digested, and when fully prepared
to leave this organ, it does so to undergo further changes
ere it becomes assimilated to the organism. In no case, however,
ought the food to leave the stomach until thoroughly digested.
Now water does not stay in the stomach; it immediately passes
into the ccecum, where it remains in readiness to supply
the wants of the system. When horses are fed prior to the
administration of water, and water is freely given directly
afterwards, in passing through the stomach, it takes along with
it a considerable quantity of imperfectly digested food; this
the delicate surface of the small intestines are not prepared to
receive, and irritation of the bowels supervenes, and purging
very frequently results; to avoid the disagreeable consequences
of which, carefully attend to the preceding rule.

II.—When about to travel your horse a long journey, or
drive him quickly in harness, feed him at least two hours
before starting.

TII.—If you have worked your horse, to an unusual state
of exhaustion, feed the animal sparingly, for a short time,
with food carefully cooked. [Further attention will be given
to this rule, in the section devoted to a consideration of the
proper treatment of the hunter. |

IV.—Occasionally changing the diet of your horse will
prove beneficial. Carrots may be given with excellent effect.

V.—In feeding your horse with food he may not be
accustomed to, but which he may manifest a fondness for,
46 RULES FOR DIETING.

always commence with it sparingly; otherwise colic, or
disease of a more violent nature, may supervene. Grains, for
example, are occasionlly given to horses, and they are also a
common cause of colic when allowed to horses unaccustomed
to them. "Wheat is at all times a dangerous food, unless
cooked. If given uncooked, it produces inflammation of the
stomach or of the feet, or of both.

ViI.—Generally speaking, the practice of frequently
feeding your horse with good food, in small quantities at a
time, is the best mode of securing to the animal its full
effect. Every good groom is aware of this, and pursues the
plan accordingly. It is, in fact, one of the secrets of his
success.

Other essential directions relating to the dietetic management
of horses, will be found in those sections of the present work
which treat upon grooming, the management of the hunter,
and on the dietetic management of the sick horse.
Szotron III.

ON GROOMS, GROOMING, AND THE GENERAL
MANAGEMENT OF HORSES.

GROOMS. PERSPIRING HORSES.
STABLE TOOLS. TEMPERATURE OF STABLE.
HORSE CLOTHING. EXERCISE.
WET BANDAGES. HOURS OF FEEDING.

ag ee

To groom and rightly to manage horses is a business of
considerable importance. If it consisted, as many people sup-
pose, in merely giving them hay and corn at stated intervals ;
in cleaning them periodically with a wisp of straw, or other-
wise in performing the necessary duties, in any way and at any
time, grooming would then be readily learnt, and as readily
understood. A good groom, however, is a rarity. Years of
practice, and a large share of experience only to be derived
from such practice, are required ; and in addition, that peculiar
natural aptitude and love for the work, by which at all times a
genuine member of the body is distinguished. Before excel-
lence can be attained in any calling or handicraft, a man must
possess that which teaching cannot impart, but upon which his
success depends, viz.—a feeling within the man that, by its force
and sincerity, shall, with the aid of practice, lead him to become
a master in his art. People ignorant of the business of horse
management are apt to suppose that every fellow who invests
48 GROOMS.

his lower limbs in a pair of unmentionables of boundless
capacity, or who wears a long waistcoat, having huge pockets
of asalt-box form, is a groom. No such thing. A good groom,
and an adept in his calling, is to be known by far other signs
than those of his mere outward environment. He ought to
possess a number of excellences. He should be quiet in his
manner, clean in his person, sparing with his tongue, steady at
his work, and methodical in the performance of it. He ought
to be kind to his horses, and to those associated with him. In
short,—a sober, steady man; respectful to his master, honest
in the discharge of his multifarious duties, economical with his
means and appliances, and obliging to all. It is rare, however,
to meet with so perfect a specimen of the class; and fortunate
indeed is the master, who may own a valuable stud of horses,
should he possess such a servant. It is easy to sketch the
moral outline of a model man: to procure him in flesh and
blood is the great difficulty. We meet with many objectionable
habits of a grave character ; the possession of which, in kind or
degree, may render the man more or less intolerable. The
besetting sin with many, otherwise excellent grooms, is love
of drink. ‘With others, a bad temper and a brutal disposition.
Others are the self-deluded victims of an overweening estima-
tion of their own ability: such men are constantly dilating
upon their extensive knowledge of horses, and of their capability
as managers of them. In others, again, we observe a mani-
festation of cunning: they speak in a fawning tone, and apply
assiduously the unctuous feather of flattery. Such fellows are
generally knaves, and are ever upon the watch to serve their
selfish purposes. To cheat their master, and misrepresent
those who may oppose their nefarious tricks and designs, would
seem indeed, to be the main purpose of their existence. They
seek to rule the entire establishment. By artful means, and
STABLE TOOLS. 49

villanous misrepresentations, they often supplant veterinary
surgeon, saddler, coach builder, and corn dealer ; and in lieu of
them others are employed who will connive at their designs
and practices. A servant of this kind, if living with a master
ignorant of his ways, or unsuspicious of his true character, may
at length attain the summit of his wishes, and for a time may
reign supreme in his narrow sphere. If the actions of such a
man be questioned, an artful tale is ready, the reverse of fact,
so that, by a continuous course of unblushing effrontery, the
master may in the end be led to believe that the advice and
recommendations of his groom are based upon the purest
motives of disinterested service, and are prompted by the desire
that he, as his employer, may be rescued from the designs of
unprincipled tradesmen; and he goes away inwardly rejoicing
in possessing so acute and faithful a servant; when at the same
time the scoundrel is robbing him at every turn, and aiding
others to do the same.

Groomine.—To properly groom horses, and to keep them
in order, certain tools are required, and certain conveniences
and essentials indispensable. The principal fools which are
necessary consist of—

Curry Comb Whalebone Brushes Scraper
Mane Comb Hog’s Hair Brushes Shovel

Water Brush Sand Can Manure Basket
Wooden Box, to contain Cow’s Dung.

Sponges Stable Broom Corn Salver

Buckets Picker Twitch

Fork Dusters

The conveniences comprise spacious and suitable cupboards,
wooden pegs fixed in the inside walls, and hooks conveniently
D
50 DIRTY STABLES.

placed to hang upon them bridles, halters, and other things of
a similar character. The essentials are head collars, surcingles,
woollen rugs, and woollen and linen bandages.

Such are the ordinary requisites of a stable. The desiderata
are—firstly, to have a workman who can use them properly ;—
secondly, who will use them when needful ;—and thirdly, keep
them in their proper place when not wanted.

The duties of a groom are, principally, comprised in the
following summary, viz.,—Feeding and grooming the horses;
attention to the stable and its appendages; and a general and
exact care of everything within or belonging to it. It is dis-
agreeable to go into a stable, and see its interior in a state of
disorder; and the place half buried with the accumulated dust
and dirt of years. A stable should be kept clean, and neither
tools nor articles of any kind should be allowed within it, but
such as are to be found either in their proper place, or in con-
stant use. The want of care and attention in matters relating
to order and cleanliness are but too common in numbers of
stables. The spare stall of the stable for instance—and few
stables of any pretension are without one—may be occupied
with the stumps of worn-out brooms, broken pieces of wood,
quantities of hay ropes in a half-rotted state, old tubs, old
bottle hampers, bones and fragments of broken food, whilst—
to crown the whole—it may very likely stink most intolerably
of dogs. The cupboard may be filled with rotten dusters; the
windows with old blacking bottles and pieces of broken glass.
The paint of the wood work in the higher parts of the stable
will most likely be of a dull leaden colour; and the corners
and borders of the ceiling rejoice in a number of antideluvian
cobwebs. People who have their stables in a condition similar
to what I have described, appear to retain useless lumber with
a feeling akin to veneration, so studiously is this indescribable
STUFFING FEET. 51

collection of things preserved year after year, that one might
suppose some important principle, in relation either to use or
ornament, would be seriously compromised by its removal.
Such debris, however, occupies room; and, besides excluding
the pure air, affords a nidus for the generation of filth.

The floor of the stalls, and the paint of the wood work,
ought to be regularly washed and cleansed. The walls and
ceiling, ought occasionally to be white-washed, and the cobwebs
swept away. The hay seeds which accumulate behind the hay
racks, ought from time to time be removed. The mangers
frequently scoured. The drains kept open. The glass of the
windows maintained whole and clean, so as to exclude currents
of air, and admit the light. The loose boxes ought always to
be clean, and when not in use, ready for service. In short
cleanliness and order within a stable are just as essential to
the health and comfort of horses, as cleanliness and order
within a dwelling are essential to the health and comfort of
civilized beings.

Sraste Requristres.—Before describing the process of
grooming, I may allude to a few of the stable requisites enu-
merated in the list at page 49.

t

Cow Dung Box.—This is an article with which every stable
should be provided. Cow’s dung is the best substance to use
as a stuffing to the feet of the horse. The process is only
required to the fore feet. From the animal standing upon dry
litter, travelling upon hard, dry roads, and exposure to the hot
sun, the hoofs become hard and unyielding; in which state
they are very liable to split, and lameness to ensue as a con-
sequence. The best preventive to this drying and splitting, is
to stuff the feet with a material containing both body and mois-
ture—qualities which are found in the substance in question.
52 HORSE CLOTHING—-LINEN BANDAGES.

Many other substances have been tried, and various expedients
resorted to; but cow’s dung after all is the best available agent
for the purpose. Pads made of felt are used in some establish-
ments. These pads are soaked in water, and (while wet) are
firmly packed to the foot, within the rim of the shoe. The
plan, however, is not a good one. The wet from the pads is
absorbed too quickly; and instead of the hoofs being made
pliable and tough, the evaporation goes on with such rapidity,
that the horn is left brittle, and in some respects worse than
before. Moist felt pads are occasionally of service applied to
the feet, when those organs are inflamed, and the application of
water as a fomentation is necessary.

During the summer season, the fore feet of horses should
be stuffed every second night; and during the winter season,
twice a week. Prior to shoeing the animal, the feet should be
stuffed at least two nights in succession.

Horse Clothing.—Horse clothing in part comprises woollen
rugs, surcingle, and woollen bandages. In every full-appointed
stable, however, suits of properly fitting clothing will be found
in addition to the articles named. A complete suit of clothing
for a horse, consists of hood, breast cloth, body cloth, or body
sheet, pad for ditto, surcingle, and knee caps. Whether these
several articles are procured or not, it is at least necessary to
have for every horse, two large woollen rugs, one surcingle, one
set of woollen bandages, and one set of linen bandages; while,
during the winter season, a small woollen rug or two in addition
will at times prove of signal service. In short, where a good
groom is kept, plenty of horse clothing will always be carefully
used, as well as held in readiness for extra occasions.

Linen Bandages.—Linen bandages are indispensable where
one or more horses are kept. They are beneficial when soaked
in cold water, and while wet, folded around the limbs. Wet
LINEN BANDAGES. 53

- bandages applied to the extremities, excite a vigorous action
within their vascular tissues. They aid in the removal of any
incipient inflammation which may be excited within the joints
and sheaths of the tendons. They also aid in the reduction of
any over-excitement within the structures which may arise from
undue exertion ; also in the dispersion of swelling of the limbs.
In short, they may be used with advantage in many ways,
and every good groom will advocate their adoption.

The proper time to apply wet bandages will depend mainly
upon the state of the limbs; upon the quantity of work
done by the animal; and upon the season of the year. Where
the limbs are fine, free from puffiness around the joints, the
weather cool, and the labour of the horse easy, the frequent
application of wet bandages is unnecessary. But if the limbs
and feet are tender and puffy, from constant battering upon the
roads, wet bandages may be applied three or four times a week
during the summer, and twice a week during the winter season.

By the combined application of wet and dry bandages to the
limbs, the effects of cold water may be varied to a remarkable
extent. The skin may be forced into a state similar to that
produced by the application of a blister. By their extreme and
constant use, the tissues of the limb become inflamed, the hair
peels away in large patches; and if the bandaging process be
pushed still further, the skin will ulcerate, and suppurate
abundantly. To produce effects similar to those detailed, it is
only necessary to apply wet bandages repeatedly to the limbs,
and over the wet bandages lightly to fold dry thick woollen ones.
By repeated application is meant, that as soon as the reaction
of the limb has subsided, and the wet of the linen bandage
evaporated, a re-application of both bandages in the manner
described be again, for some time, immediately resorted to.
‘When the limbs are weakened, and the tendinous structures are
54 GROOMING.

in as tate of chronic inflammation from continued over-exertion,
it frequently proves of essential service to push the action of
cold water to the extent represented.

Having thus enumerated the principal articles, and briefly
described a few of the essentials to a well-ordered stable, I will
next attempt to describe the duties of the groom to his horses.

Duties or tHE Groom.—The duties of the groom will be
the best understood, by simply detailing the entire process of
grooming.

Beginning then with the groom in the morning, and termi-
nating with the close of his labours at night, we will afterwards
add a few comments upon sundry matters and things of a
kindred nature, which in so doing can be treated of in a more
consecutive and satisfactory manner. In the following outline,
T shall suppose one man to have the management of two horses.

The time at which a groom enters the stable in the morning
will depend upon circumstances, such as the amount of work
performed by the horses the day previously, and the time at
which they were left for the night. The general hour, however,
is six o’clock, the year round. The principal duties of the day
are these :—To give the horses water, corn, and hay; to adjust
the straw, remove the manure, and sweep out the stalls; to
dress the horses, and re-adjust their clothing ; to clean and put
in order the stable. At night the horses generally undergo a
similar course of treatment; and the whole ought to be done
in a methodical and careful manner. A groom without method
is always busy; while all things around him are in confusion
and disorder. If without method, he is either a very idle or
a very stupid fellow. Ifidle, he will be dirty in his person.
Grooms of this stamp are generally smokers, and are seldom
without a short pipe in their mouth. Not unfrequently they
GROOMING. 55

smoke when performing the duties of the stable, when washing
the carriage, or cleaning the harness. They sometimes wash
themselves ; and then by the appearance of the dirt at the back
of their countenance, any one would suppose the act had only
been accomplished by forcing the neck of the fellow into a
pillory. Such men are all sibilation and breeches.

The methodical man will in all probability proceed as fol-
lows :—He first presents water to his horses, and immediately
afterwards gives them corn. He then removes the straw, and
separates the wet portion from the dry. The wet is carried
away along with the manure. The dung is next picked out of
the hind feet. The stable is swept in a somewhat hasty man-
ner, and a small portion of straw is then spread under the feet
of the horses. He next carefully cleans the quarters of the
horses with a wet water brush. One of the horses is then turned
round in the stall; the head collar, as well as the nostrils, is
sponged; and the head, neck, shoulders, breast, and fore limbs
are by the agency of comb, wisp, brushes, and dusters, dressed
thoroughly in every part. The horse is then turned back in
the stall; the body rug is removed, and the body and hind parts
are dressed as thoroughly, and in the same regular manner as
the parts already described. The limbs are next hand-rubbed.
The mane and tail are brushed and combed, and the horse is
considered dressed. The next duty is to shake the clothing, to
re-adjust it to the body, and fix it securely by means of the
surcingle. The second horse undergoes a course precisely similar
to the one described. The straw is straightened, and the stable
made orderly and fit to meet the scrutiny of a connoisseur. He
then gives each animal a portion of hay, when the duties of the
morning may be considered as satisfactorily performed, and
the worthy individual justly entitled to his breakfast.

The duties at night may vary to a greater extent. Let the
56 GROOMING.

reader suppose the work of the day to have been heavy, the
weather severe, and the horses to arrive at home drenched with
rain, and hungry for food. They are housed as quickly as
possible, and the work commences in earnest. They are first
stripped of the harness, except the collars; or if they have
been ridden, the bridles are taken off, and the girths merely
slackened. First, the horses are to be scraped with a flexible
scraper ; this rapidly removes the loose water from the hair and
skin. They are then clothed with hood, breast-cloth, and a
couple of body rugs. The feet are next inspected, and if found
free from stones, stumps of nails, or foreign bodies of every
kind, they are washed out with tepid water, the legs being
washed at the same time, and rapidly scraped; after which they
are bandaged higher than the knees before, and the hocks
behind. Each horse is then led into his stall, and allowed three
or four quarts of water, or (what is better) about the same
quantity of warm gruel. They are then fed with about half
their usual allowance of corn. <A little straw is spread beneath
their feet; and they are left perhaps for an hour, at the end of
which time they are allowed their fill of water or gruel, or both.
More corn is given, the collars or the saddles are removed, and
the clothing re-adjusted. If the limbs are dry (not otherwise)
the bandages are taken away, and the legs hand-rubbed. The
straw is carefully shaken down, and the beds are made comfort-
able. The racks are partly filled with hay ; the feet are stopped
with cow’s dung; the lights put out; the doors made secure;
and the horses are left for the night.

It must be understood, however, that the grooming pro-
cesses thus described constitute the more simple features of the
business. In large establishments, numberless requirements of
a different nature are constantly demanding the care of those in
attendance. Some horses are exceedingly difficult to manage :,
PERSPIRATION. 57

they are difficult from viciousness of temper, or in the dietetic
department. They may be greedy feeders, or delicate feeders ;
either of which cases occasionally requires in its management a
great deal of judgment. Some horses upon becoming the least
deranged in their stomach, are at once attacked with acute
irritation of the skin, or acute grease ; others with acute lym-
phites; and unless managed with skill—and that too of no
common order,—so as to prevent the occurrence of one or more
of the diseases in question, weeks may elapse ere they recover
and become 4it for efficient service. A skilful groom can manage
such animals in a way which to the novice may appear perfectly
simple. Such a man in any large horse-keeping establishment,
or where horses of great value are kept, is simply invaluable.
He is, in short, so to speak, the right-hand and indispensable
factotum to such a place.

Before concluding the present section, it is necessary to
advert to many other matters relating to the business of
grooming; such as how to deal with a horse brought to the
stable in a state of excessive perspiration; the temperature of
the stable; the exercising of horses; their hours of feeding,
when not at work; the advantage of immediately clothing the
animal when wet from exposure to rain, or from being recently
washed ; the proper method of adjusting the body clothing upon
the horse; and of fastening bandages. to the limbs. These
considerations, and others of similar character, it is of importance
to the novice that he should have at hand, together, with
directions relating to them, which are at once suitable and
available to his wants.

Treatment of the Horse when Perspiring —As a general rule,
when the horse is brought to the stable in a state of perspira-
tion, it is desirable to walk him gently to and fro until the skin
becomes dry ; but this, from various reasons, may not always be
58 TEMPERATURE OF STABLE-—EXEROISE

practicable. The hour at which the animal is brought in may
be late, or the horse may be exhausted, or the weather may be
severely cold, so that exposure in this way is out of the
question, or any or all of these obstacles may exist in association ;
but under more favourable auspices, when the hour is early,
the day warm, and the horse not exhausted, gentle exercise for
a short time is to be recommended; after which the skin is to
be thoroughly cleaned in the manner detailed. When gentle
exercise is impracticable, the proper course to pursue is to have
the body well scraped, and then clothed with rugs, and the
limbs washed in tepid water and folded in bandages.

Temperature of the Stable.—I have before treated upon this
question at page 28, and will simply add, that every stable,
having any pretension to completeness, ought to possess a
thermometer. The instrument should hang against the wall,
so that it may be inspected at any time. The temperature of
the stable should range from 60° to 64° Fahrenheit.

Evercise—When horses have not a full complement of
work, exercise in addition is necessary to keep them in health,
They are generally exercised in the morning, before being
dressed, (clothed according to the state of the weather,) and
are kept out of doors from one to three hours at a time,
according to circumstances. Morning is the best time, as the
air is cool and bracing, and the sun not too powerful.

Hours of Feeding.—The hours of feeding in the majority
of stables are pretty uniform. Six o’clock in the morning being
the hour at which they are usually entered, and the horses fed
for the first time. A second feed is given at twelve o’clock. A
third at four; and the last for the day at seven in the evening.
The corn is supplied out of what is called a corn salver, which
is a shallow kind of basket, made to contain about four pounds‘
weight of oats.
CLOTHING WHEN WET. ; 59

Olothing the animal, in the Stable, when Wet.—The plan
generally recommended as to horses brought into the stable
thoroughly drenched with rain, or wet from the operation of
washing, is to have them well rubbed with wisps of straw, and
with wash leathers, until they are dry. This plan is, however,
objectionable in many ways; for, without possessing much com-
pensating good, it has many attendant evils. In the first place,
if the circumstance of the animal being in this state has arisen
from severe and prolonged labour, rubbing delays the period of
his getting to rest; since to rub a wet horse dry, is a work of
considerable time, and the animal under the circumstances is
apt to become chilled, a condition of body which may induce
pneumonia, inflammation of the bowels, or other kindred dis-
eases. A better plan, therefore,.is at once to scrape briskly the
body and limbs, then to clothe the former, and bandage the
latter. Nothing less than an entire suit of clothing, and a large
woollen rug in addition, should under these special conditions
be deemed sufficient. The value of the extra rug is this :—
woollen clothing, when placed in immediate contact with wet,
rapidly absorbs it; and if two rugs are placed one upon the
other (the lowest one being in contact with the wet skin), all
the wet will rise to the surface of the upper rug, so that after a
sufficient time, and when the drying process is complete (which
is much more readily effected by this than by the means ordi-
narily pursued), it is only necessary to remove the top rug, and
the horse will be found dry, warm, and comforable. Nor will he
have experienced the slightest irritation, but on the contrary an
extra amount of warmth and comfort to the exhausted frame.

While upon the subject of clothing, it may prove of advan-
tage to many if I describe the manner in which the body rug
should be put upon the horse. A good criterion of an expe-
rienced groom, or amateur of horses, will be found in the neat
60 BANDAGES AND BANDAGING.

performance of this simple act. It should be done as follows :
The rug is first gathered into folds, such folds being parallel to
each other, and running across the fibre or nap of the sheet.
The practical adept then advances towards the head of the
horse, and on the left or near side. One half of the length
of the folded rug is next thrown gently over the animal across
the withers. The folds are then straightened out, partly by
extending the rug upon the neck, and partly by sending the
other half in a backward direction. It may now be adjusted
equally to the sides of the horse, and then gently drawn towards
the tail, until its proper place be attained. The small cloth pad
next requires placing in its proper position upon the back.
Then comes the surcingle, the long or buckle end of which
should be turned back or inverted over its strap end. The
padded centre is then set exactly over the cloth pad beneath, and
the buckle end gently dropped down on the right side. It
is then attached to the straps, buckled, and secured; and if, by
this process the rug be disarranged at the sides, it is re-adjusted,
and the operation is complete.

Bandages and Bandaging.—The benefits sought to be de-
rived from the use of bandages, are that the limbs when wet
may be dried; their warmth restored, when needful; and invi-
gorated, when subject to permanent debility. These are the
advantages which attend their use. The particulars to learn as
regards their proper mode of application are simple, but still of
importance. They should be fixed straight upon the limbs, or
(in other words) so placed as their pressure may be equal and
uniform; at the same time they should be but lightly though
firmly attached ; and the untied ends prevented by the manner
of folding from getting loose. The evils connected with their
improper application are,—irregular pressure upon the limbs;
twisting and curling of the hair from the bandages being badly
BANDAGES AND BANDAGING. 61

folded; and swelling of the veins and tissues above the knees,
from their being folded too tightly. Besides, when the bandage
is folded too tightly around the limb, it causes the structures
above the knee to swell, and thus induces a degree of numbness
which, after the bandage is removed, may for a time occasion an
impediment or irregularity in its motion. Such effects will not
probably follow when the limbs are merely bandaged for two or
three hours, neither are the minor evils at all times to be
avoided. If circumstances necessitate that the limbs should
be regularly bandaged when the animal is within the stable,
it is not advisable in such cases to apply the wet bandages too
frequently, as with too frequent use they become inert. Many
horses, otherwise excellent animals, are affected with swelling
of the extremities, which, as is well known, supervenes upon
their standing a few hours. To some extent, bandaging is
found to remedy this; and as the practice may be necessary, it
is desirable that the process be understood, and properly done.

The modus operandi is as follows. First, damp lightly and
uniformly the hair of the limb to be encased. Take the
bandage (previously made into a compact roll) in your right
hand. Let the horse stand upright upon his legs. Drop upon
your knees near to the fore foot of the horse. Pass the loose
end of the bandage to the outer side of the leg, and round by
the inner side by means of the right hand, securing the loose
end firmly to the limb with the left hand, then pass the bandage
alternately from one hand to the other, encircling the limb.
Let every fresh circle overlap about one third of the width of
the previous one, keeping the bandage at the same time as
straight and as even to the limb as possible, and in this manner
repeat the process until complete. The proper place to fix the
loose end to the limb, is a little below the knee, and on the
outer side of theleg. In coming to the heel, a little manipula-
62 RACK CHAIN—WASHING LEGS.

tion may be required to maintain the bandage evenly over the
curves of the limb. To do this it may be necessary at these
points to give the bandage a half turn or twist upon itself.
Having reached the lower part of the pastern, the spare portion
of the bandage, if any, must be worked back in the same
manner, and the second loose end (which should be provided
with ties to make it secure) tied upon the front of the limb,
a little to its outer side.

These additional observations relating to the treatment of
horses under particular circumstances or states, viz., when
perspiring, exercise, hours of feeding, temperature of the stable,
clothing the animal when wet, bandages, bandaging the limbs,
and so forth, will, it is hoped prove advantageous to the reader,
and worthy of his careful attention.

Racking Horses to the Manger.—In conclusion, I beg to
recommend one rule which is of so much importance, that it
ought to be enforced in every stable. It is this, when horses
are not required to work during the day, do not keep them
racked to the manger from morning until night. Allow their
heads to be free, and shake down their beds. The practice of
securing horses by a short chain to the rack after the grooming
processes are complete, and the animals are not wanted, is
cruel and senseless, and ought to be condemned by every
humane person.

Washing the Legs—Never wash the legs of horses when
in the stable, unless they are scraped and bandaged immediaetly
afterwards. If left to dry without bandages windgalls are
produced, and on some occasions the limbs become swollen,
stiff, and painful, and the animal suffers from a disease similar
to rheumatism, or from grease and chronic swelling.
Srotion IV.

ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THE HUNTER.

HUNTING CONDITION. EXERCISE.
PADDOOKS. DELICATE FEEDERS.
TIPS TO FEET. DISEASE.
PURGATIVES. SORE BACKS.

pore eage ix

Horsss kept for the purpose of hunting are, in the majority of
instances, animals of considerable value. I feel it incumbent
upon me, therefore, to offer a few observations in relation to
their efficient management, both as regards their special and
general treatment. The exertions undergone, and the fatigue
resulting from the pleasure of the chase, being of greater
severity than what is undergone by horses employed in ordinary
labour, a more than average knowledge is required in the
management of the class to which this section is devoted.
Experience has taught us, that certain modes of treatment are
necessary to be pursued, in order to maintain the physical
powers of the hunter in their highest condition and integrity,
the peculiarities of which depend upon a variety of circumstances.
The object to be attained by the trainer, being that particular
state of the animal designated by sportsmen as “ Hunting
Condition; to produce which is a work requiring, on his
part, time, considerable judgment, much labour, and untiring
patience.
64 HUNTING CONDITION.

Prior to entering, however, upon a description of the several
matters essential to the present section, it is proper to give the
reader a statement of what I intend more particularly to treat
upon. First, I propose to define the meaning of the common
phrase “ Hunting Condition.” Secondly, to describe the com-
mon practices by which condition of the hunter is obtained.
Thirdly, the treatment of the hunter after the severity of the
chase, and also shew the rationale of the practices adopted.
Fourthly, delicate feeders and their management. Fifthly,
upon those diseases and accidents common to the hunter.
Sixthly, upon the preparation of the animal for purgative
medicine, the proper drug to use, and the after-treatment neces-
sary to pursue. And lastly, I shall conclude with a few remarks
upon the liability of the hunter to soreness of the back, and
the mode of its prevention ; together with such observations of
a general character as may be necessary.

Houwytine Conpition.— By “ Hunting Condition’ is meant
the existence of that state of the organism, in which the physical
powers of the animal are ready for the exertion and reasonable
maintenance of their highest capabilities of activity.

Condition is not health: it is something super-added. A
horse may be in excellent health, and yet, in the sense defined,
totally out of condition ; but he cannot long retain condition
and at the same time remain out of health. Condition and
health, although different, are nevertheless inseparable. The
existence of the latter is absolutely necessary to enable the
best of trainers to procure the former. To fully discuss this
question, however, would lead us far beyond the scope of the
present section. I shall, therefore, strictly confine myself to
the task of giving an exposition of the practices adopted to
obtain condition in those animals comprising the studs of
our best hunting establishments.
HUNTING CONDITION. 65

Every intelligent groom knows from experience, the dif-
ficulties which attend the production of condition, and he also
knows the desirableness of retaining the state when produced,
no matter whether the horse in condition be much used or not.

Formerly it was the invariable practice to turn every hunter
to grass, during the spring and summer months: observation,
however, has proved this practice to be decidedly injurious. The
organism of the hunter can be relaxed of its tension, and again
brought to the state required by other methods equally simple,
and in the end far more efficient to the living economy.

The system generally pursued will perhaps be the best
understood, if I furnish the reader with an outline descriptive
of the course usually followed in this department of equine
management. Let the reader suppose the hunting season over,
and every hunter belonging to any given establishment to be
in perfect health. The duties necessary to be performed, and
the results to be effected, are then, comparatively speaking,
light and easy. In the first place, he must further suppose it
desirable to slacken the tension of the organism of every animal
comprising the stud, for a period of from two or three months ;
at the end of which time it becomes again necessary for every
horse to attain condition similar to what existed prior to its
relaxation. The principles held in view, and the methods
pursued, differ but slightly, and they may be enumerated as
follows :—

About the month of May (or earlier, weather permitting),
every horse is turned at liberty within a paddock, and allowed
to partake freely of green food. In addition to which, each horse
will have at least two, and in many instances three, feeds of oats
per diem, with hay ad libitum. The paddocks are well provided
with dry comfortable sheds, plentifully supplied with straw or
saw-dust. Into these sheds every animal is at liberty to go

E
65 HUNTING CONDITION.

during the day, and within which they are secured for the night.
The oats are old, perfectly sweet, and of the best quality. The
hay the same. The feet and legs of the horses are duly attended
to, and such minor operations as rasping the hoofs, or nailing
“Tips” upon them are regularly performed.* The above is
the course pursued, until the latter end of July, or the
beginning of August, when the stud is again housed ; and then
commences their preparation for the coming season. Every
animal has given to him a dose of purgative medicine, which we
will suppose to operate in a proper manner. In ten or twelve
days after the first dose, a second is given, of the same strength ;
and in some fourteen or twenty days after the second dose, a
third is administered: this completes the purging process. In
addition to the purging, the horses are subjected to a regular
course of exercise; the duration of which is varied according to
circumstances, such as the age of the animal, its bodily state,
strength, and so forth. As a general rule, however, the exercise
is continued to each horse for two hours at a time. It consists
of walking, and now and then slowly trotting the animal while
he is heavily clothed. At the expiration of the time allotted, the
horses are taken to the stable, thoroughly groomed, and after-
wards covered with dry clothing of a lighter kind; they are
then fed with oats, and a small portion of hay; afterwards
bedded comfortably down, and left for several hours to rest.t
Towards evening the exercise is repeated, and continued for
about an hour. Such is their regular daily course of treatment;
and as each animal becomes fitted for labour of a more severe

* “Tips” are shoes of a pecular kind, which are sometimes nailed upon
the fore feet of horses while they are at grass, to protect the hoofs from being
broken by coming in contact with the hard ground.

*t Occasionally beans are given with the oats, but in many establishments
they are not used.
HUNTING CONDITION. 67

kind, he is trotted with greater briskness in a morning, and
the trotting is continued for a longer or shorter period according
to circumstances. On some occasions, a fourth dose of purgative
medicine is given; the necessity for which is determined by the
peculiarities of the case.

In many districts suitable for the purpose, cub hunting is
resorted to about the latter end of September, in lieu of the
common walking and trotting exercise. The particular course
specified above, consisting as it does of dieting, physicking,
and exercising the hunter for the purpose of thoroughly freeing
the organism of all the impurities which act, so to speak, by
impeding the wheels of its machinery, cannot be hastily accom-
plished. The wind of the animal requires to be purified, vigour
given to the muscles, and endurance to the vital energies. By
the action of purgative medicine, the body is drained of its
superabundant serum; by sweating and grooming a similar
process is effected through the medium of the skin; while at
the same time, greater freedom of action is given to the
depurating and exhalent organs of the body, or in other words,
relieving the pulmonary, vascular, and muscular systems of
much that would otherwise prove detrimental to the animal if
put to severe and long-continued labour. Condition, then, so
far as we at present understand it, is only to be obtained by
dieting, grooming, and exercising the animal, aided occasionally
by the judicious administration of purgatives.

The plans which I have detailed, cannot perhaps be adhered
to in every instance to the very letter. Horses, like human
beings, differ much in constitution. Many of the best hunters
are delicate feeders; others are the reverse; and others are
naturally of a bad, gross habit of body; in short, there are
horses of various pecularities of constitution, and they require
to be known and clearly understood by those having their
68 TREATMENT AFTER THE CHASE.

management,—and, as experience proves, the mode of treatment
must be varied to meet the requirements of each peculiar case.
The great secret of success, is patience and steadiness,—using
food of the best kind, and frequently giving it in small quantities.
The exercise, at first, must be gentle and regular; no violence
nor rashness, either with physic, food, or exercise; but easy
sweats, small and frequent feeds, with long-continued grooming,
will do more in a month or six weeks towards the result sought
for, than any other mode with which I profess to be acquainted.
In addition to what is already stated, the feet and legs of the
animal will require constant attention.

Having now, I will suppose, prepared the hunter for the
duties of the chase, we have in the next place, to speak of the
best course to pursue, in order to keep him fully to the mark
during the continuance of the hunting season; because upon
this will depend, in a great measure, the continuance of his
usefulness.

Treatment ArrER THE CuasE.—The utmost care is
necessary in the treatment of the hunter after a severe day’s
sport; particularly if the animal should possess a delicate
constitution, or is a delicate feeder. The difficulties of the case
are then very much increased ; and here the services of a good
groom will be found invaluable. A good groom to an exhausted
hunter is, in fact, what a good nurse is to a wounded soldier.

The moment the animal enters the stable after the severities
of the day, he should be taken in hand by a couple of men who
are well versed with the duties of their business. One should
gently unloose the girths, and remove the saddle and bridle,
while the other should induce the animal to drink from two to
three quarts of warm gruel.* After which he should be

* A mixture of boiled linseed gruel and oatmeal gruel, prepared separately
in the first instance, and afterwards mixed in equal proportions.
TREATMENT AFTER THE CHASE. 69

thoroughly washed from head to foot with warm water and
soap. The feet and legs during the process should be rapidly
examined for bruises, sprains, thorns, and in short injuries of
every kind. After washing, he should be scraped as dry as
possible, then energetically rubbed for ten or fifteen minutes
with dry wash leathers. He should then be clothed in woollen
clothes—consisting of hood, breast cloth, and a couple of large
woollen rugs over the body, closely secured to it by means of a
surcingle. The limbs should also be wrapped with woollen
bandages, from the feet to as high above the knees as possible.
He should then be led into his stall, and more warm gruel
allowed, after which he should be sparingly fed with boiled
corn, and a little bran in combination, and left to himself for
about two hours, or longer if necessary ; but two hours will
generally prove time sufficient wherein to dry the animal.

The damp upon the skin will ascend through the clothing,
and lie upon the surface of the topmost rug, which remove.
The bandages must also be removed, and each limb briskly
hand-rubbed for five or ten minutes; then put on fresh ban-
dages ; give more warm gruel, or a little lukewarm water, also
a mash of boiled corn and bran, and a little hay. Next make
the animal a comfortable bed, and leave him alone for the night.
The morning following, the light feeding should be repeated, the
feet and limbs again carefully examined, and if found right, he
should be taken out and gently exercised for about half an hour,
and afterwards thoroughly groomed.

The quantity of food to be given should be slowly increased,
as the vital powers return to their original vigour. Be cautious,
however, and refrain from any approach towards glutting the
animal.

Such is a general outline of the best known course to pursue
with a hunter under ordinary circumstances ; but unfortunately,
70 FOREGOING MODES.

the work to be done is not always to be accomplished so readily.
Horses of an excitable nature, or bad feeders, or of a delicate
constitution, together with accidents, diseases, and other mat-
ters which may be denominated of an untoward character, are
to be encountered ; and to combat which with success, requires
great experience and perseverance on the part of the groom, or
indeed of any one having the care of such animals.

RationaLE oF THE Forzraornc Mopzs.—The modes of
treatment whereby condition in the hunter are obtained, are
submitted in a form which I trust will be plain and intelligible
to the reader. A slight glimpse, however, into the “ why and
the wherefore” of a portion at least of the processes detailed,
is what every one interested in these matters will naturally
desire. Our remarks will, in the main, be limited to the prac-
tices of washing, clothing, and lightly feeding the hunter;
proofs of the soundness of which are deducible from the laws
governing the functions of the organism,—the study of which
is a never-failing source of pleasure and instruction to those
who may be interested in a knowledge of their operation.

After the exertions of the chase—supposing the runs to
have been severe and long-continued—the hunter, as a natural
consequence, will experience a state of general exhaustion. The
vital power, so to speak, will be gone; and the aim of those
directly interested in the welfare of the animal, should be
directed to place him as speedily as possible in that state which
science, in combination with experience, may devise as being
the most favourable to his recovery.

The principal sources of the vital power, are the great nervous
centres; and, these from the operation of the circumstances
supposed, are in a state of complete exhaustion, the direct
consequence of which is, depression of the powers and functions
FOREGOING MODES. 71

of those organs, whose vital or functional activity is subordinate
to the central sources in question. The muscles, in consequence
of their tremendous and long-continued exertion ;—the heart, in
consequence of the extra labour it has been called upon to
perform in supplying the muscles and nervous centres with pure
blood ;—the lungs, in consequence of having to receive and so
rapidly to expose the blood currents to the atmosphere, are alike
enfeebled, both from their exertions individually, and from the
loss of central power also; while the digestive organs are
enfeebled, more from the withdrawal of power to supply other
parts, than as the result of over activity within themselves. In
addition, we may remark, that not only does this state of
general debility exist, but at the time the animal enters the
stable, the vital power which remains is greatly disturbed.
This is evident from the exited state of the pulse, the increased
action of the lungs, and perhaps the undue amount of perspira-
tion which may be going on from the general surface of the skin.
The time, however, which will necessarily elapse during the
processes of washing, clothing, and bandaging the animal, will
generally prove sufficient to allow the system to fully return
into a quieter state. In consequence of the general debility
existing throughout the nervous and muscular systems, the less
the horse is troubled, and the sooner he can be left alone, the
better ; hence, washing the animal under the circumstances
named, is a practice to be highly commended, and one far
preferable to grooming him in the ordinary way. No one,
however hard he may work, can in a reasonable period wisp the
skin dry if it be perspiring excessively. In addition to which, it
is a source of irritation to every horse of quality ; indeed its
practice is a positive injury if performed upon a beast already
half dead from over exertion. Wisping does not cleanse the skin
so effectually, nor place the animal in a position to obtain rest,
72 FOREGOING MODES.

with anything like the rapidity which washing does. Warm
water is a powerful sedative, and if applied freely to the skin
generally, its effects are known to be soothing and grateful in the
extreme. Whoever applies it, however, should at the time
work with a will; and after washing, and scraping the animal as
dry as possible, not a moment should be lost in putting on the
clothes, and folding bandages around the limbs. Reaction will
then speedily commence, and total dryness of the hair almost as
speedily follow.

Again, from the want of vital power within the digestive
organs, arising, as previously stated, from the withdrawal of
such power for the supply of other structures, it will be
dangerous in the extreme to allow the animal to gorge his
stomach with food. Delicate feeders are not to be feared in
this respect; it is rarely they will partake of anything, the
difficulty, in fact, is to induce that change within them, which
leads to the requiring of food; but with horses which enter the
stable ravenously hungry, the greatest caution on the part of
those in attendance is required. No danger is to be apprehended
from allowing the hunter a liberal portion of gruel, or from
the administration of raw eggs mixed with tepid water. These
are the proper kinds of food to allow, inasmuch as they afford
nutrition to the system, without the digestive organs being
previously called upon to digest it. The stomach and digestive
organs, upon such occasions, are not only destitute of the
power necessary to digest a liberal supply of food, but from
cireumstances in which they are placed, these organs must
of necessity remain so until their vital energies are fully
restored.

In closing our observations regarding the dietetic manage-
ment of the hunter, I may observe, that the hay required for
his use should be two years old, free from dust, and from what
DELICATE FEEDERS. 73

is called being “ mow-burnt.” It should, in fact, be of the
best quality which land can produce, or money purchase.

The oats should also be old, well fed, perfectly sweet, dry,
and not kiln-dried.

The gruel should be made of the best and sweetest, newly
ground oatmeal, and prepared in every respect with the greatest
care. Do not imagine, because it is gruel for a horse, that
therefore, any kind of sloppy preparation will answer the
purpose. Properly to prepare gruel, is a matter which requires
a degree of skill not possessed by every one. It should be
made as though intended for an invalid. Let every one who
may seek to become a groom, learn from a well-trained cook
how to make gruel. If I required a groom, to superintend a
stud of hunters, I scarcely know a better test whereby to judge
of the fitness of an applicant, than setting him to make a bucket
of gruel.

Deticate Frrpers.—It is impossible to lay down any
positive rule as to how delicate feeders are to be treated.
They require to be watched with the nicest care ; choice morsels
of food should be repeatedly presented to them ; sometimes a
carrot,—or a mouthful or two of dry corn,—or a little boiled
corn,—sometimes a cake of rye or wheaten bread, will be eaten
with great relish,—occasionally a little malt is preferred, and
in many instances a mixture composed of equal parts of new
milk, and oatmeal gruel, with the addition of a little salt, will
be taken with avidity when every other kind of food is refused.
Nux Vomica, and Muriatic Acid, will frequently prove of value
in these cases; one or other of which may be given alone, or
in alternation as may be required. Use the Nux Vomica,
of the first dilution, in drachm doses, mixed with six ounces
of water, and repeat the dose night and morning, for two or
three days in succession ; or if used in alternation with the acid,
74 DISEASE.

the former in the morning, and the latter (eight or ten drops for
a dose, in half a pint of cold water) every night, for a like period.
With such horses, success will entirely depend upon manage-
ment ;—they require to be coaxed, and treated in fact more
as we should treat children. They frequently manifest a strong
aversion to having a fresh groom about them; they know their
regular groom, and prefer him to any other person. Animals
of this kind, are not unfrequently the best hunters in the whole
of alarge stud; and many of them appear to be conscious of
this fact, and claim extra indulgence in consequence.

Driszasze.—Frequently after the severities of the day,
incipient Catarrh will manifest itself; the symptoms of which
are, pricking of the coat; frequent snorting or blowing the
nose; and now and then a cough. It is desirable to correct
this state at once, otherwise serious consequences may result.
One of the best remedies for the purpose, is the Tincture of
Camphor ; two drachms of which may be mixed in five or six
ounces of weak whiskey and water, and given with a horn.
Another result to be guarded against, is that of Pulmonary
Congestion. From the severe exertion, which at times the lungs
are called upon to undergo, congestion of these organs is liable to
supervene ; in which case a powerful stimulant is indispensable.
One of the best for this purpose, is the Aromatic Spirit of
Ammonia, from six to eight drachms of which should be given
at one dose in a pint of water. The dose can be repeated
according to the urgency of the case. Other remedies may be
required to complete the cure, which should be selected accord-
ing to the nature of the case; but as this matter is fully
treated upon in the section relating to Diseases of the Respira-
tory Organs, the attention of the reader is directed to it for
further information.
INJURIES TO THE LIMBS. 75

A very common mode in which disease is prone to super-
vene, is that of “Chill.”’ The breathing of the animal is rapid
and loud, and attended with pricking of the ‘coat and trembling
of the limbs. The pulse at first is not much disturbed, but as
reaction sets in, it beats with increased frequency. Tincture of
Aconite will be of great value if administered in attacks of this
kind. But as I shall fully treat upon this malady elsewhere,
further observations upon it at present are unnecessary.*

Insupizs to tar Limps.—Tincture of Arnica will generally
be found the best remedy for outward application to the limbs
when sprained, bruised, cut, or injured with thorns. Cold water
bandages are also invaluable; but as their use is well under-
stood in every properly regulated stable, it is not necessary to
state more upon them. Every hunting establishment should
have a supply of Arnica Lotion, which may be kept ready for
use, and made as follows :—

Tincture of Arnica, 12 ounces.
Rectified Sprits of Wine, 24 ounces.
Cold Spring Water, 3 gallons.

Mix the whole together in a large earthenware pot, having a
closely-fitting lid.

PREPARATION FOR Puysio.—The preparation for purgative
medicine is a simple affair, and may be briefly described as
follows :—Two days prior to the purgative being given, the
animal should in part be fed with mashes of bran, three of
which at least are necessary. Suppose, for example, it be deter-
mined to give the purgative on a Tuesday: the first mash for
the purpose of preparation should be allowed upon the Monday
morning, the second on the evening of the same day, and the

* See Article “Chill.” Section VII.
76 PREPARATION FOR PHYSIC.

third upon the Tuesday, about ten or eleven o’clock in the fore-
noon ; after which the horse is to be kept entirely without water
and food until six or seven o’clock in the evening, when the
purgative is given. In half an hour after its administration,
allow the horse as much chilled water as he will drink; then a
good sized mash; after which he may be bedded down, and left
for the night. The morning following, if the purging has not
commenced, give at once more lukewarm water, and exercise
the horse until it is fully established, which is rarely very long,
—generally, I may say, within an hour from being taken out of
the stable. The bowels being acted upon, place the amimal as
speedily as possible within the stable, and let him remain there
until the purging wholly subsides, which may be facilitated if
the horse will drink frequently of chilled water or warm gruel.
The food allowed during the action of the drug may be of the
ordinary kind, but the corn given is better if previously boiled.
The diet, in short, should consist of chilled water or gruel, or
both; also boiled oats, bran, and hay; and under no circum-
stances of an ordinary character ought the animal to be again
exercised, or worked, or taken out of the stable, until the
purging ceases, which may be in one or two days after its com-
mencement. Jt is dangerous to exert horses when under the
influence of purgative medicine: to do so, may be productive
of results of a fatal character.

The best purgative for horses is Barbadoes Aloes. The
quantity necessary for a dose will depend upon circumstances ;
such as the susceptibility of the horse to the action of the
drug, the genuineness of the aloes, and the time allowed to
prepare the bowels for its action. Some horses are far more
sensitive to the effects of aloes than others. Washy horses are
usually of this nature: instances, however, occur where this
kind of horse does not prove so sensitive to the action of pur-
PREPARATION FOR PHYSIC. 77

gatives; and instances also occur of horses of a very robust
constitution being exceedingly sensitive to their use. The only
means, however, by which this fact is to be ascertained (as to
the sensitiveness of a particular horse to the drug,) are by its
administration. The ordinary quantity for a dose, is from four
to six drachms, mixed with a little powdered gentian and palm
oil, and given asa ball. The latter ingredient being merely used
to make up an adherent mass convenient for ready use.

Sometimes the aloes fail to produce purgation. A full
stomach is a preventative to this, also the non-preparation of
the bowels with mashes; hence the reason why mashes of bran
should be allowed to prepare the stomach and bowels for the
drug, and why the animal should fast for some‘hours prior to
the ball being given. When the drug fails to purge, it may
excite the kidneys, and its effects pass off by causing greater
abundance of urine; when this occurs, it is not wise to repeat
the ball in less than a week from its first administration.

The usual practice with purgative medicine, is to give it in
a morning. With this, as a general rule, I do not concur, for
the following reasons. It is seldom or ever a purgative will act
under twelve or fifteen hours after its administration; and in
many cases it is apt to occasion violent disturbance to the
bowels, which should be counteracted as soon as possible. It
sometimes produces colic of a severe character; so that when the
ball is given in a morning, the disease alluded to may supervene
during the night, and in all probability at a time when the
attendants are not at hand to afford the animal relief; but if
the ball be given at night, and any disturbance of the kind
named should arise the day following, it is more likely to be
speedily discovered, and relief promptly afforded. As a general
rule then, I should advise when a physic pall is given, to
give it at night.
78 PREVENTION OF SORE BACKS.

Prevention oF SoreE Bacxs.—When horses enter the
stable hot and perspiring from being severely ridden, as a
general rule it is not advisable to remove the saddle immediately.
The admission of cold air to the skin, at a time when it may be
in a state approaching that of being parboiled, is all but certain
to cause a severe soreness of the back. An excellent mode to
prevent this, is simply to slacken the girths, and allow the
saddle to remain upon the horse for at least half an hour after
he enters the stable. This cannot, however, on all occasions be
done, particularly when the animal is to be washed in the man-
ner I have detailed. The best substitute for the saddle upon
such occasions, is an old saddle pannel, applied well warmed to
the back, and buckled firmly down with a surcingle. The
application of the pannel in the way suggested, and allowing
it to remain for about half an hour afterwards, will generally
be found to answer the end required.

I conclusion, I have merely to observe, that the medical
treatment necessary to check superpurgation, and the surgical
and medical treatment best to pursue with sore backs, the
reader will find fully detailed, under their proper headings, in
Part II. of the present volume.

I have also to observe, that Section VI. will relate to the
hygienic treatment of the sick’ horse, in which the reader will
find many observations of a special and general kind, all
applicable to the subject treated upon in this section. The
two sections, in fact, are intimately associated, inasmuch as
they treat upon subjects of a like nature and importance.
Srorion V.

ON THE SHOEING OF HORSES, AND ON THE
GENERAL TREATMENT OF THE FOOT.

STRUCTURE OF HOOF. NUMBER OF NAILS.

RATE OF GROWTH. LEATHER SOLES.

CAUSES OF LAMENESS, GUTTA PERCHA SOLES.

PARING THE FEET. FORGING.

FORM OF SHOE. RULES FOR SHOEING.
ag ee

Tue art of properly shoeing the horse, and the subject of the
general treatment of his feet, are matters of considerable interest
to the public. ‘No Foot, no Horse,” is an old adage; and the
more we see of horses, and experience the value of their service
the more obvious becomes the truth of this proverb.
Notwithstanding that the practice of horse-shoeing is of
great antiquity, much ignorance still prevails as to the best
mode of doing it, so as to secure the greatest amount of
comfort to the foot and safety to the animal. No other depart-
ment connected with the management of horses is of more
supreme importance to the owner in a pecuniary point of view,
than the one in question. Bad feeding, imperfect ventilation,
and other matters of like character, may for a time be partially
neglected with impunity; but if the animal be not properly
shod, the feet are speedily crippled, and the horse, as a natural
consequence, is rendered useless. It is not my intention, how-.
ever, to enlarge upon this subject to any very considerable
80 SHOEING OF THE HORSE.

extent; it having been already so ably treated upon by Mr.
Miles, of Hixfield; and as an additional recommendation, the
essay is issued in a form so cheap, that it is accessible to all.*
He, however, has neglected to deal with a number of details,
which in my opinion are of too much importance to be left
unnoticed. I propose, therefore, to treat upon certain of these
details, and in doing so, shall avail myself to some extent of the
labours of the author named. I will also call attention to other
associated subjects equally significant and important,

It is too much the practice with many authors who treat
upon the subject of horses, to speak of shoeing as “a great but
necessary evil.” So far, however, from this being the case, it
will be found to be a decided advantage. Unless the feet are
adequately protected, the animal, if worked upon hard roads,
will speedily become useless and unfit in every way, either for
pleasure or business. Writers, therefore, who so dolorously
lament the nesessity for fixing what they call “an unyielding
bar of iron, to that highly flexible organ, the foot,’ may be
severally suspected of ability to write a considerable amount of
nonsense. The errors committed in shoeing, and the consequent
evils tothe animal to which these erroneous conclusions have
reference, arise to a great extent, from the applying of this
“unyielding bar of iron” in an improper manner, and upon
incorrect rules of art, rather than from the thing itself.

In the present section, I shall treat in a plain manner upon
a few matters relating to the exercise of this art, endeavouring
to lay down certain rules with regard to its practice, and supply
such sufficient reasons for their recognition as will, I trust,
enable all who follow me with attention, to perceive their
adaptation and value. They will be found serviceable to the
amateur, in assisting the formation of his judgment; and to the

Horse Shoeing, by W. Miles. London: J. Murray, Albemarle-st., 1858.
SHOEING OF THE HORSE. 81

farrier, by leading him to the more efficient performance of
his responsible duties. To enable the reader the better to
understand their full importance, I will, in the first place,
describe the structure of the hoof of the horse, the mode of its
development, and the rate of its growth.

The organization of the equine foot is one of the most
perfect examples of Creative Wisdom which can be studied by
the human mind. Its beauty of structure,—its completeness
of parts,—and their adaptability to the intended uses and
purposes of the organ, alike testify to the truth of this conclu-
sion. It is surely one of the most wonderful combinations of
living mechanism in the world: volumes might be written in
iustration of this without in any way exhausting the interest
of the subject.

In commencing our examination, we find that the bones which
give support to the softer tissues constituting the limbs, are
so placed as to afford the greatest amount of resistance to those
violent shocks and concussions, to which every limb is neces-
sarily subject. They are placed in mediate contact with each
other, and are retained at varying angles by means of ligaments
and tendons of the greatest tenacity and strength; while the
more delicate and sensitive structures of the foot are enclosed
and protected by a mass of horn, to which the cunning hand
of a skilful shoeing smith should fix a properly formed piece
of iron, thereby further protecting the tissues within, and more
fully adapting the animal to its various uses and requirements.
The present description will not extend beyond the horny
covering of the foot, as any further observations would be
unnecessary for our present purpose. The annexed engravings
will illustrate the various parts of the hoof, their positions and
importance, far more clearly than such ideas could be conveyed
in words to the mind of the reader. Figure 8 represents a

E
82 THE HOOF.

hoof from which the internal structures have been separated.
In examining it, the reader is supposed to look into the cavity
of the organ.

 

Fig. 8.
View of the Hoof as it appears when separated from its internal
attachments.

aaa The Horny Crust. ce The Horny Plates, or Horny
6 The Coronary Concavity stud- Laminz of the hoof.
ded with minute pores, which are | dd The Bars of the foot.
the commencement of the Horn | ee The Frog.
Tubes, of which the hoof is en- | gy The inner surface of the Sole.
tirely composed. f The Cleft of the Frog.

The Hoof, or what is frequently called the Crust, is too well
known to need any description of its form and position. If
it be attentively viewed by an observer standing in front of the
animal, he will perceive the organ to be more convex upon its
outer, than upon its inner side. “Once upon a time,” when
Professor Coleman was supreme in the veterinary world, the
form of the foot was described as being that of half a circle.
All such descriptions, however, are superficial and erroneous ; for
if the organ was so formed, the animal during rapid motion
HORN TUBES. 83

would be very liable to cut and lacerate the limbs upon their
inner surfaces. The outer half of the hoof differs also from
the inner in another respect: it contains a greater thickness
of horn. The importance of knowing this, and other peculiarities
of structure shortly to be described, will readily be perceived
by the reader, should he peruse the articles on Sanderack, False
Quarter, and other diseases to which the horny substance is
liable.

Horn Tuszs.—Those ignorant of the structure of the
hoof would naturally suppose it to be a solid mass of horn: an
examination of it, however, with a common magnifying lens

G Transverse Section of the
Hoof magnified six dia-
meters,

  
 
 

aaa The Horny Lamine
of the Hoof.

bb The Horn Tubes, of
which the hoof is
mainly composed.

Fig. 9.

will.at once prove the incorrectness of this idea. If the reader
will procure the hoof of a dead horse, and look carefully at the
coronary concavity, (see Fig. 8, letter 6,) he will notice an
immense number of minute pores or openings. These are the
commencement of the horn tubes, which are continued from
the top to the bottom of the hoof; the hoof in fact is a series
of minute cylinders or hollow tubes. These tubes exist in
immense numbers, are placed side by side, and traverse the
entire length, or rather depth of the horny mass. The animal,

* This may be readily done by macerating the limb for some timé in

water, when the hoof by a little force will easily separate from its connecting
tissues, and its tubular structure will be exposed.
84 HORN TUBES.

strange as the statement may appear, stands and travels upon
thousands of cylinders, all arranged with extreme regularity
and held together by 2 common glutinous medium, constituting
in a great measure the peculiar pigment which gives colour to
the hoof. Attached to the lower border (ground border) of the
crust, is the sole which, like the hoof, consists also of cylinders.
This may be readily demonstrated upon a living animal. If the
reader will take the trouble to raise the foot of a horse, and
free the sole from dirt by washing it, he may easily perceive by
the aid of a common pocket magnifier the innumerable pores of
which the sole is composed.*

 

Fig. 10.

A Perpendicular Section of the Hoof of the Horse, shewing the Coronary
Concavity, the Horny Lamina, the Tubular Structure of the Sole, and
the open mouths of the Horn Tubes or Pores of the Sole.

aaa The Coronary Concavity. dd The Horn Tubes of the inner
bb The Lamine. surface of the Frog and Sole.
e The Crust. ee The Crust.

In illustration of this, Figure 10 affords a view of the hoof
divided perpendicularly : the commencement of the horn tubes
within the coronary concavity, together with the lamine and
the horn tubes of the sole, are all exactly delineated according
to their natural positions.

* T strongly recommend every gentleman who may be fond of horses to
procure a hoof.
SOLE OF FOOT. 85

Sore or Foor.—From the crust we proceed to investigate
the sole of the foot. Figure 11 shews the ground surface of a
right fore foot : reference to the letters, and the annexed descrip-
tion will enable the reader to easily understand every part.

Ground surface of Hoof oy
right fore foot, shewing the
Frog, the Bars, the Crust,
and the Sole.

    
 

i aa The Bars.

666 The Crust, in close con-
tact with

dd The Sole.

ec The Frog.

e The Toe.

Ff Corners of the Heels:

It is here where corns

are formed.

Fig. 11.

The principal matters to be noticed, are—the shape of the
sole, the varying thickness of the crust, and the perfect form of
the frog and bars. Observe also the greater swell of the crust
() on the right, than upon the left side. As the crust is the
structure into which the nails are driven to fix on the shoe, the
reader will perceive, by referring to the engraving, where the
nails should be inserted. It will appear evident that the toe,
and the outer quarter of the foot, are the parts naturally best
adapted for such a purpose.

I have compared, by measurement, the fore feet of a great
number of horses, with reference to the thickness of the crust ;
the difference of width between the right and left, or outer and
inner halves of the feet; the angle of the crust; the depth of
the crust at the toe, and at the heels; the width of the sole ;
86 SOLE OF FOOT.

the length of the foot from the posterior part of the frog to the
point of the toe; and the rate at which the crust is usually
developed or grown. I have found the average measurement
of fore feet of the best quality of horses, which range in height
from fifteen hands two inches to sixteen hands high, to be as
follows :—Depth of hoof from the coronet to the point of the
toe, three and three quarter inches ; ditto at the heels, from one
and a half to nearly two inches; width across ground surface
of sole at its broadest part, five inches; length from posterior
or back part of the frog to the point of the toe, five inches;
thickness of crust at the thickest parts, half an inch ; width of
outer half of ground surface of foot, from centre of frog, two
inches and about nine-sixteenths ; ditto of inner half from same
pont of frog, two inches and barely three-eighths. Angle of
hoof at the toe, or at its deepest part, forty-five or forty-six
degrees ; rate of growth of hoof five-sixteenths of an inch per
month.

All hoofs, however, are not of the excellent kind here de-
scribed: the angle of some being much greater, and of others
less. Many hoofs are very little more than a quarter of an inch
in thickness at the thickest part. The ground surface of the
best class is always concave or vaulted in form; others, of an
inferior kind, are flat or nearly so; others again are convex,
resembling the outer surface of an oyster shell. Convex feet
are always objectionable, the animal possessing them being unfit
for rapid locomotion. Many hoofs are more than two inches
deep at the heels, while others are less than one inch.

The growth of feet also differs considerably. Some grow
rapidly at the toe, and scarcely at all at the heels or quarters.
Feet that are flat-soled, or oyster-formed at the sole, have this
peculiarity of growth. In short, the endless variety of feet as
to their form, size, strength, mode and rate of growth is very
LAMENESS. 87

surprising; at the same time their apparent deficiencies may
not greatly affect their soundness and durability. In this con-
dition they may remain, providing that they are not crippled
by the ignorance or mismanagement of farriers.

The measurements given, and the facts above stated, form
the basis from which I shall deduce the various conclusions
and rules, which will follow hereafter, with reference to the
shoeing of the horse, and the general treatment of the foot.
However, before describing the necessary processes relating to
the farrier’s art, it is essential to enumerate those bad effects
which so frequently attend its unskilful practice. These may
be described under the general head of lameness, arising from
the following causes :—

I.—From the shoe pressing too close to the sole of the
foot.

II.—From the shoe pressing too close upon the heels.
(Corns of the fore feet are mainly attributable to this cause.)

III.—From the paring and rasping of the feet to a
greater extent than the horn is capable of being reproduced,
during the period which elapses between one shoeing and
another.

IV.—From pricks, stabs, and other injuries, which may
be inflicted by the nails, if driven within, or too closely to the
sensitive structures.

V.—From the shoe not properly fitting the fore feet, so
as to allow of a sufficiency of “ spring’”’ at the quarters.

VI.—From the web of the shoe not affording sufficient
cover to the sole of the foot.
88 PARING AND RASPING.
VII.—From the shoes projecting too far beyond the heels.
VIII.—From the shoes being too heavy.

These are the principal of the direct causes which operate
so injuriously to the fore feet. If gentlemen, owning horses,
intend to use them with satisfaction to themselves, and comfort
to their animals, it is incumbent upon them to learn what
pertains to their welfare in shoeing, otherwise they will be
victimised, and their horses subjected to treatment of a detri-
mental nature. It may be reasonably supposed, that the care
and attention of a master will always be more efficient in the
maintenance of order and regularity within the stable, than
the inspection simply of a dependent. Owners of horses
should be able to recognise when the auimals comprising their
stud are properly or improperly treated. Entrusting them
entirely to the management of servants not under vigilant
supervision, frequently results in gross neglect, the infliction
of unnecessary pain to the objects of their charge, waste of
food, and of the materials required in the stable, and probably
direct pillage of the property of the owner.

As the methods necessary to be adopted for the efficient
shoeing of the fore feet are different in many respects from
those required for the hind feet, I shall treat upon the two
separately.

Panine anv Raspine tHe Forr Frt.—One of the most
prolific causes of lameness of the fore feet arises from the too
frequent and excessive use of the drawing knife and the rasp.
The evils resulting from over paring and over rasping are
incalculable. It is impossible to condemn too strongly the
practices refered to if carried to an undue extent. To what
PARING AND RASPING. 89

legitimate extent the practices in question may be carried, the
reader may ascertain immediately. Common sense will tell
any man who will reflect upon the matter, that if the feet are
cut and rasped without judgment, and to a greater extent than
the horn is grown during the intervals of shoeing, the animal
will speedily become useless, from the want of protection to
the sensitive structures within the hoof; yet this is regularly
done by at least three-fourths of the farriers in the kingdom.
Hoofs of the best class, and those which grow most vigorously,
only produce horn at little more than five-sixteenths of an
inch per month; while bad hoofs, or those which are thin,
weak, and low at the heels and quarters, do not produce the
material so rapidly even as this. AJl that the farrier should
remove, are those loose cakes of horn attached to the sole, and
this is especially necessary in order to bed the shoe carefully
to the rim of the foot. A single cut with the drawing knife
beyond this, is productive more or less of injury. The frog,
unless diseased, should never be cut; the functions of this
organ being of too important a character to be interfered with
by ignorant or bungling attempts to improve upon its natural
formation.

Immediately above the frog, are a number of structures
which in combination form two most important articulations,
viz., the Coffin and the Navicular Joints; and the principal use
of the frog is to afford protection to the parts in question;
consequently to cut away this organ, or any portion of its
substance, is to remove the natural protection from these joints
and structures, and thereby unnecessarily expose them ta injury.
We have no hesitation in saying that thousands of horses have
been ruined by the practice alluded to. My advice is, LET THE
FROG ALONE, With my own horses, I do not allow the smith
to cut away even the ragged portions which occasionally hang
‘90 PARING AND RASPING.

from the sides of this organ. The constant attrition which
the frog undergoes when in contact with the road, is sufficient
to control its size, without having recourse to a knife or a rasp
in addition.

A: horse, in regular work upon hard roads, requires a set of
new shoes every four weeks, and the old set removing once
between. I know numbers of horses, however, which require
a set of new shoes every three weeks. Now, what with being
newly shod, and having the shoes removed in addition, and
from a smith cutting and rasping the feet so frequently (sup-
posing all feet to grow at the rate of five-sixteenths of an inch
in a month, or one inch in three months), it is evident, unless
great care be exercised, that more horn may be removed than
can be grown between the periods of shoeing. Smiths frequently
boast of “ opening the heels” with a view of causing the foot
to expand, when at the time they are perhaps committing an
irreparable mischief to the animal.

Every master farrier ought to know the usual rate of growth
of the hoofs of every horse shod at his establishment, by which
means he would understand the strength of every hoof, and its
ordinary capability of resistance. He would also be able to
calculate the exact amount of horn which he could safely cut
or rasp away, without fear of injury to the foot.* It may here
be added, that the greater the thickness of the hoof and the
sole, the greater the security to the delicate structures within.

* The means of attaining this knowledge are simple. Procure a small
three-edged file, and file a portion of the horn across its substance, a certain
distance—say one inch—from the coronet. Do this at the front of the hoof
and at the quarters ; then with a pair of compasses measure the distance of
the part filed from the junction of the hoof with the hair. Make a memo-
randum of the distance ; and every time the animal is shod, compare with
the first measurement. By this means the rate of growth of the hoof will
be readily known. ;
PARING AND RASPING. 91

The injuries which result from the excessive use of the rasp
are of a different and somewhat less dangerous character than
those inflicted with the drawing knife. The hoof contains
within its horny substance a certain amount of latent moisture.
It is this latent moisture which keeps the organ strong’ and
tough; and any agency productive of inordinate evaporation
from its surface (a small amount is constantly exhaling), tends
naturally to render it dry, unyielding, and brittle. To prevent
this, nature has so constituted the foot, that it secretes a
peculiar substance which is spread in abundance over the
external surface of the crust. This substance consists prin-
cipally of silex or flint; it is in fact a coating of flint, which
dries and hardens, thus preventing undue evaporation as well
as protecting the hoof from the heat of the sun.* Man,
however, so clever and so wise withal, must improve upon
Nature and beautify her works, and his notion of doing this
upon the foot of the horse, is by paring and rasping the organ,
which for the time being perverts her ends and intentions. The
rasping which a hoof ought to undergo is slight in comparison
with that which usually takes place. It should be rasped
immediately below where the nails issue from the horn, and at
the border of the foot resting upon the shoe. Rasping imme-
diately below where the nails are clenched, allows of their being
more securely fixed. It is also necessary to the border conti-
guous to the shoe, and to the toe to shorten it. In cases also
where the horn grows more rapidly at the toe than at the heels
and quarters, shortening the former by rasping will materially
aid in deepening the latter.

* We observe a similar arrangement on the stem of the sugar cane.
By bending a piece of cane, the experimenter may notice upon the bent sur-
face, a number of loosened particles of metallic looking matter. This is the
siliceous covering of the cane. Similar deposits may be observed upon the
outer surface of straw, and most of the dried grasses.
92 SHOE CONCAVE UPON SURFACE.

In concluding under this head, I may repeat, that the
amount of paring and rasping must be regulated by the growth
of the horny substance ; but under no conditions (save those of
disease) are the frog or the bars to be pared, nor is the surface
of the hoof to be rasped, beyond the extent stated above.

SHOE TO BE MADE Concave upon THE Foor SuRFACE.—
The importance of the shoe being dished, or made concave upon
its foot surface, will be obvious to the reader if he reflects upon
the facts already detailed respecting the organization of the
hoof. It has been explained that the sole of a properly formed
foot is concave or vaulted ; consequently the weight of the animal
has to be entirely supported by the crust; and to this crust
the shoe must necessarily be attached. That part of the hoof
which naturally receives and supports the weight of the
animal, should be that to which the protecting medium ought
to be secured.

Figure 12, shewing the pro-
per form of the shoe, or as it
should be before being nailed
to the hoof.

aaaa The bearing surface of
the shoe.

666 The concave or dished
part, made so as to
prevent the shoe
from pressing upon
the sole of the foot.

 

Fig. 12.

The proper form of the foot surface of a shoe is shewn in
Figure 12; aa, called the bearing surface, is the part made level
to receive the crust; 65 is the dished or concave part. As a
rule for the guidance of farriers, a fore foot shoe ought to be
SHOES ROUNDED AT THE TOES. 93

just so much dished as to allow, when nailed to the crust, of a
picker being freely passed all around between it and the sole.
More than ordinary care should be taken to prevent the shoe
from pressing upon the quarters and corners of the heels.
I mention the quarters and the heels more particularly, because
it is at these points that undue pressure is to be dreaded, and
is so frequently the cause of lameness. It is also here, that
corns have their seat (see ff, Figure 11, page 85), and every
horseman well knows the danger which attends their presence.
A corn is a common cause of foot lameness, and occasionally of
the animal falling down and injuring its knees.

The flatter the sole of the foot, the more the shoe will
require to be dished, and the greater the care necessary to be
exercised by the farrier in fitting it. Horses having flat-soled
feet, if shod by an ignorant or careless smith, will generally be
found to have corns within the heels, and bruises upon the
soles of the feet.

Tue Saor To BE Rounpzp at THE Tor.—The rationale of
this, as a rule, will appear evident to any one, who will take the
trouble to examine the worn-out shoes of horses; he will find that
the majority of them will be much worn at the toe. The animal
for several days after having been newly shod, without the toe
being rounded, will generally trip more than when it is
fashioned as directed,—a strong proof that the rule is worthy
of being practised. A fore foot shoe ought to be rounded at
the toe, and the rounded part properly hardened at the time.

Tur Bzarine or THE SHoz To BE Unirorm.—This in
most cases is necessary. In some instances, however, it will be
expedient to give the shoe what is called “a spring” at the
quarters; that is, the shoe, as it approaches the heels of the
foot, is to be very slightly bent from the crust. Many horses

-having excellent fore feet, could not travel with safety unless
94 PROTECTION OF FORE FOOT.

the shoes were so prepared. The way in which the farrier is
to proceed with the shoe is as follows. It is first to be fitted
uniformly to the crust ; it is then to be placed upon the anvil
with the foot surface downwards, and gently struck across the
middle, just to give the necessary bend to the iron, The slight
inflexion thus given does not in the least alter the even bearing
of the crust: it simply allows of greater freedom of motion to
the foot.

Dreree or Cover NEcESSARY TO THE Fore Frert.—The
extent of cover, or protection which the fore feet may require
from the shoes, will depend upon the size of the animal, as well
as upon the size and peculiarities of the feet. Large sized
horses, and those having large feet, will naturally require a
heavier shoe, and one possessing greater breadth upon its
ground surface, than small horses having proportionately small
feet. Thin flat-soled feet require more cover of shoe than
those having concave, strong, well formed soles. The former
are more liable to suffer from irregularities of the road, so that
a greater breadth of shoe is necessary to afford protection to the
sole. This is a question, however, so easy at all times to deter-
mine, that it is unnecessary to dwell further upon it.

Fir or tH SHor.—The shoe ought to fit the foot. This
is so obvious, that it may almost be considered a self-evident
truism ; but however true abstractedly, it is very far from being
trite in practice. Thousands of feet are made to fit the shoes,
rather than the shoes made to fit the feet, and thousands of
horses are rendered lame in consequence. A careful attention,
however, to the previous remarks with respect to the paring
and rasping of feet, will fully enable the reader to judge as to
whether a farrier, when shoeing a horse, is fitting the shoe to
the feet, or the feet to the shoes,
FIT OF THE SHOE. 95

Mr. Miles recommends that the outer rim of the shoe
should exactly correspond to the rim of the crust; and also
that the web of the shoe be of uniform width. He says, “ the
edge of the shoe must be made to correspond with the edge of
the hoof all round, from heel to heel; and to do this effectually,
and keep the web of the shoe as wide at the heels as it is at the
toe, the heels must be brought in until they very nearly touch
the frog. I would not have them bear on the frog, but I would
rather see them touch it than be able to lay my finger between
it and the shoe.

“There are many advantages attending the bringing in of
the heels, and not a single disadvantage to set against them.
In the first place, it removes all the points and projections by
which stiff ground is enabled to pull off the shoe; in the next
place, it affords a good, firm, flat surface for the heels of the
hoof to rest upon, and by bringing the sides of the shoe nearer
together, the navicular joint (which lies in the hoof above the
frog and about an inch from its point) is saved from many an
unlucky jar from stones on the road, by the shoe receiving it
instead of the frog. The shoe must not only fit the edge of the
crust, but the whole of the crust must have an even bearing on
the shoe ; and this can only be effected by making the shoe hot
enough to scorch the horn, and applying it to the foot. The
quantity of horn to be thus destroyed, when the foot and shoe
have both been made as level as the smith can make then, is
very inconsiderable, and the heat so applied can do no harm.
I would not have the shoe burnt into its place on the foot
without previous preparation, as is very often done to save a
little trouble, but I would have the hot shoe so applied as to
insure a close fit all around. A thin, weak hoof will not bear
as much heat, without inconvenience to the horse, as a strong
one; but asa close fit is of even more importance to a weak
96 NUMBER OF NAILS.

foot, than to a strong one, it is essential that the shoe be
applied to it hot enough to scorch the projecting portions of
“horn, in order that they may be seen, and removed. When
the shoe has been carefully fitted to the foot it must be cooled
and back-holed ; that is, the nail holes must be opened on the
foot surface of the shoe; and in doing this care should be taken
to break down the outer edge of all the holes, so that the nail
may pass straight through the shoe without any inclination
inwards, and the openings should be made large and free to
prevent the shank of the nail becoming tied in the hole (iron-
bound) before the head has been driven fairly home.” This
quotation so completely exhausts this division of the subject,
that I have nothing further to add beyond my willingness to
adopt as my own the views put forth, not only with regard to
the above, but also as to the
Numper or NaIns NECESSARY TO SECURE THE SHOE TO
tHE Foor.—From time immemorial it has been considered
necessary to use eight nails to fix a shoe securely to the foot;
but this practice, like many others whose chief authority is
their antiquity, is found by experience to be generally useless
and unnecessary. Five is the number which Mr, Miles con-
siders amply sufficient to retain each shoe firmly in its place,
and that they should be distributed as follows, viz., three nails
to the outer quarter, and two to the inner. “As a general rule
the first nail on the outside should be placed an inch and
a half from the centre of the toe, the second in the middle of
the quarter, and the third just behind the quarter; and on the
inside, the first nail should be rather more than an inch from
the centre of the toe, and the second about three quarters of an
inch behind it. By this arrangement the whole of the inner
quarter and heel are left unfettered and free to expand, and
any undue pressure on the sensitive parts of the foot, from the
descent of the bones into the hoof, is avoided.”
NUMBER OF NAILS. 97

The annexed engraving, also taken from Mr. Miles’s work,
will perhaps shew the matter still more clearly.

Figure 13 shews the foot surface
of a left fore foot shoe, giving
the position of the nail holes,
as recommended by Mr. Miles.

a The Toe.
ec The Outside Quarter and
Nail Holes.
eb The Inside Quarter, shew-
ing the Nail Holes.
ddd The Web of the shoe.

 

Fig. 18.

The common practice is to fix a fore foot shoe with eight
nails; this number is more than necessary for hack and harness
horses. I have experimented a good deal in this matter, and
can with confidence state that Mr. Miles’ recommendation, so
far as it relates to saddle and harness horses, is good. Five
nails in their case are sufficient; but should the reader be scep-
tical upon the matter, he may readily test it for himself, without
either risk or expense, by using, on the first opportunity, the
five nails instead of eight.

I do not recommend five nails on the same ground merely
as Mr. Miles, viz., because “by this arrangement the whole of
the inner quarter and heel are left unfettered and free to
expand ;” since the expansion of the hoof is, with many, a
question of doubt. Numbers of veterinary surgeons deny it
altogether; others, however, as strenuously affirm it. In my
opinion, both are right, and both are wrong. I have found the
feet of young horses and of those which have not been severely
taxed with labour, to expand; while the feet of aged horses,

G
98 LEATHER AND GUTTA PERCHA SOLES.

and of those for a long time engaged in severe labour, have not
had this characteristic. At least, after numbers of experiments
carefully conducted, I have hitherto failed to satisfy myself
that the rule is without exception; so that with feet of the
latter class, a nail or two in addition to the number stated
will not be detrimental to the physical welfare of the organ
operated upon.

LeatHer anp Gutta Prercua Sones to Frerer.—Nun-
bers of fore feet require more protection than is afforded by
the shoes. Feet having flat or “ pumiced’’ soles, low heels, and
weak crusts, are of this character; in which cases it is usual to
employ leather for the purpose of affording additional protec-
tion; and if carefully fitted to the soles, they will be found of
essential service; but much care is required to adjust them
comfortably to the feet, besides the additional trouble of apply-
ing tar and tow to the soles, to prevent the horn from becoming
dry and hard. In those cases, however, where further protection
simply is needed, I recommend the use of gutta percha in pre-
ference to leather. It can be made to accurately fit the sole;
it does not require the additional aid of tar and tow to the foot;
and, if necessary, it can be removed at pleasure without having
to remove the shoes as well. As the application of gutta percha
to the feet is an operation requiring skill and tact on the part
of the operator, I shall describe the process for the benefit of
those who may not understand it, but who, nevertheless, may
desire to experiment upon its efficacy.

First, prepare the foot, and fit the shoe in readiness to nail
to the crust,—taking care to have the foot surface of the shoe
properly dished. Next, procure a piece of gutta percha, about
three-sixteenths of an inch in thickness, place the foot surface
of the shoe upon it, and with a sharp pointed instrument mark
the gutta percha through the nail holes, to indicate the size of
SHOEING THE HIND FEET. 99

sole required ; then cut it accordingly. The artificial sole will
not require to be the size of the shoe: if it extends to the
inner border of the bearing surface of the shoe (see letters aa
Fig. 12, page 92), it will be sufficient. Having determined the
size of the sole, nail the shoe to the foot; then (to do what is
necessary) place the gutta percha in hot water, and there allow
it to remain until it becomes soft; then lift it gently out; and
while an assistant firmly holds the foot, place the softened sub-
stance in a proper position upon the sole, and with the fingers
and the aid of a thin flat piece of lancewood (cut at one end to
the shape of a wedge), press the gutta percha under the dished
part of the shoe, and also closely to the sole and frog upon
every part of the foot. The operation then is complete.

If the above operation be neatly and expeditiously per-
formed, the artificial sole will scarcely be observed when the
animal is in motion. Should it be desirable to remove the sole,
it can be again readily softened with hot water, and taken away
without disturbing the shoes. A gutta percha sole not only
protects the foot to which it may be applied, but (by prevent-
ing evaporation from the ground surface of the organ—which
it does), it precludes the horn from becoming too hard and
brittle.

SHOEING THE HIND Frrt.—From the fore feet, we pro-
ceed to the consideration of those matters which pertain to the
shoeing of the hind feet. These may be comprised under the
three following heads :—

I.—Raising the heels of the shoes.
II.—The prevention of cutting.

III.—The prevention of forging or clicking, or what in
Yorkshire is designated “ hammering and pincering.”
100 RAISING THE HEELS.

These several matters I shall briefly consider in the order
stated ; and then conclude the present section with such
remarks and observations with respect to the general treat-
ment of the foot as the subject may require.

Ratstna tHe Herts.—The advantages which attend the
use of calkens to the heels of the hind feet shoes will become
obvious to the reader, if he reflects upon the difference of form
and structure between the fore and hind limbs; and also upon
the different duties for which they are constituted and adapted.

The limbs of a horse are not only columns for support, but
they also a series of levers and fulcrums. The bones of the
limbs are so placed as to present to the eye of an observer, a
succession of beautiful and ever-varying angles and curves,
The bones of the fore limbs are for the most part placed at
angles of an obtuse character; while those of the hind limbs
are acute, or more abrupt in their general appearance. The
fore limbs during the act of locomotion are engaged in receiv-
ing, supporting, and carrying forward the weight which the
hind limbs are engaged in lifting and propelling onward ; and it
is this difference in their duties that constitutes the necessity
for the component parts of each being differently arranged.
The levers are the muscles and the tendons; the fulcrums are
the bones, both as they exist in their single state, or arranged
as they are to form joints. Amongst the principal fulerums or
centres of motion belonging to the hind limbs, are the hock
and the fetlock joints; and experience has proved that these
joints, and the levers in connection with them, are the parts
most liable to injury from over exertion: the common con-
sequences of which (particularly if aided by predisposition
arising from imperfection of structure and bad formation of the
joints) are sprains, curbs, and spavins,—consequences which to
a certain extent are preventable, or where in existence, can
RAISING THE HEELS. 101

be palliated by the use of calkens. It may be urged in opposition
to this, that nature does not provide any such protection to the
joints, tendons, and muscles of the hind limbs of the horse,
when in his wild or natural state, to which I can only reply,
that the cases are totally different. The horse, when wild, has
simply to take care of himself; he has not to carry a man weigh-
ing fourteen stones across a stiff clayey country at a rasping
pace; neither is he ever yoked to a heavy van, loaded with per-
haps from three to four tons of iron; nor to a vehicle, and made
to trot fourteen, sixteen, and even eighteen miles an hour upon
hard macadamized roads. All these, and many other perform-
ances of a like nature, the civilized horse, at the bidding of
civilized [ ? ] man, is made to perform.

It is amusing to hear what these sticklers for nature have
to advance in matters of this kind. Certainly nature does not
employ a farrier for the especial benefit of the animal when
untrammelled, and breathing the pure air of his native wilder-
ness ; neither does she provide a fashionable boot maker for
the Australian savage. It is easy to talk about nature, but it
is another matter to draw rational conclusions from her teach-
ings. Wild horses, for aught we positively know to the con-
trary, may suffer as much from sprains, spavins, and curbs, as
horses do that are domesticated.

The value of calkens then to the shoes of the hind feet
consists in raising the heels from the ground, and that too at a
time when the animal may be called upon to exert its physical
powers to the utmost limit; in which case, the levers of the
limbs, so far as it is possible, will be prevented from being
stretched to an extent, which otherwise might prove severely
injurious to the living structures.

Tur PREVENTION oF Currine.—Cutting the hind fetlocks
is a common practice with numbers of horses, if made to travel
102 PREVENTION OF CUTTING.

quickly, and the speed be long continued. It arises from a
number of causes, two or more of which may act in association.
It may arise from weakness. Horses having been recently
affected with disease of a severe character, if put to work before
the enfeebled frame has fully recovered its pristine vigour, are
extremely liable to strike one limb against the other, and cut
themselves in consequence. Cutting may also arise from bad
conformation of the limbs. “Cow-hocked” horses are prone to
this evil. It may also arise,—as it very frequently does,—from
bad shoeing, and bad management of the feet.

“Various devices,’ says Mr. Miles, “have been at different
times suggested as a remedy for the evil; but as each horse has
his own mode of doing it, much difficulty is often experienced
in hitting upon the right one. I have frequently solved the
difficulty by placing a boot, or a piece of cloth covered with
damp pipe clay, over the injured part, and then causing the
horse to be trotted along the road, and he generally returns
with some of the pipe clay adhering to the offending portion of
the opposite foot or shoe, as the case may be, pointing out
pretty clearly the part to be lessened or removed. The adop-
tion of this simple plan has saved many a horse from months
of torture, arising from ill-contrived shoes and misapplied
remedies.”

The plan, as detailed above, for detecting the part inflicting
the wound upon the opposite limb, is as simple and as direct
as it can well be; but if the fault arises from general debility
of the system, or from bad conformation of the limbs, attention
to shoeing may to some extent palliate the evil in both instances.
In the former case, the cutting will in all probability disappear
as the animal gains strength; while in the latter instances, a
permanent cure may be out of the question. I know horses
which cut both with the fore and hind feet, and which up to
FORM OF SHOE OF HIND FEET. 103

this period, have baffled the efforts of every shoeing smith who
has tried to eradicate the evil. With animals of this kind it is
useless to cut and rasp away the inside quarters of the feet;
such a process is not only useless, but cruel and dangerous.

The best form of shoe to prevent cutting of the hind feet, is
one made similar to what is shewn in the annexed engraving.
Shoes of this kind are to be attached to the feet; and should
the evil remain to some extent afterwards, the limbs should be
encased with an india rubber boot.*

The outside heel of this
shoe is provided with a cal-
ken of the ordinary kind ;—
while the inside quarter is
not only bevelled along its

Fig 14. whole length, but the whole

Form of Shoe for the Hind Feet to of the quarter is also rownd-

prevent Cutting. ed like the outer surface of

the index finger. Sometimes it is necessary, in nailing on the

shoe, to fix the nails to the outside quarter and the toe only.

The necessity for this, should be determined by the peculiarities

of the case. Should nails, however, be fixed to the inside

quarter, the sharp edges in connection with their heads, and

the fullering or countersinking of the shoe, can be effectually:
removed with the rasp.

Foreine anp its Prrvention.—Forging, clicking, or
“hammering and pincering” as it is termed in Yorkshire, is
a most disagreeable habit. The practice is more common with
young than with old horses. Young horses possessing great
freedom of action, will generally click for some time after being
broken, especially if ridden or driven carelessly.

 

* The india rubber boot is an article which can be procured from saddlers.
104 FORGING AND ITS PREVENTION.

“ A horse forges by striking the outer rim of each side of the
shoe, just where it turns backward (near the toe), against the
inner rim of the fore shoe, just behind the quarters ; therefore,
the broader the toe of the hind shoe is made by the squaring
and the clips, the more likely the horse is to strike it against the
fore shoe. It happens in this way: the horse fails to carry his
fore foot forward quickly enough to get it out of the way of the
hind feet, and the toe of the hind shoe is thrust into the open-
ing of the still held up fore shoe, and the outer edge of the hind
shoe strikes against the inner rim of the fore shoe and produces
the sound. I have cured several horses of forging by merely
causing the corners of the artificially squared toe to be removed
and the toe restored to its natural form.’’*

The above explanation, so far as it relates to the production
of the peculiar sound attending the act of forging is correct;
the remedy, however, which Mr. Miles proposes for its removal
may in some instances destroy the striking of the rim of one
shoe against the rim of the other, but I strongly suspect, that
the real evil is not remedied in the least. Instead of the inner
rim of the fore foot shoe being struck, I believe the frog of the
foot will be struck ; and this not being attended with any sound,
the experimenter may be led to suppose that the evil is removed
when it is not, unless indeed it may be so far as it relates to
the mere noise of iron striking against iron; but the real evil
caused by the striking of the feet against each other will remain
just as it was before.

The plan usually adopted to remove this evil, and one
which I consider preferable to what is suggested for the purpose
by Mr. Miles, is to place the hind foot shoe well back upon
the foot ; or in other words, instead of the shoe extending to the

* ‘W. Miles on Horse Shoeing.
LEVEL BEARINGS, 105

point of the toe, it is set back so as to allow the crust forming
the toe to hang over the toe of the shoe. This, as in the
former case, completely destroys the sound attendant upon
the act of iron striking iron; while the real evil of striking is
modified : thus, instead of the toe striking the frog, it strikes
against the shoe merely, which is not so likely to produce
mischief as in the former instance. The latter plan also allows
of the toe of the shoe being to some extent left square; and
this to fast running harness horses, will prove of great advan-
tage in allowing the animal a broader and firmer grip upon the
ground. The best way, therefore, to destroy the click, is to
adopt the plan which is usually had recourse to, and which is
described above; while the best way to destroy the striking of
one foot against the other, is to keep the horse well in hand,
or to cause him in fact, to take quicker steps, by running him
well up to the bit of the bridle.

Tue Hinp Fzzt ro BE sHOD with LeatuErs.—lIt will be
best if the hind feet of horses which are much confined to the
stable be always shod with leathers. The advantage of this I
will explain in a few words. Horses, when in the stable, stand
in their dung, and this in time is productive of a bad effect
upon the feet, but more especially upon the frogs. In this
manner running thrushes and canker are frequently produced,
diseases which are very injurious to the feet, and very difficult
to cure.

Tur HzrLs TO BE LEVEL IN THEIR BraRine.—To men-
tion this may to numbers appear superfluous: it is a common
matter, however, to observe horses shod with the outside calkin
or heel much higher than the inner heel; thus the limb is
thrown into an unnatural position. Such a state of things is
unpardonable ; and the farrier who allows it is either ‘a very
106 RULES FOR PROPER SHOEING.

careless or a very ignorant workman. The heels of a hind shoe
should, in every instance, be of equal depth or thickness, and
the bearing uniform.

In conclusion, we may sum the whole of our observations
with respect to properly shoeing the horse into a series of prin-
ciples or rules, which may be arranged as follows :—

I.—The farrier should bear in mind that the best formed
feet, and the most energetic in their growth, only produce
hoof at the rate of five-sixteenths of an inch per month; and
consequently he should at all times be extremely sparing in
the use of the drawing knife. —

II.—The frogs of the feet should not be cut, nor in any
way reduced with the knife, unless disease of the organ
should render such a proceeding necessary.

III.—The fore feet shoes should be secured each with five
nails. The hoofs should not be rasped, except in the manner
and to the extent described at page 89.

IV.—The fore feet shoes should be well dished; so well,
in fact, as to allow of a picker being freely passed between
the shoe and the foot along the entire circuit of the iron.

V.—The web of the shoe should be wide, so as to afford
ample cover to the foot.

ViI.—The bearing of the foot upon the shoe should be
uniform.

VII.—Fore feet which are weak, thin, tender, and low at
the heels, should be provided, where practicable, with shoes
RULES FOR PROPER SHOEING. 107

which become gradually thicker from the toe to the heels;
and the soles of the feet to be protected with soles of gutta
percha, made secure to the feet by the process detailed at
pages 98 and 99.

VIII.—The hind feet shoes should be provided with
calkins to the oufer heels: the inner heels and quarters
should be what are called wedge-formed, and rounded.

IX.—To prevent cutting of the hind feet, the inner
quarters of the hind shoes to be bevelled and rounded, and
the shoes secured by nails which extend only from the outer
quarters to the toes of the feet.

X.—To prevent forging, the hind shoes should be
placed well back upon the feet, so as to allow the toes of the
hoofs to hang over the toes of the shoes.

XI.—The heels of the hind feet shoes should be of equal
depth or thickness, so as to support the limbs uniformly.
Seorion VI.

ON THE HYGIENIC TREATMENT OF THE

SICK HORSE.

ARTICLES OF DIET, MILK.

BARLEY WATER. MALT.

RICE WATER. GREEN FOOD.

BOILED RICE. HOUSING SICK HORSES,
HAY TEA. LOOSE BOXES.

GRUEL. CLOTHING SICK HORSES.

Sees

Ons of the most important matters in the treatment of animals
when diseased, especially during the period of convalescence or
recovery, is their hygienic or dietetic management. It is a
species of knowledge indispensable to veterinary surgeons ;
and yet from the false views which ‘are generally entertained,
not only by the medical profession at large, but also by the
majority of all classes, with regard to the power of the vital
force to rectify the organism when diseased, hygienic treat-
ment (in relation to the state in question) has not received a
tithe of that attention which it merits. So long, indeed, as it
continues an article of belief that physic cures disease, so long
will those who practise the healing art refrain from the study
of hygiene, and of the healing power of the vital force ;—both
of which are to be considered as holding an inseparable relation
to each other.

The only power which cures disease is the vital power: and
the utmost that medicine can do—and I at once admit that it is
ON HYGIENIC TREATMENT. 109

a great deal—is, by its action, to so influence the curative
power, or, in other words, so direct or control it, as to place the
part diseased under the most favourable conditions conducive to
recovery. Until veterinary surgeons acquire a correct know-
ledge of the real curative power in disease, and treat their
patients in accordance with such knowledge, it is hopeless to
expect a more rational system of therapeutics than what at
present prevails.

The relation which hygiene holds to the vital power, is
too obvious to require explanation. Hygienic treatment, is
simply food treatment. Unless food of a proper kind, and in
proper quantities, be supplied to the organism, it is a fact known
to every one that the vital force will speedily cease to act.

During the existence of acute disease, hygiene can only be
regarded as holding a subordinate position with respect to any
direct influence which it may exert upon the curative power of
the organism ; but when recovery becomes fairly established, or
where the animal is debilitated, or threatened with disease, no
matter from what causes, it is to all intents and purposes the
principal ground upon which the veterinary surgeon should
base his hopes of a result favourable to his patient.

The duties comprised in, and related to, hygienic treatment,
may be arranged under the three following heads ;—

I.— Dieting.
IT.— Housing.
III.—Clothing the Patient.

These will be found to include all that is necessary in this
department of our treatise.

L.—Dietine tHe Partunt.—The Dieting of a sick horse
is at times a matter of nicety. Two extremes in practice are
110 ARTIOLES OF DIET.

to be avoided ; that is, neither to give the animal too much nor
too little food. Some people encourage the appetite too eagerly,
while others are almost afraid to allow a sick horse to even look
at food. During the early stage of the most acute maladies, it
is seldom the patient will partake of food. No anxiety need be
manifested on that account. Loss of appetite is but an effect
of the disease; and if the disease can be subdued, the desire
for food will gradually return. When it does return, encourage
it by the allowance of small quantities of food at a time; and
let it be of a nature which is at once nutritious, and easy of
digestion. In a general way, cooked food should be resorted
to. It should be cooked with the greatest care, and given at a
temperature agreeable to the animal.

The common articles which I prescribe for sick patients,
and which I shall enumerate, and afterwards to some extent
consider, are the following :—

FLUIDS,

Water Linseed Gruel.

Barley Water. Sago Gruel.

Rice Water. Hay Tea.

Oatmeal Gruel. Mik. Milk and Water.
SOLIDS.

Bran. Speared Corn.

Hay. Oatmeal.

Rice. Carrots.

Malt. Turnips, Raw and Boiled.

Oats Boiled. Mangold Wurzel.

Barley Boiled. Green Clover.

Wheat Boiled. Grass.

 

The following articles I have already treated upon at pages
85, 88 and 43, namely :— Water, hay, and oats; while others in
WATER.—BARLEY WATER. 111

the list, are so well known, and their effects so well understood,
that any further reference beyond naming them is unnecessary.
Avoid the giving of huge scalding hot mashes, made of bran,
oats, or linseed,—a mess fitter for an hippopotamus than a
horse having a languid stomach, and a frame weakened by acute
disease.

Warer.—Of the various articles of a fluid kind named
in the above list, water must be regarded as the basis. Cold
water will on many occasions prove not only grateful, but
salutary in the highest degree to a sick horse. Warm water
is insipid; while gruel, and in short, fluid mixtures of any
kind, if constantly placed before the animal, speedily produce
nausea and disgust. In such cases, cold water will be taken
with avidity, and relished to an extreme. The quantity to
allow at one time, will depend upon circumstances: two or
three quarts will not be productive of injury, unless repeated
too frequently.

Pure soft water, as stated at page 48, is alone proper for
horses. Rain water is relished by numbers, when they are
accustomed to it; but if caught in large towns, or where
manufacturing is carried on extensively, it is neither good, nor
palatable as an article of diet.

Baziey Watzrr.—Barley water is a very palatable drink,
if prepared with care. It is serviceable in the generality of
diseases which are of a low depressive character, such as
typhoid pneumonia, idiopathic and sympathetic fever, and
other states of a similar kind. It is also what may be con-
sidered an excellent diuretic; that is to say, if the fluid be
drank copiously, a free secretion of urine will be the consequence.
It should be made from what is called “pearl barley;” or if
made from the common article, the grain should first be
crushed, and after being boiled, the liquor should be strained
112 RICE WATER—-GRUEL.

through a fine sieve. One pound of pearl barley will require
about two gallons of water. The way to prepare barley water
is simply to let the water and the barley boil slowly together.
When the barley is boiled sufficiently (which may be known by
its soft pulpy condition), strain off the liquor, and when cool it
is ready for use. The barley after being boiled, if mixed with
a small quantity of bran, may be allowed as food.

Rice Watrr.—Rice water, when properly prepared, is a
pleasant beverage. Many horses prefer to drink the simple
rice water ; others, with a little salt added; and others again, if
slightly sweetened with sugar. It is an excellent diluent to give
in chronic diarrhcea, after an acute attack of the disease. In
addition to the rice water, the rice itself may be allowed as
food, either alone or mixed with a little bran.

Rice, such as can be purchased from any of the ordinary
retail grocery establishments, is of three kinds, viz., Carolina,
Arracan, and Patna. The two last named are of an inferior
quality ; the best rice is the Carolina.

Prepare the rice water as follow :—Pour a pound of Carolina
rice into a large-sized pan, and add to it nine quarts of water.
Let the whole boil very gently for two hours upon a slow fire;
then strain it through a sieve, and when the liquor is cold it is
ready for use. From one to two quarts of the liquor may be
allowed at a time, repeated two or three times a day.

OaTMEAL AND LINSEED Grurt.—All kinds of gruel are
easy to make, if the preparer understands the art of making
them. The secrets of the process are not difficult to learn;
and I would strongly advise everyone having pretensions to be
a groom to learn how to cook properly those articles of diet
which are either regularly or occasionally required for the horse.
Care should be exercised in preparing oatmeal gruel; otherwise
it will be smoked—a state which is sure to disgust the patient.
SAGO GRUEL—HAY TEA. 113

Linseed gruel, unless made with similar care, is very likely to
become burnt to the bottom of the vessel. The best mode to
prepare it, is to stew the linseed in a large earthenware pot.
This process, however, is slow, so that more time is required in
its preparation than in boiling it. Some horses prefer a mixture
of both kinds of gruel; and to some, oatmeal gruel is rendered
more agreeable by adding salt or a little milk. Gruel is unpa-
latable when cold or when thick. It should be given a little
under blood heat, and of the consistency of milk. (See p. 73.)

Saco Gruez.—Sago gruel, if properly prepared, is greatly
relished by horses. A quarter of a pound of the best sago, in
five pints of water, will be the right proportions with which to
make it. The sago combines entirely with the water, forming,
when cold, a gelatinous mass. It should be given warm, and
reduced in consistency either with tepid water or with equal
proportions of warm milk and water. The addition of a little
sugar renders it more palatable to many patients.

Hay Tra.—Hay tea is made by placing a small quantity of
hay in a clean bucket, or any other vessel of a size suitable for
the purpose, and then pouring boiling water upon the contents.
The vessel should then be covered, and placed aside until the
liquor becomes cold, when it will be found of a pale brown
colour. In this state it should be poured through a sieve or
coarse cloth, and is then ready for use. It is seldom that
patients will drink it with the same avidity as they will drink
rice or barley water, or milk and water. Sometimes it will be
found best to mix together hay tea and milk in equal propor-
tions. The hay used for tea should be free from dust, and not
in the least mow-burnt.

Minx.—Mitx anp Warer.—Milk is one of the most
yaluable diluents we possess; and there are but few: horses
which will not drink it with avidity. It is best for a sick

i
114 MILK AND WATER—BRAN.

horse after it has been taken from the cow eight or ten hours.
The cream that is at the top should be removed prior to the
milk being given to the patient. New milk from a well condi-
tioned cow is generally too rich, unless treated as directed
above, or freely diluted with water. If the object be to give
the animal the benefit of the milk as food, warm it after
removing the cream, and allow the patient about three quarts
at atime. It may be repeated three or even four times a day;
but if required as a diluent merely, combine with it an equal
quantity of tepid water. Its flavour will be greatly improved
by the addition of a little salt.

Bzran.—Bran is an indispensable article of diet for sick
horses. It should be clear and glossy in the colour of its
scales: the scales should be of a moderate size, and perfectly
sweet to the smell. Fine bran is unfit for sick horses. Bran
may either be given alone as a mash, or mixed with boiled corn
of any kind. A certain degree of nicety is required in making
a mash. The common practice is to place a certain quantity of
bran within a bucket, then to pour hot water upon it, and stir
the mass, and give it to the horse immediately. To prepare a
mash properly, proceed as follows:—First, pour the bran into
a clean bucket, and add to it a teaspoonful of salt, then pour
upon it the requisite quantity of boiling water, and in doing so
contrive to let the water run upon nearly every portion of the
surface of the bran, then immediately afterwards spread a thin
coating of oatmeal upon the mass, and upon the oatmeal a dry
covering of bran, then cover the vessel with a clean sack or a
thick woollen rug, and place the whole aside in a cool place for
about half an hour; after which remove the covering from the
vessel and lightly stir the contents: it is then ready for the
patient. This plan of preparing a mash will both thoroughly
steep the bran, and at the same time preserve its aroma. The
IIAY—RICE. 115

same practice should be pursued when boiled barley, or oats or
linseed, is given in combination with the bran.

Hay.—Hay, as an article of food for healthy horses, I have
already treated upon at page 35. The giving of it as part of the
diet of a horse when ill, will depend upon circumstances. It
will generally prove injurious if given to a patient affected with
epidemic catarrh, more especially if the disease be associated
with that low typhoid state of the system, so common in this
form of disease. The following symptoms are amongst the most
prominent which forbid its use. It should not be given when
the pulse is feeble, quick, and irritable,—when the digestive
organs are in a foul state (which state may be recognised by
the presence of a soapy-looking tongue, attended with clammi-
ness, a bad smell of the mouth, and rapid variation of the tem-
perature of the body),—and when the nasal membranes are
pallid, or of a dull leaden colour. All these are symptoms
which forbid hay being allowed; and yet it is not improbable
that a patient so affected will prefer it to any other kind of
food. When hay is allowed to a diseased animal, it should
be selected with care, and sparingly given.

Ricz.—Rice is is an excellent article of diet for sick horses.
It should be cooked and prepared as though intended for human
beings. I always direct it to be stewed in water, and after-
wards mixed with milk, and slightly sweetened with sugar. I
only prescribe it for well-bred horses when ill, and occasionally
for delicate feeders. Coarse-bred and robust horses do not
require such a refined food. A lesson from the cook of the
establishment will perhaps be the most direct mode of the
groom acquiring a proficiency in the preparation of rice.

SprarEp Corn.—Speared corn is simply corn in a sprouted
state. The way to prepare it is as follows :—Put the requisite
quantity of grain (either oats or barley) into a bucket, and pour
116 SPEARED CORN—MALT— GREEN FOOD.

upon it as much cold water as will suffice to thoroughly cover
the corn; then place the vessel aside for twenty-four hours in
a cool shady place ; at the end of which time pour off the water
and spread the corn upon the floor at least two inches thick,
and there let it remain until its sprouts. It is then ready for
use. I frequently prescribe speared corn for sick horses during
the convalescent stage, when the appetite is languid, and the
system low and feeble. Too much should not be prepared at
once, in case it is likely to be required daily for some time, as
it soon becomes sour and musty.

Mart.— Malt,” says Blaine, “ forms an excellent cordial
in cases of debility, and, when continued, it becomes a perma-
nent tonic. It has also some pectoral qualities; but in active
inflammations of the chest it is too stimulant. Malt is also an
excellent alterative: in farcy, grease, and also in mange, when
accompanied with emaciation, I have used it with marked
efficacy ; but in such cases it should be given in considerable
quantities without admixture with other corn, and even with as
little hay as possible.” Malt should be given as a mash mixed
with bran.

Green Foop.—Carrots are excellent fodder for the horse,
both in health and sickness. They are a very nutritious vege-
table; and there are few horses but will partake of carrots
when most other kinds of food would either be injurious or
distasteful. They are usually given to the sick animal when
convalescence is established. It is better to wash them clean
before they are given.

Swede turnips are sometimes preferred to carrots; as an
article of diet, however, carrots are greatly superior. Turnips
are heavy, watery, and far less nutritious.

Green clover, rye grass, and food of a similar kind, frequently
prove of marked benefit to a sick horse. Care, however, should
HOUSING THE PATIENT. 117
be exercised in their use, otherwise they may not only injure
the animal, by aggravating the disease, but colic may supervene,
and the worst consequences speedily follow. It is better to
mix the green fodder with a little hay, and give small portions
of this at a time. Lints and oats, or tares, are a heavy, cold,
and watery diet.

Ii.—Hovsine rue Parrent.—If the patient be attacked
with disease of an acute, or sub-acute nature, as inflammation of
the bowels, or inflammation of the lungs, or epidemic catarrh,
it is better that the animal be placed in a box, which should be
roomy, moderately well lighted, perfectly clean, well ventilated, of
a comfortable temperature, and well littered with clean dry straw.

For the following reasons, diseased animals should always
be separated, if practicable, from those which are healthy, viz:
if the disease be of an infectious nature, it may prevent it from
spreading,—the animal is not disturbed by other horses going
out, or coming into the stable,—the temperature of a loose box
can be maintained at a more equable rate; and lastly, if the
disease be of a violent nature (as inflammation of the bowels),
the patient if allowed to remain in a regular sized stall, would
probably severely injure and bruise himself, destroy the wood-
work, and perhaps inflict injury upon the limbs of other horses.
While treating upon the subject of housing, the following rule
may be laid down for cleaning the box, if the patient is likely
to remain in it for two or three days.

Either remove the old straw at the bottom of the bed every
day, or do not touch it until the patient has recovered. Ifthe
old straw is removed once every two or three days, the urine
and dung with which it will in places be saturated, will have
decomposed, and upon turning it up a powerful effiuvium will be
emitted, and if taken away, the temperature of the place will
118 CLOTHING THE PATIENT.

fall considerably, which, in cold damp weather, may be produc-
tive of bad effects. If allowed to remain without being dis-
turbed, and fresh dry straw spread over the old, no such result
probably will follow, if the ventilation be good. The best plan
to pursue, is to gather up the dung, and allow all the straw to
remain until the patient is recovered ; or else to remove the old
litter at least once every day. The straw supplied to diseased
patients, should be chopped or cut into lengths of about six or
eight inches. The advantages gained by this will be evident.
The patient can move its limbs with greater freedom; the box
can be cleaned with greater facility ; and the urine will be more
readily absorbed.

The temperature of the box or stable containing a sick
horse, should range from 62° to 64° Fahrenheit, during the
winter season. In summer it should be maintained at a similar
temperature. ‘Loose boxes at many establishments are perfect
pests. They are exposed to the full glare of the sun; and
closely contiguous to them, are perhaps large heaps of half
rotted manure. This, in summer, attracts thousands of flies,
numbers of which crowd into the box, and irritate the poor
animal beyond measure. If a more retired situation cannot be
had, the manure should be removed, and the doors and windows
fitted with gauze wire or perforated zinc.

III.—Czioruine.—The kind, the quantity, and the way of
clothing a horse, will depend upon the season of the year, the
nature of the disease, the breed of the patient, the kind of box
and its position, and the previous habits to which the animal
may have been inured. If the box be in an exposed position,
or facing the north, or the west, and if the season of the year
be unfavourable to the patient, and the disease be of an acute
nature, the clothing will require to be plentiful, and of a very
CLOTHING THE PATIENT, 119

comfortable kind. But if the weather be warm and agreeable,
if the box faces the south, and is well sheltered by other build-
ings, the clothing need only be light,—perhaps, a linen sheet, or
a thin cotton rug may prove sufficient.

If the habitation be comfortable, we are not advocates for
much clothing. For a coarse bred horse, we seldom use more
than a single woollen rug thrown evenly over the body of the
animal, and fastened lightly with a surcingle. With high bred
horses, it may at times be necessary to have a hood, a breast
cloth, and woollen bandages for the limbs, and perhaps an
additional rug as well. The best criterion however to judge by,
is the state of the coat of the patient. If the hair rises, and the
animal becomes chilly, clothe more heavily; but if it remains
glossy, the temperature of the body equable, and the animal
appears comfortable, it is all that is required. In some diseases,
as in inflammation of the bowels, it is impossible to clothe the
patient. The violence of the animal will prevent it. But when
recovery has commenced, and the violence disappeared, it is then
necessary to clothe well, in order to assist the restorative powers
as far as possible. It is impossible, however, to lay down rules
to meet the exigencies of every case. Suffice to say, if the
patient be clothed too heavily, an uncomfortable state of excite-
ment is produced ; while too little clothing is also prejudicial.
The skin is the index which, if closely noted, will at all times
prove a sure guide in this matter.

END OF PART I.
TO THE READER.

TECHNICAL PHRASES AND ScrmentTIFIc WorpDs.—For the meaning of the
various Technical Phrases and Scientific Terms used in Parr II., the
reader is directed to the GLossaRy appended to this work.

Mepicinrs.—Throughout the following pages the word “ dilution” will fre-
quently occur. It is necessary to explain the term: w dilution of
medicine (to use a common form of expression) is medicine reduced in
strength, The 1st dilution of a medicine is made by mixing two ounces
by measure of the strong tincture with fourteen ounces of spririts of wine ;
the 2nd dilution, by mixing two ounces by measure of the 1st to other
fourteen ounces of spirit; while a 3rd dilution consists of two ounces
of the 2nd to fourteen more of spirit.

ARSENIC is prescribed in most instances of the 8rd dilution: experience
having proved that (as a general rule) it is not safe to use this remedy in
a stronger form.
PART ITI.

Section I.

ON THE DISEASES OF THE HORSE, AND ON CER-
TAIN GENERALITIES IN CONNECTION WITH
THEIR TREATMENT.

DISEASE AND ITS CAUSES. LIQUID MEDICINES,
EXAMINATION. BALLS.—POWDERS.
DIAGNOSIS. + ACCIDENTS.—SUDDEN ILLNESS.
PULSE. POULTICES.
ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. FOMENTATIONS., °
ORGANS OF DIGESTION. INJECTIONS.
DEPURATING ORGANS. BLISTERING.—FIRING.—SETONS.
PATHOGNOMONIC SYMPTOMS, —ROWELS.
SELECTION OF A REMEDY. PURGATIVES.—DIURETICS.
MEDICINE AND ITS ADMINISTRA- BLEEDING.

TION.

Sah

Tue Diszaszs incidental to the horse are numerous and
diversified. Many of them bear a close resemblance to those
of the human being. More extended observations upon the
maladies common to the two would prove highly beneficial to
both surgeon and veterinary surgeon; and it is much to be
regretted that comparative investigations of the nature spoken
of are not more common than at present.

Equine diseases possess a twofold relation to the animal
economy. Some involve the organism at large; others are of a
local character, and do not produce the least effect beyond the
122 DISEASE AND ITS CAUSES.

part affected. Glanders and scarlatina are diseases typical of
the former, while a slight eruption of the skin may be considered
as typical of the latter.

To treat in detail upon the general characters peculiar
and contingent to both of the classes in question,—to shew
their analogy,—to trace the causes productive of each to their
most intricate sources, together with the pathognomonic symp-
toms peculiar to one or both,—would be a work far transcending
what is intended in a volume like the present. In this volume,
I shall treat upon both classes briefly, merely leaving out what
the reader would consider matter too professional in character,
and confine myself strictly to what is plain and practical. It is
impossible, however, to write a book which shall enable amateurs
to dispense entirely with veterinary surgeons. The most skilful
mechanist could never write a treatise which should so explain
the construction and management of the steam engine, as to
enable any tyro to manage it. Experience, and that peculiar
tact, which distinguishes the skilful in every department of use-
fulness, are essential to its management. This will be conceded
by every rational person. Now, if a book of this character
cannot be written with reference to the steam engine—a thing
which is inanimate,—how can it be done with respect to the
treatment of the diseases peculiar to the horse ?—seeing that
the latter have their seat within a living organism a thousand
times more complicated in structure than the steam engine.
Gentlemen, however much they may study disease, from the
limited sphere in which they are necessarily placed, can never
become fully qualified to treat those dangerous and complicated
maladies, which a veterinary surgeon of even moderate practice
finds himself almost daily called upon to combat. I shall,
therefore, purposely omit details of an abstruse character as to
the nature and origin of disease. What gentlemen or amateurs
DISEASE AND ITS CAUSES, 123

need, are plain descriptions of the diseases and injuries to which
the horse is liable, together with equally plain directions as
to the treatment best adapted to the requirements of each
particular case.

Every owner should possess a good general knowledge of
those causes which are the most productive of both diseases and
injury to his horse. Knowledge of this kind is of twofold
benefit. First, in enabling him, by attention and judicious
arrangements, to ward off many diseases of a virulent nature;
or, where the causes are of a mechanical nature (and not
unfrequently continuous in character), to promptly remove
them; and thereby afford equally prompt relief to a suffering
animal,

The common causes of equine disease are bad ventilation of
the stable,—allowing the horse to stand in cold draughts
when perspiring,—sudden changes in the temperature of the
weather,—bad food,—sudden changes in the diet,—scanty and
poor diet, such as bad hay, and soft, musty corn,—a diet that
is too rich and abundant,—too much labour,—turning horses
to grass, during the prevalence of cold and wet, when they are
in a state of perspiration, or debilitated from excessive labour,—
pricks and injuries to the feet from shoeing, or accidentally
“gathering” a nail,—kicks from other animals,—infection or
contamination of the healthy from being placed in contact with
the diseased,—internal causes, such as weak constitutional
energies and deficiency of vital power.

The effect of the causes enumerated above, together with
others equally destructive, and perpetually in operation, or in
readiness to operate when circumstances of a favourable nature
present themselves, are what every one owning horses should
be acquainted with. Individuals of this class should also know
when a horse travels with comfort,—whether the saddle or the
124 DISEASE AND ITS CAUSES.

harness as the case may be, fits properly, or without inflicting
pain. They should also know when the animal is fatigued ;
when properly fed and groomed ; and when the feet are properly
shod. They should also know when disease is present; or what
is of greater importance, when to detect disease in its incipient
stages. These are matters not difficult to learn in the extreme
sense of the word. Attention and observation will shortly lead
the observer to knowledge of the greatest use and importance,
not only to his own benefit in a pecuniary point of view, but
in all probability, to the increased health and comfort of his
stud. Next to man, the horse is the noblest animal in the
world. To improve the capabilities of so noble a creature; to
preserve him as far as possible from the operation of causes
deleterious to his health; and to physically develop his powers
to the utmost extent his organization will permit,—is a work
alike worthy of the mind and the attention of any man.

Before an amateur can recognise when a horse is diseased,
it is first necessary that he should familiarise himself with the
general appearances presented by the animal in a state of
health; such as the appearance of the eye, the skin, and the
hair. The clear florid colour of the membrane lining the
nostrils,—the soft regular motion of the ribs, during the act of
breathing,—the clear, moist, healthy appearance of the mouth
and tongue,—the slow, but regular and full action of the pulse,—
the cool state of the feet,—the equable temperature of the
skin,—the natural ease with which the animal stands when
left alone, together with several other matters of minor impor-
tance which, nevertheless, are regarded with interest by every
one who may be said to have “a strong affection for his horse ;””
and every well marked change in the character of which, is at
once recognised and estimated accordingly.
EXAMINATION—DIAGNOSIS. 125

EXAMINATION oF THE Parrent.—Dz1se@nosis.—Having
noticed a few of the principal appearances presented by the
horse when in health, I have now to treat upon such peculiari-
ties as are manifested by the animal when affected with disease.

Before medical treatment can be resorted to with at least a
fair hope of success, it is first necessary to determine the
nature and seat of the malady requiring treatment. The deter-
mination of the precise nature of the disease constitutes what
is denominated its Diagnosis, from the Greek word diayrypwokerp
(diagignoskein) signifying to discern, or to distinguish rightly.

One of the primary essentials to the diagnosis of a disease
is the observer recognising the vital state of the patient; or in
other words, to know the peculiar condition of the organism as
a whole, with reference to the life force within it; because by
this our treatment for the eradication of the malady should, in
in a great measure, be directed. The state of the organism
will give to the disease whatever peculiarity of character it
possesses. If the system, for example, be debilitated from old
age, severe labour, insufficient food, or from all these causes
acting in association, we shall find the disease to be of the class
denominated asthenic. On the contrary, if the system be
vigorous, and its vital power unimpaired, the disease will
partake of a similar character, and as a natural consequence,
our treatment should vary accordingly. An inflammatory
disease, when manifested by an enfeebled organism, is very
different from an inflammatory disease when the vital force of
the patient is vigorous. In the latter case it will be necessary
to have recourse to the most powerful remedies we possess, to
lower the violence of the disease ; while in the former, the way
to benefit the patient is to raise the natural force of the organism,
and afterwards to support and economise it to the utmost extent
in our power. To gain a clear knowledge then of the nature
126 DIAGNOSIS.

of a disease, and of the ground whereby its treatment should
be directed, owr first duty is ascertain the vital state of our
patient.

The extent to which it may be necessary to conduct the
examination will, in a great measure, depend upon the nature
of the case itself. In many chronic diseases, for example, a
more lengthy examination is required to arrive at a positive
knowledge of their precise nature and general relations, than
what is necessary to determine the essential nature of an acute
disease.

In speaking thus, I would not have the reader understand
that every precaution is necessary in both classes of disease;
on the contrary, every case, whether simple or complicated—
whether acute or chronic—should receive the close attention of
the observer. In many chronic diseases, a number of symptoms
are occasionally present of a very obscure character (perhaps
two or more diseases may be associated) which, to thoroughly
unravel and clearly arrange, may require the excrcise of all the
care and tact of the medical attendant; while in the generality
of acute diseases, the symptoms are of so objective a character
as to allow of the disease being at once recognised by an
observer of even moderate tact and experience. Consequently
less difficulty is experienced with regard to acute than chronic
maladies; nevertheless, a thorough examination is required in
both,—the difference of such examination being merely in the
extent to which each is necessary to be carried.

In both classes of disease a similar method of examination
will necessarily have to be pursued; the variation of that
method depending upon the nature and the seat of the malady.

Causes oF DrsEasx.—Our first attention, in all cases,
should be directed to ascertain the cause of the disease,
THE PULSE. 127

especially where such cause may be of a continuous kind, and
where the probability of its removal may exist; or for the pur-
pose of preventing other animals contigouously situated from
being affected in a similar manner, as in glanders. A knowledge
of the cause of a disease is in every case a matter of importance,
but more especially in traumatic. diseases, or diseases which
have their origin from causes of a mechanical nature.

In idiopathic disease, however, this in most instances will
be found impracticable. In idiopathic pneumonia, for example,
the removal of its cause is out of our power. The disease
may have arisen from exposing the animal to wet, and to cold
draughts of wind. All we can do in cases of this nature, is to
remove the patient into more congenial circumstances, and cure
the disease in the best mode available. In like manner we may
remark upon nearly every cause of disease of an idiopathic
kind. The search for, and removal of causes is, we repeat, the
the most practicable in traumatic diseases. Injury is inflicted
upon a part endowed with life, but in what way does, or has the
external agent produced the disturbance? Has the offending
body injured the part by entering into the structure, and there
remaining, as when a foot inflames, and lameness ensues from
the entrance of a nail into its sole? If the injury be within a
fleshy part, are splinters of wood, or pieces of metal, or pieces
of glass within ? Where practicable, the cause must be removed,
and the patient so placed as to be in a position favourable to
recovery ; but where the removal of the former is impracticable,
the latter will equally require attention.

Tur Pursz.—One of the principal guides indicative of the
internal state of the animal, whether in health or during the
existence of disease, is the pulse. Whatever affects the organism
will affect the pulse. As the hands of a clock are indicative of
128 THE PULSE.

the state of its works, so is the pulse of the organism. So
long as the pulse remains undisturbed, the observer need not
be alarmed as to the immediate state of the patient.

The normal pulse varies from thirty-six to forty-two beats
per minute. Horses, however, may be healthy with a pulse as
low as thirty-four per minute ; the average, I should say, is from
thirty-eight to forty. The number of pulsations shews the
number of times which the heart beats per minute; consequently,
the state of the pulse is expressive of the state of the heart.

One of the most convenient places to.ascertain the number
. of beats, and the general state of the pulse, is just within the
inferior curve of the lower jaw. Some little practice is necessary
to detect it at once. The observer must have the head of the
animal held very quiet; the jaws must also be still, when he’
should feel with the first and second fingers of the right hand
for a small artery, or a cord-like structure, against which the
fingers must be lightly placed. Presently he will detect a
regular, gentle rise. This is the pulse: let bim note well the
character of the beat; the swell of the artery, as it fills with
blood; and the number of its throbs per minute. The healthy
pulse will be found to vary considerably, even in the same
animal, A variety of causes operate in the production of these
peculiarities; such as severe and long continued labour,—
exercise,—sudden alarm of the animal,—and food of a highly
stimulating kind. The peculiarity of the beat will also be found
to vary in different horses, on account of difference in temper and
breed. The majority, however, will have a full, slow, and round
pulse ; in others, whose health is perhaps equally good, it will be
feeble and thread-like. The beat of the pulse at night, after
the animal has been severely worked during the day, will differ
from that of the morning. In the morning, it is generally
regular, slow, round, and full; at night, feeble and round, but
THE PULSE—RESPIRATION. 129

intermittent. The reason of this variation is, that the heart is
temporarily exhausted, to recover from the effects of which it
must have repose; and this repose is partly a cessation of its
action. Complete rest of the organ is death. JI have in
numerous instances of the kind found the pulse to intermit as
frequently as every third beat; more commonly, however, about
every fifth or every seventh. Now, taking the average pulse of
the horse at 40 per minute, it amounts to 2400 beats per hour,
and eight cessations per minute (1 in 5, or 240 per hour)—a
result in the highest degree important in its consequences to
the animal economy. A similar state of the pulse may be ob-
served in the horse during the early stages of convalescence
after an acute or exhausting disease. The pulse at such times
will be intermittent for several days in succession, which pecu-
liarity will disappear as the strength becomes restored. The
prixcipal agents which assist the heart to return to its normal
state are time, warmth, and, above all, proper food given in
small quantities, and at proper intervals. If medicine is needed,
give a gentle stimulant; but even this, if resorted to at ran-
dom, may prove mischievous in its effects. Judicious hygienic
management is the great restorative to health.

As the pulse not only varies considerably with regard to
different horses, but occasionally in the same animal from the
operation of causes such as above enumerated, I would recom-
mend every gentleman who may be fond of matters of this
nature to make himself familiar with the pulse of every horse
comprising his stud. He could have a small book wherein to
note down such peculiarties as he might consider of interest or
importance.

Tue Orcans or Ruspreation.—The respiratory organs,
like the pulse, will repeatedly indicate the degree of sympathy
I
180 RESPIRATION,

which exists between a part locally affected and the system at
large. An injury inflicted upon the foot will not unfrequently
give rise to violent commotion of the respiratory organs; so
that rapid breathing, when the animal stands at rest, accom-
panied as it generally is with other symptoms indicative of
violent disturbance within the system, is not at all times to be
regarded as noting the existence of acute disease within the
lungs. As a general rule, however, when the lungs are directly
affected, there are certain sounds associated with the breathing
of the patient which betoken whether the disturbance be
primary to these organs or not. ‘The reader will find the
nature and the peculiarties of these sounds treated upon in
the section devoted to those diseases incidental to the respira-
tory organs. A respiration is the result of a double act; that
is, it consists of one inspiration and one expiration. The
average number of respirations of a healthy horse per minute
is about twelve. As a general rule, the pulse of the animal
will beat three times during the production of one respiration.
The average now given, and the relation of the respiratory act
to the pulse, must be understood as strictly referring to the
animal when in the stable and free from all excitement.

‘When the lungs are diseased, the respirations will at times
reach from fifty to sixty per minute, or even more,—in short, a
very exact limit cannot be stated; they should be always noted,
however, with care. To an experienced observer, the manner
in which the act of breathing is performed is significant in the
extreme. In pleurodynia and pleurisy the act is limited and
constrained, attended with a peculiar tremor of the muscles of
the sides, a pinched appearance of the al of the nostrils, a
slight arching of the back, and if the sides are pinched or
pressed upon, a peculiar grunt is emitted. In tetanus the
respiratory act is also limited, and in many respects closely
RESPIRATION. 131

resembles in character the preceding description; but this, in
tetanus, arises more from inability of the patient to obtain a
sufficiency of air (owing to the rigid condition of the respira-
tory muscles) than from the existence of primary disease within
the muscles themselves.

In sympathetic fever the respirations are quickened, but the
motions of the chest and muscles of the trunk do not present
an appearance of constraint; the acts are rapid and free, and
flow into each other readily.

In noting the peculiarities of the respiratory movements,
there should be an entire absence within the box of all external
excitement, otherwise accurate observation will be out of the
question. The observer should note the character of the
movements, whether they are quick and deep, or short, con-
strained, and superficial. Does the patient cough ? and if so,
is the cough short, dry, hard, and superficial; or is it deep,
moist, loud, and rattling ? or what are its peculiarities? or does
it possess any? The observer may also apply his hands to the
sides of the chest, and ascertain by the act if the patient
shrinks from their contact? and if so, if the shrinking be
attended with a low, painful grunt, or if it excites the animal
to cough, or produces a tremor within the muscles investing
the ribs and the sides of the abdomen.

By noting the respiration when disturbed, the same may be
stated of such disturbance as of that which may exist within
any other class of organs, namely if it arises from primary
derangement. A close attention to all the attendant pheno-
mena will enable us to ascertain the state of the organs them-
selves; while, on the other hand, if the disturbance arises from
sympathy we ascertain the nature of the susceptibility of our
patient, so that in either case we obtain a knowledge of facts
132 DIGESTION.

which are in the highest degree important in enabling us to
rationally treat the animal.

Oreans or Dieestion.—The organs of digestion are sub-
ject to a number of destructive diseases, and require to be
investigated with the greatest care by every mode which may
prove to be of practical value.

The teeth are liable to decay and to irregularities of growth,
and should be carefully examined for the existence or non-
existence of one or more of these conditions.

The tongue should also be examined for evidence of gastric
derangement. Does the organ possess a clear, moist surface,
or is it soapy, and does it emit a nauseating effluvium ? ,

Atientiom should also be given to the state of the appetite?
Is it good, bad, or indifferent? Is it morbidly ravenous?
Does the animal lick the walls of the stable? or, does he eat
earth, or mouldy, half-rotted hay, in preference to hay which is
good.

Look also to the state of the dung. Is it clay-coloured ?
and does it emit an odour similar to that of rotten eggs? The
above, together with many other peculiarities of a minor
character, the observer should make himself acquainted with
before he can diagnose those diseases which are peculiar to the
digestive organs.

Derrvratina Oraans.—By the depurating organs the
reader is to understand that class of organs whose functions
aid in ridding the system of what (if allowed to remain within
it) would prove injurious to its welfare. This, perhaps, if
carried out to its full legitimate extent, would embrace an
inquiry into the functions of nearly every class of organs and
tissues of importance within the body; as many of them,
DEPURATING ORGANS. 183

while performing other important functions, are at the same
time performing some function of a scavenging nature. The
lungs, the liver, and the large intestines, are organs of this
character.

Amongst the principal of the depurating organs I may
mention the skin and the kidneys. The skin, like other great
organs of the body, is subject to disease not only within itself,
but is also liable to derangement from sympathy.

The presence of worms within the intestinal canal, if they
exist in excess, will cause the skin to present a dry, unthrifty
appearance ; a defect which arises in part from intestinal irrita-
tion, but mainly, perhaps, from deficiency of nutrition.

In examining the skin, note its general appearance. Is it
dry, and the hair pen-feathered? Does the patient rub the
skin a good deal? Is it denuded of hair? and if so, is the
absence of hair general, or local merely ? Do ulcers exist upon
it? If so, where are they situated, and what are their special
characters ?

Ihave spoken of the skin manifesting sympathy: perhaps
no other organ of the body so readily manifests sympathy as
the one in question. Irritation in a distant part of the
digestive apparatus may manifest its effects in a distant part of
the dermal tissues, Disorder of the stomach, if long continued,
ig sure to produce disorder of the skin, so that in our examina-
tion of the latter this proneness to be affected sympathetically
should never be forgotten.

Organs or Locomorron.—Rules for the examination of
the organs of locomotion the reader will find more fully detailed
in the section which treats upon lameness ; where these organs,
however, manifest derangement beyond what is merely local,
it will be necessary to examine them with every care.
134 LOCOMOTION.

With few exceptions the signs they afford will refer more
to peculiar states of the great organs of life, and to the nervous
system especially, than to any disorder of a direct kind within
themselves. In some of the most important diseases of the
nervous centres, the state of the limbs afford the chief indica-
tions by which we are enabled to judge of the nature of the
central disturbance. Paralysis and tetanus are familiar examples
of the truth of what is here stated.

In regarding the locomotive organs, observe how the animal
stands and walks; also, if the limbs are swollen, and the
character of the swelling; also their temperature, or if an
offensive discharge from any part be associated with the
swelling. Examine also the joints—are they swollen, or hot
and tender ?—symptoms which are common in rheumatism and
in joint evil, a disease which frequently affects foals prior to
their being weaned.

Parnoenomonic Symproms.—In concluding my observa-
tions with respect to the examination of the patient, I will do
so with a few remarks, urging upon the observer the desirability
of carefully noting every peculiarity which strictly belongs to
the disease itself.

Every disease of importauce presents symptoms of a two-
fold character. 1st, common or general symptoms; and 2nd,
pathognomonic symptoms. The common or general class are
those, one or more of which are present in almost every malady ;
while the pathognomonic class are those which are peculiar to
the malady only. The importance of this to the observer will
be best elucidated by reference to the symptoms of a well
marked case of disease. The following are the symptoms of a
case of spasm of the larynx, (I choose a disease of an extreme
character, because it will better illustrate the matter in hand) :—
PATHOGNOMONIC SYMPTOMS, 135

Spasm of the larynx is frequently a sequence of laryngitis ;
sometimes it occurs as a primary affection. The attack fre-
quently manifests itself suddenly, and sometimes gradually.

The symptoms of the disease, when the attack is violent, are
the pulse is weak and tremulous; the eyeballs have a wild,
staring, haggard look; the surfacé of the body is hot, and
covered with an abundant and steaming perspiration; the
motions of the animal are uncertain and turbulent; the breath-
ing is violent and difficult, and as the closure or spasm of the
larynx increases, the violence of the respiratory act becomes
more vehement and alarming. The breathing is attended with
a harsh, rasping sound; sometimes it is closely similar to the
noise elicited by sawing wood, and sometimes it,becomes sharp
and shrill, like the sound of a trumpet. The affection is remit-
tent, and not unfrequently the attack will commence with the
rasping noise, and gradually increase in severity, until the shrill
trumpet sound is heard, when the violence either remains sta-
tionary for some time, and afterwards subsides; or, should it
increase in severity, and relief be not promptly afforded, the
patient will die of suffocation.

If we analyze the above symptoms, we find some which are
common to a number of diseases and states of the organism,
and some peculiar to the disease in question. A weak and
tremulous pulse is present in epidemic catarrh, typhoid pneu-
monia, and other diseases. The surface of the body hot, and
covered with an abundant and steaming perspiration :—This is
a state of the skin common to the animal in health immediately
after having undergone severe exertion, and very likely has
been observed hundreds of times by every individual conversant
with horses. Breathing violent and difficult :—These are symp-
toms which are present in broken wind, temporary spasm of
the air cells of the lungs, inflammation of the lungs, and in
136 SELECTION OF A REMEDY.

other diseases of a similar character. The only symptoms
pathognomonic of the organ affected, are the rasping, sawing,
and trumpet-like sounds, the existence of which indicate the
nature of the affection in a way which is unmistakeable to the
experienced observer.

In all cases then, we repeat, those in attendance upon the
patient should, upon every occasion, fix their attention upon the
pathognomonic symptoms of the disease; by doing so, they go
direct to the centre of the malady, and at once strip the matter
of all obscurity and confusion.

SELECTION oF a Remepy.—Having thoroughly examined
our patient, and arrived at a satisfactory conclusion regarding
the nature of the disease, the next thing is to select the proper
remedy with a view to the removal of the malady. Upon this,
however, my remarks will be brief. The principal diseases to
which the horse is subject are described in the present treatise ;
together with such details respecting their medical, surgical,
and hygienic treatment, as will enable the reader to select that
remedy the best adapted to meet the requirements of the case.

I will conclude this portion of the present section by laying
down a few plain rules relating to drugs and their exhibition
in disease :—

I.—Genvineness or Daves.—The superintendent of
acase of disease should possess a moral certainty that the
remedy he may resort to is genuine; without the drug be
genuine he must expect the result either to be mii, or in the
highest degree doubtful.

IJ.—Stmprze Meprornes.—Keep to simple medicines.
One of the greatest evils in veterinary practice is that of
SIMPLE MEDICINES. 187

mixing a number of drugs together, and giving the same in
amass. The more simple our practice, the more certain our
results. This may be set down as an axiom in the treatment
of disease. By noting well the state of our patient, and by
the administration of a simple medicine, we are in a condition
to accurately watch its effects should a change either for
better or worse supervene; but if compound medicines are
used, and one or other of such changes should occur, we may
attribute it to the action of the medicines, though we should
be at a loss to know to which of the ingredients it was due ;
so that, if no other advantage arises trom the giving of a
simple medicament, that of certainty to the mind of the
medical attendant as to which is the curative* or disturbing
agent, is to be regarded as a solid advance in the right
direction.*

III.—Rirmepizs.—If a remedy does not act at once, the
attendant should not despair. Some diseases do not yield
until the remedy has been given several times in succession.
If the attendant is satisfied, however, that he has taken every
precaution in accurately diagnosing the disease, and in
selecting the appropriate remedy, he should persevere in its
administration ; and success in most instances where cure is

* Lest what I write be misconstrued, I will further explain what I mean
by the term “simple medicine.” Many vegetable medicines consist merely
of spirits of wine and the juice of the plant whose name the medicine bears,
Tincture of nux vomica isan example of the kind. Other medicines, again,
are made by mixing two together. Tincture of the muriate of iron is an
example of this nature; it is composed of iron and muriatic acid. But
muriate of iron I class as a simple medicine, but if the tincture of nux
vomica was mixed with the latter, I should call the result a compound medi-
cine, and reject it accordingly. If it was necessary for a patient to have
both, I should give them alternately, allowing intervals of some hours, or
perhaps a day, to intervene between the giving of each medicine.
138 AMENDMENT OF PATIENT.

possible will reward his perseverance. In chronic diseases a
beneficial result can seldom be observed for several days or
even longer; while, in acute diseases, as in inflammation of
the bowels, relief is sometimes speedily obtained. Where,
however, a beneficial result is not obtained in acute and sub-
acute maladies in the course of six or eight hours, the symp-
toms should again be carefully gone over, and a new remedy
selected ; which should be given either alone or in alternation
with the old one, and its use steadily persevered in. Attention
and perseverance are the great essentials to success.

IV.—AmeEnpMENT oF Parrent.—If a remedy be admini-
stered to a diseased patient, and amendment follows, which
is sudden or slow, as the case may be, but nevertheless well
marked, either give the remedy less frequently or in a less
quantity, or do both,—the adoption of which of the three
courses will depend upon the judicious management of the
attendant. It not unfrequently happens, however, that the
following will take place:—The patient will improve to a
certain degree, when the improvement will stop. In all such
cases the patient must be examined with every care, and
another and more appropriate remedy selected.

V.—Reperition or Mzpicrnes.—The repetition of medi-
cines will depend upon a variety of circumstance, respecting
which no definite rule can be laid down. In very acute cases
it may be necessary to repeat the medicine every ten or fif-
teen minutes ; in sub-acute diseases every hour, or every four
hours, or every twelve hours, as the case may be; while in .
chronic diseases an interval of twenty-four hours may be
allowed to elapse between its repetition. This, like many
other things of a similar nature, will depend upon the
MEDICINE AND ITS ADMINISTRATION. 139

experience and judgment of the attendant. I say to him,
however, give the medicine time,—let him learn to wait for
its effects.

VI—MeEctio1ne in Curonic Diszasz.—In all cases of
a chronic nature, administer the remedies to the patients
after they have fasted for some time; then let them remain
without food for a short time.

MEDICINE awp Its ADMINISTRATION.—The medicines used
in veterinary practice are numerous, and they are adminstered
to the horse in different ways, but principally in the liquid state ;
sometimes, however, in the form either of a ball, or a powder.

The liquid medicines prescribed for the cure of the various
diseases treated upon in the following pages consist, for the
most part, of different tinctures. Great care is necessary in
purchasing drugs; otherwise, in cases where benefit would be
readily effected by their agency, no result will follow their
administration, simply because of the adulteration which is so
common in articles of this description.

ADMINISTRATION OF Liguip Merpictnes.—The best de-
scription of instrument for administering liquid medicine is a
horn. The horns in general use are too big. One holding two
ounces of water will be sufficiently large for any ordinary
purpose. Numbers of horses will not allow a horn to be placed
within their mouths unless compelled. The best way to deal
with such animals is to fix a twitch upon their nose; this
gencrally will cause the most violent to remain quiet. Some
horses resist medicine being administered to them, because they
are brutally pulled and knocked about.

The proper way to administer liquid medicine, when the
quantity is not excessively large, is to proceed as follows :—
140 ADMINISTRATION OF LIQUID MEDICINE.

The operator must stand near to the right shoulder of the
animal, and handle him firmly, but- at the same time lightly,
while a second person should stand upon the Jefé side to assist
in steadying and holding up the head. The operator then
advances close to the side of the head, and places his left hand
across and beneath the lower jaw, immediately behind the back
part of the lower lip; the head is next elevated to the required
pitch, then with the right hand firmly holding the horn filled
with the medicine, the latter is gently forced into the mouth of
the patient as far within as the back part of the tongue, when,
by a slight, upward motion of the small end of the horn, its
contents are poured out; the instrument is then withdrawn,
and the head is maintained a few moments longer in its
elevated position until the liquid is swallowed. Should it be
necessary, however, to administer a pint or more of medicine,
or should the horse be unruly, it is the best to place a
twitch, having a moderate length of handle, upon his nose, to
enable the assistant to readily hold the head to the required
height.

In giving a drench, the operator should carefully attend to
the following essentials, if he wishes to perform the operation
properly and safely -—

I.—Hold the horse firmly with the left hand, and with
the right pass the horn well back into the mouth.

II.—Avoid pushing the horn too far back or too violently
into the mouth, because the animal may thereby be excited
to cough.

\
I.—Do not administer a second horn of liquid until
the one given prior to it is swallowed.
DANGER IN GIVING LIQUIDS. 141

IV.—Do not hold the head of the patient to an
inordinate height, otherwise he may experience great difli-
culty in swallowing. Horses cannot swallow when the
nose is held too high, and the neck stretched to an undue
extent.

V.—Should the patient cough at any time during the
administration of medicine, instantly lower the head; if this
be not done, serious consequences to the animal may result.

VI.—If coughing is caused, let the animal thoroughly
recover from its effects before the drenching process is renewed:

DANGER ATTENDING THE ADMINISTRATION OF Liguzps.—
It is dangerous when a portion of the liquid enters into the
windpipe; and such a consequence may readily occur. With
an experienced operator, however, a result of this nature is not
likely to take place. The danger is in the animal coughing
while in the act of receiving the medicine from the horn, and
in the operator not liberating the head at the same moment.

By lowering the head, and ceasing to give medicine at the
moment coughing is caused, and by allowing the animal to
remain quiet until the violence fully subsides, there is no
danger.

The symptoms by which the presence of extraneous sub-
stances within the windpipe may be known are the following :—

The patient commences suddenly to breathe violently.

The suddenness of the attack, when giving medicine out of
a horn or a bottle, is a certain indication of what has occurred.

The breathing is laboured to an extreme degree; the air,
in fact, is drawn through an obstructed passage. There is also
much violent, almost incessant, coughing ; shivering of the body;
142 POURING MEDICINE DOWN THE NOSTRILS.

rattling, gurgling sounds in the windpipe; violent beating of
the heart, and disturbance of the pulse; cold, clammy sweats,
and great restlessness. Sometimes, though rarely, death results.
In the generality of instances, however, particularly if the
fluid be merely tincture of some kind freely diluted with water,
the violence will gradually subside; but if the liquid be dense,
as thick gruel for example, the symptoms are not only more
violent, but the effects are more prolonged, and more likely to
be productive of a fatal result.

Povrine MepicineE pown tHE Nosrrits.—Many indi-
viduals advocate the pouring of medicine down the nostrils of
the patient, which is highly reprehensible; and, if resorted to
by an unskilful operator, or one not aware of the dangerous
results which may ensue, the consequences I have just described
are almost certain to supervene. In certain cases of a very
extreme and peculiar kind, I have on several occasions been
compelled to administer medicine in this manner; but unless
imperatively required, it should not be practised, and even
then none but a veterinary surgeon should undertake the
operation.

MEDICINE MIXED witH Foop.—Another way of giving
medicine is to pour the necessary quantity into a large clean
dish, and add to it a little bran or corn, and present it to the
patient. It is rarely the animal refuses to eat what is thus
offered, unless the drug be very unpalatable. This method
will often be found successful when the violence of the patient
renders any other impracticable. This mode, however, can
only be resorted to with patients affected with a sub-acute or
chronic disease; for if it be of any other character, the animal
will not eat.
ADMINISTRATION OF BALLS, 1438

ADMINISTRATION oF Banus.—The giving of balls to horses,
like the giving of drenches, is to some extent attended with
danger, especially if the operation be performed by an unskilled
person. The danger attending the administration of a ball
extends to both patient and operator. Instances occasionally
occur of a horse having his tongue pulled from its attachments,
or otherwise injured in a very severe manner. Sometimes the
operator is severely bitten upon the hand, and the bones of the
fingers are crushed by the teeth. Accidents, however, of such
severity are not common; and when they do occur, they may
in a great measure be fairly set down as arising from the
ignorance or awkwardness of the operator.

Injury to the tongue of the animal frequently happens
from the operator seizing hold of the organ and dragging in out
of the mouth, much in the same manner as he would drag at a
cart rope. The horse, feeling acute pain from the violence of
the proceeding, starts back with alarm, while the operator
continues to pull forward with perhaps greater force; and the
result is, if the pulling be continued, that the organ is perhaps
irreparably injured.

The proper way to administer a ball is as follows :—1st,
Place a halter upon the head of the animal, which widen at the
bottom, so as to allow of the jaws being readily opened to
their full extent; then tie a knot with the halter shank close
to its noose, then turn the animal round in the stall, and place
an assistant to steady its head. The operator should then in-
sinuate his left hand into the mouth of the patient, and lay hold
of the tongue, which he must draw gently forwards, pressing
the organ firmly down to the jaw, and at the same moment
firmly placing the thumb beneath the under jaw, thus fixing the
tongue as it were in a vice; then, with the ball held between
the thumb and the finger of the right hand gathered together
144 BALLING IRON OR GAG.

so as to form a point, the hand is rapidly passed into the mouth
of the patient back to near the entrance of the throat, where
the ball is deposited and the hand rapidly withdrawn, after
which the operator steadies the head of the horse until the
medicine is swallowed, a fact which may be readily known
when it takes place, if the operator looks to the left side of
the neck.

By securing the tongue of the horse as directed, two
advantages at least are gained; the first is, if the animal
should attempt to get away, the organ cannot be injured; and
secondly, so long as the operator firmly holds the tongue down
to the jaw, a groove or chan-
nel is formed for the right
hand to slide upon during
the act of giving the ball;
while, again, by holding the
fingers of the right hand in
close contact, and at the
same time pointed forwards,
the teeth of the patient can-
not injure them with the
same facility as though the
fingers were spread out.

Bazine Inon or Gag.
For my own part, I seldom
or ever give balls without
using what is called a ball-

‘ing iron or gag, which is an instrument for the purpose of
opening the jaws of the horse, and retain them so for the short
time it may be necessary to occupy in the giving of the ball.
The proper form of the gag is shewn in the annexed engraving.

 
USE OF THE GAG. 145

The size of the instrument should be as follows:—From @
to 6 four inches, and one-eighth within, and from ¢ to d three
inches, and three-eights within. It should be open at the right
side, by which means, if the patient becomes unruly at the time
it is used (which occasionally will occur) the hand of the opera-
tor is at liberty in a moment.

The best way to construct a gag as represented is, in the
first instance, to make the oval complete upon every part;
then make the instrument red hot, and while it is of a glowing
heat cut a piece out of the side of the size required; then file
smooth the rough ends and edges; after which temper it, and
it is ready for use.

The gag should be made of what is called five-eighths half-
round iron, and the surface of the metal should be so arranged
as to present when in use the rounded surfaces to the palate
and tongue of the horse.

Before using the gag, turn the horse round in his stall.
The operator places himself on the right side of the patient,
with his back towards its shoulder, then takes hold of the
halter with his left hand to steady the head better, at the same
time holding the instrument in his right hand; he then gently
insinuates the same into the side of the mouth, gradually forcing
the jaws asunder by bringing the handle of the gag into a
perpendicular position ; the tongue is then gently but firmly
secured as previously directed, the ball is given, and the iron is
immediately withdrawn. Should the animal operated upon
manifest alarm, which is frequently the case unless the opera-
tion be easily and steadily performed, the operator should take
time, and have recourse to gentleness and patience. Sometimes
it is necessary to place a twitch upon the nose.

ADMINIsTRATION oF Mzpicines 1n PowpEr.—The medi-
cines which are given to the horse in a state of powder are not

K

f
146 MEDICINES IN POWDER.

numerous. The following are the principal, viz.:—sulphur,
powder of nux vomica, strychnia, mercurius, sulphate of iron,
and sulphate of copper.

Sulphur, nux vomica, strychnia, and mercurius, are powders
waich may be administered as follows:—The requisite dose of
the drug is first mixed with a small portion of flour; the whole is
then poured into a large table spoon, and a few drops of water
are added ; and by the aid of a bone spatula, or a small flat- piece
of clean wood, the mass is made into a paste of moderate con-
sistency. The operator then advances to the patient, while an
assistant steadies the head; he then gently draws the tongue
out of the mouth, or he depresses the left corner of the lower
lip, and wipes the contents of the spoon upon it. The animal
speedily licks up the whole.

Another mode of administering a powdered drug, is by
triturating the quantity prescribed with loaf sugar, and then
mixing it with the animal’s corn, or in a mash of bran. This
however, is not always to be depended upon, as the patient may
refuse to eat it. .

AccrpEnts anp SuppEy Initwzss to Horszs.—In cases of
accident, or where illness suddenly occurs, everything may be
said to depend upon the coolness and the common sense of
those in attendance. Numbers of individuals, when placed
amid circumstances of this nature, become so confused as to
be incapable of affording the least assistance. Not unfrequently
people of this kind run to and fro, as though utterly bereft of
reason ; or if they do anything to regulate the existing disorder,
they are almost certain to do the very reverse of what they
ought to do. People of this character should never leave
home, except under the immediate care of that maternal watch-
fulness so essentially necessary to the protection of the helpless.
SUDDEN ILLNESS. 147

A common accident is that of horses falling or becoming
thrown, either when being ridden or driven. If such an acci-
dent occurs to the animal when attached to a vehicle, a very
common error on the part of those in attendance is that of
cutting the harness to pieces. This we will venture to assert
is not necessary upon an occasion of this kind (if ever) one
time in a thousand. When a horse suddenly finds himself in
a novel and alarming position, it is natural that he should
struggle and fight to release himself; now, instead of the
attendants proceeding to cut and destroy the harness, let them
use their power to pacify the animal. The first thing to do in
the generality of such cases is to secure the head of the horse.
An attendant must place himself upon the neck, and hold
down the head by main force, then, by speaking firmly but
kindly to the animal, he will soon be pacified. A second
person may then deliberately proceed to undo every buckle
which holds the various straps together. The secret of success
for the most part consists in holding down the head, when, with
very little trouble, the poor animal may be speedily liberated.

Cor1c.—One of the most common forms of sudden disease
to which the horse is liable is colic. In a general way it is
anything but a dangerous disease, but the violence of the
animal, particularly in the more severe forms of the malady,
will terrify an inexperienced owner or attendant, who not
unfrequently wastes more time and labour in running from
place to place in search of relief to the patient, than, with a
little foresight and the aid of common things which are usually
at hand, would suffice to cure the disease. As usual in matters
of sudden emergency, people often do that which ought to’
remain undone. Not unfrequently a crowd of gaping idlers col-
lect, many of whom will doubtless consider themselves qualified
148 COLIC.

to give advice. Some may recommend the horse to have gin
given to him; others gin and pepper; others a mixture of gin,
pepper, onions, and hot ale; others old urine; and very likely
all of them to bleed the animal from the veins of the neck, or
the roof of the mouth.
I was called to a patient some time ago, affected in the
manner described ; and when I arrived, I found two individuals
engaged in abstracting blood from the animal; two others in
giving a drench of hot ale and pepper; a fifth, in giving an
injection of soap and water; and several in rubbing the body
and limbs of the patient with wisps of straw; while a number
of others were engaged in laughing, shouting, making sport,
and occasionally in issuing fresh instructions of that nature
which the wisdom of the multitude deemed necessary.
What the attendant should do in the first instance is, if
practicable, to remove the patient at once into a roomy place,
well provided with clean straw ; when, if proper remedies for the
disease are not at hand, or cannot readily be obtained, he can
easily procure a clean porter bottle, which he may fill with hot
water and administer to the horse forthwith, using the water
as hot as it can well be borne without fear of scalding the
mouth. By this simple practice the disease may in all proba-
bility be checked, and the patient none the worse in the end.
Every driver of a team, before starting a long journey,
should have a small box fitted to the waggon, which box should
contain the following articles, viz. :—
Small Drench Horn.
Tincture of Aconite, 1 ... 2 ounces.*
Tincture Nux Vomica, 1 ... 2 ounces.

For a knowledge of the value of these medicines, and the

_ * The Aconite for veterinary use should be prepared from the root of
the plant
POULTICES. 149

proper mode of dispensing them, see article Colic, contained in
the section which treats upon the disease of the digestive organs.

In like manner every coachman, when going with his horses
and carriage a tour of six or eight weeks’ duration, should be
provided with the following articles, all so placed and arranged,
that in case of necessity they can be got to at a moment’s
notice :—

Small Drench Horn.
Tincture Aconite, 1...... 2 oz. | Tinct. of Arsenicum, 2... 2 oz.
Tinct. Nux Vomica, 1... 2 oz. | Tinct. Bryonia, 1......... 2 oz
Tinet. of Camphor ...... 2 oz. | Tinct. Arnica, ... ........ 8 oz.
Tinct. of Belladonna, ... 2 oz. | Aromatic Ammonia...... 8 02.
ALSO,
Woollen Bandages ......... 4| Small Hammer ............... 1
Linen ae seveossee os 4 | Small Pincers... ..... 00.08 1
Large Sponge... . 1 | Patent Horse Sandals ...... 2
Picker... ; . 1| Packet of Tow ........... 1
Drawing a ‘emul aa Empty Bottles ............... 2
TAPBE) ..cecenescyedevees oa 2

 

The whole of the articles enumerated above will not in the
aggregate weigh over six pounds; so that if they should not
be wanted, the trouble of taking them from place to place can-
not prove a very burdensome affair.

Poutrices.— Poultices are well known applications to parts
locally diseased, or where disease of a systemic kind locally
develops itself. A poultice in its effects is merely a long
continued. fomentation. If applied to a part which is hard,
tense,.and painful, its direct action is to soften the tissues, and
thus relax tension, and relieve pain.

The articles in common use for poultices are bran, linseed
meal, turnips, and oatmeal. It is a favourite practice with
150 POULTICES.

numbers to collect together various herbs, and chop them into
a state of pulp, then to boil the pulp, and apply the same while
hot asa poultice. A poultice of this kind, however, possesses
no advantage over any one of the articles named above. The
virtues of a poultice are its warmth and moisture, so that
whatever material will continue to impart these essentials the
longest, is the best for a poultice. In selecting materials for
this purpose, those articles should be preferred which readily
imbibe moisture and heat, and which are clean, light, and
pliable. Bran and turnips possess these qualities to a degree
which render them upon the whole perhaps the most suitable
articles for poultices. Linseed meal, if used alone, when made
wet, becomes glutinous, or like bird-lime ; and unless it is made
very wet, it dries, hardens, and presses upon the part diseased,
and gives acute pain to the animal. If bran and linseed meal
be mixed together in the proportion of three parts of the
former to one of the latter, the combination forms an excellent
material for poultices. Bran, if made into a poultice, unless
grease of some kind be mixed with it, speedily becomes cool
and dry; the addition, however, of a small portion of lard
counteracts this to some extent, and also prevents the bran
from passing into a sour state.

Bran and turnips, if mixed together, make a very good
poultice. The turnips should be boiled to a pulp, and while
hot, along with the liquor, should be poured upon the bran,
and the whole should be thoroughly mixed together ; and when
so far reduced in temperature as not to scald the animal, the
mass should be applied to the part diseased.

The effects on many occasions produced by poulticing are
excellent and well marked; and if individuals, having diseased
horses, would at times exert their skill in contriving modes
to apply them when necessary, they would be found far more
generally useful than at present.
POULTICES. 151

Poultices are beneficial to use as local applications in
strangles and sore throat, to tumours situated within the sub-
maxillary space, and in inflammation of the parotid gland; also
in diseases and injuries of the feet, in broken knees, and to
injuries of almost every kind and degree.

Sometimes when applying poultices to the limbs and feet,
it is proper to combine with them a substance to act as a
corrective. This is occasionally required in grease, running
thrushes, canker, and even to broken knees. Yeast and
powdered charcoal are articles of this kind. When yeast is
required, it should be prepared as follows:—Measure four or
five spoonfuls of yeast into a basin, then add a similar measure
of flour, and a little tepid water; stir the contents of the
basin well together; and when fermentation begins, pour the
mass to the poultice, the temperature of which should be low,
otherwise the heat of the latter will destroy the fermenting
power of the yeast. When charcoal is used, all that is required
is simply to mix it with the poultice at any temperature the
operator may choose.

In using poultices, attend to the following essentials :-—

I.—Have them bulky ; otherwise the moisture and the
high temperature of the mass are speedily gone, without the
patient receiving the least benefit from their application.

II.—To produce their full effect, poultices should be
changed every six or eight hours.

III.—Poultices should be applied and secured to the part
diseased by means of a thick, substantial medium. Leather
boots are made for this purpose, when poultices are required
to the feet; but an excellent medium to secure a poultice to
152 POULTICES.

any part of a limb above the feet, is the leg of a strong
woollen stocking. This in fact is the best medium we can
procure to apply a poultice to the hock and knee joints;
while for the head, throat, and neck, strong canvass will
answer the required purpose.

IV.—In fixing poultices, avoid tying them tight, particu-
larly with straps and ties that are narrow and sharp ; as these
articles, when fixed tight to the limbs, press into the skin
and sub-tissues, and by doing so cause the structures both
above and below the poultice to swell considerably.

V.—When a poultice is necessary, it should always be
applied so as to insure its substance being in direct or
immediate contact with the skin.

It is a common practice to put the poultice into a canvass bag,
and secure the latter and its contents to the part diseased.
This is a bad method, and is apt to inflict more pain and dis-
turbance by undue pressure, than is counteracted by the good
which the poultice may do.

To secure a poultice properly to the knees or the hocks,
proceed as follows:—First place the stocking leg to the part
requiring the poultice, by drawing it over the foot; then ban-
dage the limb from the foot or fetlock joint up to the lower
part of the stocking; then place the poultice within the stock-
ing, and work its substance thoroughly and evenly to every
part requiring its soothing influence; then securely close the
open mouth of the poultice bag by means of a broad soft tie:
the operation is then complete.

The application of the bandage has a two-fold effect: it
prevents the poultice from slipping down or falling out at the
POULTICES. 153
ks
bottom; and it also prevents the limb from swelling. The
bandage should be applied wet, otherwise the pressure of the
poultice may displace it.

Povnrics to THE Necx.—To fix a poultice to the neck
is a matter of some difficulty, so that a few plain directions
regarding the proper way to do it, may prove of advantage.

Procure a thick strong piece of canvass (a thick piece of
woollen cloth would be preferable from its softness) which cut
to the shape of the annexed diagram.

The size of the cloth for a large
sized horse, will require to be as
follows. Length of cloth, 24
inches; width of ditto at the
broad end 18 inches; width at the
narrow end, 12 or 14 inches. A
broad piece of tape will also be
required to pass from each side of
the broad end, and one from each
side of the narrow end of the poultice cloth. The tapes at the
broad end, are to tie at the top of the neck, while the lower
ones are to tie over the bones of the nose.

Let us see what advantages are to be obtained by having a
cloth of the above form. Its broad end will pass over the neck,
and the tapes can be secured behind the ears ; the sides of the
cloth will pass down, one on each side of the cheeks, leaving
the eyes clear and free from annoyance, while the narrow end
will pass from under the jaws and over the nose, where its
tapes can be readily secured, as well as allow of an additional
tie to pass from the tapes upon the nose up the centre of the
forehead to the tapes behind the ears. This additional tie will
materially aid in supporting the poultice, and in maintaining
the poultice cloth in its proper position.
154 POULTICES.

Without further aid and security to the poultice, however,
the means as above described will not prove adequate. To
apply the poultice, and afterwards fix it to the neck, proceed
as follows :—

Turn the patient round in the stall, remove the head collar,
then, by the aid of an assistant, place the poultice cloth in
position ; tie it closely and securely at its lower end, and lightly
at its upper end behind the ears; then, with the hand, or by
the aid of a large wooden spoon, place the poultice within the
poultice canvass, between the neck and the jaws; and when
sufficient is added, gather the sides of the poultice canvass into
folds, and by means of a large curved needle, and some broad
tape, sew the folds of one side to those of the other by passing
the needle and tape from one side to the other over the neck;
then take a common halter, having a throat strap attached, put
the halter upon the head of the animal, draw it close to the
poultice cloth at its lower end, and tie a knot around the noose
of the halter; then buckle the throat strap well up, so as to
afford firm support to the poultice at the throat. By tying a
knot close to the noose of the halter, the poultice will be
upheld to the jaws, and its escape prevented from the bottom
of the canvass.

Should the halter and its neck strap be insufficient to hold
the poultice close to the neck and jaws, (and when it is neces-
sary to apply a poultice to these parts, it will not prove of
service unless so secured), pass a long, broad, woollen bandage
several times around the neck and the poultice cloth, and secure
its ends at the back of the ears. By this means the poultice
will be held firmly and effectually to the surface of the parts
diseased; and in consequece of the additional covering, the
heat and the moisture of the mass within will be longer
retained, and the efficiency of the remedy ensured.
FOMENTATIONS. 155

PovLticrs To THE ABDOoMEN.—To apply a poultice to the
abdomen, or to any part of it, another arrangement of canvass
or cloth than the one described will be necessary. A poultice
cloth for this purpose should be made of a form and size to
correspond to the body of the animal. Broad straps should
pass from underneath the body and buckle along the top of
the back, similar in form to an article called the Body Sacking,
an engraving of which is appended to the article treating upon
inflammation of the bowels.

Fomerntations._-Fomentations, so far as they act upon
the living tissues, are like poultices in almost every respect.
If fomentations are applied to surfaces which are inflamed,
they soften the tension and hardness of the structurs involved,
Like poultices, their virtues consist in affording a continued
supply of heat and moisture.

Many individuals consider fomentations to possess little or
no virtue, unless medicated with various herbs and plants. I
believe that no advantage whatever occurs from the use of such
fluids beyond what is afforded by their heat and moisture.

The best fomentation to wounds and injuries of delicate
tissues and structures, is steam. I have proved this in nume-
rous instances. If the reader will procure my “ Principles and
Practice of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery,” and read from
pages 130 to 188, he will obtain important information upon
the matter, and also see a woodcut representing an apparatus
to use for the generation and application of steam.*

For a diseased part to receive the full benefit of a warm
fomentation, it is necessary that the operation should be con-
tinued from one to two hours at a time, the water all the while
being maintained at a high temperature.

* London. John Churchill, New Burlington Street, W.
156 FOMENTATIONS.

Fomentations or Limps.—If the limb of a horse requires
to be fomented, the best plan to pursue is to place it in a large
tub; but before doing so, fold the limb with thick woollen
cloths; then, by means sf a large sponge, or a large pitcher
filled with water at the proper temperature, the contents of one
or both are to be slowly poured or forced upon the woollen
wrappers. As the water cools in the tub, more can be brought
at a proper heat and mixed with it. When the process has
been continued so long as may be deemed necessary for the
time being, the limb is to be taken out of the tub, the wet
cloths are to be removed, and dry ones applied in lieu of them.

To parts which have but newly received an injury, such as
a severe kick or bruise, or contusion of any kind, the free
application of water at a high temperature will generally prove
one of the best sedatives which can be resorted to. The pain
in such cases is frequently relieved by it at once.

Fomentartons to tHE Necx.—Fomentations applied to
the neck at its junction with the head frequently prove of
essential service in catarrhal sore throat, strangles, and in
other maladies of an analogous nature.

The proper way to apply them is as follows :—First procure
a woollen bandage, or a piece of Sannel five inches wide and
twenty-four in length, and consisting of several folds in thick-
ness; dip the folded flannel into water at a temperature of
118° or 120° Fahrenheit, wring out the loose fluid, and apply
the flannel immediately to the part diseased, and secure it to
the neck by means of a dry flannel bandage folded round and
round, by passing it under the throat and over the top of the
neck. The hollow which exists on each side of the neck may
be easily filled up with rolls of flannel (one roll placed on each
side), applied either dry or saturated with hot water.
INJECTIONS. 157

  
   
  
  
  

Fomentations of this kind produce all the
effects of a poultice, and they admit of being
far more readily applied. They may also be
applied in association with mustard embro-
cations.

Insecrions.—Injections consist in forcing
a fluid into the rectum either by means of a
hollow tube having a common bladder at-
tached to one end, or by what is called Reid’s
Patent Enema Pump, or by the common
syringe, such as the reader will perceive
figured in the annexed engraving. 3

In veterinary practice, Injections are re-
sorted to in cases of colic, inflammation of
the bowels, constipation, spasm of the blad-
der, and many other diseases of a kind to be
treated upon hereafter. Injections, to pro-
duce their full effect, should be given warm,
—hot, in fact, but not of a temperature to
scald the patient. I invariably use them so
myself. An injection of mere tepid water, is
of no service beyond softening any hardened
dung which may be impacted within the |
rectum ; but if the contents of the rectum
be first cleared out, then an injection of soap
and water (the latter at a high temperature)
may be given with advantage, as it excites
a change throughout the system. In many
cases of colic I have known hot injections to
cure the disease almost at once.

The administration of a hot injection
158 BLISTERS.

should not be entrusted to any rough, heavy-handed fellow,
otherwise a serious injury may be inflicted upon the patient.
It is an operation which requires either a nice feeling within
the hand of the operator, or the careful use of a thermometer.
The bowel will receive an injection at a temperature of 116°
to 118° Fahrenheit, without fear of injury being inflicted: a
higher temperature than this would not be unattended with
risk to the animal.

Buisters. —Blisters are applications of a common character.
Many grooms talk largely about blistering, bleeding, and purg-
ing: they speak, in fact, as though the indiscriminate practice
of the three constituted the whole art and science of veterinary
practice.

Blistering horses, although common, is not so much in
vogue as it was some years ago. It is supposed by numbers
to possess virtues which it does not. One effectual service a
blister performs, is that of placing the animal operated upon
completely out of use; and by so doing, time and rest are
afforded, and marvellous benefits frequently occur in conse-
quence, which are all attributed to the direct action of the
blister. Formerly it was the practice to fire and blister the limbs
of nearly every young horse in the kingdom. These operations
were deemed great strengtheners of the limbs; happily for
humanity, however, these practices, unless resorted to in cases
of disease, are now abandonded.

Blisters are sometimes of great value if applied to the sides
of the chest in pneumonia ; also to the part during the forma-
tion of abscess within the sub-maxillary space ; also in tracheitis
and in bronchitis.

Mustard is the best substance to apply to the sides of the
chest, to the course of the trachea, and to the neck, in bronchial,
BLISTERS. 159

pleuritic, and pneumonic diseases. Cantharides act too violently
in these diseases. Mustard, if powerful and genuine, and if
assiduously applied, produces effects equally beneficial, without
the virulent effects of the former. Mustard also possesses these
advantages over blisters containing cantharides: its effects can
be regulated just as the operator may desire; it also passes off
speedily, and leaves no permanent blemish upon the skin; and
it does not excite those dangerous consequences within the
animal. system which are but too common from the use of
cantharides. It is the best to apply a cantharides blister to a
part where the disease is limited in its extent of surface, and
where, comparatively speaking, it is superficial ; as, for example,
in the formation of purulent abscesses between the lower jaws,
to a splint upon the bones of the leg, to a sprain of the flexor
tendons, or toa curb. But when the inflammation is very deeply
situate, and extends over and amongst tissues having an exten-
sive surface, as in the lungs and the pleura, and when the
avoidance of systemic disturbance is regarded (as it ever should
be) as an evil to be avoided, mustard is without doubt one of
the best excitants and counter irritants which we possess for
the purpose.

To produce a smart éffect with mustard, it requires to be
applied two or three times in quick sucession. Its action
may be increased if a small quantity of common hartshorn, or
turpentine, or strong vinegar, be mixed along with it.

To best describe the manner of its use, let the reader sup-
pose a horse to be affected with pleuritis, and where it is
necessary to apply it as a counter irritant to the sides. The
proper way to proceed is as follows :—First procure half a pound
at least of genuine mustard (not a mixture of flour and
turmeric), which pour into a large basin, add to it five or six
ounces of hot water, and stir the whole thoroughly together
160 BLISTERS.

so as to form a thick kind of paste; then add to the mass from
one to two ounces by measure of spirits of hartshorn, and as
much more hot water as will suffice to reduce the paste-like
state of the mustard to the consistence of mustard usually
taken with roast beef; then procure a large sponge, which dip
in hot water, and with it rapidly and thoroughly wet the hair
on one or both sides of the chest, as the case may require,
then freely and vigorously rub the mustard upon the parts
made wet. Should the operator find the mustard to work dry,
he must wet his hands in hot water, and apply a portion of the
liquid to the surface of the hair, and then go on as before.
The operation, if performed upon both sides of the chest,
should occupy at least from fifteen to twenty-five minutes.
Should the mustard fail to produce the desired result, which it
generally does upon the first application, repeat the process a
second or even a third time, at intervals of about two hours.
The second application will not require so much mustard, as
the hair will already be saturated with it, and the skin excited
and more sensitive to its effects.

When the sides become sore, and the swelling of the skin
excessive, or to the extent desired, the further application of
the irritant should be withheld, otherwise the tissues of the
part may slough and leave a raw surface, and ultimately a
blemish which may be permanent. By carefully noting the
effects of the mustard, and by applying it at proper intervals,
with or without the hartshorn, and in greater or lesser quan-
tities according to the state and requirements of the case,
the effects of the medicament can be easily regulated with the
utmost nicety.

In cases where the mustard has been regularly applied, and
where the article is known to be genuine and powerful, and yet
where little or no effect results from its application, it is
FIRING. 161

gerierally to be regarded as a bad omen to the patient; while,
on the contrary, where the irritant acts quickly, and produces
an extensive swelling, the issue may be looked upon as likely
to be favourable.

James’s Buisterine Ornrmunt.—I am frequently ques-
tioned respecting a blistering ointment sold by the generality
of chemists, and called “ James’s Blister.’ I have never used
this ointment to cases of my own, but from the report of others
who have tried it, I am of opinion that it is a good excitant.
It is spoken of in favourable terms by veterinary surgeons who
are personal friends of mine, and said by them to produce a
smart effect without leaving any permanent blemish to the part
it may be applied.

The common blistering ointment generally sold by the
chemists, frequently contains corrosive sublimate and other
irritants of a most destructive nature. Perhaps the mildness
of the above named blistering ointment arises from an entire
absence within it of all such drugs.

Fririne.—The application of the actual cautery for the
cure of disease is not only a very ancient remedy, but it is also
one of almost universal reputation. Blaine tells us that in
India the hot iron is applied to the skin of the abdomen of the
human being for the cure of schirrosity of the liver. The
same authority also informs us that the Arabs fire the joints of
their young colts to strengthen them.

The actual cautery was used by the surgeons in the time of
Hippocrates ; and at this day we find one of the ablest writers
on surgery treating upon it as follows :—“ The actual cautery,”
he states, “is certainly a very efficient, and it is very far from
being the most painful, manner of effecting counter irritation.

L
162 FIRING.

on the contrary, its effects are speedy, and not attended with
very much suffering.’’*

In veterinary practice, Firing is resorted to for the cure of
spavin, splint, curb, sprains of the tendons, side-bone, ring-
bone, debility of the limbs arising from excessive labour, and
other affections and maladies of an analogous character.

It may prove advantageous to lay before the reader a con-
cise explanation of what I consider to be the effect and the
modus operandi of this agent.

The effects of the actual cautery are of a threefold nature,
and of a character not difficult either to describe or under-
stand. The first effect which succeeds upon the application of
the hot iron (the immediate effect) consists in burning the
skin Its second (mediate) effect is that of inducing infamma-
tion within the tissues cauterised. Its third (remote) effect
consists in permanently thickening the skin, and to a great
extent destroying its elasticity. The peculiar nature of the
effects produced by the inflammatory process, thus excited and
established, will depend upon the peculiar nature of the tissues
cauterised.

When inflammation from the application of the actual
cautery is produced within the tissues composing bone, or im-
mediately contiguous thereto, the result is of a nature entirely
different from the effects produced within the muscular or
fibrous tissues from the operation of a similar cause.

Take a case of spavin, as an example of the beneficial
influence which the actual cautery will occasionally exert in
the cure of disease affecting the bony tissues of the body.

Bone Spavin consists of inflammation and ulceration of the
articulatory surfaces of the small bones of the hock; and the

* The Surgeon's Vade Mecum. By R. Drourrt, (p. 686). Seventh edition.
London : John Churchill.
FIRING. 163

only mode by which the disease can be cured (should the
ulcerative stage supervene) is that of ossification of these
bones. This process of ossification Nature labours to accom-
plish in the following manner :—The inflammatory action of
the disease stimulates the nutritive vessels of the bones; a
greater abundance of bony matter is secreted and deposited ;
and in time the joint may become what is called anchylosed, and
the lameness in consequence sometimes disappears. This pro-
cess, however, if left entirely alone, is tedious and uncertain in
its results; and even when successful the animal may undergo
years of slow torture before recovery is fully established.
Now, firing the hocks under the conditions named, aids the
natural powers to complete the ossific process more speedily
and more effectually. The firing does not effect anything spe-
cifically different from what the natural efforts of the diseased
structures are striving to effect; they are, in fact, so far as they
go, of a nature precisely similar.

Firing the spavin increases the inflammation already exist-
ing within the joint; but this inflammation being new, and
dependent upon a temporary cause, it speedily subsides; but
if, during its existence, it be sufficiently vigorous not only to
entirely supplant the old malady but also to fully complete the
ossific process already established, the patient speedily becomes
what in ordinary language is termed “cured of the spavin,”
and the firing to have fully answered the purpose intended.

In like manner we are to explain the action of the actual
cautery when applied to the cure of ring-bone, side-bone,
splints, and curbs: its effects, however, upon the softer tissues,
as when applied to legs debilitated from over exhaustion, are of
a different character. In instances of this nature the limbs, if
benefitted by the process (which they generally are), the im-
provement arises from a twofold source:—first, from the rest
164 DIRECTION AND DEPTH OF THE LINES.

enjoyed by the animal; and secondly, from the increased
vascular action set up within tissues previously enfeebled.
Rest alone has been known to effect a similar result; but it
neither does it so speedily nor so effectually as when associated
with firing.

Direction of the Lines.—The direction in which the lines
should be cauterized upon the skin is another matter for consi-
deration. It is at all times desirable that the animal should be
as little blemished as possible, especially if we can avoid doing
so without performing the operation less effectually. As a
general rule, the lines should be scored across the hair. By
this means the hair, if not destroyed in its growth from the
operation, will grow over the lines, and thus hide them as far
as practicable.

Side-bones and ring-bones should be fired in lines parallel
to the top of the hoof; a sprained flexor tendon in lines across
the limb; while in spavin (if this rule be adhered to) the ope-
rator will require to vary the lines according to the variation
in the direction of the hair. The rule now laid down cannot,
however, be adhered to upon every occasion ; as sometimes in
firing it is the best to burn one deep line and leave it to heal,
in which case it is generally necessary to cut the line to the
utmost length it can be taken over the part affected. -

Depth of the Lines.—With regard to the depth that the
lines should be burnt, no positive rule can be laid down. Some
time ago this question was debated by veterinary surgeons with
great warmth: one party contending that very deep firing was
alone worthy of consideration and practice; while a second
party contended that very deep lesions were barbarous and
unnecessary, and advocated the lines to be of moderate depth.
It is a question, however, which cannot be settled exclusively
FIRING.—DEPTH OF THE LINES. 165

in favour of either one party or the other. Sometimes it is
necessary to fire deeply, and sometimes not. The extent to
which the lines should be taken will, in numerous instances,
have to be governed by the breed of the patient, the thickness
of the skin, and the nature and state of the disease.

Many writers, whose pseudo humanity is more conspicuous
than their common sense, condemn the use of the actual
cautery not only as cruel in the extreme, but as unnecessary
upon all occasions. I have found it, however, when rightly
applied to cases of the right kind, to be an agent of great
value. I have found it valuable in spavin, and curb; in sprains
of the metacarpal ligament; in splint; in cases of debility of
the limbs; and in specific ophthalmia. It is a remedy, however,
of limited application. It has been, and by numbers is yet,
very greatly abused. It is of no avail to fire the hocks for
thorough pin or bog spavin; nor the fetlock joints for wind-
galls; nor the spine in cases of tetanus. On the contrary,
use the remedy to cases appropriate, and I have no fear of it
being either decried on the score of inhumanity, or, on the other
hand, lauded to an undue extent.

MArtrERs TO OBSERVE RELATING TO THE OPERATION OF
Fizine.—It is necessary to remove the hair from the part
where the cautery is to be applied. Youatt recommends the
limb to be shaved, but this is unnecessary. If the hair be
clipped away close to the skin, and the skin afterwards carefully
cleansed, it is all that is required.

Iron.—The thickness of the burning edge of the iron
should vary according to the breed of the patient to be operated
upon, and the nature of the disease; curbs and splints, when
it is necessary to fire them, require a fine-edged iron: while
ring bones and side bones require the iron to be thick upon its
166 BLISTERING.

burning edge. The iron should always be thick at the back ;
this enables it to be heated to a higher temperature, and after-
wards to retain its heat for a longer period. The iron should
be of a brisk red heat, and its surface free from scales or dirt
of any kind. Before applying the instrument it is best to use
a fine file to its sides and edge.

Buisterrne.— When the application of a blister is deter-
mined upon in addition to the firing, as a general rule, apply
the blister immediately afterwards. Many writers condemn
this practice as wanton and useless cruelty. A slight reflection,
however, will convince any one that, so far as cruelty is con-
cerned, it amounts in the end to the same thing, no matter
whether the patient be blistered at the time or in a day or two
afterwards. To argue on the contrary is about as wise as the
man whose dog had an enormous long tail, and which it was
deemed necessary to shorten; but the owner would not allow it
to be shortened to the full extent at once, on the plea of cruelty,
—he had a little removed daily, until the requisite shortness
was obtained.

A very excellent blister can be obtained from the application
of tar to the fired'surface. For a knowledge of this fact I am
indebted to that excellent practitioner, my friend Mr. John
Lawson, veterinary surgeon, of Manchester.

The tar should be applied in every way similar to what
blistering ointment is usually applied. The patient should
afterwards be tied up to the rack, to prevent him from biting
the part irritated. It is stated that horses blistered with
James’s Blistering Ointment will not gnaw the part blistered ;
our observations however lead us to assert the contrary.

As a general rule never fire and blister more than two
limbs out of the four at once. It is dangerous to do so.
SETONS AND ROWELS. 167

Arter TreatmEnt.—The after treatment is simple enough.
The third day after the operation, lightly scrape the part fired
and blistered with the back edge of an old table knife; then
lightly wash the sore with warm water, soap, and a soft sponge.
The washing to be repeated every third or fourth day for four
or five times in succession, while every day, dressings of lard
or neats-foot oil may be applied to soften the skin, and aid the
escape of any purulent discharge which may be present.

It is seldom that the full benefit derived from the actual
cautery is observed at once. Its operation is slow. The animal
operated upon should always rest, or run at grass, for at least
three months afterwards.

Sztons anp RoweExs.—Setons and rowels are well known
remedies. Like a blister, or the application of the actual cau-
tery, they excite the living parts to which they may be applied,
into active inflammation.

Both setons and rowels, however, are limited in their action,
being in all cases confined in their effects to the tissues they
may be placed in.

Rowels are seldom or ever resorted to now-a-days by vete-
rinary surgeons. Ignorant people have faith in their efficacy
as of old.

Setons, although of a precisely similar nature in their
effects, yet, from their greater readiness of application, and the
greater extent of surface over which they can be made to act,
to some extent still retain a place in veterinary practice.

Setons are useful occasionally in cases of Quittor; also to
apply along the course of the trachea in certain forms of
chronic cough; also to apply along the back on each side of
the spine, in cases of irritation of the spine; and also in poll
evil, and other forms of deep seated abscess. “ In inflammations
168 PURGATIVES.

of extensive organs,” says Mr. Youatt, “setons afford only
feeble aid: their action is too circumscribed,’—an opinion
with which I entirely coincide.

Formerly setons were lauded as a remedy for spavin: after
trying them, however, in over thirty cases of the kind, I cannot
report in their favour.

To cause a seton to produce its full effects, it is necessary
that it should be moved to and fro at least once or twice daily.

When a seton is placed where it is intended for some time
to remain, do not secure the ends of the tape by tying them
together; it is better to secure them to small pieces of wood.
When the ends are tied, the seton forms a closed loop, which
may accidentally become fixed to a nail or a hook, and the
seton in consequence be torn out of its matrix.

Tincture of calendula, or tincture of arnica, may be applied
to the seton occasionally as a dressing.

Pureatives.—A purgative is at times a remedy of great
value. They are necessary to procure condition, and to aid in
retaining it when procured. They act by rapidly ridding the
system of much superfluous matter, when the body of the
animal is gross and foul. They are valuable in cases of acute
grease, in cases of worms, and in numerous instances of a kind
in which, despite of all ordinary dieting, the animal is spiritless
and unthrifty. In cases of this nature we have known a pur-
gative to produce a change in the general health of the animal
little short of the marvellous.

No class of men are better acquainted with the value of
gentle laxatives and purgatives than horse dealers. It is by
constantly grooming their animals, by a diet skilfully managed,
by well regulated exercise, and by the judicious administra-
tion of purgatives, that they are enabled to produce such
DIURETICS. 169

extraordinary changes in the general appearance of a horse in
so short a period of time.

In acute systemic maladies, and in systemic maladies of a
low typhoid nature, the administration of purgatives will
generally prove injurious to the patient. They are recom-
mended by every writer as indispensable in cases of tetanus.
I have not, however, found them necessary in this disease.
The constipated state of the bowels, so common at the onset of
the malady, can be more readily overcome by means of injec-
tions of warm water and oily emollients, than by purgatives,
letting alone the absence of their irritating and debilitating
effects. In the generality of tetanic cases, I condemn their
use entirely.

For particulars relating to the best kind of purgative for
the horse, for the proper mode of preparing the animal before
a purgative is administered, and for instructions relating to the
proper treatment of the animal afterwards, the reader must
turn to pages 75, 76, and 77.

DivrEtics.—Diuretics are favourite remedies with grooms
and stablemen. Formerly a diuretic was given to a horse
every Saturday night or Sunday morning; much of this, how-
ever, is now happily abandoned, but the practice yet remains
in many large horse establishments. I am at a loss to know
their use, except to make drug bills. The majority of respect-
able veterinary surgeons have utterly discarded their adminis-
tration to healthy horses years ago.

Horses subject to severe labour necessarily perspire much,
particularly during the prevalence of hot weather, and as a
natural consequence, they secrete less fluid urine ; and diuretics
are given under the foolish impression of rectifying this. The
animal drugged without a doubt urinates more in quantity in
170 DIURETICS.

consequence, but such additional quantity consists merely of a
greater abundance of water. The solids of the urine, or those
constituents which form the essential peculiarities of the secre-
tion, are not in the least altered either in quantity or quality
by the diuretic agent; all that it does accomplish is to cause
the blood to be drained to an undue, perhaps to an injurious,
extent of its watery constituents. Diuretics to horses in good
health I condemn entirely, not only as useless, but as pernicious
to the organism.

To those, however, who desire a more abundant secretion
of urine from their horses, they must place rock salt in their
racks er mangers, Horses are fond of salt, and they frequently
lick it with avidity when so placed as to allow them to take it
when they choose.

Salt is highly beneficial to horses in many respects, but it
must not be forced upon them. When allowed to take it of
themselves, they will generally lick sufficient to excite that
degree of thirst which causes them to drink the amount of
water which helps$to maintain a healthy state of the urinary
organs.

Diuretics are occasionally useful if given to horses affected
with chronic lymphites—with swollen limbs arising either from
debility or from the system of the animal being over-loaded
with watery fluids. Si

Burrpine.—Bleeding is a practice we suppose to be coeval,
or nearly so, with the human race. For centuries it was
regarded as one of the great panaceas for almost every malady
to which either bipeds or quadrupeds were subject, and until
within the last few years its practice was all but universal
amongst veterinary surgeons.

Until within a very recent period it was deemed necessary to
BLEEDING. 171

bleed horses in regular work twice a year, while a diuretic
ball, (or when it was determined “to do it mild,” a ball half
diuretic and half cordial was substituted), was given every
Saturday night; and this constituted a portion of the regular
treatment of the generality of horses, no matter whether they
were diseased at the time or not. To those diseased the balls
were given to cure them, while to those in health they were in
like manner given to prevent the horses from being invaded
with disease.

Of late, however, the practice of bleeding has fallen, and
justly so, into disrepute. For our own part, for a period of
three years at a time, we have not found it necessary to bleed
a single patient, although diseases of the most violent nature
in one form or other were constantly under treatment. It is
very rarely indeed that we abstract biood. It may, on some
occasions, be found of benefit, particularly in severe local
inflammation, as in laminitis, and in acute inflammation of
the navicular joint; but we more than question its utility in
such inflammatory diseases as pneumonia or pleuritis. Why
the abstraction of blood should prove beneficial in one case and
not in the other is, we think, obvious. In circumscribed local
inflammation, the blood abstracted is withdrawn directly from
the tissues inflamed, as in laminitis for example, and a far less
quantity suffices to make a direct impression upon the disease ;
while in such a disease as pneumonia, before any impression
can be made upon the part inflamed, the blood abstracted must
be greater in quantity, because the abnormal quantity of blood
which exists in the inflamed organ can only be lessened by an
indirect process, t.e. by abstracting blood from the system at
large; and this we find to injure the system and weaken its
vital power, without conferring benefit locally equivalent to the
injury inflicted upon the organism. In cases of this nature
172 BLEEDING.

especial attention should be paid to the economising of vital
force; and this can only be done by giving it every aid and
support within our power. What shall we say then to. direc-
tions such as the following? “ Under ordinary circumstances,”
says Mr. Percival, “the abstraction of a gallon of blood is
reckoned a moderate bleeding. Under pressing disease I occa-
sionally draw three gallons: I have heard of four being taken.’’*
‘We have no hesitation in saying that directions more atro-
ciously destructive to animal life could not well be exceeded,
unless they were such as to encompass the immediate death
of the animal. We used at one time to bleed frequently : but
never during the most sanguinary days did we venture to
abstract from any poor animal three gallons of the vital fluid
at one time.

* “Percival’s Hippopathology,” 2nd edit., vol. 1., p. 95.
173

Secrion II.

ON THE SKIN AND ITS DISEASES.

SCARLET FEVER. MANGE,
CHAPPED HEELS, GREASE.
SURFEIT. ITOHING OF THE EXTREMITIES.
BULBOUS PRURIGO. WARBLES.
SORENESS OF THE SKIN. ANGLEBERRIES.
RINGWORM. HAIR CYSTS,
ee een

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

THE uses of the skin are numerous. It is the outward
vesture of every tissue, the aggregate of which constitutes the
organism of the horse.

It is the matrix of the hair, a growth which adds beauty
to the animal, and forms an important defence to the. delicate
structures of the skin, and also to other and more deeply
situated organs of the body, not only from the varying
temperature of climate, but also from the operation of in-
numerable agents of an external character, which tend more
or less to disturb the economy of the system.

Tt is also an extensively secreting organ: of this the reader
may judge when I inform him upon the authority of our most
eminent physiologists, that the quantity of invisible perspira-
tion which daily arises from its extensive surface is equal in
174 PRELIMINARY REMARKS

weight to the solid and fluid substances excreted by the bowels
and the kidneys in a similar period of time.

The skin is subject to a number of diseases, one or two of
which are of such a nature as at: times to prove destructive to
the life of the horse. The generality of its maladies, however,
are not of so injurious a character.

From the anatomical and physiological relations of the skin
to some of the principal organs of life, (as the respiratory,
digestive, and urinary organs), it manifests great sympathy
when they are diseased, especially when they are affected with
chronic maladies, and maladies of a malignant character.

In summer, horses which are used for the general purposes
of society perspire more copiously than during the colder
months of the year; and as a natural consequence, the kidneys
secrete a less amount of fluid, a fact which should be borne in
mind by those who own and groom horses, and who are so
frequently desirous of administering to their animals diuretic
medicines to regulate what is considered by them deficiency of
urinary secretion.

The skin of the horse does not suffer from such a numerous
class of diseases as what are known to attack the human skin.
Probably this exemption may arise from the following causes :—
1st, its free exposure, at almost all times and seasons, to the
full influence of the atmosphere; 2nd, from its being more
frequently cleansed, and subject to friction with combs, wisps,
brushes, and cloths; and lastly, from the more simple life of
the animal with regard to its diet and general hygienic treat-
ment.

But although the skin of the horse does not manifest such a
numerous class of maladies, yet, from the intimate relations we
have already named between it and the internal viscera, a
similar law of sympathy prevails with one as with the other.
RRELIMINARY REMARKS. 175

This law, to use the language of Erasmus Wilson, resolves
itself into three forms of expression:—1. That disease affecting
a part of a membrane is liable to spread to the whole. 2. That
disease of the mucous membrane may spread to the skin, and vice
versa. 38. That disease of a part of a membrane may become
translated to a distant part of the skin, and vice versa.

An intimate knowledge of the above law is of the highest
importance in the treatment of those diseases which are pecu-
liar to the skin and to the mucous membranes; especially those
of a chronic, specific, and malignant nature; such as grease,
canker, scarlatina, farcy, glanders, and a number of others not
necessary to enumerate.

The colour of the hair of horses seems to hold some myste-
rious relation to their breed. There are, comparatively speak-
ing, very few thorough-bred horses of a black or iron grey
colour ; while greys, blacks, and browns are the predominating
colours of draught horses.

Grey horses are subject to one disease which I never saw
manifested by those of any other colour; namely, the disease
known as melanosis.

Formerly the opinion was current amongst horsemen and
veterinary surgeons that white-legged horses are more prone to
attacks of grease than dark-legged ones. My experience, how-
ever, does not verify this opinion: on the contrary, I have
found grease to bear a far more intimate relation to the form of
the bones of the extremities than to the colour of the hair.
Round-boned horses are more prone not only to grease, but to
other maladies of the skin, than are clean-legged and flat-boned
horses.

With these preliminary remarks, we will now proceed to
describe the several diseases of the skin mentioned at the head
of this section.
176 SCARLET FEVER.

SCARLET FEVER.

Numbers of highly intelligent horsemen regard with amaze-
ment a statement to the effect that horses are occasionally the
victims of an attack of Scarlatina, yet the fact is nevertheless a,
veritable one.

The disease occasionally is not only common amongst
horses, but it frequently proves one of the most dangerous
maladies which can effect this animal.

The most complete accounts of this disease published by
any English veterinary surgeon up to the present time, so far
as this malady relates to the horse, are those written from time
to time by the author of the present manual. I have treated
in all more than sixty cases of Scarlatina, so that I may be
considered as being tolerably well acquainted with some, at
least, of the principal features of the complaint.

My description of this disease upon the present occasion
will be brief. A skilful veterinary surgeon is alone capable of
treating it when present in a severe form, so that I shall
simply furnish the non-professional reader with a plain outline
of its general features, so as to enable him to recognise its
presence, and thereby act with better judgment towards both
patient and medical attendant.

Medical writers, in describing this disease, as exhibited in
the human being, represent it as being presented in a three-
fold form:—Ilst, as Simple Scarlatina; 2nd, as Scarlatina
Anginosa ; and 8rd, as Scarlatina Maligna; a division which to
a great extent is applicable to the disease as manifested by the
horse, especially with reference to the varieties denominated
simple and malignant: Scarlatina Anginosa is but a less severe
form of the malignant variety. The Anginosa, in fact, passes
into the malignant form by imperceptible gradations.
SCARLATINA. 177

Simple Scarlatina.—This form of the disease usually appears
in association with Epidemic Catarrh ; it seldom manifests itself
simultaneously with that malady, but usually on the third,
fourth, and even as late as the sixth day after the commence-
ment of the former. The animal affected with Catarrh will,
perhaps, be fed and left at the usual hour at night in what
may be considered a fair way of recovery, but when the
attendant enters the stable the morning following, the patient
may be found affected in a very peculiar manner: the hair
about the neck and the fore and the hind limbs will be raised
in blotches, while the limbs will be found in a swollen condition:
The blotchy elevations, generally speaking, are not large, but
they are exceedingly characteristic of the malady. If the
hand be passed lightly over them, scarcely any corresponding
elevations can be felt upon the skin beneath. The mucous
membrane of the nose will have upon it a few scarlet spots of
varying size. The pulse, in some instances, will be increased
considerably in the number of its beats ; while in others, even
when the disease appears very severe, not so much so. If the
Epidemic Catarrh or the disease under which the patient labours
be attended with soreness of the throat, such soreness may
become greatly increased, or it may not. Sometimes the
blotchy elevations are confined to the hind legs, and the scarlet
spots to the membrane of one nostril; while in other cases both
nostrils are affected, and the blotchy elevations are general, but
in such a very mild degree as perhaps not to excite the attention
of any one but a closely-observing practitioner. If at this stage
of the disease the animal be judiciously treated, and the stable
be dry, comfortable, and well ventilated, the whole may pass off
in a few days without any further mischief ensuing: but if the
treatment be improper, the stable cold, damp, and ill-ventilated,
and the animal otherwise unfavourably circumstanced, it is

M
178 SCARLATINA,

probable that the disease will become more violent, and either
assume the malignant form, or pass into what is called “ Purpura
Hemorrhagica ;” and the life of the animal, in either state,
be greatly endangered in consequence.

Malignant Scarlatina.—This form of the disease may appear
either at once in all its virulence, or it may follow upon the
milder states above described.

The patient for some days may have manifested what is
usually considered to be Influenza, or Epidemic Catarrh, the
symptoms of which, for the most part, will consist of sore
throat of an obstinate nature, attended with fever more or less
severe, with cough, loss of appetite, discharge of purulent
matter from the nostrils, and general debility ; when suddenly
the state of the patient changes, the limbs begin to swell,
which swelling presents either an even surface (occupying the
whole of the limbs), or it appears in lumps or masses, which
are both large and numerous. These lumps are hot, hard, and
painful, while those portions of the skin free from such swelling
present the blotchy elevations so common to the simple forms
of Scarlatina. The membrane of the nose also becomes covered
with large-sized spots of an intense scarlet colour, while from
the nostrils is discharged a mixture of blood, purulent matter,
and serum. At this stage of the disease, the soreness of the
throat is excessive, accompanied with a corresponding degree
of difficulty in swallowing; the cough is also worse, and of a
suffocating character. The pulse increases in the number of its
beats, reaching at times 90, or even 100 pulsations per minute,
and is of a weak or feeble character. The swollen limbs are
excessively tender, and if the patient be left alone he will stand
for hours nailed, as it were, to one place, and in one position ;
it is only, indeed, with the greatest difficulty that he can be
MALIGNANT SCARLATINA, 179

made to move at all. As the disease proceeds, or takes on
more intensity, large blisters or vesicles appear upon the limbs
in the regions of the joints; these vesicles burst, and discharge
a bright amber-coloured fluid, which is very corrosive in its
effects upon the skin. In other cases again, remote portions
of the organism, such as the ears, will suddenly present a
blanched appearance, and become hard and dry as though
frozen; and in the course of a day or two, these blanched
portions snap off from the parts contiguous, leaving exposed a
raw surface, which speedily suppurates. The appetite entirely
disappears, and the secretions from the bowels become checked,
and what is denominated constipation ensues; the urine also
becomes scanty, and of a thick yellow or brown colour.

In the course of twenty or twenty-four hours from the
commencement (and in many cases even less), the scarlet spots
on the membrane of the nose enlarge, and pass into purple-
coloured patches, which slough, and Jeave a raw surface, from
which is secreted an abundance of purulent matter; at the
same time a similar sloughing goes on around the joints where
the blisters or vesicles first appeared. If the disease goes on
favourably the fever will generally abate (in the milder states
at least) about the fourth or fifth day from the commencement
of the more acute stage; while in the more malignant kinds it
is seldom that a change for the better occurs before the seventh
or eighth day. In its most severe forms, however, Purpura
Hemorrhagica supervenes, and the patient becomes an emaci-
ated and loathsome looking object.

Parnoenomoysic Symptoms.—The symptoms which are
pathognomonic of scarlatina are the presence of scarlet spots
upon the membrane within the nostrils, blotchy elevations upon
the skin, and the sudden swelling of the limbs.
180 SCARLATINA,

Compriications.—Scarlet Fever is sometimes associated
with Rheumatism ; with Congestion of the Lungs; with a low
typhoid state of Fever; with typhoid Inflammation of the
Lungs; and with Purpura Hemorrhagica.

Proanosis.—If the pulse of the patient becomes reduced
in the number of its beats within a given time—if the appetite
gradually improves, and the debility disappears—if the swollen
limbs gradually reduce in size, and the skin becomes cooler, a
favourable termination may be expected; but if the debility
becomes more marked—the pulse more irritable, feeble, and
indistinct—the limbs more swollen, with other symptoms,
such as total loss of appetite, difficulty of breathing from an
insidious typhoid inflammatory action going on within the
lungs; and finally, if Purpura Hemorrhagica supervenes, the
prognosis is unfavourable, and the chances are that the patient
will die.

Causus.—The disease in question is generally manifested
“epidemically, or as an epizooty among horses,” during the
spring and summer months,* so that its remote causes are
difficult to arrive at; its exciting causes, however, appear to
depend upon those states of bronchial and laryngeal disease so
common during the periods of the year above named. I have
known it to supervene upon an attack of strangles, and upon
what is designated “Influenza.” Animals of all ages are
subject to its influence. One of the most severe cases I ever
had under my care occurred in a foal three months old. It
may be stated, however, as a fact, that young horses are
more liable to the disease than old ones, and that during its
prevalence the exposure of horses to cold and wet is very
likely to induce it.

* This fact was, I believe, first noticed by myself.
SCARLATINA. 181

ConrTaGiousNEss.— With respect to Scarlet Fever in the
horse being contagious, I, for my part, am of opinion that: it is
not. Ihave treated more than sixty cases of it, but I never
yet treated two cases in the same stable, either at the same
time or at any distant interval. The case of the foal which I
have mentioned was a most severe one; and during the whole
period of its illness, which was a little over three weeks, it had
free access to its dam, and the foal partook of her milk freely
at the commencement, but the mare was never in the least
disordered. The foal had also free access to other horses, but
none of them were disordered in consequence.*

TreatmEnt.—The extensive practice which I have had in
the treatment of this disease has led me to the conviction that
the more simple the methods pursued, the more likely is the
practitioner to succeed in its cure. Everything which can be
done should be done ¢o support the vital power of the patient,
and allay the morbid irritation excited by the disease.

The following are to be regarded as essentials towards
effecting this: I.—Thorough ventilation of the stable or loose

*T have been led to make the above observations from reading a note
which is appended to an article in Dr. Copland’s Medical Dictionary, where
the Doctor says that he has evidence for the following inferences :—First, —
That Scarlatina was originally a disease of the horse ; and that it formerly
occurred, and has even recently occurred, epidemically, or as an epizooty
among horses. Secondly,—That it was communicated in comparatively
modern times from horses to man. Thirdly,—That it may be, and has been
communicated also to the dog. And further on, he adds, that Mr. Percival
has furnished him with an additional amount of evidence in support of the
above inferences. Now, with all due deference to the above statements, I
can. only say that I have furnished, up to the present period, the most com-
plete history of Scarlatina in the horse which is extant ; that I have paid,
at all times, the most careful attention to its phases and conditions in the
above named animal; and that I never yet became acquainted with one
solitary fact which would give the least support to the second and third infe-
rences. See Dr. Copland’s Medical Dictionary,—article Skin.
182 SCARLATINA.

box. II.—A generous diet, and one suitable to the patient.
III.—Cleanliness, warmth, and dryness of the stable or box,
and of the animal diseased. IV.—Avoid giving to the patient
huge quantities of filthy drugs. The animal should be treated
with strict reference to the economy of the life force.

Where practicable the patient should be at once removed
into a roomy box, possessing as many of the advantages as pos-
sibly can be had, such as the reader will find detailed at page
117. For the animal to remain in the stable to which he is
regularly accustomed is in itself detrimental to recovery. The
very atmosphere of the place I regard as highly deleterious :
where practicable, then, change the habitation of the patient.

Dizt.—The diet I have stated should be generous, and of a
nature suitable to the patient. By this I mean that articles of
food should be given which are easy of digestion, such as sago
gruel, boiled rice, raw eggs and water, milk, malt, speared corn,
and (when in season) carrots and grass.

During the early stages of the disease, sago gruel, milk,
and milk and water may be all that are necessary; but when
convalescence is established, and the appetite takes on a vigo-
rous character, food of a more solid and strengthening quality
will be required.

Drinks—The drink should consist of cold water, barley
water, milk and water, acidulated water, and gruel. The way
in which these articles should be prepared, and under what cir-
cumstances administered, the reader is referred to Section VL.,
pages 108 to 119 inclusive.

Crzaniiness.—Unless regular attention be given to the
cleanliness of the patient, matters will soon arrive at an intole-
rable state, especially during the existence of the more severe
or malignant types of the malady. What with the discharges
SCARLATINA. 1838

from the sores upon the limbs, from the nostrils, and the efflu-
vium from the dung, the patient, if left alone, will speedily
become disgusting. The nostrils will, therefore, need to be
frequently sponged, the sores upon the skin to be occasionally
cleansed, and the stable or loose box to be kept scrupulously
clean.

Meptoinzs.—The best medicines in general are Aconite 1,
Belladonna, Mercurius, Rhus Toxicodendron, Bryonia 1, Tinc-
ture of Cantharides 1, Arsenicum 2, Ammonia Citrate of Iron,
Chlorate of Potass, Camphor, Nitric Acid, Muriatic Acid, Sul-
phur 1st; and as an external application, Ruta Graveolens.

Aconite and Belladonna.—Should the disease be of the
simple form, all that may be required in the way of medicines
are Aconite and Belladonna. Give Aconite 1 in 2-drachm
doses, and Belladonna in 2-drachm doses. They are to be given
in alternation morning, noon, and night. Belladonna is also
valuable for soreness of the throat. If the soreness be exces-
sive, this remedy should be alternated with Mercurius, or with
Rhus Toxicodendon 1.

Bryonia.—This is a valuable remedy to administer in the
simpler forms of the disease, or where the limbs are swollen,
but not particularly sore. Give it in 2-drachm doses of the Ist
dilution three or four times a day.

Tincture of Cantharides.—This is frequently of great service
where the limbs are excessively swollen, their soreness severe,
and attended with the formation of blisters and vesicles around
the joints. It should be given in drachm doses of the Ist dilu-
tion, freely mixed with water. It may either be given alone or
in alternation with Bryonia. It may be repeated every six or
eight hours. Its effects require to be closely watched, as it
sometimes causes severe irritation of the urinary organs.
Should this occur, Tincture of Camphor is the remedy to allay
such medicinal irritation.
184 SCARLATINA,

Arsenicum is an excellent remedy to have recourse to for
the disease during its convalescent stage. Administer it in
2-drachm doses night and morning. Use it of the 2nd dilution.

Ammonia Citrate of Iron is another remedy to use during
the convalescent stages. Give it in 2-drachm doses night and
morning. Each dose should be mixed with five or six ounces of
cold water. Ammonia Citrate of Iron is a remedy to improve
the quality of the blood.

Chlorate of Potass.—A valuable remedy to administer when
the sores are large, the discharge excessive, and the animal
greatly debilitated. It will also prove valuable if administered
during the convalescent stage. Give it in 2-drachm doses
night and morning, in 6 or 8 ounces of water, for several days
in succession.

Sulphur.—This is a remedy of great value to administer
when recovery has fairly set in. Give it of the 1st trituration
in 2-drachm doses, mixed with a little flour, and wiped upon the
tongue, as directed at page 146. Repeat it night and morning
for two or three days in succession.

Mitrie and Muriatic Acids are valuable to administer at
almost any stage of the disease. I generally, however, give
one or the other of these acids in the patient’s drink. Two or
three drachms of the strong acid are mixed with about two
gallons of cold spring water, a part of which may be given to
the patient at any time. Hither of the acids may be chosen,
as their effects upon the system, if in health, are very similar.

Ruta Graveolens may be used as a wash to the sores upon
the limbs and within the nostrils. Use it in the proportion of
6 drachms of the tincture to 16 ounces of water. Apply it
several times a day.

Fumigation of Stable—The stable may be fumigated occa-
sionally, as the practice will tend to maintain its purity. The

acre ctmecietated
MANGE. 185

articles commonly used for this purpose are Tar and Chloride
of Lime. A very excellent preparation for this purpose can be
made of the following ingredients, but in using it the animal
must be previously removed from the stable or the box for at
least two or three hours :—

B Black Oxide of Manganese, ... } ounce.
Common Salt ig 1 ounce.
Sulphuric Acid (by weight) ... 1} ounce.

Place the whole together in a large-mouthed bottle, (a common
harness blacking bottle will do), close the apartment, and leave
it alone for two or three hours.

MANGE.

Mange is very similar in its general characters to Itch in
the human being. It is far less common than formerly. Greater
attention to the cleanliness both of the animal and to stables in
general have almost, and, I think, ultimately will, totally banish
Mange from our list of diseases.

Mange is a very highly contagious affection; the reason of
this will be fully evident to the reader when he understands
the cause of the disease. It spreads with an amazing rapidity
when communicated from one horse to another; but, on the
contrary, when it arises in what may be denominated a spon-
taneous manner, its progress is generally slow, but nevertheless
well marked.

Symproms.—Mange is a malady which, if once fairly esta-
blished, is easily recognised by any one conversant with its
peculiarities ; but during the early stages of its existence its
true character may possibly be overlooked by a careless observer,
from its close resemblance to Prurigo and other diseases of the
dermal structures.
186 MANGE.

When caused by contagion, the early symptoms of Mange
are excessive itching of the skin and falling away of the hair
in tufts and patches from various parts of the body. The
itching usually commences at the roots of the hair of the mane
and tail, gradually extending from thence along the neck and
back, down the breast, and under the abdomen. The limbs are
usually the last to become affected, and when affected, the most
tedious to cure. If the affection is allowed to run its course
unchecked by proper treatment, the animal very shortly
becomes all but entirely denuded of hair; the skin will also
present a bleached condition, being dry, scurfy, and deeply
furrowed, with here and there a few solitary hairs projecting
from its surface. At this advanced stage of the malady, the
skin emits a peculiar dry burning heat, so peculiar, indeed, that
any one thoroughly conversant with the disease would recognise
it by this alone.

The skin, where it is denuded of hair, will present innu-
merable small pimples of a dull red colour, some of which are
filled with a pale, brown-coloured liquid, while others are dry
and scaly.

If the extremities are diseased, the hair upon them will
exhibit a dry ragged state; the skin in the region of the joints
is sometimes scabby and ulcerated, and sometimes raw, from
the animal constantly rubbing one limb against the other.
When the Mange is severe, the general health of the
patient suffers ; the animal becomes dull and spiritless, and its
condition sinks rapidly.

The symptoms now described are such as are usually observed
where Mange originates from contagion, in which case, as I
have previously remarked, the affection spreads over the entire
surface of the skin with astonishing rapidity. In the generality
of cases, however, where the affection arises spontaneously, it
MANGE. 187

is the reverse of this; the malady spreads slowly, attacking the
skin, as it were, inch by inch.

Mange, in its spontaneous form, usually commences upon
the limbs between the coronet and the knee, or between the
coronet and the hock, and their appearance when affected is
characteristic of the malady. The hair is broken and uneven
in its length; portions of the skin are covered with short,
scanty, down-like hair, which appears as though dusted with a
pale mixture of flour and soot. Sometimes filthy looking sores
are present, surrounded by thick crusts of scurf; in other
cases the skin and sub-textures are deeply ploughed with long
ragged sores.

The general health of horses thus affected may be good or
it may not. I have known horses to be affected with Mange of
the extremities for years, and remain stout and vigorous the
whole time; while the general health of others, diseased to all
appearance in a precisely similar way, was indifferent, and their
appearance unthrifty and mean-looking.

Causrs or Maner.—The immediate cause of Mange is
now ascertained beyond all doubt to depend upon the existence
of a species of insect, denominated by naturalists Acari Equi,
being present upon the skin in immense numbers, and which
are known, under conditions favourable to their increase, to
spread with excessive rapidity.

The figures on the following page are exact representations.
of this insect as it appears upon the stage of a microscope,
when viewed with the aid of a good one-inch object glass; and
are copied from engravings, after drawings by Erasmus Wilson.
The figure at the top of the page represents the insect as it
appears when placed upon its back ; the lower figure represents
the dorsal surface of the same, or as the insect is seen when
188

MANGE INSECT.

moving from place to place. Both insects here represented are
of the female species. The male differs in many essentials from

the female.

This insect is very
minute in size: the
annexed figures are
magnified about 300
diameters. If viewed
with the microscope by
reflected light, it ap-
pears dark; but. when
examined by condensed
light, it is seen to be
of a clear white colour.
Tt possesses eight legs,
two pairs of which are .
placed before, and two
pairs behind. Attach-
ed to each of the four
legs in front, and to
two behind, is a sort
of jointed sucker. By
these the insect is en-
abled to fix itself firmly
to the skin. One pair
of legs situated poste-
teriorly are destitute
of suckers, but have

 

long projecting hairs instead.

From the presence of these long hairs upon the limbs;
from the peculiar structure and position of the limbs of the
animal; from the readiness with which the insect can travel
MANGE. 189

in a line straight before it; and from the difficulty it evidently
experiences in turning round, even upon a smooth glass slide,
I am of opinion that the creature, when attached to the skin
of the horse, can only travel but in one direction, and that is
straight forward.*

Patuognomonic Symproms.—The pathognomonic proofs
of Mange are of a very direct nature. The existence of the
insect upon the skin will at once afford certain and conclusive
evidence of the fact of the existence of Mange. It can be
readily determined. To do so, comb a quantity of the scurf
from the skin upon a piece of black cotton having a smooth
surface, and by spreading the scurf upon it, and observing
it closely, any one having a good vision may (if the insect
be present) readily detect its movements with the naked eye.
A. good common pocket lens, however, will aid the observer
materially.

Those parts of the skin covered with downy hair and fine
scurf intermixed, are the best localities to discover the insect.
Cold renders the insect torpid: warmth quickens its movements
considerably.

TrreatMentT.—In every case of Mange the patient should be
treated both topically and constitutionally. The best remedies
to apply externally are Sulphur, Creasote, Mercurial Ointment,
Hog’s Lard, and Olive Oil.

Sulphur, in one or more of its various forms, has been a
specific remedy against Itch of the human being and Mange
of the horse from time immemorial. J generally use Sulphur,

* On many occasions, when observing the movements of the Mange
Insect, I have witnessed the slow manner with which it turns ; the long
hairs attached to the hind limbs will prevent its turning upon a rough
irregular surface, such as the surface of the skin, particularly when the latter
is covered with hair.
190 MANGE.

in combination with Mercurial Ointment, Lard, ‘and Olive Oil,
as an application for outward use.

B Sulphur ... ... ... 1Ltb
Mercurial Ointment 8oz.
Hog’s Lard .. ... 14h.
Olive Oil... ...  ... Half a pint.

The above ingredients should be thoroughly combined, and a
portion should be liberally applied to every part of the skin
where the Acari are likely to lodge.

Should the malady occur during the summer season, expose
the patient, after being dressed with the ointment, to the free
action of the sun, the heat of which will increase the action of
the application considerably. It is seldom that over three or
four dressings are required to effect a radical cure.

Great precaution should be taken to apply the ointment to
every part of the skin affected ; otherwise the Acari will again
spread, and speedily become as virulent as before.

It is a good practice to wash the patient in the course of
thirty or forty hours after each application of the ointment.
‘Wash with warm water and soft soap; and when the skin and
hair are thoroughly dry, paint the body over with Olive Oil.
This will check the exhalent action of the dermal structures,
and prevent the patient from taking cold.

Creasote.—Sometimes the above compound fails to produce
that immediate effect which is desirable, in which case recourse
may be had to a mixture of Creasote and Olive Oil combined
in the following proportions :—

Creasote ae 2 ounces.
Olive Oil oa 3 pints.
MANGE. 191

Shake these ingredients together until thoroughly incor-
porated; then apply what is necessary to the skin by means of
a clean, large sized painter’s brush. After a liberal use of the
above mixture, the skin sometime afterwards should be washed
as above directed.

Internat Remupizs.—Amongst the best remedies for
internal use, I may enumerate Sulphur, Arsenicum 2, and
Ammonia Citrate of Iron.

Sulphur.—Use the Sulphur in drachm doses of the 1st
trituration, and give a dose night and morning upon the
tongue, as directed at page 146.

Arsenicum 2.—This remedy may either be given alone or
in alternation with Sulphur. If used in alternation with the
latter, administer it in 2-drachm doses every morning, and a
Sulphur powder every night.

Ammonia Citrate of Iron is an excellent remedy to give
when the patient is feeble, spiritless, and poor. Alternate it
with Sulphur. Give the Iron in 2-drachm doses, in half a
pint of cold water every morning, and a Sulphur Powder every
night, for several days in succession.

Diet.—The diet of the patient should be changed, and
it should be of a liberal nature. Boiled barley, bran, locust,
carrots, boiled oats, and good old hay should constitute the
principal articles to use. (See Section VI.)

Stapte.—the stable, the clothing, harness, or if a draught
horse, the gears, together with all brushes, combs, and dusters,
should be thoroughly cleansed, otherwise the malady will again
appear and run a similar course to what it did in the first
instance. In addition to washing the above articles, many of
them should be painted over with the creasote mixture.
192 GREASE—CHAPPED HEELS.

GREASE—CHAPPED HEELS.

A different name is required for the present disease. The
roalady is called Grease simply because, during its existence, a
greasy substance is secreted, or rather excreted from the
sebaceous glands of the heels. The name of a disease should
be as expressive as possible of the entire phenomena, not only
of the malady, but also of the nature of the structures involved.

One of the most disgusting forms which Grease is capable
of manifesting itself is now rarely seen. I allude to what Mr.
Percival denominates its “grapy’”’ condition.

Grease may present itself under three -well marked forms
or states, which are successive stages of the same disease,
viz:—The simple, the ulcerative, and the grapy forms. This is
My. Percival’s division of the malady, and, upon the whole, it
is a good one. It possesses the recommendation of being both
a simple and natural arrangement.

Cuapeep Hurts.—Chapped Heels may be regarded as
Grease in its most ordinary form. It is a very common malady,
and one with which most horsemen of experience are familiar.
It prevails the most during the autumn and winter months. It
sometimes confines itself to the hind limbs, at other times to
the fore limbs, and on some occasions it is observed in the heels
of all the extremities at the same time.

During the autumn and the commencement of winter
horses undergo a change in their coats, which is also attended
with a state of general debility; and while the organism is
thus unfavourably circumstanced, cracked heels are no un-
common accompaniment,

Symptoms.—The animal may be unwell for several days ;
he may refuse his food; the hair over the surface of the body
will look dry, be harsh to the touch, and present altogether an
GREASE.—CHAPPED HEELS. 193

unthrifty aspect: if he stands for a few hours in the stable the
limbs, particularly the hind ones, swell considerably. The skin
of the heels will crack, and lameness will ensue; and from
these cracks will exude an offensive, greasy discharge. If
the skin of one heel only is cracked, the lameness is more
apparent ; if of all the heels, the patient will travel as though
the limbs were posts. The skin of the legs from the feet
to the knees, or from the hocks to the feet, will be more
or less tender.

Tf the general health be deranged, which is not always the
case, the pulse will be disturbed: such disturbance depending
upon the degree of derangement existing within the system.

Uucrrativn Staez.—The second or ulcerative stage of
the disease is marked by an increase of the inflammatory action
within the structures of the limb affected. The cracks become
more numerous, and extend more deeply into the limb. Within
these cracks angry flesh-looking growths present themselves,
from which is exuded a thick, greasy, purulent matter of a
yellow colour, and emitting a disgusting odour. The hair of
the animal may appear dry and unthrifty, and the abdomen
may present a contracted condition, or these symptoms and
states may not be present; but if they are, the appetite will be
bad, and the system deranged generally.

Gravy Form.—This form of the disease may be regarded
as invetérate. The structures of the limbs have become per-
manently altered in their organization. The cracks alluded to
as being present in the ulcerative stage, become lost, and in
their place the fleshy growths become not only larger, but more
numerous; while, from their surface arise innumerable points
of a bright red colour, which readily bleed if irritated. In
form these fleshy growths are not unlike small bunches of

N
194 GREASE.—CHAPPED HEELS.

grapes; or, were it not for their colour, they would closely
resemble a full-blown cauliflower.

At first these growths are highly sensitive, but this sensi-
tiveness in time becomes less and less as they become indurated,
insensible, cartilaginous, and even horny, which would appear
to be their final state. ‘ Other changes accompany these: the
hair gradually falls off, leaving the grapes either destitute of
any hairs, or but very thinly beset with them, and those few in
a state of erection, like bristles upon a hog’s back. From
such parts of the skin as remain unoccupied by grapes, and
from the crevices between them, issues a greasy, rancid, and
most offensive discharge, here and there mingled with blood.
By this time, also, the leg has acquired an enormous bulk,
from which circumstance alone, independently of its sore and
painful condition, the action of the whole limb is greatly
impeded.”* In other cases again, the malady attacks the feet
of the greasy limbs; it spreads from the heels to the frogs and
the soles of the feet, and is so destructive in its progress, that
the frog, the horny soles, and the sensitive soles become one
mass of rottenness, diffusing an odour “which is smelt ere it
is seen.”

Cavsrs.—The causes of Grease are numerous. They are
of a twofold nature, viz.: such as predispose the animal to the
malady ; and such as excite it.

The predisposing causes are breed and structural peculiari-
ties. Coarse-bred and round-boned horses are extremely prone
to attacks of this nature. Clipping the hair of the heels, par-
ticularly during the prevalence of wet weather, or wet in
alternation with frost, will cause the heels to speedily crack and
inflame. The bringing up of young horses from grass, and
placing them at once to live upon hard food, or the feeding of

* Percival’s Hippopathology.
GREASE.— CHAPPED HEELS. 195

young horses with highly stimulating diet, with insufficiency of
labour or exercise, are with such animals the most common
sources of the affection.

Uneleanliness, from allowing the animal to stand for days
in succession in his own litter; gross feeding ; long exposure
of the limbs to wet during the winter; or from working the
animal in wet and muddy localities, are amongst the common
causes of the malady in question.

In numerous instances Grease will arise from derangement
of the stomach. I have elsewhere treated upon the sympathy
which exists between the skin and the mucous membrane.*
Now, in the production of Grease, we sometimes behold a
striking example of this sympathy. The patient may be a
delicate feeder, or a ravenous one; in either case, however,
more food is perhaps taken than the stomach can properly
digest, when derangement of a direct nature supervenes to the
organ ; and extends from a sympathetic or secondary nature to
the limbs.

TrEaTMENT.—The treatment of Grease will require to be
determined by the nature of its cause. If the malady arises
from derangement of the stomach, it is of little or no use to
resort to mere outward applications. So long as the gastric
derangement continues, so long will the Grease remain. On
the other hand, if the disease be of a simple nature, and origi-
nates from causes which have acted directly upon the tissues
involved (as the action of frost for example upon a damp skin),
rest of the patient, together with warmth and mild outward
applications, may prove all that are necessary.

There are several indications by which an observer may
easily determine if derangement of the stomach be a continuous

See Page 175.
196 GREASE.—CHAPPED HEELS.

cause of irritation to the limbs:—Ist, the obstinacy of the
disease, or where it remains in spite of all ordinary treatment
of a local nature; 2nd, unthriftiness of the skin; 3rd, irregu-
larity of the appetite ; and 4thly, where the appetite is enormous,
accompanied with a gross state of the system.

Exrernnat Remepies.—Prior to the application of a
remedy externally, remove the hair carefully from the sores and
cleanse them well with tepid water and soap. The external
remedies comprise Poultices, hot water Bandages, Fomenta-
tions, Lotions, and the application of Balsam of Sulphur.

Poultices.—Of poultices we have previously treated upon
at pages 149 to 155. The simple form of Grease will perhaps
require little else than the application of warm water bandages,
or warm bran poultices to the limb, together with the exhibition
of a mild purgative ball.

During the ulcerative stage, however, yeast poultices are
indicated ; they are necessary when the fissures in the affected
limb are large, the fleshy growths angry looking, and the dis-
charge abundant and highly offensive.* Charcoal poultices are
also indicated at the commencemeut of the ulcerative stage of
the disease.

Fomentations.— Warm water fomentations will be beneficial
at the commencement of the simple and ulcerative forms of the
malady. Place the affected limb once or twice a day in a
bucket of warm water, or soak a woollen bandage in the water
and fold it around the limb, and afterwards fold a dry bandage
above it, so as to retain the heat and moisture of the wet one
as long as possible.

* For instructions with regard to the making of yeast and charcoal
poultices, see page 151.
GREASE.—CHAPPED HELLS. 197

Lotions.—Tincture of Calendula, Tincture of Ruta Gra-
-veolens, and the Liquor Arsenicalis are amongst the best reme-
dies to use as lotions. Calendula and Ruta are applicable at
the commencement of the disease. The Liquor Arsenicalis is
proper during the convalescent stages. The Calendula Lotion
is to be prepared as follows :—:

Tincture of Calendula es 1 ounce.
Water es a i 1 pint.

Mix together and apply freely to the sores several times a day,
or when the poultices are changed.

Ruta Lotion should be made of like proportions of tinc-
ture of Ruta and water. It is not necessary to use both
lotions at the same time. Sometimes one will act beneficially
to the same case, when the other will not. Lotion acts the
best if applied warm.

After the limbs have been fomented, or bathed with warm
lotion, they should be immediately folded in dry woollen
bandages.

Balsam of Sulphur.—This is an excellent remedy to apply
to the limbs when the disease has become chronic. It is a
substance of about the consistence of treacle: it should be
painted upon the limb with a soft brush at least twice a day,
taking care at the time to have the sores free from dirt.

IntrrnaL RemEpirs —Amongst the best remedies for
internal use are Aloes, Arsenicum 2, Nux Vomica 2, Thuja 1,
Mouriatie Acid, and Sulphur.

Aloes.—If the skin be at all foul, and the general health
deranged, it is good practice to commence the treatment by
administering a purgative to the patient. It cleans out the
prima via, and prepares the system for the action of other
remedies.
198 GREASE.— CHAPPED HEELS.

If the animal be large in size, give six or seven drachms
of Barbadoes Aloes, combined with one or two drachms of
powdered Gentian, made into a ball with Palm Oil. For in-
structions with respect to the preparation of the patient for
the purgative, and the proper treatment of the animal after-
wards, the reader is referred to pages 75, 76, and 77.

Arsenicum and Nux Vomica are valuable remedies to admi-
nister when the stomach is disordered and the general health
of the animal indifferent. Arsenic is an indispensable remedy
in almost every form of skin disease. Give it in 2-drachm
doses of the 2nd dilution, and repeat it night and morning;
or use it in alternation with Nux Vomica of the 2nd dilution,
in 2-drachm doses.

Muriatie Acid frequently proves valuable if given when the
skin is dry and scurfy, and the appetite indifferent. Give
drachm doses of the strong acid in a pint of cold water, night
and morning.

Sulphur is frequently necessary to administer during the
convalescent stage. Give it in drachm doses of the 1st tritu-
ration, either alone or in alternation with Thuja of the 1st
dilution, in 2-drachm doses.

Dist.—The diet of a patient severely affected with Grease
in any of its forms is a matter of considerable importance.
Should the animal be fed with food, the like of which he may
have partaken of for years, as grains or beans, or bean flour,
the withdrawal of such food, for some time at least, is essential
to the cure. Carrots and boiled barley may be allowed, and a
little malt. The animal should be fed with a liberal diet, and
only in small quantities at a time, If the season be proper,
allowing the patient to run a few weeks at grass would, in all
probability, prove very advantages.
SURFEIT.—PRURIGO. 199

SURFEIT.

The term Surrerr is usually applied to designate nearly
every affection of the skin to which the horse is subject. If
the animal merely rubs himself against a post, he is said to be
affected with “a mild surfeit :” if violently, a “bad” one. In
fact, both with veterinary surgeons and with horsemen, the
term is used in a very wide sense. The word is derived from
the French verb, surfaire—to over do; and if the affection be
designated with reference to its causes, or when it exists from
an effect of over-feeding from too rich a diet, it is a term in
every way appropriate.

“ Horses,” says Mr. Percival, “standing in stables, full of
condition, and but inadequately worked, are subject to heat and
itching of the skin, and to occasional eruptions which the groom
never fails to attribute to ‘heat of the blood:’ a notion very
much in accordance with the French appellation of ébullition,
for the same disorder, and one evidently derived from the sup-
position that the blood was in some way or other the cause of
it. The same notion, also, will be found to prevail in our
present pathology of the case. We say that the animal, from
high feeding and the want of due work or exercise, becomes
PLETHORIO; by which we mean, he either accumulates in his
system a superabundance of blood, or else makes it of too rich
a quality for ordinary purposes; and the consequence is, that
by an effort of the vital powers, the redundance comes to be
thrown off in the form of surfeit or eruption ; and in this man-
ner other and more serious evils are averted.”

PRURIGO.

One of the most common forms in which Surfeit is exhi-
bited, is that of Prurigo, or a state of general itching of the
skin. It is a malady common in young and in coarse-bred
horses; and egvecially in round-boned, and thick-set or punchy
animals,
200 SURFEIT.

Symproms.—The symptoms of Prurigo are well marked.
In its milder forms the itching prevails over the skin generally,
but not violently. In the worst forms the itching increases,
and the violence of the patient is frequently excessive. The
animal, unless prevented, will rub with such fury against any
projecting body favourable for the purpose, that the skin in
many places speedily becomes raw and bleeding. I have, on
numerous occasions, treated cases of this nature, where the
itching of the skin was so excessive as to cause the horses to
throw themselves upon the ground, and rub against it until
they either ceased from exhaustion, or were forced by beating
to desist.

In other forms of Prurigo, particularly when old horses
manifest it, the disease will appear at certain periods; while,
in other animals, in spite of every known kind of treatment,
the disease will constantly be present. Of the former, we fre-
quently observe it to appear during the hot months of summer;
of the latter, all I can say about it is, that it appears to depend
upon a bad state of the digestive organs. Horses thus affected
are always gross feeders and possessed of ravenous apeetites.

The periodic attacks of Prurigo are marked by different
states of severity. Sometimes the attack is mild; at other
times the patient will so bite and rub himself, as to denude the
skin of hair, or otherwise they give to it the appearance of
being affected with Mange.

Treatmrnr.—Attention should in the first instance be
directed to the diet of the patient. Unless this be properly
regulated, medicine will prove of little or no avail. Every
article af food which tends to maintain the morbid irritation of
the skin should be at once disused, and others of a cooling ten-
dency substituted.
SURFEIT. 201

Coarse bread steeped in milk and water will, in all proba-
bility, prove the best kind of food to commence with, especially
if the case be excessively severe. Sago and milk will also be
suitable, or stewed rice and bran, or boiled barley and bran;
carrots, if in season, should be allowed.*

Invervat Remepizs.—The best remedies in general for
internal use are,—Aloes, Nux Vomica 2, Arsenicum 2, Phos-
phorus 1, Rhus Toxicodendon 1, and Sulphur.

Aloes —Commence the medical treatment by the admini-
stration of a purging ball. The quantity of Aloes necessary
for a dose should be regulated by the breed and size of the
patient. For delicate, well-bred horses, 3 drachms of Aloes
will generally prove sufficient; while for coarse-bred, large-sized
horses, 5, 6, or 7 drachms of the drug may be given.

For further particulars with respect to purgative medicine,
see pages 75, 76, and 77.

Arsenicum 2.—When the action of the purgative has sub-
sided, give Arsenicum 2 in 2-drachm doses morning, noon, and
night, mixed with a little water each time; or it may be alter-
nated either with Phosphorus 1, in 2-drachm doses, or with
Rhus Toxicodendron in like proportions. Sometimes it is best
to alternate Rhus Tox. with Phosphorus.

Sulphur.—Sulphur is the best if given when recovery has
set in. Give it of the 1st trituration, in 2-drachm doses, either
alone or in alternation with Arsenicum 2.

ExrrEnat Remepiss.—The best remedies in general for
topical use are Arnica, Liquor Arsenicalis, and Acetic Acid.

Tincture of Arnica ...... 1 ounce.
Water ex sind a ethno 1 pint.

Mix the two together, and bathe the sore parts of the skin
* See Section VI., pages 109 to 117.
202 ITCHING OF THE EXTREMITIES.

several times a day. If the Arsenicalis be used in preference
to the Arnica, mix it with water in similar proportions.

Acetic Acid.—For the Acetic Acid Lotion, mix it with
water as follows :—

Acetic Acid ........ 1 ounce.
Water ............ 1 quart.

Sometimes the Acetic Acid will afford relief when the other
means have failed to do so.

ITCHING OF THE EXTREMITIES.

A second form, in which Surfeit is manifested, consists in a
violent itching of the limbs. This form of the disease confines
itself for the most part to the hind extremities; occasionally
the fore ones are also affected.

It is the most common to draught horses of the coarse-bred
variety. It is known by the animal frequently rubbing one
limb against the other ; and so violent is this rubbing at times,
that the extremities are frequently lacerated to a very severe
extent. Sometimes the patient stamps the ground violently, or
rubs one leg against the other, and stamps at the same time.
When the disease is violent, or when it is of long duration, the
skin from the hocks down to the hoofs will become unnaturally
heated, dry, rough, and scurfy. The hair will also lose its
natural polish and softness, and become dry; and, instead of
lying close to the limb, will project from the surface. In other
cases, again, the limbs may exhibit patches which are denuded
of hair, at the same time the skin is deeply fissured, and from
these fissures blood sometimes exudes.

In other cases, particularly when the disease is advanced, a
number of hard but small elevations will appear upon the inner
surface of the limbs, which, on some occasions, itch most into-
lerably.
ERUPTIONS. 203

Causzs.—This affection generally arises from gross feeding.
Beans are occasionally productive of it. I have also known it
to arise from the animal working a considerable time in wet
clay. Want of cleanliness is another cause. The skin is these
cases should be examined for Acari.

TreEatMEnt.—Attention in the first place should be directed
to the diet, and to the cleanliness of the animal. Take away
the beans.

If the disease proceeds from the patient working in clay,
the animal had better be removed from its influence; but if
that cannot be done, the affected limbs should be protected.

I have not been able to prescribe anything more efficacious
for this purpose than rubbing upon them (just before the
animal goes to labour) a quantity of Palm Oil, or a mixture of
Palm Oil and Tallow; or, if the Palm Oil cannot be readily
procured, use the Tallow alone. Either of these substances
will for a certain time, if liberally applied, prevent the dele-
terious action of the clay upon the limbs.

The best remedies for this affection in general are Arseni-
cum 2, Phosphoric Acid 2, and Sulphur.

Unless beans are witheld from the animal affected, and the
extremities kept clean, medicine will seldom prove of much
avail, especially if the patient be predisposed to the disease.

ERUPTIONS.

A third condition under which Surfeit exhibits itself is that
of an eruption upon the skin, which may be either local or
general.

Two varieties of this affection are occasionally manifested
which appear under somewhat different circumstances, run a
different course, and terminate in a different manner. Both
varieties, however, have this in common,—they usually exist
204 ERUPTIONS.

without any disturbance in the general health of the animal.
For the want of plainer terms, I shall denominate these
different eruptions by the names of Dry or Scurfy, and Papular
or Blotchy eruptions.

Tur Scurry Ervuprion is characterised by the very in-
sidious manner in which it appears. It is usually present upon
the skin about the hind quarters, the neck, and occasionally
upon the shoulders. The eruption consists of innumerable
small and somewhat hard elevations; and if the hair which
immediately covers them be turned aside, so as to fully expose
them to the bottom, they will present to view a dirty grey-
coloured appearance, while, if one or two are loosened from
their matrix and opened, the whole will appear to consist
of a chalk-like substance. It is seldom, as I have before
observed, that this form of eruption is attended with any
constitutional disturbance; some horses, in fact, are never free
from an eruption of this character, the cause of which, in
numerous instances, we may affirm, is dependent upon a morbid
influence resident within the mucous tissues of the stomach
and bowels.

Tur Parviar Ervprion usually makes its appearance
upon the skin very suddenly. It exhibits itself for the most
part during the summer season, particularly if the animal be
exposed when the temperature of the weather is very high, or
when it is subject to rapid and extreme changes; whereas the
seurfy variety is common to all periods of the year. The
attack, as I have just observed, is sudden. A groom may leave
his horse, as it were, now, and upon returning to his charge in
an hour hence, may find him covered from head to foot with
large blotchy elevations.

The appearance of the eruption is peculiar: it consists in
some instances of round flat blotches, varying in size from a
BULBOUS PRURIGO. 205

sixpence to that of the palm of the hand. In other cases the
blotches are intermingled with lumpy formations within the
skin, which range in size from a pea to a walnut.

It is seldom in cases of this nature that the pulse is dis-

turbed, or that the general liveliness of the animal is known
to fail.

Trearmrnt.—The scurfy variety of the malady cannot be
readily removed with medicine. The change produced within
the skin in these cases is usually of an obstinate character.
The principal means of cure will depend upon the skilful
hygienic management of the animal. A clever groom Will
manage cases of this kind the best.

The proper remedies to administer are Arsenicum 2, Sepia
2, and Sulphur. For hints relating to Diet the reader is
referred to Section VI.

The papular form of the disease is rarely difficult to manage.
A quiet, cool stable, a simple mash or two of bran, together
with a few doses of Nux Vomica, will, in the generality of
cases, suffice to effect all that is necessary.

BULBOUS PRURIGO.

A fourth form of surfeit is a malady not hitherto described
by any veterinary writer. From its peculiarities I venture to
designate the disease as above named.

Bulbous Prurigo is a common affection amongst horses
during the prevalence of hot weather, and sometimes (though
rarely) it is observed during the winter months. Heavy
draught horses are the most subject to its effects. Harness
horses are also occasionally affected by it, particularly those
which work severely and perspire much, such as livery and cab
horses.
206 BULBOUS PRURIGO.

Symproms.—The first appearance of the disease is marked
by circular patches of the skin becoming denuded of hair, and
thus they are left smooth and shining: the exposed surface,
however, speedily present clusters of minute pimples which are
attended with itching, and exude a pale-coloured serous fuid.
Soon after the appearance of the pimples, the structures imme-
diately below begin to swell. The swellings, when fully formed,
present a bulbous or lumpy appearance, which are sometimes
tender and sometimes not.

The disease, having reached what may be designated its
bulbous stage, may remain so for an indefinite period, unless
the animal be judiciously treated, or the weather should become
colder; when the bulbous enlargements gradually disappear,
and the denuded patches begin to put forth new hair, which at
first is of a downy kind, and darker in colour than that upon
any other part of the body,—thus giving the animal a mottled
appearance. Sometimes, however, these bulbous swellings take
on a more active state of inflammation: they become painful,
purulent matter is formed within them, suppuration is estab-
lished, and they disappear in consequence.

TreatmMENnt.—The treatment is not a matter of difficulty.
Attention should be directed to the gears, or to the harness of
the animal affected, and to the general cleanliness of the skin.

The best remedies for internal use are Arsenicum 2 and
Sulphur. Give Sulp. of the first trituration in 2-drachm doses
every morning for five or six mornings in succession ; also use
Arsenicum 2 in 2-drachm doses every night, for a like period.
Liquor Arsenicalis may also be occasionally applied as a wash
to the skin. Use it in the proportion of 1 ounce of the liquor
to 16 ounces of water.
WARBLES.—SYMPTOMS.—CAUSES. 207

WARBLES.

Warbles, or “ Warables,” as the affection is frequently
termed in Yorkshire and Lancashire, is a form of skin disease
which frequently proves of great annoyance to horses.

The disease in question is the most common to horses
during the hot months of the year, and when they are fed
upon green food, and subject at the same time to severe labour.
Draught and harness horses are those most commonly affected
by the malady.

Symetoms.—The disease is not difficult to recognise. A
number of small round lumps become manifest upon various
parts of the skin; they sometimes appear suddenly, at other
times slowly and insidiously. Most commonly they appear at
the junction of the neck with the withers, upon the sides and
in front of the shoulders, and along the back, and upon the
hind quarters.

At first these lumps are itchy ; afterwards, if neglected, and
they are irritated to a greater extent, they swell, and present
other symptoms and states common to the inflammatory condi-
tion. The sub-tissues of the part become at times extensively
involved, and not unfrequently the inflammation goes on until
it terminates in purulent abscess; and finally resolution of the
parts take place after the contents of the abscess are freely
evacuated. Abscesses of this kind generally occur either at
the bottom of the neck at its junction with the withers, or in
front of the shoulders.

Causes.—In the generality of these cases several causes
will probably be found acting in association. Coarseness of
breed is a predisposing cause. The disease is the most com-
mon. in coarse-bred, hard-worked horses. Amongst the common
causes of a direct nature are excessive labour of the animal
when exposed to the hot sun; feeding of the horse with green.
208 WARBLES.

watery food; excessive perspiration and suppression of it in
those parts covered with thick heavy gears; a diet that is too
stimulating ; and functional derangement of the digestive organs.

Treatment.—The treatment should vary according to the
‘state of the disease. F%rstly, to ascertain the cause; and if it
be one which admits of removal, remove it.

Secondly, look to the harness or the gears. Are they'
heavy? Do they fit properly? Are they clean? If the patient
be a draught horse, and the neck and shoulders are the parts
affected, and the collar is lined with thick woollen check,
remove the check, and in lieu of it substitute leather or
linen.

Woollen lining causes the skin to become intolerably hot;
it also absorbs the perspiration until the lining is saturated,
and this, together with the dirt which accumulates and adheres
to these wet parts, so irritates the skin, that the poor brute,
unless relieved, will be compelled to work in a state of inde-
scribable torture. The collar, cart saddle, and other parts of
the gears in close contact with the skin, if lined with leather,
will admit of their being regularly washed and cleansed, which
will not only prove beneficial to the skin, but of daily comfort
to the horse when at work.

Thirdly, The sores should be well washed with soap and
water, and all the hair clipped thoroughly away, particularly if
the disease be located at the bottom of the neck. Unless the
hair be removed, it will work into the raw cracks and fissures,
and render them more irritable. So long as the Warbles
remain, they should be repeatedly washed, and the gears should
be kept scrupulously clean.

Fourthly, If the Warbles inflame, and the inflammation ex-
tends to the sub-tissues, the patient should rest, and the diseased
IRRITATION OF THE SKIN. 209

parts should be frequently fomented with warm water and warm
Arnica Lotion. This treatment will either speedily disperse
the inflammation, or if it be too far advanced, it will hasten
suppuration. When it has arrived at this stage, the Abscess
should be freely lanced and its contents liberated. After the
pus is evacuated, the sore will rapidly heal, particularly if aided
by rest and the application of warm Arnica Lotion.

The best remedies in general for internal use are Arseni-
cum 2, and Sulphur 1.

Arsenicum 2.—Give the Arsenicum in 2-drachm doses every
night for five or six nights in succession; each dose may be
mixed with 2 or 3 ounces of water.

Sulphur.—Give the Sulphur in 2-drachm doses every morning
for five or six mornings in succession. It may be administered
in flour, as directed at pages 145 and 146.

Lotions.—The Arnica Lotion should be made as follows :—

' Tincture of Arnica ae 2 drachms.
Water ae as 1 pint.
Mix together and apply to the sores warm.
Sometimes it is better to use the Arsenicalis Lotion. Make

it as follows :—

Liquor Arsenicalis ae 4 drachms
Cold Water 2% ss 1 pint.

Apply it warm to the Warbles four or five times a day.

SORENESS, OR ACUTE IRRITATION OF THE SKIN.
Soreness, or Acute Irritation of the Skin, is another disease
of the dermal structures, which hitherto has not been described.
It presents itself in two forms-—viz., general and local Acute
Irritation of the skin.
0
210 IRRITATION OF THE SKIN.

Acute Genrrat IrrrraTIon oF THE SEIN is an affection
which sometimes manifests itself upon horses during the clip-
ping season. Hitherto I have not seen this form of the disease
at any other time, nor under any other circumstances. Its
cause, so far as I have observed, appears to be dependant upon
the animal being clipped.

The disease is characterised by a general soreness; if any
one attempts to place his hand upon the skin, the animal shrinks
from the contact with every appearance of alarm. Sometimes
the general soreness is so excessive, that it is dangerous for
any one to hastily approach the poor brute: he will kick, and
resist being handled to the utmost of his power. Both the skin
and the hair are dry and harsh to the touch.

In many cases great numbers of small, hard, round eleva-
tions are present upon the skin in the regions of the neck and
the breast, upon the inner surfaces of the fore limbs, upon the
haunches, under the abdomen, and around the hind limbs from
the stifle joints down to the hoofs.

The appetite is occasionally impaired, and the pulse increased
in the number of its beats; frequently, in the milder forms
of the affection, neither the appetite nor the pulse are much
affected. Sometimes the malady is associated with swelling of the
limbs, chapped heels, and in horses, with swelling of the sheath.

Acute Locat Inritation or THE SEIN is far more com-
mon than the general form of the affection. It appears to
be dependant upon previous injury inflicted upon the part; or
from the saddle, the harness, or the gears improperly fitting.
Sometimes the backs or the shoulders of horses so affected will
remain tender for months after they have recovered from the
immediate effects of the crush of a saddle upon the back, or
an injury upon the shoulder from a collar. In one or two
IRRITATION OF THE SKIN. 2i1

instances I have known soreness of this kind to remain for
years; while in other cases of a similar kind, I have known it
to disappear almost at once upon using saddles, harness, or
gears which fitted the animals affected.

Horses suffering from local irritation of the skin, generally
become turbulent with every one who may attempt to handle
the parts affected; and what appears singular, they are fre-
quently the most violent if lightly and delicately handled:
handle them rudely, and they at once become quiet.

TreatMEent.—First general soreness of the skin. The best
remedies are Arsenicum 2, and Sulphur 1,

Use the Arsenicum in 2-drachm doses, two or three times a
day, according to the urgency of the case: this will usually
remove the more acute symptoms; afterwards give Sulphur of
the 1st trituration, in 2-drachm doses, night and morning for
four or five days in succession.

If this form of the disease be associated with Chapped
Heels, treat that affection as I have before directed in the
article Chapped Heels, page 192.

Locat Sorznsss.—To successfully treat the second form
of the malady is more difficult than the first. Examine the
saddle, harness, or gears, and see that they fit properly and are
comfortable to the patient, and especially to the part affected.
Should the harness or gears fit properly, and the irritation
remain, it will be best to allow the animal rest, or if practicable,
a short run at grass. Freedom from all outward sources of
irritation, and full exposure of the skin to the cold air and the
rain, appear to act the most quickly and effectually in thoroughly
eradicating the morbid condition.
212 ANGLEBERRIES.

ANGLEBERRIES.—W ARTS.

Angleberries, or Angleberry, is the name given to certain
growths of a peculiar nature, and which are of common occur-
rence upon the skin of horses.

The localities upon which Angleberries usually appear, are
the sheath ; the superior and inner surfaces of the hind limbs;
under the abdomen; along the eyelids ; and upon the sides of
the nose. They appear for the most part to be confined in
their development to the thin and more delicate regions of the
dermal structures. We never observe them to be situated upon
the back; nor upon the hind quarters; nor upon the sides, or
along the crest of the neck; nor upon the outer sides or surfaces
of the limbs.

Angleberries vary in size from that of a small pea, to that
of a large sized potatoe. The variation in this respect being in
fact dependant upon the degree of growth at which it may have
arrived when inspected. A growth of this kind will commence
in the first instance as a very small hard round substance, which
if not disturbed, will gradually increase until perhaps it attains
the size above named.

For some time at first, its growth goes on beneath the skin
of the part affected, but as the tumour increases, the skin is so
pressed upon that it becomes absorbed, and the Angleberry
being liberated not only grows more rapidly, but its surface
speedily presents an altered appearance; it becomes divided
into clefts or fissures, and the surfaces separated by the clefts
not unfrequently present a cauliflower-like appearance, from
which blood occasionally exudes, or purulent matter is secreted.

‘When Angleberries arrive at this stage of their growth,
they present a disgusting appearance to the observer; and in
summer, unless they are removed, the flies will prove intolerably
annoying to the poor animal.
ANGLEBERRIES.— WARTS. 213

Cause.—The cause of Angleberries is a question which
appears to be involved in a great deal of obscurity. Hereditary
predisposition is certainly one cause. I know a draught mare
which has had several foals, every one of which is or has been
affected with Angleberries, and that too in those localities
of the skin corresponding to where the mare was affected.

They arise from the deeper seated tissues of the skin, and
the probability is, that these diseased or wart-like excrescences
arise from some peculiar derangement within the nutritive
vessels of the skin; that is, instead of the nutritive vessels
producing skin, these growths are produced instead.

Manner oF THEIR Growrn.—An ordinary observer would
readily conclude that growths of this kind essentially consist
of an extension of the skin. Such is not the fact. In numerous
instances they possess a short pedicle or stalk, from which the
tumour is suspended; in other cases, they appear as if they
grew immediately out of the skin. Their attachment, however,
either to a stalk or to the skin, is mediate merely. Angle-
berries grow by imbition ; 1.e., they do not receive their nutri-
tive blood from vessels passing direct out of the skin into the
tumour, but by imbition, or in a manner precisely similar to
what the membranes of the foetus receive blood from the coty-
ledons of the uterus.

TreatMent.—In numerous instances when the Angleber-
ries are small (or when large, if not suspended from a pedicle
or stalk) they may be easily separated from the skin by the
hand. The operator should firmly seize hold of their substance,
and pull them away by sheer force. When the growth is
small, and this method is pursued, the Angleberries will fre-
quently slip out of the skin as a ripe nut slips from its husk.
The larger masses occasionally require a greater force to remove
214 ANGLEBERRIES.— WARTS.

them. Perhaps the best way to do is to both twist and pull
them at the same moment.

Where the growth is suspended, in the manner as above
described, the pedicle should be removed with the knife. To do
so} the horse should be cast and secured. The tumour should
then be firmly seized by the left hand, and pulled from the skin,
so as to lift the skin from its sub-tissues; the stalk is then to
be carefully cut away, together with as much of the dermal
textures as may be necessary to enable the operator to destroy
the tissues whence the Angleberry originates.

It is seldom, however, that even this method, complete as it
may appear, will of itself thoroughly eradicate every germ of
the malady. I have, under such circumstances, again and again
witnessed a return of the disease in the same part.

In addition to removing these growths with the knife, or
separating them by force with the fingers from the skin, the
matrix requires in every case to be freely dressed with a power-
ful escharotic, and the best for this purpose is Nitric Acid.
In certain cases, or where the matrix of the growth is extensive,
it may be necessary to apply the acid twice or even three times
in succession, at intervals of twenty or thirty hours between
each dressing.

In cases, however, where these growths are present upon
the eyelids, or upon the sides of the face or nostrils, strong
Iodine Ointment will prove the safest: Acid, if applied here,
might prove dangerous to the eyes of the patient. The Iodine
Ointment is to be made as follows, and a small portion to be
rubbed upon the sores three or four times daily.

Iodine aa a a 1 drachm.

Lard 25 a a6 1 ounce.
The Iodine to be powdered, then thoroughly mixed with the
lard, and it is ready for use.
RINGWORM. 215

The best remedies for internal use are Arsenicum 2, and
Sulphur 1. Use these medicines in the same proportions, and
as directed at page 211.

RINGWORM.

Ringworm is a malady of the skin which occasionally pre-
vails somewhat extensively. ;

The disease is generally manifested upon horses during the
summer months of the year; and from the manner of its
appearance, I am of opinion that it arises from causes of an
endemic nature. The facts which have led me to form this
opinion, I will briefly state. At times I have been three years
in succession without seeing a case of the disease; then a
solitary one would be brought for treatment, which upon every
occasion of the kind would be speedily followed in rapid succes-
sion by numbers of others from various parts of the country :
after which, the disease would suddenly cease and not be seen
by me again, for at least a similar period of time to what I
have stated. This peculiarity, in connection with its appear-
ance I have on several occasions observed, and has led me to
the opinion that Ringworm is an endemic disease.

Symproms.—The symptoms of Ringworm will be illustrated
the best by detailing the appearances presented by an indivi-
dual case of the disease.

I.—Existing here and there upon the skin of the
animal, are a number of round spots. They are present on
both sides of the neck, and upon the left cheek ;—also upon
the sides of the shoulders; upon the back, in the region of
the lumbar vertebre ; and upon the hind quarters. Hach of
these spots is about the size of a shilling.
216 RINGWORM.

II.—The appearances which these spots present are
peculiar. Some are round, others are of an irregular form.
The hair in connection with them is of a dirty grey colour;
the spots appear, in fact, as though they had been dusted
with fine grey-coloured powder, and afterwards a gummy
fluid dropt amongst it, and there allowed to remain until the
whole became dry and encrusted.

III.—If I place my forefinger firmly upon one of these
encrustations, the crust is readily forced aside, and a raw
surface is exposed, which upon examination with a common
magnifying lens I find to consist of a number of minute pits
or cavities, many of which are filled with purulent matter;
while running round the border of each of these cavities is a
delicate red line of variable thickness.

The symptoms as described above are such as will be found
peculiar to every case of the disease.

Tz Patnogonomic Symptoms are the circular form of
the sores, and the raw surfaces which are exposed to view when
the crusts are removed.

TREATMENT.—Ringworm, like Mange, requires to be treated
topically. The disease is not difficult to cure. The best topical
applicants in general are,—Iodine and the Liquor Arsenicalis.

Lodine.—The Iodine may be applied either in the form of
tincture or as ointment. If the tincture is used—first remove
the encrustations, then apply the remedy by means of a camel-
hair pencil. The sores should be painted with the drug, at
least twice a day, for several days in succession. The oint-
ment should be made as follows :—

Iodine es ane i 1 drachm
Lard te ce ss 1 oz.
HAIR OYSTS. 217

Prepare the Iodine and mix it with the lard as directed at
page 214.

Liquor Arsenicalis.—It is sometimes necessary to apply a
preparation of Arsenic for the cure of this malady; and one
of the most favourable for this purpose is the Liquor Arsenicalis.
It may be applied as I have directed the Tincture of Iodine to
be applied.

Sulphur 1 and Arsenicum 2 are the best remedies for inter-
nal use. Give the Sulphur in 2-drachm doses, every morning for
several mornings in succession, as directed at pages 145 and
146. The Arsenicum may be given for a like period every night.
Two drachms of the 2nd will be sufficient for a dose, which mix
with water before it is administered.

HAIR CYSTS.

Cysts of Hair embedded within the skin, are occasionally
met with in veterinary practice. I have been so fortunate as
to have seen and treated several cases of this kind: disease it
can scarcely be denominated—it is rather to be regarded as a
freak of nature than otherwise.

The only certain mode by which growths of this nature can
be demonstrated, is by opening the Cyst, and laying bare its
contents. The first case of this nature which came under ny
notice, was that of a young grey draught horse. The Cyst was
present upon the left shoulder. The animal was four years of
age, and for three years prior to the case being submitted to my
inspection, a small soft tumour was observed upon the part
named, which gradually increased until it reached its present
size, viz., that of a small pear.

Upon opening the tumour, a grey-coloured mucus-like fluid
escaped, and this exposed to view a quantity of long hair, a
portion of which was of a black colour, and another portion
218 HAIR CYSTS.

white. The black hair presented the appearance as though it
had been compressed closely together, and afterwards thrust
into the Cyst, while the white hair appeared as though it
had been carefully twisted into small circles and deposited
within. Both the black and the white hair was completely
free from any direct attachment to the Cyst. Many of the
hairs measured six inches in length. It had evidently grown
from the surface of the Cyst, and been regularly cast. Upon
removing the white hair from the sac, it took on a beautiful
spiral curl. The black hair was thickly covered with small
particles of a grease-like substance. The white hair was per-
fectly free from any such outward deposit.

From the inner surface of the Cyst white and black hair
was growing in abundance; this inner surface was of a delicate
pinkish-white colour, and appeared to be free from all traces
of a cuticle.

The other cases I have met with were precisely similar in
character to the above. In every instance the Cyst was care-
fully removed, and the structures injured by the operation were .
treated as a common wound.
219

Szorron III.

DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION.

CATARRH. EPIZOOTIC CATARRH.
TYPHOID PNEUMONIA. OZENA.
LARYNGITIS. SPASM OF THE LARYNX.
BRONCHITIS. PNEUMONIA.
THICK WIND. ROARING.
PLEURISY. PLEURODYNIA.
COUGH. CHRONIC COUGH.
HAY ASTHMA. BROKEN WIND.
——

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

Arts the consideration of the diseases embraced within the

present section, the reader will doubtless experience great —
difficulty in perceiving that clear line of demarcation, which
might naturally be supposed to exist between one malady and
another, affecting the same class of organs. Several of the
diseases in question bear a close general resemblance to each
other, and not unfrequently one imperceptibly terminates in
another of a similar but more severe character. Two, or even
three of these diseases may affect the patient at the same time ;
so that, to the’ inexperienced observer, the whole may present
an assemblage of peculiarities of the most inextricable con-

fusion.
220 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

Inflammation of the Lungs, Bronchitis, Pleurisy, and other
inflammatory diseases of the respiratory organs, may exist, each
in a pure and distinct form; but cases of this nature, com-
paratively speaking, are rare: therefore, in treating upon one
disease, I am compelled, to a certain extent, to generalize my
statements ; and hence the difficulty to the amateur in obtaining
that clearness so desirable upon the matter. Be it remembered,
however, that the difficulties are not of my creating ; they exist
in the subject itself. I do not write to mystify, but, if possible,
to make clear.

The class of organs known as the respiratory are varied in
character, highly vascular, complex in structure, and fulfil a
duty in the animal economy of at least equal importance to any
other class of organs engaged in the maintenance of the life of
the horse.

The organs proper and subsidiary to this class are, the nasal
passages, the larynx, the trachea, the bronchial tubes, and the
lungs; also, the bony apparatus of the chest, which comprises
the ribs situated laterally ; the sternum, or the breast bone
situated anteriorily ; and a portion of the spinal column situ-
ated superiorily ; also the muscles, which chiefly consist of the
intercostals, or the muscles of the ribs, and the diaphragm ,
also the respiratory nerves, the principal of which are the par
vaga, or the eighth pair.

Every one of the organs enumerated is subject to various
forms of disease, many of which are of a violent and dangerous
character.

The nasal passages are frequently the seat of Catarrh ; occa.
sionally of a disease called Ozena (an affection not hitherto
properly treated upon), and which I hope, in the course of the
present section, to describe intelligibly to the reader; also of
Glanders, Polipi, and of Epistaxis, or bleeding of the nose.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 221

The larynx is occasionally the seat of Laryngitis, Spasm of
the Larynx, Atrophy of its muscles, which latter is productive
of Roaring. It is also liable to Ossification, Abscess, and to
Stricture of the organ.

The mucous tissues of the trachea are subject to Inflamma-
tion both of an acute and chronic character, and to the formation
of Abscess within its structures.

The bronchial tubes are subject to a disease called Bron-
chitis, both of an acute and chronic form; also to Spasm of the
smaller tubes or air cells, and to the formation of Abscess.

The structures of the lungs are subject to Inflammation, to
the formation of Abscess, to Tubercle, to Broken Wind, and
to Thick Wind; also to rupture of the blood-vessels, and to
melanotic deposits.

The diaphragm is liable to Spasm, and to Rupture of its
tissues.

The pleura is subject to acute Inflammation, of a form which
is exceedingly prone to effusion of serum and lymph.

The ribs are liable to Fracture, and to injuries of greater or
less severity.

Many of the above-named diseases are essentially similar in
character, the difference in name arising merely from the dif-
ference in the locality in which they are manifested; as, for
example, Laryngitis, Tracheitis, and Bronchitis, which are simply
inflammatory affections of the mucous membrane—a membrane
alike common to the larynx, the trachea, and the bronchial tubes.
It extends, in fact, from the commencement of the nasal open-
ings to the utmost limit of the bronchial tubes.

Some of the diseases enumerated are far more common
than others affecting the same tissues. Catarrh is more com-
mon than Ozena; Bronchitis more so than local Inflammation
of the trachea, ending in Abscess. The latter is more likely
222 CATARRH.

to be productive of a fatal result to the animal, simply from
the difficulty of determining its precise seat, or even being at
all certain of its existence.

CATARRH.

One of the common affections to which horses are subject is
that of Catarrh, or common cold. Sometimes it prevails upon
a number of horses, over a large extent of country, when it is
denominated Influenza, or Epizootic Catarrh; but when it
occurs locally, and in isolated instances, it is denominated
Common Cold, Catarrh, Catarrhal Fever, ete.

Symproms.— Common Cold generally localises its effects in
the head, or windpipe, or chest. The animal is feverish; he
readily perspires upon slight exertion. The pulse is altered,
generally beating from fifty to sixty per minute, and feeble:
occasionally it will reach even as high as seventy. The breath-
ing is also more or less disturbed; the respirations will vary
from fifteen to thirty times per minute; the breath will be
hotter ; and the breathing very superficial. The limbs are cold,
or they are hot and cold in turns; or sometimes two of the
limbs will be cold, and the other two of a feverish heat. The
eyes are dull and weeping; the animal dozes and yawns a good
deal; he also coughs occasionally, and sneezes, or gives forth
a cough and a sneeze at the same time. In some instances the
throat is sore, attended with difficulty of swallowing; the
appetite is also bad; a watery fluid is discharged from the nos-
trils, or in many instances semi-ftuid of a bluish colour, which
either disappears, or towards the end gradually becomes purv-
lent; the urine is high-coloured and scanty; and the dung is
voided in small portions, and glazed.
CATARRH. 223

PatHoenomonic Symproms.—Occasional chills, pricking of
the coat, accompanied with coughing and sneezing.

Causrs.—The causes are various. A very common cause
is that of over-riding or driving the animal, and then allowing
him to stand in a draught of cold air; placing him in a cold,
damp stable ; turning him out to grass while in a state of per-
spiration ; riding him into water when the system is exhausted ;
or bringing him from grass and placing him at once in a close,
warm, or ill-ventilated stable.

TrratmEent.— Owners of horses, who are observant of what
occurs to them, ought to know the premonitory symptoms of
Catarrh, and by prompt measures arrest its progress.

The premonitory signs in the generality of cases of Catarrh
are, dullness of the eye and countenance; a faint, soft cough,
accompanied with slight staring of the hair; and perspiration
of the animal upon slight exertion. In many horses the pre-
monitory signs are simply a cough, attended with a slight
diminution of the appetite. By attention to the animal during
the incipient stages of the disease, hundreds of valuable horses
would be annually saved which now die.

The best remedies in general are, Camphor, Aromatic
Ammonia, Belladonna, and Nux Vomica.

Camphor, if given during the incipient stage of Catarrh will
frequently stop the progress of the disease. Horses which have
been severely worked, and at the same time exposed to rain
and cold draughts, should always have a small portion of cam-
phor given to them when brought to the stable for the night :
it is an excellent preventative, and will amply repay the trouble
and cost its administration will entail. Give 2 drachms of the
tincture in a glass of weak whiskey and water, or mix it with
flour, as directed at page 146.
224 CATARRH.

Aromatic Ammonia.—This medicine is valuable if adminis-
tered in cases where the disease is attended with debility. Give
it in doses of one ounce by measure in eight ounces of cold
water. Two or three doses of the remedy may be required; if
so, give them at intervals of eight or twelve hours.

Belladonna 1, Nux Vomica 1.—Belladonna is useful in
Cough. Give 2-drachm doses of the first dilution, in 8 or 4
ounces of water. The dose may be repeated three or four times
a day, according to the urgency of the cough.*

Nux Vomica.—Nux is an excellent remedy to restore the
appetite. It is also occasionally of value in preventing Catarrh.
Give it in 2-drachm doses, mixed in 3 or 4 ounces of water.
It may be given in alternation with Belladonna.

Should the weather be severe at the time the disease is
manifested, let the patient rest. Keep him warm and comfort-
able, and diet him according to the rules laid down in Section
VI. Should fever be present, give Aconite 1 occasionally.
Give it in 2-drachm doses, in 6 or 8 ounces of water. The
extremities of the patient should be occasionally fomented with
water, as hot as can be comfortably borne by the operator.
The fomentation should be continued for fifteen or twenty
minutes to each limb ; after which rub them perfectly dry, and
bandage them with woollen bandages.

EPIZOOTIC CATARRH.

This variety of Catarrh is a disease of a protean character.
Sometimes it is particularly marked by the obstinate manner in
which a cough will adhere to the animal. At other times it
manifests a most uncontrollable tendency to terminate in Scar-
latina, or in Typhoid Pneumonia, or in Roaring. It is supposed

* See article “Cough” in the present section,
EPIZOOTIC CATARRH. 225

by many that the liver is very prone, at such times, to be
primarily affected—an opinion with which I by no means
coincide.

“The Distemper, or Influenza, as it is sometimes called,”
says Mr. Blaine, “is singularly prevalent in some seasons, and
rages more under some circumstances than others; and though
it exhibits general characters in common, yet the epidemic of
one year will be marked with some particular symptoms which
may not appear in the epidemic of the next. Horses of large
cities and crowded towns are more prone to it than those of
the country, and than those less confined. Occasionally, how-
ever, although the liability to its attack is almost universal
among all varieties, yet the young and such as have been lately '
brought under stable management, are in general observed to
be more liable to it than the older and worked horses. The
spring months appear particularly favourable to its production ;
and the prevalence, as already observed, is materially increased
by a variable state of the atmosphere, as great and sudden
changes from dry to wet, and from heat to cold, and still more
certainly if accompanied with a long-continued easterly wind.
Now and then it is found to occur in wet autumns also. It
has been disputed whether it is contagious or not; and both
the negative and affirmative may be maintained. In some sea-
sons it exhibits little or no contagious character; in others it
is highly so, particularly among young horses.”’

Symproms.—lIt is stated that Epidemic Catarrh generally
commences with the animal having a shivering fit.. This,
although common at the outset of the disease, does not inva-
riably occur. The disease frequently commences in a very
insidious manner. The animal coughs; the respiration becomes
hurried ; the pulse is feeble, irritable, and easily compressed—

P
226 EPIZOOTIC CATARRH.

beating from 60 to 70. or from 70 to 80 times per minute ; the
breath is hot; the mouth is dry, or perhaps preternaturally
moist, and offensive to the smell; the membrane within the
nostrils is either pallid or of a lead-like hue; the coat will
stare; the limbs will be of a variable temperature—two of
them eold, and the others preternaturally hot, or hot and cold
in patches; and the throat will perhaps be sore. The eyes are
either dull and heavy-looking, or the eyelids may present con-
siderable tumefaction, accompanied with a copious flow of hot
acrid tears.

As the disease advances, the cough becomes worse, and the
throat more sore, attended with swelling at the junction of the
head and neck, and within the sub-maxillary space; the appe-
tite may wholly disappear, and the bowels, in consequence,
secrete little or nothing; so that the bile, not being required
for the digestive and other functions within the economy, be
comes absorbed into the system, and the mucous membranes
speedily present that yellowness so commonly manifested under
the circumstances. If the patient, at this stage of the disease,
be made to walk a few yards, he will stagger and sway from
side to side, as though likely to fall at every step.

Sometimes a purulent discharge manifests itself from the
nose, which is not unfrequently followed by relief to the sore-
ness of the throat; while in others, again, such relief is not so
evident. The discharge, however, may in all cases be regarded
as a favourable issue. Should the malady be attended with
swelling in the region of the throat and within the submasillary
space, such swelling will become larger, and the skin of the
part more tender, until matter is fully formed. If every care
be taken of the animal, at this stage of the malady, all may
pass off well, and leave the patient in the end little or none
the worse for the attack; but if improperly treated, or he be-
EPIZOOTIC CATARRH. 227

exposed to cold and damp, or if taken to work too soon, it is
highly probable that Scarlatina may supervene, and particularly
if other conditions be favourable, and the organism predisposed
to its development. In other states, again, little or no dis-
charge from the nostrils is observed. The patient lingers in a
most annoying manner. The pulse in spite of everything which
may be done, maintains its 60 or 70 beats per minute, while
the respirations are perhaps from 20 to 30. This is a condition
greatly to be dreaded; not unfrequently it proves to be the first
stage of Typhoid Pneumonia, a disease of a most destructive
nature, and one which J shall fully treat upon hereafter.

The duration of Epidemic Catarrh, under its most favour-
able forms, is from four to six days ere convalescence is fully
established, when the patient usually presents a more lively
aspect. The appetite will improve; the pulse becomes slower ;
the discharge from the nostrils abundant, and more purulent;
the cough looser, more deep, and moist in its sound; the throat
less sore; and deglutition is performed more freely, and with
less pain. The above changes are generally attended with
swelling of the extremities, and a return of the usual habit to
lie down and rest.

PatHoenomonic Siens.— The fact of the disease prevailing
extensively ; and of its being marked by symptoms of a charac-
ter closely similar in every case. ‘

CausEs.—The causes of Epidemic Catarrh have a close
relation to the state and peculiarities of the atmosphere and to
the season of the year. The prevalence of east winds, or rapid
changes in the temperature of the air—such as a hot, close con-
dition being quickly succeeded by a cold, damp, foggy state—is
almost certain to be followed by the prevalence of Epizootic
Catarrh.
228 EPIZOOTIC CATARRH.

TERMINATIONS.—This disease is liable to terminate in
Scarlatina, Typhoid Pneumonia, Ozena, and in Roaring. The
proneness of the disease to terminate in Scarlatina is greater
in summer than during the winter months of the year; while,
on the other hand, Typhoid Pneumonia, Ozena, and Roaring
are, upon the whole, more common to the latter period.

TrEatMEent.—The treatment of Epizootic Catarrh should
vary, in certain essentials, according to the period of its mani-
festion. If the time of its appearance be in winter, and there
prevails a raw, damp, cold state of the atmosphere, warmth and
dryness of the stable are highly necessary. If sufficient warmth
cannot be otherwise obtained, a crate of red hot cinders should
be placed within the apartment, and maintained at the same
temperature. Without warmth and comfort to the patient,
medicine will prove of little or no avail. It is uncomfortable
to the animal to clothe him heavily.

The best remedies in general, for maladies of this nature,
are—Belladonna, Mercurius 2, Hepar Sulph. 3, Rhus Toxico-
dendron 1, Arsenicum 2, Camphor, Aromatic Ammonia, Tinct.
Ferri Murias, Poultices, Blisters, and Fomentations.

Belladonna—Mercurius.—These, with Hepar Sulph. and
Rhus Toxicodendron are valuable remedies to relieve the sore-
ness of the throat. Sometimes the administration of Bella-
donna and Mercurius in alternation will speedily remove it;
while, in other casee, the Hepar or the Rhus are necessary.

Give the Belladonna and the Mercurius alternately three or
or four times a day: the former in 2-drachm doses mixed with
water; and the latter (of the 2nd trituration) in drachm doses
mixed with flour, as directed at page 146.

Hepar Sulph.—Rhus Tox—Should the Belladonna and the
Mercurius fail, have recourse to the Hepar Sulph. and the Rhus
EPIZOOTIC CATARRH. 229

Toxicodendron. Give the former in 2-drachm doses, the latter in
like quantities. Administer them in turns about three or four
times a day.

Oamphor.—Aromatie Ammonia.—In numerous cases of this
disease the heart is involved. This may be known by the irri-
table state of the pulse, and the peculiar feverish condition of
the animal. Camphor is invaluable in such cases. If the patient
be of the large, heavy, draught breed, give the remedy in
drachm doses, and repeat it twice or three times a day. Give
it in powder, mixed with flour, as directed at page 146. For
small-sized, light-bred horses, half a drachm will suffice; or, at
the most, 2 drachms may be divided into three doses.

The Aromatic Ammonia may be regarded as one of the
indispensible remedies. Sometimes it is necessary to administer
it at the very onset of the disease. If the patient be aged, and
the life powers feeble—if a soft cough be present, attended
with soreness of the chest, its use is especially called for. Give
it in ounce doses, mixed with 6 or 8 ounces of water. It may
either be given alone, or in alternation with Camphor. The
necessity for repeating the drug will depend upon the vital
state of the patient; its action is that of diffusible stimulant,
and as such I strongly recommend it—not only in Epizootic
Catarrh, but in most other diseases of a low typhoid nature.

Arsenicum.—Tinct. Ferri Murias.—These remedies are valu-
able when the patient is convalescent—especially when debility
is present, and the appetite is indifferent, and accompanied with
swelling of the extremeties. Give the Arsenicum and the
Ferri Murias in alternation, twice or three times a day. The
former to be administered in 2-drachm doses of the 2rd dilution ,
the latter, also, in 2-drachm doses, mixed with 6 or 8 ounces of
water. It may be necessary to continue these remedies four
or five days in succession.
230 EPIZOOTIC CATARBH.

ABSCESS IN THE SUBMAXILLARY Space.—Poultices, Blis-
ters, and Homentations.— Mild blisters are proper to apply to the
neck, and along the course of the trachea, in those cases accom-
panied with soreness of the throat, and unattended with swelling
within the submaxillary space. Mustard is the best for the
purpose ; it should be applied as directed at pages 159 and 160.
If the disease, however, be accompanied with the formation of
Abscess within the submaxillary space, a cantharides blister
will be the best. It should be limited in its application to the
enlargement. It acts by increasing the inflammation within
the tissues already inflamed, and thus hastens on the suppura-
tive stage. When the blister has exhausted its effects, recourse
should be had to a poultice. The kind of poultice to use, and
the mode of its application, are matters fully treated upon at
pages 153 and 154.

‘When the Abscess is ripe, it should be freely opened, and
its internal structures broke up by means of the fore-finger.
The ripe state of an Abscess is known by its soft elastic feel.

In cases where the mustard does not act so vigorously as
desirable, its action may be increased by hot fomentations being
applied to the neck. For directions as to the best mode of
applying these, see page 156.

Fomenting the limbs is an excellent practice to pursue in
the early stages of Epizootic Catarrh. It reduces the general
feverishness of the system by the gentle sedative action of the
hot water upon it. For proper directions as to the application
of the water, see page 156.

Drer.—Full instructions as to the dietetic treatment of
diseased horses are given in Section VI., which the reader cap
peruse. Exercise to the patient is necessary when convales-
cence is fully established.
TYPHOID PNEUMONIA. 231

Spasm or THE Larynx.—The disease is frequently asso-
ciated with Spasm of the Larynx; this may be known by the
loud snoring noise which accompanies every act of inspiration.
It is seldom present in these cases, unless a hard enlargement
be also present in the submaxillary space. For further informa-
tion as to the nature and proper treatment of this malady, see
article “ Spasm of the Larynx,’ in the present section.

Cover.—Not unfrequently after the disease is cured, a
Cough remains. For further directions respecting its treat-
ment, see article “ Cough,’ in the present section.

TYPHOID PNEUMONIA.

Typhoid Pneumonia is another form of malady which pre-
vails more or less during the existence of Epidemic Catarrh ;
it may, in fact, be considered as one of the modes in which
Epidemic Catarrh is very prone to terminate.

Its appearance is greatly to be dreaded, especially where a
number of horses are kept in an improperly ventilated stable ;
or where the treatment has been of that nature to lower the
vital force, such as bleeding, purging, or otherwise depleting
the system. It is a disease of a very insidious, and of a very
dangerous character. It frequently undermines the whole
organism, before an ordinary observer would suspect that any-
thing particular was the matter.

Ausultutation is of great value in this disease, as a mode of
determining its existence at the commencement; and the phy-
sical signs which mark its approach should not be allowed to
pass unheeded.

Symproms.—Typhoid Pneumonia is generally preceded by
Epizootic Catarrh, which affection may have been present for
three or four days, or even more; and perhaps to the surprise
232 TYPHOID PNEUMONIA.

of the attendant and those having the care of the animal, no
improvement is visible. In spite of everything which may
have been done to afford relief, the patient coughs; and there
is something in the very sound of the cough which tells an
experienced ear the whole history of the change which may
have commenced within the chest: it is soft and feeble in its
nature ; it comes languidly, is constrained, and hangs, as it were,
in the throat; the animal, in fact, is evidently afraid to cough,
from the acute pain which is experienced during the act. The
countenance of the patient is dejected, and the eyes present a
dull, inanimate aspect: the limbs may be hot, of only a mode-
rate warmth, or some of them may be warm and others cold.
In other cases, if the hand is laid upon one of the limbs, a
moderate degree of warmth is felt at first; but if it is retained
for a short time, a coldness becomes perceptible, which rises, as
it were, from the deeper seated structures of the limb. The
membrane lining the nostrils will present a leaden-like hue, or
a dirty, dull, bluish colour; the glands beneath the jaws may
be a little swollen, and the throat sore; or these symptoms ,
may be absent. The pulse usually beats about 70, or from
that to 76 per minute; it is feeble, and easily compressed ;
or it may appear full, and yet be easily compressed; and
perhaps it may have presented these characters for the last
four or five days (characters which denote a bad state of the.
system when they are present for so long a period). In some
cases, if the hand be pressed upon the sides of the chest, the
skin in immediate contact with it, will exhibit a tremulous mo-
tion. The hair over the surface of the body generally will
appear dry and penfeathered; the mouth will be offensive; the
appetite totally gone, or nearly so, the dung will be dry, or in
little lumps like wax balls. The urine will be scanty and high.
in colour, and emit a powerful odour. The respirations will
TYPHOID PNEUMONIA. 2338

probably be from 15 to 20 per minute, and are very superficial ;
and if the thumb be suddenly forced between the ribs of the
chest, the animal wil] emit a low, suppressed grunt, which may
be succeeded by a short fit of coughing. If the ear be applied
to the course of the windpipe, a faint mucous réle will probably
be detected ; while in the chest, the respiratory murmur may
perhaps be suppressed, or heard but very faintly on one side,
and but partly on the other.

Causes.—Typhoid Pneumonia never prevails except during
the prevalence of Epizootic Catarrh. It is the most malignant
and the most fatal in confined, closely-erowded, and ill-ventilated
stables. In such stables, this disease generally proves a direful
scourge. It is, as previously observed, very deceptive at the com-
mencement : it begins so quickly, and progresses so insidiously.

The ultimate causes of the malady are very obscure. It
may be that Epidemic Catarrh is the effect of some noxious
atmospheric agent being imbibed into the blood during the
respiratory act, whereby the vital fluid becomes contaminated ;
which contamination, being aided by bad ventilation, overcrowd-
ing of the stable, and other influences which depress the vital
system, Typhoid Pneumonia results. Whether the above be
a, true explanation or not, the fact of the disease being the
most prevalent and the most fatal in over-crowded and badly-
ventilated stables, is sufficient to impress upon every one the
necessity of good ventilation, and of not crowding too many
horses together, especially during the prevalence of epidemic
diseases. ;

ComptioatTions.—It is seldom this disease confines its
ravages to the organs of the chest alone. In all cases it is
associated with Epizootic Catarrh. I have also found it asso-
ciated with asthenic inflammatory disease of the serous and
234 TYPHOID PNEUMONIA.

mucous membranes of the organism generally. It also occa-
sionally associates itself with a form of disease closely resem-
bling Strangles. This, perhaps, is to be regarded as its most
dangerous association, inasmuch as the latter may entirely mask
the insidious operations of the former.

When the disease has passed into its more malignant states,
the blood speedily becomes loaded with poisonous materials,
which the system will imbibe more or less ; and those structures -
requiring the most blood to properly and efficiently continue
their healthy function, (and which in themselves are the most
vascular), will, as a matter of course, speedily become partici-
pators in the morbid change. Thus we frequently find, in this
disease, that the patient will exhibit symptoms of abdominal
disease of a very low or sub-acute character; the animal will
occasionally regard his side anxiously ; sometimes he will paw
the ground and lie down, and when down he is seldom or ever
violent. As the disease becomes more confirmed, the animal is
affected with purging, and the feces are mixed with black semi-
fluid blood, from which is emitted a most intolerable stench.

Patnognomonic Symproms.— The excessive general debility
of the patient ; the faint, suffocative cough ; the tremulous motion
of the skin, and sub-textures covering the chest ; the rales within
the windpipe and bronchial tubes ; and, above all, the presence of
a peculiar faintly putrid effluvium from the body of the patient.

Proawnosis.—We must be guided in our prognosis by the
nature of the attack, by the character of the pulse and the
respirations, by the appetite, and the debility. If the attack be
mild—if the pulse becomes reduced in the number of its
beats, accompanied with a corresponding decrease of the respi-
ratory acts—if the appetite is restored, and the animal lies
TYPHOID PNEUMONIA. 235

down—if the debility disappears—and, finally, if the cough
becomes more loose, or the animal coughs freely and without
dread, we may hope for the best, and prognosticate accordingly ;
but if the pulse continue high, the breathing quick, the cough
low and suppressed—if symptoms of abdominal disease are
present, and particularly if there should be discharged from the
nose sanious, yeasty-looking matter of a most offensive nature—
if the limbs remain cold in spite of everything done to bring
warmth within them—then our prognosis will be unfavourable ;
for it is more than probable that death will speedily ensue.

APPEARANCES AFTER Dzatu.—The state of the animal
after death will, in a great measure, depend upon the intensity
and duration of the disease. In the most severe forms of the
malady, nearly the whole of the organism will be found more
or less gangrenous. The appearances are, disorganisation of
the lungs, with large deposits of lymph upon the pleura cos-
talis; effusion of water within the chest, in which masses of
lymph, and portions of the lungs and of the pleura, will be
found floating about. The pleura will also be gangrenous; it
will slough away from the ribs like as much wet paper, leaving
exposed a raw surface of a dull, dirty red colour. The mucous
and serous structures of the abdomen and also the muscular
tissues will be found more or less gangrenous. The great ner-
vous centres will be softened, attended with an effusion of serum
within the cavities of the brain, while the nervous substance
itself will be of a dirty white colour. The structure of the
heart will also be found to have lost its natural firmness, and
its cavities to contain blood in a semi-fluid state, and of a black
green colour; in fact, scarcely a single structure can be found
in a normal state—all appears to be affected with gangrene and
disorganisation,
236 TYPHOID PNEUMONIA.

TrEaTMENT.—Having determined the existence of the
malady, or, what is equally important, the tendency of the
organism to take it on, the treatment should be prompt and
energetic in character, otherwise the-patient will die.

The attendant should carefully regard every circumstance
associated with the disease, such as the character of the season;
the age and vital condition of the patient. Is the malady an
epidemic one? if so, what are its general characters? Is the
patient young or old, strong or feeble? Does the disease lin-
ger? Is the pulse irritable and feeble? Does the patient
breathe hurriedly ? Does he cough, and is the cough emitted
freely, or is the act restrained, or is the cough soft and feeble ?
Is the disease associated with the formation of Abscess between
the jaws? All the above particulars (and others might be
enumerated), the veterinary attendant should be alive to, or the
patient may be past the chance of recovery before the existence
of the disease is known.

The best remedies, in general, are—Arsenicum 2, Aromatic
Ammonia, Chlorate of Potass, Whiskey, and Port Wine.

Arsenicum.—Use the Arsenicum of the 2nd; administer
it in 2-drachm doses several times a day.

Chlorate of Potass.—Chlorate of Potass is a salt which
contains a large amount of oxygen. I have repeatedly given it
in this disease with marked benefit. Give it in 2-drachm doses,
mixed with half a pint of water. It may either be given alone,
or in alternation with the Arsenicum. If alternated with the
latter, its administration will be more frequent ; in which case,
one drachm of the salt will be sufficient for a dose.

Aromatic Ammonia.—Respecting the use of this drug, see
page 229.

Whiskey and Port Wine.—The action of spirits upon the
living tissues is not only to stimulate, but also to preserve
TYPHOID PNEUMONIA. 237

the living fibre from change; hence the double value of these
remedies in diseases of this nature. By their administration the
life force of the patient is roused into full activity ; and by its
preserving the tissues, the blood is prevented from being loaded
with that mass of impurities which it otherwise would be.

The proper quantity to administer will depend upon circum-
stances. If the patient be a large-sized, heavy draught horse,
give half a pint for a dose, and repeat it at least three times a
day. Give it each time in a pint of cold water.

Port Wine, on some occasions, not only acts better than
Whiskey, but it is also more palatable to the patient. Use it
in half-pint doses, mixed with an equal quantity of water. This
quantity may be given with advantage three or four times a
day, for two or three days in succession.

Dier.—The diet should be highly nutritious. Eggs, Sago,
Milk, and Milk and Water, are the articles. In giving them to
the patient avoid doing so immediately before or immediately
after the administration of Whiskey or Wine. If either of
the latter are mixed with eggs, the albumen is coagulated—a
consequence to be avoided.

The proper mode of preparing the eggs, is as follows :—
break three or four into a basin, add a quarter of an ounce of
salt and a pint of cold water, mix the whole thoroughly together,
and give the same to the patient. The quantity may be repeated
as oft as necessary. Carrots, if in season, will frequently be
relished. Bread and milk is another form in which light food
may be given. The bread may be boiled in the latter. Suit
the taste of the animal. For instructions respecting the housing
and the clothing of the patient, see Section VI.
238 OZENA.

OZENA—[Nasat GLEET].

Ozena* is a disease to which the horse is frequently subject ;
but one which, strange to say, none of our numerous veteri-
nary writers have, up to the present hour, fully and properly
described. Some time ago a Manchester veterinary surgeon
wrote an essay upon this malady, which appeared in the Veteri-
narian, for 1857.+ The essay in question, is entitled “ Thoughts
on Nasal Gleet ;” and is, perhaps, one of the best articles upon
the disease in our literature.

Scores of animals suffering from Ozena bave been con-
demned as glandered, and destroyed accordingly ; and scores
of cases of the disease have been cured, and the cures lauded
to the world as cures of Glanders. Most practitioners are
familiar with the malady in one form or another. It varies in
character from that of a simple discharge from one nostril, to

that of a most offensive purulent one, attended with ulceration "

and caries of the bones of the head, together with wasting and
general emaciation of the system.

Ozena is a disease which closely resembles Glanders. The
same structures are affected in both maladies ; and to crown all,
if the former be neglected, especially if other circumstances
prove favourable, such as bad ventilation of the stable, exposure
of the animal to cold and wet, together with a poor diet, it may
readily pass into Glanders.

Symproms.—The existence of Ozena, in the generality of
its forms, is usually to be dated from the patient being attacked
with common Catarrh, or more especially with Epidemic
Catarrh ; when the owner will perhaps be surprised to find that

* For a definition of the term Ozena, see Glossary.

+ Thoughts on Nasal Gleet, by Mr. Thomas Greaves, M.R.C.V.S.—
Veterinarian for 1857. See pages 254 and 871 of that vol.
OZENA. 239

after the animal has recovered from Sore Throat, Cough, and the
systemic fever so common to both these maladies, 2 thick muco,
or muco-purulent, discharge continues to issue from one nostril,
(generally from the left); and that in spite of all treatment of
an ordinary kind, the case, if anything, becomes worse.

The animal may cough, or may not. The lymphatic glands
in the submaxillary space may. be enlarged, or may not; in
fact it is seldom they do enlarge, until the disease has been
established for several weeks, or even months, in which case
they will be tumefied, but not adherent to the sides of the jaws.
The appetite may be good, or may not; if good, and the animal
be liberally fed, he may, in spite of the disease, continue to
improve in his general condition.

Sometimes the discharge will cease for even weeks at a
time; then be renewed, and flow as abundantly as before.
Tis colour and consistency may also vary considerably ; at one
time being of a dark yellow—at another thick, white, and like
clouted cream. In the generality of cases the discharge stinks
excessively, especially in a morning.

In the state as described above, the disease may remain for
weeks, months, and even years; or Glanders may supervene,
and the patient have to be destroyed in consequence.

Seat oF THE Diszase.—The disease has its seat upon and
within the mucous membrane of the nose, among the turbinated
bones, and also within and upon the mucous membrane lining
the cells of the ethmoid bones.

In health the turbinated bones are very little thicker than
ordinary brown paper; they resemble, in fact, hollow tubes
made of that material, by twisting the paper upon itself. Their
outer surfaces are convex; internally they are concave, and
are divided into long parallel tubes and cells, the whole of which
240 OZENA.

are covered with the mucous membrane common to the mouth
and the windpipe, and through which the air passes in its way
to the lungs.

The annexed engraving (after a photograph taken from a
dissection made by Mr. Greaves, V.8., of Manchester,) will
perhaps exhibit the seat of the malady more clearly than I can
state it to the reader by the use of words alone.

 

Fig. 18.

Fig. 18 represents a section of the head of the horse. The reader is to
suppose the head to have been divided into two halves ; and he must also
further suppose that he is regarding the inner surface of the right half ; also,
that a considerable portion of the Septum Narium (d) has been removed, in
order to show the turbinated bones.

a The Ethmoid Bone of the right side of the head, showing the cells or
cavities into which it is divided.

bb The superior and inferior Turbinated Bones of the right side.

c The Cranial Cavity wherein the brain is lodged.

d The Septum Narium, or the cartilage which divides the nostrils from
each other.

e The Molar Teeth.

f The Frontal Sinus situated at the top of the nose.

g The posterior portion of the Cranial Cavity. where the cerebellum is
lodged.

h The Palate, or the roof of the mouth.

The convex surfaces of the superior and inferior turbinated
bones of the right side of the head; also the surface of the
ethmoid bone, and its numerous cells of the same side, are
accurately delineated.

wh ini ia
OZENA. 241

The turbinated bones are situated one above the other, as
shown in the engraving. The outer surface of the superior
bone is placed in close relation to the inner surface of the nasal
bones, and to the frontal sinus f. It is upon and within these
structures, we again state, that Ozena has its seat; and it is
important to the reader that he should bear in mind the facts
we have detailed respecting this, as he will find them of the
highest value with regard to the treatment of the malady.

DiIsEAsES WHICH MAY BE MISTAKEN FOR OzEna.—The
diseases which may be mistaken for Ozena are—Glanders,
Caries of the upper Molar Teeth of the upper jaws, Sinus
of the Palate, and Polypus of the Nose.

In every case of Ozena, the teeth of the patient should be
examined with the most scrupulous care; and, if found dis-
eased, extracted forthwith.

Inoculating an ass with a portion of matter from the
diseased patient was at one time regarded asa decisive test,
if the animal experimented upon became Glandered; but the
experiments of Professor Spooner and others, have clearly
proved that this test is not conclusive.

The existence of a Sinus of the Palate may be known by
examination of the mouth, and by the character of the dis-
charge. Is the discharge purulent, or is it mixed with small
particles of half-masticated food? Sometimes the discharge
arising from Caries of the Molar Teeth may also be of a similar
character ; while Polypus of the Nose may be determinod either
by the presence of the morbid growth, or by the obstruction
which it causes to breathing within the affected nostril.*

* For further information with respect to the above diseases, the reader
is referred to the several articles in the present volume, which especially treat
upon these maladies.

Q
242 OZENA.

Parnoanomoyic Proors or Ozrena.—The diagnosis of
Ozena is a matter which frequently requires both great care and
experience on the part of the practitioner. The symptoms of
the disease, if considered singly, are not of a nature directly
indicative of the malady. The question can more easily be
determined by reference to the symptoms and facts of the
case, considered in combination. Of what duration is the
disease? and can its existence, in the first instance, be dated
from a severe attack of Catarrh, either in its common or epidemic
Sorms? Are the lymphatic submaxillary glands enlarged or
not? And, if so, are they loose, or adherent to the jaws?
When adherent to the jaws, the fact is more indicative of the
disease being Glanders than Ozena. Does the discharge issue
from one nostril or both? and does it occasionally cease, or
diminish in quantity? These and other matters which I have
directly or indirectly treated upon, should be closely regarded
before a satisfactory conclusion can be drawn.

Trratment.— Having satisfactorily determined the nature
of the disease, the next and most important consideration is
that of its proper treatment and its cause; to secure which,
not only is medicine necessary, but, in numerous cases of the
kind, aids from surgery also.

The best remedies, in general, are—Calcarea Carbonica 5,
Arsenicum 2, Aurum 4, Tinct. China ; also, Sulphate of Copper,
Biniodide of Copper, Sulphate of Iron, Iodide of Iron, and
Muriatic Acid.

The surgical remedies are—Trephining and Syringing the
nostrils and the cavities of the head.

I have, on several occasions, cured Ozena with two or more
of the first-named four remedies given in alternation. Some-
times, however, they are not productive of the least good; but,
OZENA. 243

when mild remedies and methods fail, we are certainly justified
in having recourse to others of a more severe character.

Calcarea Carbonica and Arsenicum.—In those cases where
the discharge arises from a sub-acute inflammatory action with-
in the mucous membrane of the nose, Calcarea and Arsenicum
generally prove of value; they are remedies which appear to
act best if given night and morning, in alternation. Give the
Calcarea Carbonica in 2-drachm doses, and the Arsenicum in
like quantities.

Aurum, and Tincture of China, are remedies which appear
to act best if given alone. Give the Aurum in 2-drachm doses,
night and morning, for eight or ten days in succession. Use
the Tincture of China in ounce doses, two or three times a
day, for eight or ten days in succession ; when, if the patient
improves from the use of either one remedy or the other, con-
tinue it until its action either ceases to have a beneficial effect
or until the patient recovers.

Sulphate of Copper, Sulphate of Iron, Biniodide of Copper,
and the Iodide of Iron, are remedies which are generally
described as tonics; but whether it be strictly correct to so
designate them, is a matter of little importance, so far as their
curative action relates to the disease in question, which may be
summed up in the following manner :—

I.—The action of these drugs upon the living animal, if
regarded as a whole, is very similar to each other; but their
particular effects are different upon different animals.

II.—Cures of Ozena have followed upon the administra-
tion of each of the remedies above named; but the remedy
which succeeds in one case of the disease may not produce
the least beneficial effect upon another, though to all appear-
ance they are closely similar in every respect.
244 OZENA.

III.—Neither must it be understood, that one or other
of them are certain at all times to cure Ozena. In nume-
rous instances every one of the remedies named may fail.

IV.—The extent to which each of the remedies may
require to be used is also a matter of great uncertainty,
Sometimes a few doses will cure, as though by magic; while,
in other cases of a like nature, the system requires, as it
were, to be saturated with the drug before the desired result
is obtained: so that much, in every case, will necessarily
depend upon the constitutional peculiarities of the patient.

Dosz.—The dose in which each drug may be given will
depend upon the size and the breed of the patient. If the
animal be a large-sized, heavy, draught horse, the Iodide of
Iron, the Sulphate of Copper, or the Sulphate of Iron, may
each be given in doses varying from 2 to 4 drachms, and
repeated once or twice a day, according to the urgency of the
case. The Biniodide of Copper will require greater caution in
its exhibition ; a 2-drachm dose given once a day, or a drachm
dose twice a day, will suffice in the generality of cases. ach
dose of the latter should be given in half a pint of cold water.
The other remedies may either be given in balls, or mixed with
water.

Trephining and Syringing.—Cases of Ozena, when of recent
origin, may not require to be operated upon. If the case, how-
ever, has become chronic, and internal remedies of a proper
nature have been resorted to without sucess, the operations
of Trephining and Syringing should be resorted to at once.
The most direct mode of syringing the top part of the nasal
cavity is to trephine into the frontal sinus (see f, Figure 18).
OZENA. 245

The opening made by the trephine should be an inch in dia-
meter. Sometimes, however, success is best attained by forcing
the fluid up the nostril from the natural opening at the
bottom.

The Syringe used for the purpose should not hold less than
half a pint of liquid; and it should also be provided with a
pipe six or eight inches long, made of india-rubber, or of a
strong, soft, and flexible material of another kind. This should
be passed up the nostril with the greatest care; otherwise the
turbinated structures and their investing mucous membrane
may be torn or otherwise injured to an extent not easily
remedied.

Amongst the best fluids to inject are—Cold Water, Tinc-
ture of Iodine, Tincture of Myrrh and Aloes, and Chloride of
Zine.

Cold Water.—The free injection of Cold Water will occa-
sionally prove of signal benefit. Its action in such cases, should
always be tried before fluids of any other kind are used.

Tincture of Iodine frequently proves of great benefit. If
resorted to, use it in the proportion of 6 drachms of the Tinc-
ture to a pint of Water.

Chloride of Zinc.—Use this remedy in the proportion of
1 drachm of the Salt to 12 or 14 ounces of Water.

Lincture of Myrrh and Aloes.—Use this remedy in the
proportion of 1 ounce of the Tincture to 3 or 4 ounces of Water.
Its effects, when injected up the nostril, is not only that of a
stimulant upon the mucous membrane, but the Myrrh and the
Aloes form a sheath upon the parts diseased, which greatly
favours recovery.

Dizt.—The Diet of the patient ought to be generous.
Beans, Oats, Malt, Bran, and good Hay should form the daily
246 OZENA.

food. The animal should be daily exercised (weather permit-
ting). If the appetite fails, discontinue all medicine for a time ;,
otherwise bad consequences may ensue.

One evil, amongst others, to be guarded against in Ozena
(and indeed in the generality of diseases), is that of over
treatment. Practitioners may trephine into the frontal sinuses,
or into the malar cavities, or inject fluids into the nostrils;
until, in the end, the patient becomes ten times worse than at
the commencement of the treatment. When this occurs (and
it happens more frequently than is suspected) cease for a time
all treatment except that of washing the nose with tepid water,
and keeping the patient clean; or if the weather be favourable,
turn the animal to grass, and allow him a run of two or three
months ; when, in all probability, he may come up perfectly free
from the disease.

Some practitioners recommend Blisters and Setons to the
bridge of the nostrils. During my experience I cannot affirm
that I have found them of any value.

In conclusion, I may remark, that I consider Trephining of
the malar cavities of little or no use beyond evacuating any
matter which they may contain.

LARYNGITIS.
(INFLAMMATION OF THE LARYNX.)

‘Laryngitis is a disease which but rarely exists unconnected
with other maladies of the respiratory organs, being generally
accompanied either with Epizootic Catarrh, or Bronchitis ;
nevertheless it occasionally presents itself with such force and
clearness as to show that it can, with strict propriety, be classed
as a primary disease.

Not unfrequently Laryngitis constitutes the principal fea-
ture in Epizootic Catarrh.
LARYNGITIS. 247

Young foals and horses, from two to four years of age, are
far more subject to the disease than aged horses,

During the existence of the malady, the patient is liable to
be attacked with Spasm of the Larynx. It is also liable to
terminate in Roaring, Scarlatina, and Purpura Hemorrhagica.

Symproms.—The commencement of the disease is some-
times rapid—at other times slow; and, for a period, its early
symptoms are perhaps uncertain. It usually commences, how-
ever, by the animal being dull, and affected with a cough, which
is short and spasmodic in character. As the malady goes on,
the symptoms become more clearly marked. The breathing is
accompanied with a rough, snoring kind of noise; swallowing
is performed with difficulty; the act of swallowing fluid is
attended with a gulping sound, and part of the liquid generally
escapes from the nostrils; and sometimes it brings with it
either a ‘quantity of glairy mucus or purulent matter. Quan-
tities of half-masticated food are also occasionally returned in
the same direction.

The state of the pulse depends upon the severity of the
attack; it may vary from 50 to 80 beats per minute, and the
respirations from 14 to 20.

The neck, over the region of the larynx, becomes swollen ;
and if the larynx be even slightly pressed upon, the patient will
shrink from the touch with alarm.

As the disease increases in severity, the breathing becomes
more difficult; the cough more spasmodic and hacking in cha-
racter; the snoring sound (accompaning the breathing) more
Joud and harsh. At this stage, a copious issue of purulent
matter from the nostrils will perhaps supervene; and the more
violent and alarming symptoms of the case may either disap-
pear or become greatly modified.
248 ‘ LARYNGITIS.
In numerous csses, a large Abscess will gradually form
within the submaxillary space ; which, until ripe, and the con-
tents are evacuated, will increase the severity of the general
symptoms.

If the excessive soreness of the larynx does not partly sub-
side within two or three days after the free exit of purulent
matter from the nostrils, or after the evacuation of the contents
of an abscess within the submaxillary space, Scarlatina may
probably supervene.

PatHocNnomonic Symproms.—The Pathognomonic Symp-
toms of this disease are—ewcessive tenderness within the laryng
(which is evinced by the animal on slight outward pressure of
the organ), accompanied with a spasmodic, suffocative cough ;
the breathing also being attended with snoring and wheezing
sounds, which arise within the larynx.

Cavsrs.—Hxposure of the animal to cold and wet.

TreatMEenT.— The best remedies in general for this disease
are, Mercurius, Belladonna, Hepar Sulph. Rhus Toxicodendron;
also, Poultices, Fomentations, Steaming the head, Blisters to the
neck, and, in numerous instances, the operation of Tracheotomy.

Mereurius, Belladonna, Hepar Sulphurius, and Rhus Tozi-
codendron.—These medicines are to be used in the manner
described at page 228, in the article “ Epizootic Catarrh.”

Poultices and Fomentations.—These are also to be applied
in manner as directed at pages 153 and 156. It will often
prove beneficial if the limbs of the patient are fomented in
addition to the neck. This practice sooths the system, and
affords comfort and quiet to the animal. For directions relating
to it, see page 156.
LARYNGITIS. 249

Steaming the Head— Warm moisture, brought into im-
mediate contact with the mucous membrane of the larynx (a
membrane which is naturally delicate and highly sensitive),
must prove extremely grateful to patients affected with Laryn-
gitis.

The proper mode of doing it is to obtain a large bag, having
only a sufficient width at the top to admit of the lower half of
the head of the patient to pass within. Into this bag is placed
a hot bran mash, or a quantity of hay upon which boiling water
has been poured. The bag is made secure to the patient by a
tie passing from its sides over the head, immediately behind the
ears. The contents of the bag should be shaken occasionally,
to liberate the confined steam.

In preparing the steaming apparatus, attention should be
paid to the following particulars: 1st.—The bag ought to be
made of coarse material (horse-hair bags are well adapted for
this purpose), so as to readily admit the air to pass through its
sides. 2nd.—It should be of sufficient length to prevent the
nose of the patient from being scalded. 8rd.—The lower third
of the bag should be lined with tarred canvass, or some material,
to prevent the hot water from escaping. 4th.—The tie which
holds the bag to the head should be two inches wide, and made
of leather.

Blistering the Neck.—The generality of veterinary authors
recommend the neck of the patient to be blistered immediately
upon the determination of the disease. To this, however, I
demur: it is better to withhold it for a time, except in those
cases which are attended with the formation of an Abscess
between the lower jaws. In cases of this kind it is proper to
apply a blister at once, but only to the part cmmediately over
the Abscess. A blister so applied hastens suppuration mate-
rially. The disease, in spite of what may be done, will, to a
250 LARYNGITIS.

certain extent, expend its force in a manner peculiar to itself;
and all our efforts, for a time at least, to arrest it will only
prolong the sufferings of the patient. The proper thing to do
is to encourage suppuration from the surface of the inflamed
membrane, by means of poultices and fomentations to the neck,
by steaming the head, by attention to the wants and the com-
forts of the patient, and by the administration of one or more
of the remedies named above; but if the free discharge of |
purulent matter fails to afford relief, then is the time, in the
generality of cases, to apply a blister to the region of the
disease. I have known a blister, when thus applied, to produce
in a few hours a marked relief to the patient, and also to lessen
the discharge from the nostrils more than one-half.*

Tracheotomy.—Tracheotomy is an operation which, in
Laryngitis, should be more frequently performed than it usually
is. I believe if it were so, that many valuable animals would
be preserved from Roaring. When the disease is violent, as
will be evinced by the suffocative character of the cough, and
the snoring noise which attends the breathing, the operation
should be performed forthwith.

Dizt.—The diet of the patient ought to consist of Bran,
Sago and Milk, Milk and Bread; the drink of Acidulated
Water, or Barley Water, or Milk and Water. If the animal
should become much debilitated, Port Wine or Aromatic Am-

* Blisters are applied to the neck in these cases, evidently for the purpose of
arresting the disease, ¢.¢. to check it from going to the suppurative stage ; but
this a blister seldom effects. It is very rare to see a genuine case of Laryn-
gitis but what does advance to the suppurative stage ; so that, to apply a
blister to check suppuration, is inflicting useless torture upon the patient. If
applied, however, when suppuration is fully established, a blister then acts
by drawing the blood, as it were, from the structures inflamed to those affected
by the irritant, and so relieves the congested condition of the former.
SPASM OF THE LARYNX. 251

monia are the best stimulants to use. In addition to a careful
attention to diet, cleanliness, warmth, and dryness are especially
essential to the patient in this disease.

SPASM OF THE LARYNX.

Spasm of the Larynx is altogether a secondary affection ;
and may, with every propriety, be regarded as one of those
sequences of a dangerous character which are so greatly to be
dreaded, and especially to be guarded against during the exist-
ence of Laryngitis or Strangles.

Symproms.-—The symptoms of Laryngeal Spasm are of so
evident a nature as to declare the true character of the affection
in the most decisive manner. Sometimes the Spasm manifests
itself in a moment, and that too with terrible severity. The
animal gasps for breath ; the eyeballs protrude ; the eyes present
a wild, staring appearance; the nostrils are dilated to their
utmost extent; the nose is protruded; the flanks heave with
excessive violence; and, during the act of inspiration, a sound
is heard which will vary in character and intensity according
to the vigour of the Spasm. Sometimes this sound will be
loud and shrill; sometimes a kind of scream; at other times
like a loud twang from a trumpet, or it will be rasping, or
snoring, or like that elicited from sawing wood.

As the disease proceeds, the general symptoms become more
violent; the mucous membranes of the mouth and nostrils
assume a purple colour ; the animal becomes partly unconscious ;
he rushes wildly from place to place, as though seeking for aid;
the body becomes suffused with a steaming perspiration ; until
at last the spasm is either spontaneously relieved (which is very
rarely the case), or the animal falls heavily to the ground, strug-
gles a few moments, and dies completely asphyxiated.
252 SPASM OF THE LARYNX.

If the affection supervenes upon an inflammatory attack of
the larynx, the symptoms in such a case will most probably
be of a milder character. A partial spasm of the organ will
exist, which may exhibit such a degree of violence as to excite
alarm ; and then the whole may gradually subside, and leave
the patient iu a very tranquil state. In a short time, however
(perhaps in two or three hours, or less, according to cireum-
stances), it again commences, and continues for a longer period ;
or it goes on increasing in violence, until either relief is afforded
surgically, or the patient dies.

PatHognomonio Srmproms.—The act of inspiration is
accompanied with snoring, rasping, sawing, or trumpet-like
sounds.

CavsEs.—The causes of Laryngeal Spasm are numerous
and varied. It arises most frequently from Laryngitis or
Strangles. It may also arise from the presence of a Tumour at
the base of the tongue ;* from the formation of an Abscess in
the mucous tissues contiguous to the larynx ;t from the pre- ©
sence of an Abscess at the lower end of the trachea;t from
choking; also from the formation of an Abscess at the junction
of the head and the neck (this is a frequent cause in young
foals). In some instances the affection may arise without any
cause that can be detected.§

TREATMENT.—In any disease that treatment is best which
affords the most speedy and direct relief. If the spasm be
violent, or of that character which threatens the life of the

* See Veterinarian for 1848, page 68. + Ib¢d. for 1845, page 552.
} Ibid. for 1849, page 392; and also for 1850, page 423.
§ See Veterinary Record, vol. vi., page 42.
SPASM OF THE LARYNX. 258

animal, have recourse at once to Tracheotomy; it will imme-
diately alleviate the condition of the patient, and afford time
for the application of other measures. If the affection pro-
ceeds from Laryngitis, Strangles, or Abscess of the neck, or of
the lymphatic submaxillary glands, treat the patient afterwards
according to the principles laid down in the present volume,
with regard to the diseases in question.

Where the spasm, however, arises from hidden causes, a
careful examination should be made to ascertain their nature.
' The interior of the mouth should be explored for Tumours,
Abscess, or the lodgment of foreign bodies within the mucous
membrane. Especial care and attention should be given to the
examination of the root of the tongue, the laryngeal opening,
and the structures contiguous.

The most puzzling cases to a practitioner are those where
the spasm arises from the presence of incipient Abscess, or
Abscess situated low down in the trachea. A case of this
nature once occurred to the writer of the present treatise ;
and as it is one of a very instructive character, I refer the
reader who may desire to peruse the details, to the Veterinarian
for 1850, pages 423 to 426.

In the same journal for 1845, page 557, a case of incipient
Abscess of the laryngeal region is related by Professor Dick,
which is not only of a very rare, but also of a highly interesting
character to the professional reader.

BRONCHITIS.
Bronchitis is frequently prevalent as an epidemic disease,
or it may exist in a sporadic form. It is seldom, however, that
" it exists in a pure form, or unassociated with other maladies
affecting the structures contiguous to the bronchial tubes.
The substance of the lungs—-the mucous membrane lining the
254 BRONCHITIS.

windpipe, and the larynx—and also the pleura, or the serous
membrane which lines the chest, may all at at the same time be
more or less affected.

Symproms.—The animal for two or three days prior to the
disease being acute may be unwell; he may be affected with
what is designated a cold; he breathes a little thick; coughs
occasionally ; is dull, and off his food. In this state he is perhaps
taken out of the stable for a time, and during his absence he
may be exposed to a cold, damp atmosphere, when, upon return-
ing, all the previously existing symptoms are aggravated, the
pulse has risen from perhaps 40 or 45 to 60 or even 70 per
minute; and the respirations to 30 or 40. The respiratory
sounds are also loud throughout the lungs, a moist kind of
rattle, or réle, as it is termed, is present within the windpipe
and the bronchial tubes. The surface of the body and the
extremities are of a variable temperature—the animal coughs—
the cough is peculiar—it is thick, heavy sounding, and moist—
the mouth is hot, and generally contains a quantity of thick
phlegm-like matter—the eyes are dull—the head is held low—
the extremities are variable in temperature—and the patient,
during the acute and sub-acute stages of the disease, does not lie
down. As the disease proceeds the rattle in the trachea and
bronchial tubes becomes louder. Occasionally the mucous
rattle is very loud, and the breathing is of a suffocative charac-
ter; suddenly the animal emits a moist kind of cough, and the
loud rattle for a time disappears, only in order to again become
evident, and again dispersed in a similar manner.

If thé patient does well and is judiciously treated, a flux
appears at the nose of a muco-purulent character—the cough
becomes clearer in sound, and is emitted more frequently—and
the appetite of the patient gradually returns,
BRONCHITIS. 255

In other cases the rale in the windpipe increases; the
respiratory murmur gradually ceases throughout the lungs;
the cough, from being loose and moist, either disappears, or
becomes feeble and constrained; and the pulse beats quicker,
and becomes thready in character. The disease in fact has
extended to the substance of the lungs, and the chances are
that a patient thus affected will die.

ParnoeNomontc Symproms.—The pathognomonic symp-
toms of Bronchitis are, the presence of mucous rales within
the windpipe and the bronchial tubes, accompanied with a loud
moist cough.

TERMINATIONS.—Bronchitis may terminate in resolution,
or a gradual return of the animal to perfect health ; or in Pneu-
monia; or in Chronic Bronchitis; or in Thick Wind; or in
Chronic Cough; or in Typhoid Pneumonia. The latter of
which is very likely to supervene should Bronchitis prevail as
an epizootic. As above stated, it may prevail as an epizootic ;
but, if it exists in a sporadic form, the causes generally are as
follows :—

Causzs.—Exposing horses to cold draughts, or to cold and
wet at the same time; placing them in cold damp stables,
when the system is exhausted; washing the body and limbs
with cold water when the animal is exhausted, and leaving
them to dry without rubbing or bandaging. In short, any
cause which may give rise to Catarrh, may also produce Bron-
chitis.

Trratment.—The best remedies in general, are—Aconite 1,
Bryonia 1, Phosphorus 1, Aromatic Ammonia, Blisters, Fomen-
tations, and Injections.
256 BRONCHITIS.

Aconite and Bryonia.—These are the proper remedies to
commence with. Give them in alternation three or four times
aday. Use the Aconite of the 1st dilution in 2-drachm doses,
mixed with 8 ounces of water. Use the Bryonia of the 1st
dilution in 2-drachm doses, mixed with 2 ounces of water,
Persevere with these remedies so long as the temperature of
the skin is variable, and the pulse remains round and of mode-
rate force; but should the temperature of the patient become
reduced, and the pulse higher, irritable, and less round, have
recourse to Aromatic Ammonia and Bryonia in alternation.
The proper dose of Ammonia will depend upon the size of the
patient, and upon its vital condition; from 6 to 8 drachms,
however, may be given at once with advantage, mixed with 8 or
10 ounces of water. The dose may be repeated once or twice
a day, according to the urgency of the symptoms.

Phosphorus is indicated when the substance of the lungs
is affected. If the respirations become more quickened, and
the mucous rale louder and the cough more suffocating, give
Phosphorus 1, in 2-drachm doses, mixed with 3 or 4 ounces of
water, and repeated three or four times a day. It may either
be given alone or in alternation with the Aromatic Ammonia
or with Bryonia, as the case may require.

Blisters.—Blisters applied to the sides of the chest, also
along the course of the windpipe, from the top of the neck
down to, and including the breast, will be invaluable in cases
of acute bronchial disease. They should be used early, with
vigour, and their use persevered in until the parts to which
they are applied become sore, and the sub-tissues swollen from
the presence of effused serum.

One of the best Blisters for the above purpose is made by
mixing mustard of the required consistency, with the common
spirits of ammonia. For all necessary instructions relating to
BRONCHITIS. 257

the mixing and the application of the Mustard to cases of this
nature, the reader is referred to pages 158 to 160.
Fomentations.—Fomenting the limbs with Hot Water, will,
im numerous cases, prove of signal benefit, especially in the
more severe forms of Bronchitis. The operation should be
daily performed until the recovery of the patient is fairly estab-
lished. For instructions as to the process, see page 156.
Injections.—Injections are occasionally necessary when the
bowels are constipated. Many practitioners advocate the use
of Aloes, given in small doses, in these cases. The practice, is
not a safe one, especially if the malady be of the epizootic form.

Direr.—tThe diet of the patient should be regulated according
to the special and general directions laid down in Section VI,
page 108, to which the reader is referred.

Arter-Trratment.— By after-treatment, I mean the proper
treatment to pursue when the acute form of the disease may
be considered as past, and recovery to have commenced. This
in numerous cases will prove a matter involving not only great
care, but considerable judgment also, as the state of the patient
at this time is not unfrequently critical.

The state in question is usually marked by the appetite
being bad; the system feeble, and the cough severe; accom-
panied by swelling of the limbs, and dropsical effusions within
the structures of the sheath and the walls of the abdomen.

Apart from proper hygienic treatment, the best remedies in
general for cases of the above character, are,—Arsenicum 2,
Belladonna, Tincture of the Muriate of Iron, Capsicum 1, and
Sulphur.

Arsenicum 3.—Give Arsenicum, 2, in 2-drachm doses, morn-
ing, noon, and night, in 2 ounces of water each time. If the

R
258 BRONCHITIS.
patient improves with its use, continue it until recovery is either
fully established or the remedy ceases to have any effect.

Belladonna is the best remedy for the Cough. Give it every
night in half-drachm doses of the extract of the drug. Com-
bine it with powdered gentian, and give it as a ball.

Tincture of the Muriate of Iron—Should the Arsenicum
fail to afford benefit, have recourse to the Ferri Murias. Give
it night and morning in 2-drachm doses, mixed each time with
6 ounces of water.

Capsicum 1.—Capsicum is an excellent stimulant to adminis-
ter in cases of this nature. It may be used either alone or in
alternation with the Ferri Murias. Give it in 4-drachm doses
of the 1st dilution, mixed with 6 or 8 ounces of water.

Sulphur.—Sulphur is a remedy to administer when recovery
is all but fully established. Use it in drachm doses of the 1st
trituration, one or two doses a day for several days in succes-
sion. Give it in flour, as directed at page 146.

Evercise.—The patient will require exercise: this should
be managed according to the peculiarity of the season. If the
weather be fine and warm, a few hours daily of a run at grass
will doubtless prove of signal benefit to the animal. In nume-
rous cases, however, in spite of medicine of every kind, the pulse
will remain quicker than natural, and irritable; the appetite
feeble, and the patient listless. This is a state which frequently
occurs, especially amongst horses naturally delicate in constitv-
tion. To persevere in giving the animal medicine, under these
circumstances, is to inflict injury ; what the patient requires is
food, not physic. The food, however, should be of a suitable
character; the ordinary kinds are altogether unfit for the pur-
pose: the stomach is too feeble to digest them. Raw Eggs,
beat together, and mixed with water, is one of the best forms
of diet to meet the requirements of the case with which we
BRONCHITIS. 259

profess to be acquainted. Four eggs at a time may be given,
and two doses a day should be allowed for two or three days in
succession, Prepare the eggs as follows:—first break them
into an empty vessel and beat them thoroughly together, then
add to the mass a quarter of an ounce of common salt, and
administer the whole to the patient with a small horn. Allow
the animal cold water to drink, or if preferred, milk and water.

Give the first dose of eggs in the morning, the second in the
evening; and in the middle of the day (for a few days in suc-
cession), half-a-pint of port wine, mixed with a like quantity of
cold water.

It is better to give the eggs and the wine at separate
periods ; if mixed together, the wine will coagulate them, and
the stomach, in all probability, will be unduly excited in con- .
sequence. As the power of the digestive organs improves, boiled
barley, or a little malt, or speared corn, or if in season, carrots
may be allowed. See Section VI., page 108.

PNEUMONIA.
[INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS.]

It is a well known fact, especially to veterinary surgeons
of long practical experience, that equine diseases during the
last fifteen or twenty years have changed considerably in their
general characters. From whatever causes the changes in
question have arisen is a matter which is irrelevant to this
work ; the fact, however, I believe to be a veritable one; and
in no other disease is it, perhaps, more evident than in Pueu-
monia.

Formerly this disease existed, for the most part, in associa-
tion with what medical writers term a sthenic state of the
organism :—that is, the powers of life were more vigorous when
the animal was affected with the disease than what we find them
260 PNEUMONIA.

to be when the malady exists now. We are also given to
understand by the veterinary writers of the period above-named,
that the disease prevailed in a purer form than at present; and
that its general characters were well marked and easily recog.
nised. Now it but rarely exists in a pure form, being generally
associated either with Bronchitis or Pleurisy; or what is of
common occurrence, the three are present in the patient at the
same time.

As the disease, however, does occasionally present itself in
a form more or less decisive, I will endeavour to describe such
of its special and general peculiarities as may, by care and close
attention on the part of the observer, enable him to diagnose it
when present.

Symproms.—Pneumonia may very properly be described as
presenting three well marked stages: lst—when the disease
commences ; 2nd—when fully established ; and 8rd—its termi-
nating states. :

Frest Stacz.—A horse may be affected with what is com-
monly designated “a cold;” in this state the animal is perhaps
ridden or driven a long distance in the cold and wet, and upon
returning to his stable he may be found shortly afterwards to
shiver, to breathe quicker than ordinary, and the limbs and ears
to be cold and damp. He also stands fixedly in one position,
and holds his head low.

If the practised ear be applied to the sides of the chest, the
respiratory murmur peculiar to health will be found changed ;
and instead of a soft, gentle murmur, which is not unlike the
rustle of silk, a confused humming sound is heard, accompanied
with a dry, harsh murmur, which is present within the windpipe
and the larger bronchial tubes.
PNEUMONIA. 261

Szconp Stage.—The second stage of the disease is marked
by the symptoms taking on a more determinate character, the
humming sound disappears, and is succeeded by a faint mucous
‘rattle, or what M. Laennec denominates “the moist crepitus
rhoneus ;” a sound which can be very closely imitated by placing
a painted board before a large fire, and as the paint upon the
board rises in blisters, a moist, frizzling sound, may be heard,
which is closely similar to the sound in question. The moist
rattle may be confined to a small portion of one lung, or it may
extend over a large surface, or it may be present in both lungs.
Double Pneumonia, however,is not common except in the typhoid
forms of the malady ; more frequently the affection is limited to
one lung. The second stage is also marked by the cough being
more frequent, and from its constrained character, it is evident
the patient suffers pain, and that too of a severe character.

“The state of the pulse is variable in this disease, according
as the parenchyma or the reflected membranes bear the greatest
share in the complaint, or as the thoracic cavities are unequally
inflamed. It is, however, always quickened, sometimes even to
100 per minute; it is also in most well-marked cases,. small
and oppressed, the pulmonary congestion preventing the free
passage of blood through the right side of the heart. I have,
however, occasionally found it full and bounding; dependant,
probably, on the membranous attack being greater than the
parenchymatous. The horse is seen to now look more anxiously
round to his sides; the whole body also seems stiff and sore;
elevating the head occasions great pain; he stands fixed, the
head extended forward, and the nostrils outstretched.”*

Turrp Staer.—The third stage I consider to be the termi-
nating stage of the disease, the peculiar character of which will
* Blaine’s Outlines, 5th Edition.
262 PNEUMONIA.

depend upon the vital state of the organism, and upon the
extent'of tissue locally affected.

The patient may remain as above described for three or four
days, when all the violent symptoms will slowly subside, and
the health of the invalid be gradually restored ; or the structures
diseased may become solid or hepatized, and from the enfeebled
state of the system, and the great extent of solidification, death
may result.

It is seldom the animal thoroughly recovers after hepatiza-
tion of the organ is established, especially if it be extensive;
in which case the patient either dies, or remains Thick Winded.

PatHoenomonic Symproms.—The Pathognomonic Symp-
toms are—the presence of a soft mucous rattle, or what Laennec
calls the moist crepitus rhoneus, within the lung affected.

While treating upon the symptoms of the disease, it may
prove of advantage to the reader if I enumerate those which
are prominent in other maladies of a similar class; and for
which Pneumonia may be mistaken.

Pneumonia “may be confounded with Catarrh, Bronchitis,
or other phlegmasia of mucous membranes. In Epizootic
Catarrh, the extremities do not continue invariably cold; the
distress of countenance is not so great; sore throat is commonly
present ; the breathing, though quickened, is less laborious, and
the pulse oppressed. The cough in Catarrh is generally deep,
sonorous, and very painful; and a weakness, not corresponding
with the violence of the symptoms, is very early seen in the
complaint.”

“Pneumonia has also been mistaken for Colic, from the
horse sometimes expressing considerable uneasiness, and often
looking round to his sides ; but in Colic the horse evinces acute
pain, by stamping with his fore feet, or kicking at his belly with
‘PNEUMONIA. 263

the hinder limbs: by turns he lies down and rolls, and then
suddenly rises ; while on the contrary, in Pneumonia, he seldom
lies down, but stands stupidly quiet, except now and then,
when he may look at his flanks; but without any of the impa-
tient indications of pain which Colic forces him to do.”

+ The disease may also be taken for Pleurisy, “ but true Pleu-
ritis is seldom, if ever, marked with the oppressed pulse, present
in the former ; but, on the contrary, with one hard and full, and
less increased in frequency. Further distinctions may also be
drawn from the pain manifested on pressing the sides of the
chest in Pleurisy, and by the twitchings of the fleshy pannicle
which covers them.’’*

TrRMiInaTions.— Pneumonia may terminate in resolution,
which is the state of all others to be desired. It may also
terminate in Schirrosity of the organs, and as a sequence to
this, Thick Wind, Chronic Cough, and Disease of the Liver ;
also, in adhesion of the lungs to the pleura; and in Abscess.

Causrs.—The causes of Pneumonia are the same as those
which produce Catarrh and Bronchitis, which see.

TreatMENT.—The best remedies in general, are Aconite 1,
Bryonia 1, Phosphorus 2, Bromine 2, Aromatic Ammonia, and
Blistering the sides with mustard.

Aconite 1.—At the commencement of the disease,. Aconite
and Blisters to the sides should constitute the principal medical
treatment of the case. Give the Aconite in 2-drachm doses
of the 1st dilution, mixed with 6 or 8 ounces of water, every
three or four hours, for three or four days in succession ; unless
the more violent symptoms should abate, in which case, the
medicine should be reduced to about three doses per day.

* Blaine’s Outlines of the Veterinary Art, 5th Edition,
264 PNEUMONIA.

Blisters.—The application of mustard blisters to the sides
of the chest is essentially necessary. They should be rubbed
over a large extent of surface, and freely and repeatedly applied
until the skin and sub-tissues become distended with serum.

For instructions relating to mustard blisters, and the modes
by which they are to be applied, see pages 158, 159, and 160.

Bryonia 1.—Bryonia is another excellent remedy to use at
the commencement of Pneumonia. Use it in 2-drachm doses
of the 1st dilution, in 3 or 4 ounces of water each time. It
may either be given alone or in alternation with Aconite.

Phosphorus 2.—Phosphorus is a remedy of great value in
Pneumonia. Care, however, is necessary in using it: if given
in too large doses, it appears to favour hepatization of the lung.
The proper time to give it is when the disease is fully estab-
lished. It may either be administered alone or in association
with Bryonia. Give it in 2-drachm doses of the 2nd, or even
for delicate horses, of the 3rd dilution, mixed with 3 or 4 ouuces
of water.

Aromatie Ammonia.—This is a remedy which the practi-
tioner may find necessary at almost every stage of the disease.
The proper dose to give will depend upon the breed, size, and
vital condition of the patient. See Aromatic Ammonia, remarks
upon, page 256.

Drer.—For proper instructions relating to the diet of the
patient, see Section VI., page 108.

THICK 'WIND.—BROKEN WIND.
Thick Wind and Broken Wind are two forms of derange-
ment which in many respects are closely similar to each other.
They cannot in strictness be regarded as diseases; but
simply as effeets dependant for the most part upon causes of a
THICK WIND.— BROKEN WIND. 265

mechanical nature, which causes in all cases originate in pre-
vious disease.

Tuick WInp arises from a portion of one or both of the
lungs being in 4 state of permanent solidification: the solidified
portions of which constitute a mechanical obstacle to the proper
diffusion of air through the air cells of the tissues affected,
or in other words, a portion of the lungs being permanently
solid, and the organs having the same quantity of labour to
perform as when they were perfect, the labour, in consequence,
is necessitated to be done with greater rapidity; hence the
cause of the animal breathing so quickly, especially when
worked severely or driven too fast; also, why the derangement
in question is denominated Thick Wind.

The origin of the pulmonary solidification arises in every
instance from inflammation having previously affected either
the substance of the lungs or the bronchial tubes, or both; and
the parts affected are generally towards the posterior and
inferior borders of the organs. Sometimes they will be found
perfectly solid for four or five inches in breadth immediately
above the limits in question.

If the solidified tissues are divided across the direction of
bronchial tubes, and the divided portions are examined with a
microscope of low power, the form of the smaller tubes is readily
seen ; but their cavities are completely plugged with solid lymph,
or a mixture consisting apparently of lymph and mucus.

t

Broxren Winp.—The difficulty of breathing, which charac-
terises Broken Wind, originates’ from an entirely different
cause ; it arises from what is called Emphysema of the lungs.*
or the presence of air between the substance of the lungs and
the serous or outer membrane which invests them.

See Glossary.
266

THICK WIND.—BROKEN WIND,

The annexed diagram will clearly illustrate the phenomena
in question :—lLet the reader suppose the tube a to be the
windpipe, and the small tubes 65 the right and left bronchial
tubes passing into cc, the right and left lungs: dd to be the

outer or investing membrane
of the lungs, and being in close
contact with the same at every
part of their surface; while
eeceee are dotted lines to show
the direction of the lungs ce:
seen beneath this outer or in-
vesting membrane.

Now the'lungs, as most in-
telligent people are aware, are
light, spongy bodies, containing
innumerable passages through
which the air freely circulates,
and by means of which the
purification of the blood within
the pulmonary organs is con-
stantly affected. The lungs are
also highly elastic bodies, and
their outer or investing mem-
brane (membrane dd), is like-
wise so constituted as to be
readily adapted to the varying
size of the lungs, arising from
the inspiration and the expira-
tion of the air. To the reflective
reader it will be evident that
air passing down the tube a,and
entering the lungs through the

a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

c c
i dd aid «
é
Fig. 19.

A diagram showing the position
of the lungs and their outer or invest-
ing membrane,

a The Trachea.

0b The right and left bronchial
tubes going to.

ce The right and left lungs.

dd The outer or investing mem-
brane of the lungs.

eeecee Dotted liues showing the direc-

tion of the lungs cc beneath
their investing membrane.
THICK WIND.—BROKEN WIND. 267

tubes 06, that as the former increases in quantity within the
air-passages, the latter, being highly elastic, will necessarily
increase in volume; and also, that anything which impedes
‘this free expansion will be attended with proportionate distress
to the animal. It will also be evident, that if any foreign
agent should by accident or otherwise become fixed between
the outer surfaces of the lungs ec, and the inner surfaces of
their investing membranes dd, that according to the volume of
this agent and its power of resistance, the expansion of the
lungs will to a corresponding extent be prevented. Now this
is prezisely what occurs in Broken Wind. The walls of one or
more of the inumerable air-cells or air-passages within the
lungs are injured, either from over-distention or from disease ;
and the consequence is. that air escapes, and is confined between
the outer surface of the lungs and their investing membrane dd,
and this air not being allowed to return, or to escape in any
other direction, presses upon the air-cells below, and by so doing
narrows their calibre—thus: preventing the organs from ex-
panding to that extent necessary to the health and comfort of
the animal. Jt is the presence of air between the lungs and the
pleura pulmonalis which constitutes Emphysema, and which
alone constitutes Broken Wind.

Numerous causes of a permanent nature, and many of
them of an obscure character, occasionally give rise to difficulty
of breathing; and very learned veterinary writers endeavour to
show that Broken Wind is dependant upon them, and write
volumes of bosh to prove it; but érue Broken Wind, we repeat»
is dependant upon Emphysema of the Lungs. .

Symproms.—The symptoms of Broken Wind are— difficulty
of breathing ; the respirations are performed not only more
frequently in a given time, but the respiratory act is differently
268 THICK WIND.—BROKEN WIND.

accomplished. In cases of Broken Wind the ribs are elevated,
and the intercostal spaces become plainly visible during the
respiratory act. The act, indeed, as Blaine clearly states
(although he is in error upon numerous matters respecting the
affection), “is made up of ¢hree efforts instead of two. In the
first, the air is drawn in naturally, and the flanks fill up as
usual; but in the next, the falling of the flanks again to expel
the air is most unusual,——for it is not done with a gradual con-
traction of the muscles, but takes place at once by a momentary
effort; and then a third action takes place, which is slow but
strong——drawing up the muscles .of the belly, as though to
press out remaining air.’’*

In addition to the above, other symptoms characteristic of
the affection are present in every case of genuine Emphysema.
The animal coughs frequently, and the cough is peculiar; it is
compounded of a grunting and a puffing sound, and is short
and superficial ; while, if the ear be applied to the sides of the
chest or to the bottom of the trachea, a moist crepitus rhoneus
should be readily detected.t

The symptoms of Thick Wind are of a more direct and
simple character. In Thick Wind the inspirations and the
expirations are equal, but more rapid than normal; and the
cough is also loud, hard, and short. In many instances Thick
Wind and Broken Wind are associated.

PatHocnomonic Symptoms.—The peculiar double action
of the ribs during the act of respiration, associated with the moist
crepitus rhoncus upon the surface of the lungs, are symptoms
clearly pathognomonic of Broken Wind.

CausEs WHIcn. ac@RavaTe Tuick Winp anp BroxEn
Winp.—The causes which agravate the affections now under

* Blaine’s Outlines, 5th Ed., 1841. +See the Symptoms of Pneumonia.
THICK WIND.—-BROKEN WIND. 269

consideration are of a numerous character, some of which I
shall enumerate, in order to shew how their ill effects may as
far as practicable be counteracted.

Amongst the principal of these causes, a thick, close
atmosphere ; distention of the stomach and bowels, either from

. feeding too abundantly, or from the animal drinking too much

water; also the presence of an abnormal amount of gases
within the intestinal canal; also taking the horse to severe
work immediately after he has been heartily fed, with perhaps
bulky food, are amongst the most common. The two last,
indeed, regarded in combination, are causes which on nume-
rous occasions give rise to the immediate death of the
animal.

Improper articles of diet constitute another class, the prin-
cipal of which are—mow-burnt hay, fusty oats, soft beans, and
hard water.

Forms or Diszask wHICH MAY BE MISTAKEN FoR
Tarcx Winp anpd Broken Winp.— The principal of these,
and which indeed is not unfrequently mistaken for Thick
‘Wind, is a peculiar state of the respiratory organs often
present within their mucous tissues; and which, in the gene-
rality of cases, is to be clearly traced to a severe attack of
Epizootic Catarrh.

The state in question is characterised by a general debility,
manifested not only in the action of the animal, but in the
breathing also. The symptoms in many respects are closely
similar to those of Thick Wind. The animal blows heavily
especially when travelling up a hill, and occasionally looks round
to his sides; utters perhaps a faint grunt, or an occasional
cough, accompanied with a slight wheezing sound during the
act of inspiration.
270 THICK WIND.—BROKEN WIND.

With respect to Broken Wind, Hay Asthma (a form of
disease not previously treated upon in its relation to the horse,
but which the reader will find some account of in the present
section) is frequently mistaken for it; also derangement of
the pulmonary organs, within their mucous tissues, of a chronic
character, aggravated by the existence of chronic disease resi-
dent within the mucous tissues of the digestive organs. This
form of disease is especially characterised by the patient being
inordinately thirsty, and when the opportunity offers of drink-
ing an inordinate quantity of cold water. Although the above
states are frequently associated in a curable form of disease,
yet the latter is sometimes to be observed in association with
Broken Wind as well—a close attention to which will mate-
rially alleviate the conditions of an emphysematous lungs.

TREATMENT.—The cure of genuine cases of Thick Wind
and Broken Wind is entirely beyond the power of veterinary
medicine: nevertheless, medicine of the proper kind judiciously
administered, in association with proper hygienic treatment,
will at times, if the opportunity be afforded, work changes
little short of the marvellous.

The best remedies in general are—Arsenicum 3, Nux
Vomica 2, Belladonna 1, Sulphur 1, and Salad or Olive Oil,

Arsenicum 3.—Use this remedy of the 8rd dilution in doses
of 2 or 8 drachms, mixed each time with 2 or 8 ounces of water.
Sometimes Nux Vomica acts better than the Arsenicum ; and
sometimes it acts better if used in alternation with the latter.
Use the Nux of the 2nd dilution in 2-drachm doses mixed
with water.

Sulphur is a remedy to be given at almost any stage of the
disease. Use it in drachm doses of the Ist trituration. It
may be used either alone or in association with Arsenicum.
THICK WIND,—BROKEN wrNp. 271

Salad or Ole Oil—Oil is a remedy which on many
occasions I have found of temporary benefit in numerous cases
of Broken Wind. I have obtained the hint as to the use of oil
in this disease from the fact that “Horse Chanters’” frequently
succeed for a time in allaying the more violent symptoms of
Thick and Broken Wind in their horses by giving them a large
quantity of oil, or melted hog’s lard. Many horses will partake
of Olive Oil with avidity, especially if mixed with corn or bran.
It may be given to broken-winded horses in doses of 6 or 8
ounces, and repeated once, cr upon some occasions twice, a
day. Salad Oil is the most expensive, but it is also the most
palatable to the patient.

Dret.—The Diet, is the principle matter to be regarded.
Avoid giving the animal bulky food; and where the thirst is
excessive, have recourse to Bryonia, or Mercurius of the 2nd
trituration. The former to be given in 2-drachm, and the
latter in drachm doses. Iodine is also an excellent remedy to
allay thirst. Give it in 2-drachm doses of the first dilution.

In dieting, the great object is to keep the stomach and
bowels free of distention, either from food or flatulence. The
mere distention of these organs from the presence of either
one or the other is a great mechanical impediment to the free
action of the lungs. Attend, therefore, closely to the state of
the digestive organs, and if practicable, establish a healthy
condition within their mucous tissues, and the breathing will
improve, and the patient experience relief in consequence.

Treatment or ANomaLous Tuck Winp,—With regard
to the treatment of Thick Wind of the anomalous form
described above, the management of such cases is rarely diffi-
cult if attended to with promptness at the commencement.
Means should be directed to invigorate the system of the
patient. The work of the animal for a time should be light.
272 PLEUBISY.—PLEURODYNIA.
A

The diet should be regulated with every care; good hay
and corn allowed in small quantities at a time, and frequently
given, will be the right practice to pursue; while medicine, if
rightly chosen, will prove an excellent auxiliary. The proper
remedies to administer are Arsenicum 8, Iodide of Iron, and
Sulphur.

PLEURISY.—PLEURODYNIA.

Pleurisy, or Pleuritis, as the name of the disease implies, is
an inflammation of the pleura, or of the delicate but highly
vascular membrane which lines the chest, and forms the outer
covering tothe lungs. It is a disease which frequently exists
in a pure form. The horse is also liable to other affections
which may be readily mistaken for it. The anomalous forms
to which I allude, are sometimes of an inflammatory character,
and sometimes merely rheumatic. The difference between
Pleurisy and Pleurodynia—the anomalous form in question—
can be the best determined by carefully taking into considera-
tion the determining causes of the diseases, and also by

auscultating the chest.

Symproms oF Przurisy.—One of the earliest symptoms
which is usually noticed in this disease, is that of the animal
emitting a clear, sharp grunt—a symptom particularly evident
by turning the patient quickly round in the stall or loose box ;
this, in many cases, is speedily suceeded by considerable lame-
ness in one or both fore extremities. If present in one limb
only, the patient will hold it in a semiflexed position; if in
both, he will step with a slow, short, paddling gait.

The generality of cases are marked by the patient becoming
worse, or all the symptoms presenting a state of general aggra-
vation. One notable peculiarity is the rapid changes which the
LEURISY.—PLEURODYNIA. 278

patient manifests. During one hour the heart will beat as low
as 45 times, and the respirations will average 12 or 14 per
minute, and the attendant will flatter himself that a great
improvement has suddenly taken place; but during the next
hour the pulse will probably rise to 80, or even 90, and the
respirations to 40, or from that to 50 per minute. The surface
of the body will also present patches of perspiration; one or
two of the limbs will be hot, and the others cold. If the
patient be affected with a cough, it will be constrained, and
hang, as it were, in the chest. At the sides of the chest, the
skin will be thrown into folds. If the disease be limited to
one side of the chest (which in some cases it is), this corruga-
tion of the skin will be confined to the side affected. Great
tenderness will also be manifested, and the animal will shrink
from being handled, or even touched.

If the ear be applied to the sides of the chest, at the com-
mencement of the attack, a sharp friction sound may be readily
detected, especially if the patient be a spare, well-bred animal ;
the sound in question closely resembles that elicited by rubbing
the hands together, and it arises from the friction of the lung
against the pleura, which is roughened from the inflammatory
action going on within the tissues affected. The friction sounds,
however, speedily disappear, being succeeded by an almost com-
plete absence of all sound or murmur whatever.

“ As the disease advances, the pulse becomes more frequent,
small, and wiry—the respiration accelerated—the tongue coated
with fur, having a disagreeable odour. If a fuller inspiration
be attempted, it is immediately checked, and the grunt at once
denotes the pain which the increased expansion of the chest
has occasioned. The extension and intensity of the inflamma-
tory action still further limit respiration. The pulse becomes
indistinct. The horse paws—is restless; delirium supervenes ;

8
274 PLEURISY.—PLEURODYNIA.

he is up and down frequently, and wanders unconsciously
around the box,—till, worn out by the continuance of the dis.
ease, he at length falls, and, after short ineffectual efforts tc
rise, struggles and dies. Should the result prove more fortunate
marked but gradual abatement of the symptoms, in the most
severe cases, is perceived after the fourth day. The abdo
minal spasm ceases—there is more freedom in the respiratior
—the pleuritic twitchings do not recur—the grunt is no more
heard—the pulse becomes distinct, soft, and less frequent—the
body regains its flexibility—the horse moves with more liberty
—the appetite returns—he lies down, and gradually recovering
is generally within three weeks to be considered well, thougt
unfit for work.” * ,

Patrnoenomonic Sxymproms.—The pathognomonic symp
toms of Pleurisy are of a character which, if recognised, place
the nature of the disease beyond dispute ; they are the presenci
at the onset of the disease of frictional sounds, arising fron
the rubbing of the lungs against the roughened surfaces of th
pleura.

Symproms or Pxrzvropyn1a.—One principal differenc
between Pleurodynia and Pleurisy is, that in Pleurisy the dis
ease constantly changes from being better at oe time to. being
worse at another. In Pleurodynia the animal moves in a very
rigid manner; he steps short and slow—he is dejected—the
back is arched—the skin over'the surface of the body exhibits
tenderness, whether handled roughly or delicately—he gruntt
a good deal—great tenderness is often present upon one 01
both sides of the chest, the skin of which presents that state
of corrugation I have before spoken of. The respirations aré

* Field’s Veterinary Records.
PLEURISY.—PLEURODYNIA. 275

short and limited; and the pulse will generally range from 50
to 64 per minute, but on some occasions is not at all disturbed.
If the ear be applied to the chest, the murmur can be detected
very clearly throughout, particularly in the superior regions of
the cavity,—while, if the ear be held close to the lowest part of
the inferior region, a sort of rumbling sound is heard; but this
latter sound can only be detected when the skin over the part
is more tender than elsewhere, and when it is contracted into
folds, and moves to and fro behind the ear. This sound I attri-
bute entirely to the tremulous motion which is going on within
’ the sub-textures ; for if the ear be kept firmly to the chest, the
motion soon ceases, together with the rumbling sound; and
providing we remain quiet, and the animal be pacified, we can
then distinctly hear the clear, natural, respiratory murmur,
though somewhat suppressed, from the constrained manner in
which the chest itself is expanded. The hair over the entire
body is dry and unthrifty in appearance. If the animal be
made to walk up hill, the operation is performed cleverly, but
- great difficulty is experienced in coming down again; the
patient travels as though the feet were acutely inflamed. The
appetite is bad in some cases, and moderate in others; the
urine is scanty, and the dung is dry-looking; the patient does
not lie down, and it is seldom, if ever, that he coughs.

CausEs oF PLevRisy anp PrEvRopyNIa.—The causes of
Pleurisy are sometimes epidemical; or the disease may arise
from exposing the animal to wet and cold, such as riding him
into a stream of eold water at the time he is steaming with
perspiration, or allowing him to stand in a cold draught. If
the disease prevails epidemically, it occurs for the most part
during the hot months of the year.

Pleurodynia arises from similar causes. Young animals
are more subject to it than old ones.
276 PLEURISY.—PLEURODYNIA.

Draanosis.—To diagnose these maladies is a matter of
considerable importance. If for no other reason than to know
the fact that two or more diseases of a similar kind may exist,
and the difference between them not known, is of itself a
sufficient reason for the practitioner to desire the clearest
information upon the question.

When a horse is suffering from disease, it is at all times
desirable to know what is the nature, and where is the seat of
the malady.

In determining whether the disease be Pleurisy or Pleuro-
dynia carefully attend to the following essentials :—Is the case
of recent origin? and if so, does the disease rapidly and
frequently change from better to worse? and above all, is
there present a frictional sound within the chest, the existence
of which will at once indicate the malady to be Pleuritis ?

TrRMINaTIONS oF PLEvRisy.—Strictly speaking a disease
can only terminate in one of two modes, viz:—either in the
recovery or in the death of the patient. Pleurisy is stated by
the generality of medical writers to terminate in resolution,
or recovery ; effusion of lymph and serum within the chest;
adhesion of the lungs to the pleura; or in the death of the
animal. Pleurodynia invariably terminates in the complete
recovery of the patient from the disease.

TREATMENT oF PiEURISy.—The treatment of Acute Pleu-
ritis should be prompt and decisive, as it is a disease which is
characterised by great severity, and is productive of much suf-
fering to the patient. The best remedies in general, are—
Aconite 1, and Bryonia 1; algo Blisters to the sides of ‘the
chest, and Hot Fomentations.
PLEURISY.—PLEURODYNIA. 277

Aconite and Bryonia.—These remedies, in association with
blisters and fomentations to the sides of the chest, will suffice
to cure the majority of pleuritic cases. I have cured numbers
of cases of the disease with Aconite simply; in the general
run of cases, however, the two if given in alternation will prove
the best; use them of the 1st dilution, and administer them
each in doses of 2 drachms. The Aconite to be mixed with 8
ounces of water, and the Bryonia with 2 ounces. Give them
in alternation every three hours for the first twelve or fourteen
hours after the beginning of the attack. It is also good practice
to administer Aconite alone for two or three times at the com-
mencement of the malady.

Blisters.—If the case be a severe one, have recourse to
Mustard Blisters without delay, and the proper rule is to con-
tinue their use for three or four times i In succession, at intervals
of three or four hours between each application, or until a
decisive effect is produced. For propér directions as to the
mode of preparing the mustard and applying it to the sides,
the reader is directed to pages 159 and 160.

Fomentations to the Sides—-Sometimes mustard will not
act with any very positive effect until large woollen cloths
dipped in hot water have been applied to the sides.

An excellent method to freely apply hot water to the sides,
is as follows:—procure a large sized woollen rug, which fold
into three, lengthways, stitch the folds together in a rough
way ; then dip the rug into hot water, then lightly wring it to
force out the loose water; then freely sponge the sides of the
chest with hot water, and immediately afterwards apply the
wet rug in close contact with the same by passing it under and
around the body immediately behind the elbows of the patient.
Secure the wet rug by means of a dry rug folded in a similar
manner to the former, and placed outside of it, the ends of
278 PLEU RISY.—PLEURODYNIA.

which may be sewed together; or it may be affected by means
of a piece of sacking, having straps and buckles attached to it,
as shewn in the present work.*

_ In the milder forms of Pleurisy, hot fomentations to the
sides may suffice without the aid of mustard in addition.

TREATMENT OF PLEURODYNIA.—The treatment best to
pursue with regard to this latter disease, is so closely similar to
what is recommended for Pleurisy, that I deem little else neces-
sary, than merely to direct the attention of the reader to the
principal essentials. '

The best remedies in general, are—Aconite 1, Arnica 1,
Bryonia 1, and Hot Water Fomentations.

Aconite and Arnica.—Use the Aconite and the Arnica each
in 2-drachm doses, and give them alternately ; the former each
time in 8 ounces of water, and the latter in 2 ounces.

Bryonia.—Bryonia appears to act the best if given when
the disease has existed for three or four days. Use it in
2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed each time with 2
ounces of water; it may either be given alone twice or thrice
a day, or in alternation with Aconite or Arnica.

Hot Fomentations.—The application of woollen rugs, steeped
in hot water, to the sides of the chest, will prove of essential
service. The proper way to do this is described in the pre-
ceding page.

Diev.—For every instruction relating to the hygienic treat-
ment of patients affected with Pleuritis or Pleurodynia, see
Section VI., page 108.

x
°

* See “Article Inflammation of the Bowels,” Sect. IV; or, my “ Prin-
ciples and Practice of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery,” page 76.
ROARING——ITS CAUSES. 279

ROARING.

Roaring, like Broken Wind, is not of itself a disease ; it is
symtomatic of disease resident within certain of the respiratory
organs and structures. It is not my intention to enter into
any very elaborate details with respect to this peculiarity of a
disease. I shall simply consider the most prominent charac-
teristics with regard to it.

Causzs of Roanine.—The causes of Roaring are naturally
divisible into two classes, viz:—remote and proximate. The
remote causes are those of an hereditary nature, and those
which relate to peculiarity of confirmation and to the sex of
the animal. It is a well known fact that colts, whose sires
were roarers, are frequently affected in a similar manner. Also,
that geldings are more frequently affected with Roaring than
mares ; and that tall, leggy horses, are far more prone to the
affection than horses of small but compact stature.

The proximate causes are numerous. Sometimes Roaring
can be clearly traced to a severe attack of Laryngitis, or an
attack of Common Catarrh, or of Sirangles; in other cases it
is difficult to assign a direct cause of any kind. To the astonish-
ment perhaps: of both owner and everyone having to do with
the case, a horse is suddenly discovered to be a roarer, which
previously had never been heard to manifest anything of the
kind. Horses required for great speed, such as hunters and
race horses, are occasionally found to have become roarers in a
yery sudden, and seemingly inexplicable manner; the cause
in all probability, however, depending upon a sudden paralysis
of one or more of the laryngeal nerves. I knew a case of a
post horse that was once driven as fast as he could be made to
gallop for a distance of four miles, and the animal ever after-
280 ROARING.

wards remained a confirmed roarer. Amongst the principal of
the proximate causes I may enumerate :—

I.—The formation of a false membrane within the
trachea. This is stated to have happened, and the trachea
to have been opened, and the false membrane removed, and
the animal affected to have been in consequence restored to
health. It is much to be regretted, however, that the parties
who have treated cases of this nature, have not furnished the
public with more ample details with regard to them.

II. —Hypertrophy and ossification of the ie carti-
lages. The wost confirmed roarer I ever saw was a case which
arose from the cause now stated. The animal was a draught
horse, the property of Messrs. Pickfords, carriers. The horse
roared at every inspiration when standing at rest.

III.—Atrophy of the muscles which open one half of
the glottis, principally the arytenoid muscles of one cartilage.
“Tt is, however,” says Mr. Spooner, “a matter of dispute
whether in these cases the state of the muscles is a cause or
a consequence of Roaring. Some contend that the Roaring
arises from an affection of the nerves, by which the muscles
are thrown out of action, and therefore become absorbel.”

; |

IV.—Pressure upon, or injury of, the recurrent laryn-
geal nerve. Anything giving rise to either active or passive
closure of the glottis will cause the animal to roar. In spasm
of the larynx a violent roaring sound is the consequence.
Irritation applied to the recurrent laryngeal will produce a
state of spasm of the organ; while complete annihilation of
the nervous power of the recurrent laryngeal, either from
ROARING. 281

pressure upon the trunk of the nerve or from dividing it,
will produce paralysis of the laryngeal muscles, and passive
closure of the glottis, and roaring as a consequence of the
latter ; so that here we have examples of states of the larynx
of a nature the very opposite to each other, producing effects
precisely similar.

V.— Stricture of one or both nasal passages. Mr. James
Turner, an eminent veterinary surgeon, relates a very instruc-
tive case of this kind in the Veterinarian for 1849, pp. 14
-and 15.

VI.—Thickening of the mucous membrane of the larynx
is sometimes a cause of Roaring; more frequently, however,
it causes a roughness, or wheezing in the breathing.

VII.—Curvature and ossification of the windpipe arising
Srom tightly reining up the head. This is not a common
cause, especially now that bearing reins have gone so much
out of use.

VIIL.— Ulceration of the mucous membrane and other
tissues of the laryne. This is not a common cause. Atrophy
of the muscles of one half of the larynx is perhaps of all
other causes the most common.

AFFECTIONS ALLIED To Roarine.—There are other affec-
tions of a nature closely allied to Roaring, these are— Wheezing,
Piping or Whistling, Grunting, and High Blowing.

Wheezing is a peculiar roughness accompanying the breath-
ing in numbers of horses which have previously suffered from
an inflammatory affection of the larynx. It is rarely heard,
282 ROARING.

unless a horse so affected is made to travel or work with greater
quickness than ordinarily.

Whistling is only made evident by putting the animal into
a quick pace; a horse may be a Roarer, a Whistler, and a
Grunter ; or he may be a Roarer and a Whistler ; or a Grunter
and a Whistler ; or he may whistle, and neither roar nor grunt;
or he may grunt and neither roar nor whistle; or he may roar
and not grunt. I am inclined to believe, however, that Whist-
ling, when not associated with Roaring or Grunting, arises
from stricture of one or both nasal passages, produced, in all
probability, from a slight thickening of the turbinated bones.

High Blowing is by many considered to be allied to Roar-
ing. It cannot, however, be so classed. It arises from the
animal flapping his nostrils in and out of the nasal openings,
when made to trot or gallop. It is, I think, more a freak of the
animal than anything else. Gallop a horse which does it for a
good distance, and at a smart pace, and the sound generally
disappears.

TrearmentT.—The question of the treatment of Roaring is
one which is worthy of more attention than what hitherto it
appears to have received from the profession. From facts which
have recently occurred, and from repeated observations of my
own, I am of opinion that many horses may be prevented from
becoming Roarers; and also that many horses, considered as
inveterate Roarers, may be rendered more useful for numerous
purposes.

PREVENTATIVE TREATMENT.—Strangles, Laryngitis, Abscess
within the sub-maxillary space, or in the hollow of the neck at
its junction with the head, and also the presence of a tumour
within the hollow of the neck, are one and all well known to
ROARING. 288

be not unfrequently either remote or proximate causes of
Roaring ; anything, in fact, which directly irritates the glottis,
or produces either an active or passive closure of its opening,
may either remotely or proximately cause a horse to become a
permanent Roarer. .

A tumour situated within the hollow of the neck is gene-
rally considered to produce difficult breathing (when such
exists), in consequence of pressing upon the trachea, and nar-
rowing the channel within. This is an error; the difficulty
which attends the breathing from such a cause, arises in all
probability, from the tumour pressing either upon the trunk of
the recurrent laryngeal or some of its branches, which pres-
sure induces either complete or incomplete paralysis of the
muscles to which this nerve is distributed. The effect is
snoring in the breathing, and the presence, to a greater or less
extent, as the case may be, of all the attendant symptoms of
asphyxia, and, in all probability, of the animal ultimately
becoming a Roarer—especially if the pressure upon the recur-
rent laryngeal be not either speedily removed, or its function
for a time completly suspended. The latter is at all times
the most practicable; and the way to effect it is by making an
artificial opening into the trachea, a few inches below the
larynx, and inserting a tube within. The great leagth of the
trachea: of the horse, and its readiness of access, renders the
operation of Bronchotomy a very simple and a very harmless
affair. In every case of disease which involves the larynx, and
disturbs its function and internal economy, it should be resorted
to. It affords, for a time, complete rest to the organ; and
during that time our undivided attention can be given to the
subjugation. of the disease, with an internal satisfaction which
cannot be experienced by any one depending upon the old
method of treatment.
284 ROARING.

Since the mode now recommended occured to me, I have
tried it in many instances, and upon every occasion with suc-
cess. Whether the animals would have been Roarers if the
operation had not been performed, I am unable to say; as it is
however, not one has been left either a Wheezer, a Piper, or a.
Roarer.

PREVENTION OF THE Roarine Sounp.—The plan I shall
state for the accomplishment of this, in those horses which are
confirmed Roarers, is one lately propounded by Mr. Reeve,
veterinary surgeon, of Camberwell. In order, however, that
the reader may perfectly understand the nature of the plan in
question, it is necessary to state one or two important facts in
relation to it. The immediate cause of the roaring sounds is
the narrowing of the laryngeal opening ; or, in other worrds, the
roaring sounds are produced because a@ column of atr is passing
through the nostrils towards the lungs, the diameter of which is
greater than can pass directly (or at once), through the opening of
the laryna.

Taking this into consideration, Mr. Reeve “thought it pos-
sible,” in a case which was submitted to his skill, “ to so modify
the atmospheric supply to the lungs, that during exercise the
volume of air, when it arrived at the glottis, should not exceed
that which passed through its opening when the horse was
tranquil, and which (from the fact of the sound being absent)
does not at that time produce Roaring.”’

“A strap,” he continues, “was accordingly made to pass
around the nose of the horse, just over the region of the false
nostrils, and buckle beneath the lower jaw. To the inner sur-
face of this strap, and immediately over the false nostril on
each side, was fixed a body resembling in shape the half of a
hen’s egg, cut longitudinally. When applied, these bodies
ROARING. 285

pressed upon the triangular spaccs formed by the apex of the
nasal bones and upper jaw, thus closing the false nostrils, and
partly diminishing the channel of the true ones.” “The
result”” Mr. Reeve found highly “gratifying; for the patient,
which previously could not travel without stopping every few
minutes to take breath, now travelled to all appearance without
inconvenience or noise. At first the strap seemed slightly to
annoy the horse ; and whenever it became displaced, the roaring
would again commence. A slight modification, however, over-
came every difficulty: the strap instead, of being buckled
around and under the jaw, was fastened on each side of the
bit; and, to prevent its descent, another was carried from its
centre, and fastened to the front of the harness-bridle. Iam
happy to say,” concludes the writer, “the effect is all I could
have wished: the horse, which previously had been entirely
useless, now performs his work in a heavy brougham, and gives
great satisfaction. The Roaring is stopped; and with the usual
speed, there appears no impediment to respiration. I have
paid particular attention to this case, and am inclined to think
that, when by the compression we have naturalized the action
of the false nostrils, the object is effected without the necessity
of further narrowing the nasal passage.”’*

To conclude, I recommend those who have a roaring horse
to test Mr. Reeve’s plan; it is both simple and inexpensive.
It may not so far improve every case of the kind as to allow of
such horses being driven at a rapid pace, but for draught
horses it is very likely to prove of great value; and I think Mr,
Reeve deserving of thanks for the attention which he has
evidently devoted to this subject.

* See Veterinarian for 1858, p. 486.
286 couGH.

COUGH.—CHRONIC COUGH.

“A Cough is a sonorous and sudden expulsion of air from
the lungs, and is well known to be an accompanying symptom
of a multiplicity of diseases.’’*

Horses have almost as great variety of coughs as there
are known diseases of the respiratory organs. 1st—there is
the loud roaring cough, or cavernous cough, peculiar to horses
affected with Roaring. 2nd—the loud, deep, hard rattling
cough, peculiar to some forms of Chronic Cough, arising from
a portion of the lungs being permanently solid. 8rd—the short,
hacking Cough, peculiar to other diseased states of the respira-
tory and digestive organs, of a chronic character. 4th—the soft,
puffing kind of Cough, present in Broken Wind, being generally
preceeded by a hard, rough, grunting sound, and accompanied
with a sudden escape of flatus at the rectum. 5th—the dull,
‘heavy, moist Cough, peculiar to a patient affected with Pleurisy,
or with Typhoid Pneumonia. 6th—the spasmodic, hacking
Cough, peculiar to a horse affected with Laryngitis, or into
whose larynx a portion of fluid may have fallen during an act
_of deglutition. 7th—the soft, moist Cough, occasionally emitted
by a horse when in a state of chill. 8th—the clear, loud, moist
Cough, sometimes heard from horses in health, or at the time
they are recovering from the effects of Catarrh, either of a com-
mon or epizootic character; so that people who may require to
know from a veterinary surgeon what is good “for a oss wot
coughs” (no uncommon question), really mean to ask what will
cure that which causes the cough.

Cough, especially in its chronic forms, differs widely in
different horses, as to the conditions under which it is emitted.
In some horses it is almost constantly manifest ; in others it
appears at regular intervals. The Cough is produced in some

* Cooper’s Medical Dictionery.
OOUGH.—CHRONIC COUGH. 287

when they are feeding upon hay; in others, when travelling
down hill; in others, when newly taken to work; in others,
when brought in from work. In cases of the two last men-
tioned kinds, fits of coughing commence, and may continue
with intermission for perhaps more than an hour. In others)
the attacks are irregular, days even may elapse without a Cough
being heard, when suddenly the animal is seized, without any
apparent cause, and for.a time will cough in fits of perhaps a
minute’s duration. In short, the varieties of Cough, both in
character of sound and in the conditions of its emission, are
endless.

Cavszs.—The causes of Cough are innumerable ; amongst
others, I may enumerate Schirrosity of the lungs, from previous
attacks of Pneumonia or Bronchitis ; thickening of the mucous
membrane of the larynx; atrophy of the arytenoid muscles of
the larynx ; the presence of rough calcareous deposits between
the inner surface of the ribs, and the costal surface of the
pleura.* Coughs arising from any of these causes are incurable.

The more common causes are—Catarrhs ; Irritation in young
horses from teething; also Indigestion, arising either from a
repletion of food, or from the animal having partaken of
improper food. ,

Trearmunt.—The best remedies in general are—Dulea-
mara 1, Camphor, Bryonia 1, Extract of Belladonna, Belladonna.
1 and 8; also, Hyoscyamus 1 and 3, and Cupri Sulphur 3.

*T was once talking with Mr. Lawson, veterinary surgeon, Manchester,
upon Chronic Cough, and he related a very curious case of the kind. A ‘horse
which for years had suffered from Chronic Cough, and which had resisted
much treatment to remove it, at last died. The chest and its contents were
examined for the cause of the cough, and all that could be discovered was a.
rough calcareous deposit beneath the pleura, which stretched and elevated the
membrane, and against, which the lung had suffered irritation.
288 COUGH.—CHEONIC COUGH.

several other medicines could be enumerated; but as it might
only tend to confuse the reader with regard to the proper choice
of a drug for any particular case, I forbear to name others. I
have found Belladonna to be the best remedy for the general
run of coughs, but the quantity necessary to use for a dose varies
in a singular manner. Numbers of horses require the extract
of the drug in half-drachm doses, and the dose repeating daily
for several days in succession, before its effects upon the cough
are satisfactory; while to others, 2-drachm doses of the 8rd
dilution will remove the violence of the cough, when the extract
may have failed to produce the least apparent good.

Bryonia 1—Bryonia is frequently valuable, if given to
’ coughs of recent origin. Use it of the 1st, and sometimes of
the 8rd dilutions; give the remedy in 2-drachm doses at least
once a day.

Setons.—Sometimes the passing of a Seton, ten or twelve
inches in length, between the outer surface of the windpipe
and the inner surface of the skin, in the direction of the long
axis of the former, and allowing it to remain for two or three
weeks, will prove of signal service.

Diluent Drinks, composed of linseed tea, honey and Spanish
juice dissolved and mixed together, will frequently benefit the
patient in these cases.

_ HAY ASTHMA.

I have given to the present disease the name of “Hay
Asthma’’—not because it holds any very intimate relation to
the malady known as Hay Asthma, which effects the human
being, but because in the horse it originates in the animal par-
taking of a peculiar kind of dried grass amongst the fodder
which may partly constitute its diet.
HAY ASTHMA. 289

Hay Asthma in the human being prevails only during the
months of June and July, and is generally supposed to be
caused by the effluvium which arises from certain grasses, while
in the process of drying and being prepared for hay.

Hay Asthma in horses, on the contrary, is not limited in
its manifestation to one or two months of the year; but so far
as I have been hitherto enabled to perceive, it is alike common
to every month. Neither is it caused by the mere effluvium of
the hay, but from a peculiar active principle, resident. within
one or more of its grasses, and which is liberated and rendered
active within the animal by the process of digestion.

The existence of this disease appears to bave been not
only entirely unknown, but not even suspected by any of our
veterinary writers, from the time of old Gervase Markham to
the latest authority—viz., Mr. W. Percival. I have treated
numbers of cases of this disease, and in numerous instances
with perfect success. For a long time I regarded them as cases
of Broken Wind, and was sanguine in the belief that I could
cure Broken Wind: experience, however, based upon an exten-
sive observation of facts, has led me to perceive that my prior
conclusions were erroneous. Broken Wind I hold to be Emphy-
sema of the Lungs—a state of these organs which may to some
extent allow of being palliated, but which it is utterly beyond
the power of medicine to cure.

To contend that Broken Wind is this-or that form of dis-
ease, and to enumerate a number of states and symptoms which
have but a mere resemblance to each other in one or two
common features, is to alike confuse the question and the mind
of the reader. Let us, where possible, have definite names for
diseases and states of the organism, which are clear and expres-
sive to the common sense of every one engaged in the practice
of our art.
290 HAY ASTHMA.

Symproms.—The symptoms of Hay Asthma are in many
respects similar to those of Broken Wind. The disease is
insidious at its commencement, and slow in its progress. The
first symptom usually observed is a cough, which at the begin-
ning of the disease is hard and short, and which in time
becomes more frequent, and more closely allied to Emphysema
of the Lungs. The animal affected may perform his work
moderately, and the appetite may not be impaired; but, in
spite of a generous diet, the cough remains. The hair is also
dry-looking, the skin unthrifty, and the general condition bad.

Sometimes a discharge issues from the nostrils, which differs
in colour, and varies in consistency in different cases—being in
one instance thin and clear, and in another not unlike thin but
well-boiled gruel. In other cases, again, the nostrils remain
dry ; this is the most uncertain form of the affection to cure,
and the most prone to terminate in Emphysema of the Lungs,
or in Broken Wind.

If the ear be applied to the chest, a faint blowing sound is
heard, which is frequently accompanied by low groaning,

creaking, and sibulous rales. In other cases, the air passing || |

through the lungs sounds so peculiarly, that it seems to the
auscultator as though it were drawn out of his ear.

In the state as above described the patient may continue for
an indefinite time, especially if young, and not properly treated ;
but if the animal be aged, and the general treatment severe, or
relief be not afforded by the administration of suitable medi-
cines, the animal ultimately becomes broken winded, and
radically incurable.

Causzs.—The causes are connected with the food. Dusty
hay is a frequent cause, and one which often acts with rapidity ;
but whether by deranging the digestive organs, or by acting
HAY ASTHMA, 291

directly upon the nerves which are distributed to the stomach
and the lungs, I am unable to state. High-dried or mow-
burnt hay will also produce it in many instances, especially in
those horses which are delicate and well-bred. In other cases,
again, I am satisfied that I have traced the cause of the malady
to the presence of the grass Anthox Odoratum, a figure of which
is given in the annexed en-
graving. I am satisfied of
the fact now stated, because
of the following reasons :—
Ist. The effluvium from this
grass is well known to pro-
duce what is called Hay
Asthma in the human being ;
other kinds of grass are also
known occasionally to pro-
duce it, but this is the most
common cause. 2ndly. On
numerous occasions I have
found it more than usually
abundant in the hay of horses
affected with the disease, such
hay being, at the time, in all
other respects unexception-
able—that is, free from dust
or mouldiness, and not mow

 

burnt.

While treating upon the
causes of this diseased I may
allude to the well known fact of hunters being occasionally
brought up after a run at grass during the summer months,
and pronounced to be broken-winded. The chances however

Fig. 20.
Anthox Anthum Odoratum.,
292 HAY ASTHMA.

are, that numbers of these cases are not cases of Broken
Wind, but probably some form of the malady now treated
upon.

Symptoms pertaining to the state in question have been
known to appear in the horse as early even as five or six days
after turning the animal to grass; so that the suddenness of
the attack, where it may happen, would of itself indicate the
disease as not being Broken Wind.

Parsoexomonio Proors.—At present I am not aware of
any particular symptoms which characterise the disease as
being Hay Asthma and no other disease. It is rather to be
Judged of by inference. Js the animal young ? Can the malady
be attributed to bad hay, or to hay containing an abundance of
the grass Anthox Odoratum ?

TrEatMENtT.—The best remedies in general are—Bella-
donna,* Arsenicum, Lobelia Inflata, and Chloroform.

Belladonna and Arsenicwm.—These are remedies of great
value in Hay Asthma. I have tested them repeatedly, and
generally with good effect. Arsenicum, however, is not appli-
cable to so many forms of the disease as Belladonna. It is not
indicated in this disease, unless a discharge exudes from the
nostrils ; when the nostrils are dry, the remedy will not prove
of the least value. Use it in 2-drachm doses of the 8rd dilution,
mixed with 2 ounces of water. Use the Belladonna in scruple
or half-drachm doses of the extract, which may be mixed with
powdered gentian and palm oil, and given to the animal as a
ball. These remedies should be given night and morning, in
alternation.

*I would recommend a trial of Atropine (the active principle of Belladonna)
in these cases. Use it in scruple doses of the 2nd trituration.
HAY ASTHMA. 293

Lobelia Inflata.—The value of the tincture of Lobelia
as a remedy for asthma in the human subject has been long
known; and this led me test its efficacy in Hay Asthma,
and in numerous cases I have found it to fully answer my
expectations. J have frequently prescribed it in doses of 3 or
4 drachms of the 1st dilution; in some cases, however, it will
require to be used in 2-drachm doses of the strong tincture:
If used in the diluted form, mix it each time with 2 or 8 ounces
of water; if in the strong tincture, mix it with.6 or 8 ounces
of water. The Lobelia may be given in alternation, either with
extract of Belladonna or with Chloroform.

Chloroform.—Chloroform is another excellent remedy for
Hay Asthma. It should be given in 2-drachm doses, by mea-
sure; and as it requires to be used with more than ordinary
care, I shall detail what I have found to be the best mode of
preparing and administering it.

First make a quart of thin flour gruel, and while hot, force
it through a fine linen cloth; then pour it into a clean glass
bottle, and place it aside until cold, and when cold add to the
mass 2 ounces, by measure, of Chloroform ; then cork the bottle
securely, and shake it vigorously for a few seconds, and it is
ready for use. Put the mixture in a dark, cool place, and keep
it there until required. Give an 8th part of the combination
for a dose; and give it in alternation with Lobelia, morning,
noon, and night. Should the gruel become too thick after
standing six or eight hours reduce it to the required consis-
tency with cold water.* :

Dier.—The diet of the patient should be strictly examined.
The hay should be changed if in the least objectionable, either
from being clover hay or from the presence of dust, mouldiness,
or the plant Anthox Odoratum.

*Tt is a good plan to prepare the gruel over night.
294 HAY ASTHMA.

The water should be soft and sweet ; the greater part of the
new diet should be cooked and prepared with every care. The
patient should not work while under treatment ; and when not
in the act of feeding, it is best to keep the animal muzzled.

Amongst the various articles of diet which may be named
as the most proper, I may enumerate carrots and green clover
(if in season), boiled barley, boiled oats, boiled linseed, milk and
water, and others. For further particulars respecting the diet,
the reader is directed to Section VI., page 108, of the present
volume.
295,

Sgorion IV.

DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF DIGESTION.

DERANGEMENTS AND IRREGULARI- CHOKING.

TIES OF THE TEETH. LOSS OF APPETITE.
WOL?’S TEETH,” INDIGESTION.
LAMPAS, GORGED STOMACH.
TYMPANY. ACUTE INDIGESTION,
RUPTURE OF THE STOMACH. ‘ GASTRITIS.
ooLic. ENTERITIS.

ACUTE DIARRHG@A,. SUPERPURGATION.
SUB-ACUTE AND CHRONIC DIAR- WORMS.
RHA,
—~>___

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

The digestive apparatus of the horse consists of the mouth
and its contents; also of the pharynx and the oesophagus, the
stomach, the large and the small intestines, the glandular struc-
tures within the intestines, the liver, and the pancreas.

Viewing the apparatus in its most simple form, it may be
regarded as a hollow continuous tube, possessed of two open-
ings (the mouth and the anus), one of which is situated at
each extremity. In large-sized horses this tube is 94 or 95
feet in length, and of varying capacity.
296 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

The tube in question commences at the mouth, a capacious
cavity, containing the tongue, the teeth, and the palate. The
mouth narrows into the pharynx, and the pharynx into a long,
narrow tube, called the esophagus, the lower end of which
suddenly expands into a large space or bag, called the stomach,
—which in turn also narrows, and terminates in the intestines,
which are divided into the large and small.

The inner surface of this 95 feet of continuous tubing
consists of a fine velvet-like membrane, called the mucous
membrane, within whose substance are various structures called
glands, the duty of which is to secrete certain fluids necessary
to the process of digestion. In addition to the very great
number of small apertures opening into the digestive tube in a
lateral direction, there are two which I may specially name—
one from the liver, called the biliary duct; and the other from
the pancreas, called the pancreatic duct.

External to the mucous membrane, but immediately conti-
guous, is a thin tube of muscle, the fibres of which traverse the
bowel in a two-fold manner—viz., one set running in a direction,
from the mouth to the tail; and the other in a circular direction,
or around the tube of the gut in a spiral fashion. It is by the
action of this muscular tube, aided by the nervous system, that
the contents of the intestinal canal are forced onwards.

Above this muscular tube, and external to and surrounding
it in every part, is the peritoneum, that beautiful pale-blue,
glistening membrane, which is at once made visible upon freely
exposing the contents of the abdominal cavity.

The intestinal tube and its appendages (the liver and pan-
creas) constitute in the aggregate what is called the Digestive
Organs; they are the structures wherein many substances, by a
process of trituration and the action of solvents upon them, are
prepared for assimilation to the body of the animal.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 297

The corn and grass eaten by the horse afford material to
supply the waste unceasingly going on within the body, but
these substances possess an organization prior to their assimi-
lation ; but before this takes place it is necessary that their
original forms be entirely changed. These solids must be reduced
to a liquid state; and to accomplish this, and to aid the body
in getting rid of a portion of its worn-out materials, are the
special functions and duties of the digestive apparatus.

The molar teeth thoroughly break down and pulverise the
harder and more solid portions of the food. The stomach by
its motion, and by the solvent properties of the fluids secreted
from its mucous membrane, reduces the mass to a liquid. The
liver and pancreatic secretions produce other changes of nearly
equal importance. After undergoing these processes the digested
substances, by the aid of the muscular tissues previously alluded
to, are forced onwards, and are thus freely exposed to the absor-
bent vessels, whose function it is to remove the digested fluids
further within the body; beyond which it is not necessary in
the present treatise to inquire.

Now, every part of this 95 feet of organised tube is
subject to various forms of disease—some being of a simple
character; others complicated and virulent; others which are
obscure, but which appear to produce a series of derange-
ments in various organs of the body situated remotely from
them.

The term Indigestion, for example, is one comprehending
much, if viewed in relation to disease in general. The majority
of equine maladies treated by veterinary surgeons are, in my
opinion, more closely related to an unhealthy condition of the
digestive organs than is generally supposed. Veterinary sur-
geons will do well to bear in mind the remarks contained in
pages 174 and 175 of the present treatise.
298 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

The Teeth are subject to caries; to tooth ache; and to
derangenent of growth.

The Pharyna is subject to inflammation ; also to ulceration ;
to abscess; and occasionally to the growth of tumours within
its mucous membrane.

The Csophagus is liable to stricture, and to injuries from
choking.

The Stomach is subject to a number of diseases, such as
Inflammation in its acute, sub-acute, and chronic forms; also
to ulceration, debility from atrophy of its structures ; and finally,
rupture of the organ.

The Intestines are subject to inflammation of an acute, sub-
acute, and chronic character ; to acute, sub-acute, and chronic
forms of diarrhoea; to schirrosity of its glandular structures ;
to irritation of its mucous membrane from the presence of
worms; to intestinal strangulation; intussusception of the
small intestines; to colic; to the deposition of caleuli within
its numerous curvatures and cavities. The bowels are also sub-
ject to ruptures’; the peritoneum to inflammation from injuries
either of a direct or indirect character.

The Liver is subject to hypertrophy ; to fatty degeneration ;
to inflammation of its substance; to softening and to rupture
of its structure, hemorrhage, and death of the animal. ‘

DERANGEMENTS OF THE TEETH.

The lips and teeth are the organs of prehension and masti-
cation. The food which the former seizes upon, the latter
pulverizes and triturates ; the consequence is, that the latter
organs are especially liable to suffer from at least three sources
of derangement, and these are—irregularities of growth, injuries
of a direct nature, and disease.
DERANGEMENTS OF THE TEETH. 299

IngrcuLaririzs oF Growra.—This includes a survey of
the teeth, under two distinct periods of the life of the animal.
The first of these is that comprised in the early life of the
horse—a period including the time from the birth of the animal
until the time at which all the permanent teeth are either com-
pletely developed, or in a state rapidly approaching that of
complete development. This period may be said to terminate
with the end of the fifth year of the horse’s age, when the
second period may be said to commence, which continues until
the death of the animal, be that sooner or later, as accident or
design may determine.

First Prriop.—The principal abnormalities of the teeth,
during this period, arise from irregularities in the growth and
development of the new and permanent teeth, and in the pro-
cess which attends the shedding of the temporary or milk
ones.

The mouth of the gelding, when five years of age, contains
forty permanent teeth. At first, twenty-four of this number
(viz., twelve incisors and twelve molars) are developed as tem-
porary organs; but these, at the period named, have all dis-
appeared, and have been replaced by teeth of a permanent
class, and of a larger growth. The remaining sixteen of the
forty are developed as permanent organs in the first instance.
Now the development and shedding of the temporary teeth,
and the appearance and the development of the permanent
ones, are periods (for the process is both slow and gradual)
productive of more or less disturbance to the general health of
all young colts and fillies.

Sometimes the permanent molars are delayed in their
appearance, and sometimes the temporary molars and incisors
are not cast so readily as usual with young animals in general.
The first step to be taken with those which may not feed well,
300 DERANGEMENTS OF THE TEETH,

or thrive so well as they ought, is for the veterinarian to make
a careful examination of the teeth.

Tur Symproms indicative of derangement arising from
causes of this nature are—the animal is dull and listless; and,
if out at pasture, he strays from his companions, and stands
alone for hours in succession, indifferent to everything around
him. The teeth are frequently ground, and sometimes he bites
the wood-work of the stall or box in which he may be placed.
Sometimes the animal will refuse almost any kind of food but
oats or hay; and sometimes he will eat so little as to compel
those in attendance to force him to partake of food. In
other cases, again, the symptoms are of so palpable a character
as at once to indicate the derangement. Saliva may dribble
from the mouth; and if the jaws be forced apart, a fetid odour
may be detected. When the animal is desirous to feed, he
eats slowly, and evidently with caution. As the disturbance
progresses, an Abscess may appear in the sub-mazilliary space,
and the case be treated as one of Strangles. Scores of cases
of this kind have been diagnosed for Strangles, and treated as
such : examination of the mouth, however, will in all proba-
bility lead the observer to detect redness of the gums around
one or more of the molar teeth; or one or more of the tempo-
rary teeth may be forced into an unnatural position by a
permanent tooth growing from beneath.

TreratmEnt.—In order to thoroughly examine a patient so
circumstanced, it will frequently prove necessary to cast the
animal, and perhaps the best mode to effect this is by Mr..
Rarey’s plan; after which the teeth may be closely inspected,
and such as may be loose, or distorted from irregularity of
growth, should be removed with instruments for the purpose ;
DERANGEMENTS OF THE TEETH. 301

while the gums, which may probably be red and inflamed,
should be freely lanced and scarified. Sometimes the energetic
application of a sharp tooth-rasp will remove the shell-like
growths of one or more of the temporary molar teeth, the
presence of which growth will be sufficient to cause a distur-
bance to the health of the animal.

Many of these cases are of a puzzling character, especially
to young practitioners, who cannot be too cautious before pro-
nouncing an opinion. Certain writers have designated the
state in question as that of “breeding Strangles’—an opinion
by no means very flattering to their practical skill, if by it they
mean a peculiar or specific fever which terminates in Abscess
of the sub-maxillary space.

Should the state of the animal not improve from lancing
the gums or removing the temporary teeth, recourse must be
had to other means—such as counter-irritation to the cheeks
and to the sub-maxillary region. One of the best agents for this
purpose is the Biniodide of Mercury mixed with lard, in the
proportion of half a drachm of the drug to an ounce of lard.
A little of this should be rubbed upon the cheeks, immediately .
over the fangs of the molar teeth, and also within the sub-
maxillary space. The irritant is to be repeated until soreness
of the skin is produced.

The best remedies, in general, to administer internally are
Sesquichloride of Iron, and Tincture of Capsicum—the former
of which may be administered in 2-drachm doses mixed with
half a pint of water, and given every morning ; and the latter
in 2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed with a like quan-
tity of water, and given every night.

Dier.—The diet should consist of boiled oats and bran,
carrots, swede turnips, and hay. Should the animal refuse
302 DERANGEMENTS OF THE TEETH.

soft food, allow small quantities of dry oats, or such food as
may be most relished.

Szconp Pzr1op.—The derangements of the teeth which I
shall next describe are occasionally met with in practice during
the first period. It is not that such derangements are specially
peculiar to the second, they are only more common to the latter
than to the former era.

The principal irregularities in question consist of an abnor-
mal growth of the teeth; decay of their substance which is
attended with pain (tooth-ache) ; and irregularities arising from
injury. Of the latter variety I shall not on the present occasion
treat upon. ,

ApyogMaL Growrus or THE TrntH.—The irregularities
in question consist principally of an abnormal growth of the
teeth in two directions—lst, irregular growth of the teeth
laterally ; and 2nd, undue growth of one or more of the teeth
in length.

The common symptoms by which derangements of the teeth
may be inferred are—dribbling of saliva from the mouth, quid-
ding the hay, hanging down the head, and inability of the
animal to properly masticate the food.’ Inspection of the
mouth may lead to detection of irregularities of growth of the
teeth laterally, or an undue length of one tooth over the other ;
or caries of one or more of the teeth; or two or more of these
affections may exist at the same time.

In the more aggravated cases of abnormal lateral growth of
the teeth, the constant attrition of these projections against
the inside of the cheeks produces inflammation and ulceration
of the membrane ; also swelling of the cheek (in some instances
to an enormous extent), and Fistula of the Parotid Duct.
DERANGEMENTS OF THE TEETH.

A carious tooth should be extracted forthwith ;
lateral irregularities of growth should at once be
removed with a rasp which is made for the purpose,
similar to the one figured in the annexed engraving
(Fig.,21). In using the tooth rasp, a firm but light
hand, together with care, are necessary, otherwise the
animal will be very turbulent.

Rasprine tHE Trxra.—tThe operation of rasping
the teeth is to be performed as follows:—Put a
halter upon the head; tie a knot at the noose,
allowing plenty of room around the jaws ; then turn
the animal to be operated upon the reverse way in
the stall. Place a steady assistant at the right side,
who is gently to open the mouth of the horse and
draw the tongue to the right side, and there firmly
hold it down to the jaw, until the molar teeth of the
left side of the mouth are operated upon. The ope-
rator first introduces the tooth-rasp gently into the
mouth, placing the hollow groove of the same firmly

upon the outer edge of the molar teeth of the upper.

jaw, and, while retaining it there, working the instru-
tment at the same time backward and forwards, until
all the protruding points of the teeth are completely
removed. The rasp is then placed in a like position
upon the lower molar teeth, but upon their inner
border, and the projecting points removed from them
also. The assistant is then to change sides, and
secure the tongue firmly down to the Zef¢ side of the
mouth, while the operator introduces his rasp as
before, and operates as already directed—first upon
the upper molar teeth, and upon their outer edge, and

303

 
304 DERANGEMENTS OF THE TEETH.

lastly upon the lower ones upon their inner edge, when the
operation may be considered complete. A ball-iron, or gag
(see Fig. 15, p. 144) will be necessary to enable the operator
to ascertain the state of the teeth after being rasped, and also
to ascertain if the projecting point of a tooth may have escaped
the action of the file.

Caution Requrrup.—In performing the operation, simple
as it may appear, a certain amount of practice is necessary ere
it can be well and expeditiously executed. Violence to the
animal is to be avoided. The operator should perform his duty
firmly, lightly, and neatly. In holding the tongue, for example,
it is not necessary for the assistant to drag and pull it out of
the mouth as a strong labourer would pull at a rope; all that is
necessary is to draw the organ gently to one side, and to press
it firmly down to the side of the lower jaw; the object by so
doing being to prevent the efforts of the tongue from displacing
the rasp. The operator should also be careful to hold the rasp
close upon the teeth at the time he is operating, otherwise the
gum may be rasped instead. Avoid pushing the instrument
too violently backwards; when this is done it strikes against
the inside of the cheeks and gums, pain is inflicted, and resist-
ance from the horse is excited in consequence. Many veterinary
surgeons place a twitch upon the nose of the patient before
operating ; it is very rare, however, that I find it necessary, as
horses will usually stand quiet, if quietly and gently handled.
In all minor operations, the less the animal is restrained, the
less resistance, in a general way, will be offered to the intentions
of the operator.

Toorn Acuz.—Caries of the Teeth——Tooth Ache, and
Caries of the Teeth, are not very common affections; and it is
only by a careful examination of the mouth that a carious tooth
DERANGEMENTS OF THE TEETH. 805

can be discovered. Instances have occurred, and the facts are
recorded, where Caries has extended to the fangs of a molar
tooth of a top jaw, and ulcerated through its socket into the
nasal chambers above ; and matter being discharged out of the
nose has given rise to the opinion of the animal so affected
being glandered, and afterwards being destroyed in consequence.

The common symptoms of Tooth Ache are—the animal
refuses its food, attended with fetor of the mouth; dribbling of
saliva from the lips; and swelling of the cheek.

A carious tooth will generally be hollow, and its cavity
filled with half-masticated food, the fetor from which will be
very offensive. The glands of the sub-maxillary space will also
be enlarged, but rarely or ever adherent to the jaw, unless as a
consequence of maltreatment. Fetor from the mouth is not at

_ all times indicative of a carious tooth. Sometimes it arises from
the corners of the molar teeth being sharp, and lacerating the
inner surface of the cheek, and the sores thus produced sup-
purating ; and sometimes it arises from the molar teeth having
spaces between them, in which half-masticated hay will collect
and so remain, until by its presence the gums become inflamed
and purulent matter is exuded. Little or no difficulty need be
experienced in detecting a carious tooth; its hollowness, and
the fetor of its contents, together with the pain which the
animal experiences if a finger of the examiner be forced into its
cavity, are all unquestionable proofs of its existence.

TreatmEent.—The treatment of a carious tooth is a matter
readily determined upon: it should be extracted; and in order
to do so the patient will need to be cast and turned upon his
-back, and there retained, by means of large bundles of straw,
as long as may be necessary. The operator is then to forcibly
open the mouth by means of a ball iron, and while an assistant

U
306 DERANGEMENTS OF THE TEETH.

secures the tongue, he, by the aid of suitable forceps, if possible,
extracts the tooth. Sometimes it is so far decayed as to have .
become a mere shell, which in ‘grasping with forceps is crushed
into fragments, when its further extraction by this mode may
be rendered impracticable. In a case of this kind, especially
where the animal is valuable, and where the tooth diseased is a
top molar one, and where a sinus passes from its aveolar cavity
into the nasal cavity above, it then becomes necessary to extract
the fangs of the tooth; and this can only be affected by making
an opening into the mouth at the side of the cheek—an opera-
tion which is difficult. to perform, and which is beyond the
scope of the present work to treat upon. Should the operator,
however, succeed in extracting the tooth as directed above, a
difficulty in possibility should also be taken into account, and
provided for accordingly. The difficulty I allude to is this :—
the opposing tooth of the opposite jaw not having the extracted
tooth any longer to contend against, it will in time so increase
in length as in the end to prevent mastication. Two modes of
dealing with this possible difficulty are presented to notice: one
is to remove the sound tooth at the time the diseased one is
extracted; and the other is to leave it in the mouth, and as it
becomes too long, to reduce it from time to time as necessity
may require. The choice of these modes, in any case which
may happen, I leave to the judgment of the operator, and those
to whom the patient may belong,

Dirt.—The kind-of diet necessary in these cases will be an
important matter for consideration. Hay and the coarser vari-
eties of food, if allowed, would probably retard the cure, in
consequence of portions being insinuated into the cavity made
by extracting the diseased tooth. The diet should therefore
(for a time at least) consist of thick gruel, bread and milk,
WOLE’S TEETH. 807

boiled rice and milk, and occasionally of raw eggs and milk, or
raw eggs and water. For further particulars, however, regard-
ing diet, see Section VI., Part 1, page 108 to 117 inclusive.

Inrirarion or tHE Inctsozs.—In conclusion, I may
remark that the temporary incisors frequently require examina-
tion at the periods at which they should be cast. The per-
manent teeth as they appear do not always completely displace
the suckers. The latter are sometimes pushed a little to one
side, or the permanent ones make their appearance close to the
sides of the other; the consequence is, unless the suckers are
forcibly removed, the mouth will present a very unsightly
aspect. The appearance of the teeth will at once indicate
when the removal of one or more of the suckers is necessary.
Few instruments are better adapted for the purpose than a
large strong pair of flat-nosed pliers.

WOLF'’S TEETH.

Wolf’s Teeth are growths respecting which we frequently
hear individuals discourse very learnedly. They are a species
of small supernumary teeth, partaking in character both of a
canine and of a molar tooth; and when present are always
found in close contiguity to the first molar teeth of the upper
jaw. Grooms and stablemen consider them highly injurious,
and attribute to them inflammation of the eyes, indigestion,
coughs, and general unthriftiness. So far as ‘my own observa-
tions extend, however, I have not found their presence to be
productive of either good or harm to the animal possessing
them.

When present, and their removal is determined upon, it is
affected the best by knocking them out with a light hammer
and chisel. The chisel should be 12 or 14 inches long, narrow
and deeply serrated at its lower end, so as to admit of being
308 : TAMPAS.

easily placed upon either the inner or the outer sides of the
teeth, and readily retained when placed.

When the operation is to be performed, the animal to be
operated upon should be blindfolded, and the head steadied by
an experienced assistant.

LAMPAS.

Lampas is an undue growth of the first edge of the palate
situated immediately behind the incisor teeth of the anterior jaw.
This undue growth of the palate is the most common to horses
from the third to the fifth year of their age, and is seldom seen
afterwards, simply because in the generality of horses the Lam-
pas have been removed. On some occasions the swelling of
the palate at this part is so large as to hang below the teeth,
when it is considered, and justly so, an obstructive to both
prehension and mastication of the food. Now, whether this
swelling be in itself a cause of disturbance within the mouth, or
an effect of disturbance from other sources, is a question difficult
to satisfactorily determine. To use a phrase of Sir Roger de
Coverley “much may be said upon both sides of the question.”

Treatment oF Lampas.—I frequently receive letters from
gentlemen asking me how they are to treat Lampas ; whether the
swelling is to be burnt out or scarified, or left alone. When
burnt out, people cease to think about it; “instead of burning
the Lampas,” says Mr. Spooner in White’s Farriery, “if they
would keep the animal entirely on bran mashes for about a
week, he would be able to eat his hay and corn with avidity,” a
recommendation which is simply preposterous. If a horse so
affected be in work, what owner will allow him to rest a week
for so simple a matter? Lampas are frequently removed with
a hot iron, and the animal taken to work immediately afterwards.
CHOKING. 3809

If the operation be properly performed, it is far less cruel to
the horse than to be regularly scarifying the mouth.

While the operation is being performed the animal should be
blindfolded; the jaws should be forced well asunder by fixing
in the mouth a gag, consisting of a round piece of wood, 3}
inches diameter and 8 inches long, and held between the jaws
by being securely fixed to the head-piece of an old bridle. The
iron should have a fine, sharp, cutting edge ; it should be applied
at a high temperature, and its surface should be free from
scales; the iron should only be applied to that part of the palate
which is swollen.

I do not recommend this operation in every case, but people
will do it; and so long as they wil? do it, let it be done as
expeditiously and as humanely as possible.

CHOKING.

Choking is not a disease; it is an accident which is very
liable to occur to greedy horses at the time of feeding.
Choking, although not a disease, yet, if long continued, may
cause inflammation of the cesophagus, or stricture within a
portion of the canal; or it may cause rupture of the walls of
the organ, and other consequences to the animal of a nature
not readily obviated.

Symerroms.—The symptoms of Choking are of a nature
which readily determine the character of the accident. It
occurs at the moment of feeding. The animal suddenly ceases
to masticate; he will stamp his fore feet violently, and retreat
backwards in the stall. The nose will be projected forwards ;
the neck forced downwards, or bent forwards; the back is
arched; the muscles of the abdomen are forcibly compressed,
and the horse attempts to vomit,—and the action ‘is usually
310 CHOKING.

accompanied with a faint squealing noise, and the rising in the
hollow of the neck of a large roll-like substance. The effort
to vomit is generally terminated by the animal ejecting a
quantity of thick niucus from the mouth, when the general
spasm of the body subsides, to be again repeated in the course
of five or ten minutes, and so on, for perhaps several hours in
succession. As the choking state of the animal is prolonged, the
flow of mucus from the mouth becomes more abundant. It is
seldom, however, that the pulse or the respirations are much
disturbed, or that bad consequences of a permanent character
result. In the generality of cases, the choking slowly svb-
sides, especially if the patient be aided judiciously. In certain
instances, however, relief cannot be obtained without forcing a
small probang down the throat of the animal; or the operation
of opening the cesophagus may even be necessary for the pur-
pose of removing the accumulation with the hand.

Causzs.—The causes of Choking are greedy feeding, or the
animal swallowing the food too rapidly ; also suddenly striking
the horse when in the act of feeding; or from the food being
given in too dry a state.

TrratMent.—In treating cases of this kind those in attend-
ance should have patience, and for a time at least be content to
adopt measures of a simple character. A small quantity of
olive oil may be occasionally administered, or a small portion of
warm water, ora little thin gruel. The neck should also be
stroked gently downwards with the hand.

If the Choking arises from the lodgment of a small potato
within the cesophagus, it will, in all probability, prove a more
difficult case than if arising from a portion of soft mash or loose
dry food.
CHOKING. 311

It is a very common practice to bleed choking horses ; but
why they are bled, or what good can be effected to them by the
operation, is to me a mystery. Ignorant people, when placed
in a little power, are always thinking it is necessary to do
something; and if they happen to be called in to cases of
this nature, in the absence of knowing what else to do, they
bleed the patient, and no doubt deem themselves very clever in
consequence.

Should the Choking not subside in the course of three or
four hours (which it very rarely fails to do—frequently, in fact,
much earlier), recourse should be had to the use of the probang.

Numbers of greedy feeding horses are frequently affected
with choking; the best preventative of which is to divide the
top of the manger into a number of spaces, by means of iron
rods stretching across, as directed at page 8.

The food should be given to such animals in small quantities
at a time, and thinly spread over the bottom of the manger;
and it should also be freely moistened with water before allow-
ing them to eat 16.

LOSS OF APPETITE.

Loss of Appetite, although it occurs at times as an indication
of derangement of at least some part of the digestive organs of
the horse, is more frequently presented as a mere symptom
of an acute, sub-acute, or chronic disease. In every acute
disease, during its more acute stages at least, Loss of Appetite
is to be regarded as all but an inevitable consequence. When
present, however, without its cause being palpable, or where
little or no general disturbance of the system is evident, it is
for those in attendance to investigate the case more closely.

Inability of the animal to eat from some hidden cause of a
peculiar nature is sometimes mistaken for Loss of Appetite.
312 LOSS OF APPETITE.

A horse, for instance, may be picking the green leaves from a
thorn hedge, and a thorn accidentally becomes embedded in the
mucous membrane of the cheek, or into the substance of the
tongue; or the animal may be eating corn, and a short nail,
dropped by accident into the mass, finds its way into the mouth
and becomes forced into the jaw between the gum and the teeth,
or into the palate, and inflammation speedily follows, the pain
from which is perhaps so excessive as to render the horse unable
to masticate ; or a wound may exist upon the tongue; or a bad
tooth be present ; or the teeth are irregularly grown, and have
lacerated the mouth so as to render the horse afraid to eat; or
it may arise from the animal being overworked, and the system
so exhausted that time and rest can alone restore the appetite.
In every case then where Loss of Appetite is a prominent
matter, and where it may have existed for some time, or where
the appetite does not return within a reasonable time, the mouth
~ should be examined, and its contents carefully inspected in every
part. To explore the mouth, in fact, is just as necessary in
cases of this kind as it is to remove the shoe and examine the
foot of a lame horse, ere a positive opinion as to the nature and
cause of the lameness can be accurately determined upon.

I am sometimes consulted respecting Loss of Appetite
in young animals. Two or more colts of different ages may be
running together at pasture, and grass not being abundant, the
owner allows them hay and corn daily; but he is surprised to
see one or more of the youngest lose flesh, while the others
thrive vigorously. Now, in perhaps nineteen cases out of
twenty of this kind, the cause, if investigated, will prove obvious.
The larger and stronger animals, in all probability, drive the
lesser and weaker ones away from the hay and corn. Place
such animals, at the time of feeding, in different boxes or feed-
ing compartments, and the unthriftiness of the weaker will
soon disappear.
LOSS OF APPETITE. 813

Treatment.—It is first necessary, when practicable, to
ascertain the cause of the derangement. Where a doubt exists
as to whether or not the want of appetite arises from the
derangement of the teeth, or the presence of a foreign body,
such as a nail or a thorn within the substance of the cheeks or
the gums, cast the patient, and examine the buccal cavity and
its contents with every care, when if anything of the kind be
present it should be extracted forthwith, and the injury after-
wards treated as a common wound; or on the other hand, if one
or more of the teeth are carious, or their growth -be irregular,
they should be treated according to the directions given in the
article on Derangement of the the Teeth, pages 299 to 304.

The attendant should make enquiries about the work of the
patient. Is the animal worked beyond its strength? Is the
horse naturally a delicate feeder, or is the regular food deficient
in quantity and wholesomeness? Does the person having the
care of the horse sell the corn and pocket the proceeds?”
Instances of this kind have occurred, and veterinary surgeons
have been consulted as to why the animal so treated did not
thrive.

Any one owning horses which are unthrifty in their general
appearance, and who allows them an abundance of wholesome
food, will act wisely to ascertain if the driver of the team keeps
a cow or a pig.

Where Loss of Appetite, however, occurs as a primary
condition, the best remedies in general are—Nux Vomica 1,
Arsenicum 2, Sesquichloride of Iron, and Tincture of Capsi-
cum 1.

Nu«e Vomica.—Arsenicum.—Use the Nux in 2-drachm
doses of the 1st dilution, mixed with 2 or 3 ounces of water.
The Nux may be either given alone or in alternation with
Arsenic 2 in 2-drachm doses, mixed with 2 or 8 ounces of water.
314 LOSS OF APPETITE,

Sesquichloride of Iron.—Capsicwm.— Both these are valuable
remedies to improve the appetite and general condition of horses
reduced by excess of labour. Give them in alternation ;—the
Sesquichloride of Iron in 2-drachm doses, mixed with 6 or 8
ounces of water, every morning for four or five mornings in suc-
cession; and the Tincture of Capsicum 1 in 2-drachm doses, in
6 or 8 ounces of water, every night for a like period.

Horses sometimes do not thrive because they require salt.
A large lump of rock salt should be placed in the hay rack so
that they may lick the mass when they choose.

Drrer.—Change the diet of the patient. Try carrots (if in
season), or swede turnips, or a little malt, or speared corn. .
Examine the hay, and see that it is wholesome and free from
dust; and the oats, if they are free from mustiness. See
Section VI., page 108.

INDIGESTION.

Indigestion is a common affection in both old and young
horses. In some forms of the malady the violence of its effects
are exerted upon structures remotely situated from the stomach.
This is the cause of many diseases both of an acute, sub-acute,
‘and chronic character.

Symertoms.—Indigestion in its more common forms is
usually characterised by a dull, unthrifty state of the skin ; the
hair in spite of all grooming is dry and harsh; it wants that
rich glossy look so evident on the skin of well-groomed horses
when in a state of exuberant health. The abdomen presents a
pinched up condition; the appetite is sometimes ravenous and
inordinate, and at other times fastidious. Sometimes the
patient will eat dirt, or lick the boards or the plaster work on
the walls. The urine is scanty and high coloured; in many
INDIGESTION. 315

cases this form of derangement is attended with irritation of
the kidneys or the bladder, and is made manifest by the frequent
attempts of the patient to urinate. The dung in the majority
of cases will be scanty; at times nearly black, and at other
times clay-coloured, and in hardness and form not unlike those
balls of wax used by shoemakers.

If the affection has existed for some time, the patient loses
flesh, becomes weak, and is readily fatigued. In other cases
the animal is affected with a loud, dry, sounding cough. The
dung occasionally contains a few small worms.

In the more severe forms of Indigestion the hair will peel
7 away in patches from various parts of the body. The general
movements of the animal will be listless and indifferent; the
appetite bad; and the mucous membrane of the mouth dis-
agreeable, pasty, and covered with minute yellow-coloured
spots.

Patso@nomonic Symproms.—FPinched up state of the
abdomen—licking the plaster work—dry unthrifty state of the
skin and havr.

Causzs.—The causes of Indigestion are numerous. Among
the most common I may enumerate the following :—riding the
animal a long distance, so as to thoroughly exhaust the system,
then allowing the animal too great an abundance of strong
indigestible food ; insufficiency of food; mow-burnt or mouldy
hay ; working the animal violently when the stomach is full;
bad, sour grass; suddenly changing the diet, especially from a
poor to a highly nutritious and stimulating one.

Trearment.—The mouth and its contents should be
examined in every case. The treatment of the more simple
forms of indigestion are in a general way readily corrected
316 INDIGESTION.

by attention to the diet of the patient. In the more severe
forms, however, rest, diet, and medicine may all prove necessary
to effect the cure.

The best remedies in general are—Nux Vomica 1, Arseni-
cum 2, Capsicum 1, Sesquichloride of Iron, Hyposulphite of
Soda, Muriatic Acid, and Pepsine.

Nux Vomica 1.—Arsenicwm 2.—Nux Vomica and Arseni-
cum are remedies of well known value in numerous forms of
Indigestion ; they may either be given alone or in alternation.
If used alternately, give Nux Vomica of the 1st dilution in
2-drachm doses every morning, mixed with 4 ounces of water ;
and give Arsenicum of the 2nd in 2-drachm doses every night,
mixed with 2 or 8 ounces of water. These medicines may be
repeated for four, five, or six days in succession.

Capsicum 1—Sesquichloride of Iron—If the patient be in -
low condition, or enfeebled from excessive labour, have recourse
to Capsicum 1 and Sesquichloride of Iron. Give them alter-
nately in 2-drachm doses, and in accordance with the directions
stated at page 314.

Hyposulphite of Soda—This remedy frequently proves
of value when the patient licks the walls, or eats dirt, or shews
‘a preference for bad musty hay. Give the remedy in drachm
doses, mixed with 6 or 8 ounces of water; or it may be
given in alternation with Nux Vomica of the 1st dilution in
2-drachm doses, and repeated for two or three days in suc-
cession.

Muriatie Acid is a remedy which on numerous occasions will
also prove of service if given either in lieu of, or in alternation
with, the Hyposulphite of Soda. Give the Muriatic Acid in
2-drachm doses mixed with 12 or 14 ounces of water. If the
Soda and the’ Acid are used alternately, administer the former
in the morning, and the latter at night; or Muriatic Acid may
GORGED STOMACH.—TYMPANY. 317

be given in alternation with Capsicum 1, or with Nux Vomica 1,
or with Arsenicum 2.
Dirr.--Look closely to the diet of the patient. If the
season be favourable, a run at spring grass or a liberal allowance
‘of green clover may prove of signal benefit. Stewed rice some-
times acts beneficially in cases of this nature ; also, carrots and
cabbages. See Section VI., page 108.

GORGED STOMACH.—TYMPANY.
[ACUTE INDIGESTION. ]

Cases of acute disease arising from the stomach being over-
loaded with food, or from animals eating food of an improper
kind, are occasionally brought to veterinary surgeons for treat-
ment. The subjects which suffer the most from this cause are
old horses, and horses which feed voraciously.

Symproms.—The disease generally commences suddenly.
The symptoms resemble those of colic, and in numerrus cases
are doubtless mistaken for the latter. Gorged Stomach, how-
ever, is attended with pain of a more severe character. The
abdomen is also distended (in' many cases enormously so)
with gas, and not unfrequently the stomach is ruptured in
consequence; when the death of the patient is rendered
inevitable.

In the more severe forms of the malady the pain increases in
intensity with great rapidity, and the violence of the animal
along with it; he can scarcely be kept upon his feet for even a
few moments at a time; he throws himself recklessly upon the
ground, and rolls and plunges sometimes without intermission
for twenty minutes at a time; and if the violence of the animal
for a short period subsides, it does so more from the patient
being exhausted than from a cessation’ of the acute pain.
318 GORGED STOMACH.—TYMPANY.

The abdomen is hard and tense ; the respirations are short,
catching, and frequently gasping; the pulse at the commence-
ment is seldom disturbed; the skin speedily becomes bathed
with perspiration, which is sometimes cold, and at other times
hot and steaming. As the violence of the pain subsides, rum-
bling sounds will be heard to proceed from the abdomen, which
are occasionally relieved by an abundant emission of flatus.

Patnoeyomonic Symproms.—Eccessive or partial disten-
sion of the abdomen with gas, associated with excessive and long
continued violence of the patient.

Causzs.—Greedy or voracious feeding horses are very prone
to suffer from Gorged Stomach. Tympany may also supervene
after a moderate sized, but hastily devoured feed, particularly
if the food be of a very solid character, such as a mass of split
beans, or a quantity of dry bean flour eaten immediately after
severe and long continued labour.

Crib-biting horses are said to be more prone to Tympany
than others; but this I am unable to verify from experience.
Wheat, if eaten in either its ripe or green condition, will cause
it, and in all probability the death of the animal as well. Several
of the most severe attacks of Tympany I have ever observed
arose from the animals having partaken freely of green wheat.
Mr. Percival mentions that during “the march of the British
Army from Waterloo to Paris, in 1815, a brigade of horses had
been allowed to feed in a field of growing wheat, and the con-
sequences were, that several of them became tympanitic in the
body, and became almost frantic with pain and died.” Mr. Per-
cival and others who have written upon this form of disease
consider that the gas originates from a species of fermenta-
tion set up within the food; but this I believe to be an
GORGED STOMACH.—TYMPANY., 319

erroneous idea, the gas in question is thrown off by the mucous
membrane.

Comriications.—Gorged Stomach, or the presence of
improper food within the organ, does not at all times give rise
to Tympany. It occasionally induces Inflammation of the Feet
(Laminitis) ; and also a general state of acute fever, which, in
fact, is a true form of Gastric Fever ; or a state of spasm or
cramp of the voluntary muscles generally may supervene ; or
the stomach or the diaphragm may be ruptured ; or rupture may
happen to both these organs. In other cases again, Tympany
may first appear, then subside, and Laminitis or Gastric Fever,
or Fever without Laminitis, supervene. Cases of this nature are
not common, but nevertheless they do occur, of which I have
had experience on more ocgasions than one.

In examining patients which have died from the effects of
Tympany, I have rarely found evidence of Inflammation within
any of the structures constituting either, the stomach or the
intestines ; while on the contrary, in cases of Gastric Fever,
and in Gastric Laminitis, the mucous membrane of these organs.
is always inflamed to a greater or less extent.

Rupture oF THE Sromagy.—A frequent consequence of
gorged stomach, and one indeed very likely to occur, is Rupture
of the organ. The stomach being gorged with food, and the
bowels being inflated with gas, the production of which is going
on every moment, renders the former extremely liable to this
as a consequence of the force with which the patient comes in
contact with the ground, during those severe paroxysms of pain
already described.

When the stomach is ruptured, it is important to determine
the matter. “There exists,” says Mr. Perciarl, “two cogent rea-
sons for being able to determine the fact when it occurs: the
320 GORGED STOMACH.—TYMPANY.

first is the preservation if not the enhancement of the medical
attendant’s reputation ; and secondly, the saving of expense to
the owner of the patient from the administration of medicine
under.such a combination of hopeless circumstances.”

Symproms.—The symptoms in some instances are peculiar,
and are such as to enable the close observer to determine the
fact at once; while in other cases they are sometimes dubious
and uncertain. When Rupture arises from gorged stomach, it
is not uncommon for the more violent symptoms to suddenly
subside, and for the skin to gradually become dry.

The more common symptoms are as follows :—The patient
crouches, and leans heavily against the wood-work of the stall
or loose box; occasionally the head is elevated, and he curls
the upper lip; he regards the /eft side sometimes impatiently,
and sometimes with a fixed, steady look; he walks round and
round the box; he occasionally stands still, puts forward both
fore-legs, and stretches himself out, as though desirous of
urinating. The eye is dull and listless ; its expression is pecu-
liar ; I cannot exactly describe it, but when once seen it is not
readily forgotten. Occasionally the animal lies down, and rolls
over from one side to the other; when, if the abdomen con-
tains much watery fluid, the act of rolling displaces it, and the
sound elicited in consequence is of a nature readily under-
stood. The hair is generally cool and dry. Sometimes the
rupture takes place at the entrance of the stomach, in which
case the animal will vomit.*

RouprureE or THE DrapHragm.—In cases of gorged
stomach, Rupture of the Diaphragm, attended with an escape

* Vomiting, however, is not to be regarded as pathognomonic of rupture
of the cardiac valve ; in cases of Tympany, it may arise from other causes.
GORGED STOMACH.—TYMPANY. 3821

intestines into the chest, is a result as likely to happen as rap-
ture of the stomach itself; indeed the former occurs more
frequently perhaps of the two. In two cases which have come
under my care I found both these organs ruptured ; but which
organ in either case became ruptured the first I am unable to
state: the probability is, however, that in both, the diaphragm
and the stomach were burst simultaneously. The general
symptoms of Rupture of the Diaphragm in every instance are
very similar to those detailed as present in rupture of the
stomach ; but in all cases where the lesion is attended with an
escape of a portion of the intestines into the chest, there is this
important difference: the breathing is difficult—being short,
catching, and superficial. Whichever side of the chest the intes-
tines may occupy, the lung on that side will be compressed, and
this in turn will partly suppress its respiratory murmur, so that
a careful examination of the chest will perhaps enable the obser-
ver to detect the difference in the murmur between one side
and the other. Sometimes both lungs are compressed from
the same cause, in which case the respiratory murmur of both
organs will necessarily be partly suppressed.

Rupture of the Diaphragm may occur after the death of the
patient ; or it may take place, and the animal live twelve or
fourteen hours after its occurrence; or the stomach may be
ruptured, and the horse live for a like period. These are facts
which I have observed on numerous occasions.

TreatMENT.—The treatment of Gorged Stomach may or
may not be a hopeless task ; this will altogether depend upon
the extent of the engorgement, and the constitutional vigour
of the animal. I have treated numbers of cases where the
attack, from the commencement to the death of the patient,
did not extend over two hours. One case of this nature which

x
322 GORGED STOMACH.—TYMPANY.

came under my care, the disease commenced and the horse died
within the time stated. The weight of the stomach of the
animal in question, together with what it contained, was 4 stones
10 pounds avoirdupois. The contents were all solid: not a drop
of loose moisture was present, although I had given the horse,
when alive, a quantity of liquid.

Now, cases where the stomach is gorged to this extent, are
from the first all but as hopeless as though the organ was rup-
tured. If liquid is poured down the throat, the food within the
organ immediately absorbs it; and this, on many occasions,
may act to the prejudice of the animal.

Tt has been recommended, as the most rational mode of
treatment, to empty the stomach of its contents by means of a
stomach pump ; but the violence of the animal and the dry state
of the ingesta tend alike to render the operation impracticable.

The operation of plunging a trocar into the middle of the
right flank has also been recommended. I have tried it in three
instances, but beyond affording a little temporary relief, I can-
not report in its favour.

The best remedies in general are—Tincture of Capsicum,
Nux Vomica 1, Whiskey, and Tincture of Colocynth.

Tincture of Capsicum.—This is one of the best remedies
we possess for Tympanites. At the commencement of the
treatment, give 2 drachms, by measure, of the strong tincture
in 6 or 8 ounces of water ; afterwards administer it at intervals
of fifteen or twenty minutes, in 2-drachm doses of the Ist dilu-
tion. By a steady perseverance in the use of this remedy I
have repeatedly observed the disease to succumb. Sometimes
I give the first dose mixed with half a pint of Whiskey and
half a pint of cold water.

Nux Vomica 1,—This is also another excellent remedy for
Tympany. I have known it succeed in cases where Capsicum
GORGED STOMACH.—TYMPANY. 3823

appeared inert. Use it in 2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution,
mixed with 4 or 6 ounces of water. It may be repeated at
intervals of fifteen or twenty minutes.

Whiskey.—\ administer Whiskey as a stimulant ; my object
being to rouse the mucous membrane, and if possible, to check
the further secretion of gas. In cases where my patients were
of the large, heavy draught breed, I have given as much as a
pint of the best and strongest spirit I could purchase, mixed
with a quart of hot water; and I afterwards administered Cap-
sicum 1, in 2-drachm doses.

Tincture of Colocynth.—In cases where Tympany super-
venes after the animal has partaken freely of grass, Colocynth
is the best remedy. Use it in 2-drachm doses, mixed with 6 or
8 ounces of water. » The dose may be repeated every twenty or
thirty minutes. It is the best to use the strong tincture to
commence with, and the Ist dilution of the remedy afterwards.

ArreR-TrEaTMENnT.—In cases of excessive severity where
the animal recovers, it is necessary to use the greatest care in
the after-treatment of the patient. Administer gruel mixed
with boiled linseed, as directed at page 112.

Barley Water will also prove an agreeable diluent. Be
sparing of hay, and dry food of any kind,

GASTRITIS.

Stomach Staggers, Symptomatic Phrenitis, Grass Staggers,
and Abdominal Vertigo, are some of the names by which this
disease is known and recognised by the profession in general.

Certain forms of the malady have from time to time appeared
as an epizootic amongst horses. In the year 1846, according to
the statements of Professor Dick and others, it thus prevailed
in Scotland. When existing in the epizootic form it appears,
to a certain extent, to depend upon the heat and dryness of the
324 GASTRITIS.

season. Regarding the disease, however, in its broadest charac-
ter, that is without reference to it strictly as an epizootic, I
may describe it as consisting of an inflammation of the villus
membrane of the stomach, presenting three phases of develop-
ment, viz.—as acute, sub-acute, and chronic Gastritis. The
acute form may pass into the sub-acute; or the disease may
commence as the sub-acute and become acute; or either of
them may become chronic.

Symproms oF Acure Gastritts.-~This form of the disease
is generally present during the hot months of the year. The
attack is sudden, and often appears in animals at grass, as well
as amongst those which are at work and fed upon green food in
the stable.

The earliest symptoms are unsteadiness of the gait: the
animal reels and staggers as though drunk; the countenance is
dull and stupid looking, and the horse appears to those in
attendance as though only half conscious. As the disease
proceeds this unconsciousness becomes more marked; the

‘patient falls to the ground, and there remains, to all appear-
ance, completely powerless; the eyes either present a staring,
fixed look, or the eyelids are closed; the pulse is generally
slow and heaving; and the breathing slow and deep. Some-
times, however, the pulse is quick and irritable, and the breath-
ing hurried ; the bowels are constipated, and the urine scanty.
In this state the patient may remain for several days, and then
(if properly treated) recover; or the unconsciousness and ina-
bility to rise may not continue more than a few hours.

Symptoms oF THE Suzs-acuTz Statz.— The symptoms,”
(to adopt the description given by Blaine,) “frequently first
observed, are of a lethargic character; the horse dozes; takes
little notice of anything around him ; and he will be found often
eating slowly, or alternately masticating and dozing. As the

f
GASTRITIS. 325

‘disease proceeds the congestion within the head increases,
either in consequence of the accumulation of food within the
stomach, or by a translation of the disease to the brain, and
the coma produced causes the horse to press his head against
any fixed object, or to rest it in the manger, or hang it between
his fore legs; occasionally the head is elevated and placed
between the rack staves. If the disease attacks a horse at grass,
he is either found resting his head against a tree, and stupidly
fixed to one spot, or moving with feeble steps in one direction,
which may be either backward, forward, or round-about. The
breathing in the early stage is not materially disturbed; as,
however, the disease advances, it first becomes low and rather
protracted; and when the symptomatic attack on the mem-
branes of the brain has produced phrenitic symptoms, it then
becomes more hurried.

The pulse varies in different cases; sometimes it is oppres-
sed, at other times quickened. Spasmodic twitchings of the
cutaneous muscles wlll be found not uncommon. When the
mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth present a
yellow tinge, biliary suffusion has taken place. Under these
symptoms, unless relief is promptly obtained, either the vital
energy becomes so totally suspended that the animal falls to rise
no more; or the distention ruptures the stomach ; or it pro-
duces such congestion that the patient sinks apoplectic; or is
otherwise worn out by the violence of that phrensy which
results from the disease taking on the form of inflammation of
the membranes of the brain.”’*

Symetoms or THE Curonio Stare.—tThe disease, as I have
previously stated, may commence either in an acute or sub-acute
form, and pass into the chronic; and I may also add, that the

* Blaine’s Veterinary Art, 1841, page 307.
326 GASTRITIS.

chronic form may exist for a long time, and ultimately become
acute, and the patient die.

A horse affected with Chronic Gastritis, so long as he remains
at rest, does not present any symptom by which the disease can
be recognised; he usually feeds and rests well; he may appear
thin in condition, and the hair dry and harsh; but not unfre-
quently the animal affected feeds and rests well, and the hair
lies close to the skin and is glossy ; but if the animal be taken
to work, especially with a full stomach, and be driven quicker
than ordinarily, symptoms of the malady, in all probability, will
speedily become evident. The animal will throw his head wildly
about; the ears will be drawn close to the poll; he will shake °
the head as though stung inside the ear by a bee, or tormented
by a fly ; the eyelids will quiver ; he will press heavily upon the
bit, and the head will be drawn either to the right or to the left
side ; and the horse, unless timely brought to a stand, will rush
unpetuously forward, until he either falls to the ground or is
stopped by some large object, such as a wall or the side of a
house, against which he will lean for some time; after this he
will gradually recover, and afterwards travel forward as though
nothing had happened.

The morbid state of the digestive organs causing the above
symptoms may remain for an indefinite period, especially if the
animal affected be treated with care; but if food be allowed
of an improper kind, or in improper quantities, and the patient
worked without consideration, the acute form of the malady
may speedily supervené, and bad consequences result.

Causrs.—The immediate cause arises from an inflamed
condition of the mucous membrane of the stomach; and this,
in the generality of cases, arises from the presence of improper
food within the organ.
GASTRITIS. 827

“ The disease,”’ says Professor Dick, “ prevails almost entirely
where horses are fed on over-ripe rye grass, whether they are in
the stable or at gaass. It occurs suddenly, and from the hind
limbs being partly paralysed, leads to the belief that the animal
has injured his spine. The symptoms are certainly very anala-
gous; it appears to attack young and old horses indiscrimi-
nately. I have seen it,’ continues the Professor, “in a one-
year-old and in a case where the horse was eighteen years old.
Several horses are generally attacked on the same farm; and
sometimes all the horses in a steading are seized with it. Farm
horses are more liable to it than others; but neither carriage
nor saddle horses are exempt.” The above remarks are true
with reference to the cause of the disease when prevailing as
an epizootic. It may occur, however, in winter, especially in
the sub-acute and chronic forms. The eating of strong coarse
hay, or chopped straw, or clover hay, particularly if over ripe,
and if the stalks are thick and strong; in fact, “ wherever the
woody fibre has a considerable preponderance over the succulent
and more easily digested kinds of food,” Stomach Staggers is
very liable to occur.

Trreatment.—As soon as the disease commences, if practi-
cable, the animal should be placed in a roomy box, well provided
with straw; and where the light which enters the place can be
modified, if glaring or annoying.

Should the violence of the patient be excessive, which is
seldom the case, it will be the best plan to secure the animal
with hobbles.

The best remedies in general are—Aloes, Olive Oil, Nux
Vomica 1, Arsenicum 2, Euphorbium 3, Hot and Cold Water,
and Ice.
328 GASTRITIS.

Hot and Cold Water.—Hot and Cold Water are, in cases of
this nature, remedies of value. Cold water should be applied
to the head by means of coarse cloths, or by fixing a large
sponge suturated with water to the forehead. Ice for this pur-
pose is better than water, but ib cannot at all times be
procured so readily. The application of either the one or the
other should be frequent until convalescence is established.

Hot Water is sometimes of great value if given internally.
I have known it in several cases to speedily remove the gastric
pain. Administer it at the commencement of the disease in
doses of a pint. It may be given at a temperature of 116° or
118° Farenheit.

Aloes.—The administration of a purgative is essential to
rid the digestive organs of the load of matter which they usually
contain. I have known horses thus affected part with long
coarse stalks of rye grass, tares, clover, and hay, for days in suc-
cession. If the patient be a large, coarse-bred animal, give him
a drench as soon after being attacked as possible, consisting of—

Barbadoes Aloes ra 1 ounce.

Water died 1 pint.
Should this fail to produce a free action of the bowels within
twelve or fourteen hours after being given, administer a second
draught, containing half the quantity of Aloes.

Purgation will be hastened by giving the patient from a
pint to a quart of tepid water every hour.

Olive Oil.—I have administered Olive Oil as a covering
or protection to the mucous membrane of the stomach and
intestines, against the attrition arising from the action of the
coarse stalks of rye grass, tares, or hay upon it. Give half a
pint for a dose. It is seldom necessary to repeat the oil.
Olive oil is perhaps the least nauseating in its effects of any
other kind which could be selected.

‘
COLIC. 329

Nuz Vomica 1 and 2.—At the commencement of the disease,
use this remedy of the 1st dilution, and give it in 2-drachm
doses. The dose to be repeated once, twice, or thrice, daily, or
even more frequently if necessary. Its repetition will depend
upon the urgency of the case.

‘When purging is established, it is better to withhold all
medicine until the action of the Aloes has to some extent
subsided; after which use the Nux of the 2nd dilution in
2-drachm doses.

Euphorbiwm 3.—In two or three cases of the chronic form
of this malady, I have given Euphorbium with the best effects.
Use the remedy of the 8rd dilution in 2-drachm doses, mixed
each time with 6 or 8 ounces of water. It may either be given
alone or in alternation with Nux Vomica 2, or Arsenicum 2.

Diet.—The diet of the patient in every form of this disease
will constitute an important item in its treatment. It will be
utterly impossible to cure the malady unless the organ diseased
be placed in a state of rest, or under circumstances favourable
to its rest. The diet should consist of milk and water, or of
boiled sago, or of bread and milk. See Section V1., Page 108.

COLIC.

Colic is a common malady, and consequently one familiar
to most people who own horses. It is a very painful disease
while it continues; and if neglected or improperly treated, it is
prone to terminate in one or more of the many forms of inflam-
matory disease to which the digestive organs are so liable.

Colic is presented in a variety of forms, all of which agree
in certain essentials, but differ materially in others. Their
differences I shall endeavour to fully indicate, especially in
enumerating the medicines which relate to its proper treatment.
330 COLIC.

Symproms.—In the generality of cases of Colic the animal
is suddenly attacked with acute pain in the bowels; the patient
crouches, stamps with the feet violently upon the ground; kicks
the abdomen with the hind feet, or throws himself down and
rolls over. The pulse at first is seldom quickened ; the breath-
ing is sometimes short and hurried. In this state the patient
will usually continue for a few minutes, when a cessation of the
pain occurs and the horse for a like period is quiet ; after which
the pain returns with perhaps even greater severity than before.
As the disease goes on it either slowly subsides or it takes on
greater intensity; the patient rolls and tumbles with greater
violence; large patches of perspiration break out upon several
parts of the body—such as the sides, under the abdomen, upon
the haunches, and between the hind limbs.

A second form of the malady is where the above symptoms
are present, but in a modified form, attended with a manifesta-
tion as though desirous to urinate ; the fore limbs are advanced,
the body stretched forth, and the tail is erected. In this posi-
tion the horse may remain for two or three minutes at a time,
with the head either elevated or the nose turned either towards
the right or the left flank, which is regarded with a fixed, earnest
look; the position is then changed, and he commences to paw
afresh, and to roll upon the ground.

In a third form, the abdomen is tense, attended with a rum-
bling of the bowels, the emission of flatulence, accompanied by
the animal occasionally dropping small portions of dung. This
is a form which partakes more of Tympany than general Colic.*

In a fourth variety of this affection the patient does not
manifest any symptoms of a violent character. The pains
which occasionally become intense are generally mild and slow ;
the animal sometimes crouches, and regards its side with a dull,

* Sce Article Tympany, page 317.

angen
Q

COLIC. 831

heavy, indifferent look for two or three minutes at a time, then
deliberately lies down and rests, or may roll over once or twice
in alanguid manner, and afterwards rest for more than an hour
at a time, to all appearance free from pain. In this state the
patient may continue for two or three days, or even longer,
never exhibiting any particular violence, nor breaking out into
a, perspiration, and without the pulse being disturbed.

PatHognomonio Symproms or Conic.—Violent pain, of
a remittent character, which is clearly referable to the bowels,
and which causes the patient to lie down and roll upon the ground.

Causzs.—The causes of Colic are numerous. From a
number of others I may enumerate the following as the most
common :—sudden changes of the diet, as from grass to dry
food, or from dry food to grass; musty. corn; the eating of
short grass when covered with hoar frost; also, allowing the
horse to eat short grass, which has been some time mown and
allowed to ferment prior to its being used as fodder ; allowing
the horse to drink greedily of cold water when the body is hot
and perspiring. Greedy feeding horses are very liable to
dangerous attacks of Colic, especially if they are liberally fed
immediately after being brought from severe and long continued
labour. Numbers of horses are constitutionally predisposed to
the disease, and become affected from causes which to all appear-
ance are of a trifling nature.

The fourth form of the malady, herein described, generally
arises from an accumulation of chopped straw within the large
intestines. In numerous cases, Colic may arise from causes
which cannot be ascertained with any degree of certainty. “

Trratment.— The best remedies in general for Colic, are—
Aconite -¢ and 1, Nux Vomica -¢ and 1, Veratrum 1, Cantha-
332 coLic.

rides 1, Capsicum 1, Hot Water, Aloes, Chloroform, and
Colocynthis.

Aconite -o- and 1.—This remedy, in my opinion, will aid
in the cure of at least sixteen cases of genuine Colic out of
every twenty.*

Its use is indicated when the pain is not accompanied with
symptoms of Tympany, and where the skin is more or less
covered with perspiration.

Great care is necessary in diluting it freely with water, and
in not giving it in over-doses ; otherwise it will produce frothing
of the mouth of the patient, and momentary acts of swallowing,
and other symptoms of a painful character.

Use the remedy of the 1st dilution in 2-drachm doses,
mixed with 8 ounces of cold water. If the strong tincture be
used instead, 10 drops of it will be sufficient for a dose, mixed
in a like quautity of water. The dose, if necessary, should be
repeated in twenty or thirty minutes after its administration in
the first instance.

Nuzx Vomica 3 and 1.—Nux Vomica is indicated when
flatulence is present; when rumbling sounds within the abdo-
men are heard; when the pain is of a slow, strong, girding
character; and also when the disease may be fairly attributed
to a change of diet. Use it in doses of 2 or 8 drachms of the
Ist dilution, or in doses of 10 or 20 drops of the -¢ tincture,
mixed with 6 or 8 ounces of water. This remedy may either
be used alone, or in alternation with Aconite.

Veratrum 1.—This remedy will prove valuable on nume-
rous occasions when Aconite or Nux Vomica may have failed
to benefit the patient. Its use is indicated when the case is
tedious ; when the skin, especially that of the head, is covered

* The Tincture of Aconite, which is made from the root of the loon, | is
the most certain in its effects.
‘COLIC. 333

with a cold perspiration ; and when the animal is purged.
Use it of the 1st dilution, in 2-drachm doses, mixed with 4 or
5 ounces of water. It may either be given alone, or in alter-
nation with Aconite, or with Nux Vomica.

Cantharides 2.—Cantharides is a remedy indicated when the
bladder is irritated, with or without spasm of the organ. The
symptoms which betoken its use are—where the animal fre-
quently urinates, or frequently attempts to do so. Use it of
the 2nd dilution, in 2-drachm doses, mixed with 3 or 4 ounces
of water. Nux Vomica, on some occasions, will answer to a
similar form of the malady.

Capsicum 1,—This remedy is indicated in those forms of
the disease where the belly is tympanitic. For every direction
as to its use, dose, and other particulars, see Capsicum, article
“Tympany,” page 322.

Barbadoes Aloes——A purgative is necessary where the
malady arises from an accumulation of chopped hay or straw
(see form of Colic No. 4) within the large bowels. I have
known the administration of a purgative, in cases of this kind,
to bring away immense quantities of chopped straw in pieces
of about half an inch in length. The kind of diet given to the
patient up to the time of the attack, together with the slow
form of the disease, are facts indicative of the character of the
derangement, and of the proper course to pursue.

The size of the purgative dose will to some extent depend
on the size and breed of the patient. A large-sized horse will
require 8 or 10 drachms of the drug ; administer it in the form
of a ball. If purging should not supervene within twelve or
fourteen hours after giving the ball, 4 drachms more of the
remedy may be administered. Linseed Oil, in doses of .a pint,
is sometimes a valuable adjunct in these cases.
834 ENTERITIS.

The animal should be dosed with warm thin gruel, or small
quantities of lukewarm water frequently given. Warm drinks
hasten the action of purgatives.

Colocynthis 1.—This remedy I have found valuable in
numerous cases of Colic, arising from the animal having partaken
of grass. Use it in doses of 3 drachms of the 1st dilution,
mixed with 4 or 5 ounces of water.

Should the disease be ,attended with Tympany, alternate
Colocynthis with Capsicum 1. Sometimes it is necessary to
administer a 6-drachm purgative ball in cases of Grass Colic
before relief is permanently obtained.

Chloroform,—The value of Chloroform, as a sedative, is
too well known to need any further exposition of the fact in
these pages. Should the disease be very acute, and obstinate
in its continuance, have recourse to Chloroform. Give 60 drops
for a dose, and administer it in 4 or 6 ounces of cold thin
flour gruel.

Hot Water.—Hot water is a capital remedy in Colic; and
it will sometimes produce the desired effect when every pre-
viously tried remedy upon the case may have failed. Use it in
doses of a pint, at a temperature of about 110° Fahrenheit.

Aun injection of Hot Water, at the above-named temperature,
‘will often prove serviceable.

ENTERITIS.
[INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS.]

Enteritis is one of the most dangerous forms of disease to
which animals are subject; it is a malady of common occur-
rence, and horses of almost every age are liable to suffer from
its effects. It is, perhaps, most prevalent during the existence
of very wet and cold weather.
ENTERITIS. 335

Enteritis, when once established, cannot be cut down as it
were ata stroke. ‘In spite of all at present known to the con-
trary, it will, for a time, pursue a well marked course.

It is essentially a violent form of disease; and this vio-
lence is so palpable to the observer, that he is led almost
instinctively to adopt measures for its removal which are hasty
and violent also. Hence has arisen the belief in the necessity
to resort to those fearful bleedings and enormous doses of
medicine, which are so frequently and destructively applied to
effect its extinction.

Its treatment requires, on the part of the practitioner,
great judgment, energy, decision, and unwearied patience. He
has to cope with a foe which is destructive and dangerous in
the extreme—dangerous because destructive. Indeed, Enteritis,
Pneumonia, and Tetanus are diseases which, perhaps more than
all others, require the medical attendant to direct his curative
skill to allay morbid irritation within the tissues affected, and at
the same time to economise and support the life powers of the
patient to the utmost extent possible.

The treatment which I shall recommend may appear (espe-
cially to those who are wedded to the old methods) altogether
inadequate. Strict attention, however, to its principles will
soon enable the thinking and judicious practitioner to discover
its value.

Symproms.—The disease rarely commences suddenly: the
animal attacked will, in all probability, have been unwell for
ten or twelve hours before the more violent symptoms are
manifested. Very likely the horse will have refused his food,
and occasionally breathed a little hurriedly ; the eyes may have
presented a dull, anxious look: the coat may have been staring
and pen-feathered, the mouth dry, the pulse accelerated ; and
336 ENTERITIS.

if the animal be ridden or driven during the incubation of the
disease, his movements will have been heavy and slow. The
state now described may be regarded as the first or incubating
stage of the disease.

The second stage of the disease is the one which is usually
regarded as the first. The character of the malady now
becomes manifest, and its warnings are neither to be longer
overlooked nor disregarded. It generally sets in by the animal
being attacked with a shivering fit, accompanied with restless-
ness and a hurried state of the breathing. The patient paws
the ground, crouches, looks round impatiently at his sides, lies
down, and rolls over. The pulse generally beats from 70 to 80,
and is depressed; the skin becomes hot and suffused with per-
spiration ; the extremities are cold, but soon acquire a fine,
clear, glossy appearance; the abdomen presents a tightened or
contracted appearance; the bowels are constipated, and the
urinary secretion suppressed; the nostrils are expanded, and
angry-looking within; the eyes present either an inanimate
look, or a bright and glistening but anxious aspect. Sometimes
the skin is covered with sour-smelling perspiration ; the belly
is hot, and tender upon pressure. The animal seldom or ever,
during this stage of the disease exhibits a complete cessation
of pain, but appears to obtain the most relief when laid upon
his back, with the hind and fore limbs completely flexed. In
this condition the patient may remain for many hours, and
during that time the disease may vary but little in intensity ;
or it may continue, and gradually pass into the third stage,
which speedily terminates in the death of the animal.

The ¢hird stage is marked by the excessive general weakness
of the patient; the pulse either ceases to beat, or it becomes
thready, and all but imperceptible: the skin is covered with a
cold perspiration ; the pain may either cease entirely, or continue
ENTERITIS. 337

more or less to the end. The body and limbs are cold; the
respirations are short and hurried, and the breath is cold; the
head is held low; the ears are drooping ; the mouth cold and
frothy. If the animal be made to shift his position he staggers
from side to side; the joints suddenly relax ; the muscles become
loose and jactinating; and at last the poor beast falls heavily,
struggles convulsively for a few moments, and dies.

Parnoenomonic Symproms.—Pain of an unceasing cha-
racter, referrible to the bowels, and which causes the animat to
manifest more or less unceasing violence during the existence of
the disease. The muscular walls of the abdomen are contracted,
and the abdomen is tender upon pressure.

Catsrs.—The causes of Enteritis are numerous. A few of
the principal I shall enumerate—working the horse beyond his
natural powers during a cold wet day, and afterwards allowing
the animal, while thus exhausted, to stand in a cold draught;
suddenly changing the diet, especially from a poor to a rich one:
the dislodgement from their old matrix of foreign bodies
which may exist within the intestines, such as dust balls, or large
calculous concretions ; strangulated hernia, either at the scrotum,
the navel, or any other part of the abdomen; colic producing
introsusception, inversion, or involution of the bowels; the
presence of a large number of worms within the intestines; and
I may add, the repeated administration of large doses of opium,
either to cure Broken Wind or Chronic Cough, or as an experi-
ment to test its effects.*

TreatmemMtT.—I enter now upon the consideration of the
most important part of the business, viz.—the treatment of

I have treated three cases of Enteritis arising from this cause, one of
which the reader will find detajled in the Veterinarian for 1849, page 309.

¥
338 ENTERITIS.

Enteritis; before, however, detailing all that I consider neces-
sary with reference to its medical aid, it is icumbent upon me
to direct attention to other matters of great importance not
only to the patient, but to the professional reputation of the
veterinarian also.

I.—The patient should have plenty of room: a roomy
box is indispensable to animals affected with Enteritis.

II.—The box should be well provided with straw; other-
wise the animal, by its violence, may irreparably injure itself.

ITI.—The practitioner should have plenty of material in
readiness ; and by this I mean woollen clothing, consisting of
sheets ; also an abundance of hot water. The medicines
should also be ready at hand.

IV.—Prior to the administration of medicine the practi-
tioner should very carefully examine every part of the abdomen
and the scrotum of the patient for rupture or strangulation
of the bowels. It is useless to give medicine with the expec-
tation of it affording relief to the animal if any portion of the
bowels are strangulated. Some horses have at all times a
protrusion of intestine either at the scrotum or at the navel,—
a protrusion which may be so small as to escape the notice of
ordinary observers; but which, if present, would be unpar-
donable if not discovered by the veterinary surgeon.

The symptoms by which strangulated bowel is known, and
which, in fact, are pathognomonic of it, are prominence and
unnatural heat of the skin at the part; the elastic, but yet firm
and hard state of the swelling ; and its tenderness upon pressure.
ENTERITIS. 839

Hernia may be present and the protruding bowel may not
be inflamed. This is easy to determine. The soft state of the
hernia, and the ready disappearance of the bowel from steady,
gentle pressure of the hand, are demonstrative proofs that the
intestine is not strangulated.*

V.—When strangulation of the bowel exists, it should,
if possible, be relieved, otherwise the patient will die. Assum-
ing, then, that it does exist, either within the scrotum or at
the navel, and that its reduction is imperative, the operator
should proceed as follows :—Ist, while the patient is laid upon
the straw hobble his limbs, and turn the animal upon his
back, and by the aid of assistants, and bundles of straw
properly placed against the sides, keep him there; next elevate
the hind quarters of the horse by lifting them up, and by
placing small compact trusses of straw beneath; then flex the
hind limbs, and if possible, maintain them in that position ;
then grasp the protruding skin firmly and steadily, and try if
gentle manipulation upon the bowel will return it. Should
this method fail, the operator must strip off his coat and bare
his arms, and after lubricating them well with olive oil, and
emptying the rectum of its contents, he should again pass
one hand and arm far within the gut, while with the other he
manipulates upon the bowel externally, and thus by operating
within and without at the same time, he may succeed better
than by the first: process. Sometimes, however, the bowel is
hard and unyielding, and to use greater force might rupture
it; in which case the patient should be rendered insensible,
either with chloroform or by bleeding until faintness super-
venes. If the animal be strong, its condition high, and pain

* T take it for granted, if the animal be a stallion, that the observer will
know the difference between the testicle and a protrusion of the bowel.
340 ENTERITIS.

excessive, and the struggles violent, bleeding will be best.
The administration of chloroform when the system is in great
commotion, and the life powers vigorous, would be attended
with considerable danger; the animal might rupture a large
blood vessel or the diaphragm, either of which would result
in the death of the horse. My advice is (if the patient be
as I have described) to unloose the hobbles, and allow him
to rise, and while upon his feet, to abstract blood from the
neck until the pulse falters, after which allow him to again
go down, and during that complete relaxation of the system
which arises from fainting, the efforts to return the intestine
should be renewed.

VI.—In elevating the hind quarters, avoid forcing the
animal all of a heap.

VII.—Before returning the bowel, empty the rectum, and
give careful attention to every little circumstance which will
prove favourable to the success of the operation.

VIII.—While attempting the operation, maintain the
hind limbs of the patient flexed to the utmost extent possible ;
but if this cannot be done in consequence of the struggles of
the animal, free one limb from the hobbles, and by means
of a web or a soft rope, pull the limb aside, or forward,
or backward, as necessity may require; by these means the
operator will procure all the space within the belly, and all
the laxity of its muscles which it is possible under the cir-
cumstances to obtain.

By one or other of the modes now described, I have in every
case of Inflammation arising from strangulated bowel which has
come under my care succeeded in affording relief to the patient.
i, ENTERITIS. 341

The best remedies against Enteritis in general are—
Aconite 1, Arsenicum 2, Bryonia 1, Rhus Toxicodendron 1,
and Hot Water. After detailing the common principles with
reference to the application of these medicines in Enteritis, I
shall proceed to discuss the questions of bleeding, and the use
of sedatives in this disease.

Aconite 1.— Hot Water.—Aconite is a remedy upon which
I place great reliance in diseases of the character at present
under consideration. Use it of the 1st dilution in drachm doses,
mixed with 4 or 5 ounces of water, and repeat it every fifteen
minutes. Aconite given as directed, and hot water applied
almost ad libitum to the body of the patient externally, and
occasionally in doses of a pint internally, will constitute the
principal treatment for at least two or three hours at the com-
mencement. _

Enteritis, as I have before stated, in spite of treatment of
every known kind, will in the generality of cases “have a dash’’
as it were at the patient. The want of a knowledge of this fact
has led to the death of hundreds of horses. Instead of the
veterinary surgeon carefully watching his patient, and by the
aid of simple agents striving to support the animal until the
vital energies are enabled to rally from the savage onslaught
made upon them, he has fallen into the fatal error of bleeding
to excess at the commencement of the disease, and then storing
the animal, to use a couplet from Hudibras,

 

es ‘With deletery med’cines,
Which whosoever took is dead since,—”

that I can scarcely write in terms of sufficient force to warn
men from committing similar errors in future. The skilful
general never risks his all upon a single venture ; he economises
his power until the right moment, and then he attacks the
enemy with an unsparing hand, and utterly annihilates him.
3842, ENTERITIS.

It is bad practice, I contend, to bring all our therapeutical force
to bear upon a violent disease like the present at its onset ;
because, if we fail to extinguish it, we have not only exhausted
our means, but, in all probability, committed an irreparable
mischief. Excessive bleedings weaken the life force, which, let
it never be forgotten, is the real and only healing power'; while
large doses of medicine, if they do not act to the good of the
patient, will unquestionably harm it. Bleeding, although very
rarely necessary, yet (as a rule) in every form of acute disease,
should never be resorted to at the commencement.

The proper remedies to use at the onset are those which,
though failing to act beneficially, will not be productive of injury.
Hot Water is a remedy of this character, but the administrator
must be careful not to scald the animal. Water, at the tem-
perature of 114° to 116° Fahrenheit, may be applied to the
body externally, or given with safety either as a drench or as
an injection, at a temperature of 112° to 116°.*

To apply Hot Water in a sufficient quantity topically, two
or three woollen rugs are required, and a large vessel to contain
the water. The rugs should be steeped in the water, the loose
fluid then wrung out, and while hot, the cloths should be closely
and ‘compactly applied around the abdomen, and made secure
to the body by means of an article constructed as shewn by the
engraving on the opposite page.

Bopy Sacxine.—This article is made of strong sacking,
to which is firmly attached a number of leather straps, each
strap having a buckle fixed to one end. By this simple con-
trivance, sheets dipped in hot water can be firmly retained to
the body of the animal without fear of displacement, however
violent the patient.

* For accuracy, every stable should be provided with a Fahrenheit’s
thermometer, purposely constructed to test the temperature of hot liquids.
ENTERITIS. 343

In constructing the Body Sacking, observe the following
essentials in its arrangement :—

aaa
4

 

Fig, 22.

I.—Its form when buckled: upon the body should accu-
rately correspond to the form of the body of the horse.

II.—It should be eight or ten inches longer than the
circumference of the body of a large-sized horse, to afford
sufficient space for the wet rug, when applied to the body of
the patient.

JII.—The straps should be two, or two-and-a-half inches
in width, and of considerable strength.

IV.—The straps should traverse the entire length of the
sacking, being stitched thereto a little over half their length.
The straps should have so much freedom of end as to allow
of the ends of the Body Sacking folding over, should the
patient be a small-sized animal ; by which means it can be as
tightly buckled as though it were fixed to a large-bodied
314 ENTERITIS.

patient. Six straps are figured in the engraving; but seven
or eight may be fixed to the article if necessary. The straps
should not be more than three inches apart.

Arsenicum 2.—Bryonia 1.—In having recourse to these
remedies, they may either be used in alternation, alone, or either
the one or the other may be alternated with Aconite. Use the
2nd dilution of Arsenicum in 2-drachm doses, mixed with 2 or
3 ounces of water. Use the Bryonia of the 1st dilution in
2-drachm doses, mixed with 2 or 8 ounces of water.

Sometimes Rhus Toxicodendron may be substituted for
Bryonia; use it in 2-drachm doses of the Ist dilution, in 2 or
3 ounces of water. Whilst using these remedies, however, the
practitioner should exercise patience ; a disease of so violent a
character as Enteritis cannot be dealt with ina moment. Let
the practitioner persevere and learn to wait.

Bleeding.—Sedatives.—Purgatives—Having detailed the
modes of cure which I generally pursue with those cases of
Enteritis entrusted to my care, I pass to the consideration of
the propriety of bleeding, and the administration of sedatives
and purgatives.

Bleeding, accompanied by the use of sedatives, for the cure
of this disease, are practices which have the assent of ages ; the
question, therefore, very naturally arises—is it necessary to have
recourse to either one or the other? My reply is (and I write
from experience of an extensive kind), that at times, and under
circumstances of a peculiar nature, both will be found of value;
but the difficulties are in learning to know the times and cireum-
stances which warrant the veterinary surgeon in resorting to
their aid. To do so at the very commencement of the disease
I have clearly shewn to be bad practice. Let us endeavour to
ascertain what condition of the patient will indicate to us the
necessity for their use.
ENTERITIS. 345

During the continuance of the disease I carefully observe
the pulse. At the onset it is always depressed, and somewhat
feeble; and so long as these peculiarities continue I steadily
pursue the course already laid down, and in numbers of cases I
have done so for four or five hours in succession, when at the
end of that time, if the animal was not relieved, the pulse
continued equally rapid, but stronger and harder, associated
with a fretful, irritable state of the patient. I remove the hot
water rugs, have the patient well scraped; and if after ten or
fifteen minutes I find matters to remain as they were, I bleed
without further delay. The quantity of blood to abstract will
depend upon the change produced in the action of the artery.
I allow the blood to flow until the beating of the pulse is softer
and fuller. The body is next clothed with light but comfortable
clothing, and I proceed to administer a Sedative. The one I
usually choose for this purpose is the Tincture of Opium. The
size of the dose will depend upon the size and breed of the
patient: I rarely, however, under the circumstances, give less
than 3 ounces by measures, or to very large-sized horses, more
than 4 ounces for a dose. The effects which generally succeed
are marvellous ; the patient speedily becomes quiet, the surface
of the skin becomes dry, and the animal lies down and remains
at rest for hours in succession.

Should this state of repose supervene, every attention should
be given to the warmth of the patient. To allow the tempera-
ture of the body to fall considerably might prove destructive to
the life of the animal. The veterinary attendant ought there-
fore to look well to this matter.

.Purgatives.—-I very rarely administer purgatives to animals
affected with Enteritis, unless the disease arises from the patient
having partaken of short sour grass, or food of that cha-
racter. In cases of this kind a purgative is necessary to rid
346 ACUTE DIARRHGA.

the intestines of what otherwise, in all probability, would prove
a continuous cause of the malady. A purgative will irritate
the bowels ; and living tissues, when inflamed, should have rest—
rest being one of the primary conditions of cure.

Diret.—The dietetic management relates more to the after-
treatment. An excellent rule is to keep the patient hungry
until the convalescent stage is fairly over. Feed the animal
upon boiled milk and bread, or upon the gruel mixture treated
upon at pages 68 and 73.* A small portion of corn, well-cooked,
and given in combination with bran, may also be allowed.

The clothing should be regulated according to the breed of
the animal, the season of the year, and the comforts which sur-
round him. For other particulars relating to these matters, see
Section VI., Page 108.

ACUTE DIARRHGA.

Acute Diarrheea is a disease which generally prevails during
the spring and summer months; it is, however. occasionally
observed at other times. Its tendency, if improperly treated,
or otherwise mismanaged, is to terminate fatally, and that too
with a rapidity which is truly amazing; nevertheless, if treated
in time and properly, and the subjects of it kept quiet, it will
generally be found a very manageable disease.

Symproms.—The disease, in the generality of cases, com-
mences whilst the animal is travelling—he begins to purge, and
the motion which the body necessarily experiences during pro-
gression materially augments this purging, until at last, from
its violent continuance, he is obliged to be stopped and left
at rest. At this stage of the disease the animal is in a state of
considerable danger. The pulse will either be extremely feeble

* See Note, page 68.
ACUTE DIARRH@A. ‘ 847

and thready, or totally suppressed, or perhaps a single thread-
like beat can be felt now and then; the respirations will be quick
and short, at times running from 50 to 60 per minute; the
surface of the body will either be totally suffused with a cold
perspiration, or it will be present in large patches upon the
body, the neck, the sides, the limbs, and the quarters, and these
patches will not be merely damp but the perspiration will be
excessive ; the limbs and the ears will be cold; sometimes con-
siderable pain will be present in the bowels; the animal will roll
violently upon the ground, look round at his sides, and the
countenance will express great anxiety. In other cases little
or no pain is manifested in the bowels, save now and then, as
it were, a wandering kind of pain, which is only observed for a
few moments. The purging, unless stopped by judicious treat-
ment, will continue unabated, and the fecal matter which is
occasionally parted with is almost incredible—the body of the
patient literally dissolves away before the eyes of the observer,
and from being perhaps a bulky horse, he suddenly becomes
thin and sunk exceedingly in his general condition; the mouth
and tongue are covered with a soapy deposit, from which a
sour smell is emitted.

The next stage of the disease is that of delirium; the eye
takes on a wild appearance, he staggers and rolls as though
drunk ; the head is held close to the ground, the neck is placed
in contact with the bottom of the manger, against which the
horse will push with all his strength, at the same time paddling
with the hind feet, and every now and then giving vent to wild_
sounding neighs; the breath will also have become cold, and it
is only with the greatest exertion that he can be got into another
position. In this state he may continue for an hour or two;
at last he falls, struggles violently for a short time, neighs,
and dies.
348 ACUTE DIARRH@A.

When the disease reaches this latter stage the case may be
regarded as hopeless. The immense quantity of semi-fluid mat-
ter which comes from the intestines is for the most part a
secretion from the mucous membrane of those organs; and this
secretion, be it remembered, is principally supplied from the
blood; the body, therefore (unless the morbid action be checked)
speedily becomes drained of its serum, and in consequence of
the blood not being able to flow through its proper channels,
for want of its serum, its more solid constituents accumulate
within the lungs, and these organs rapidly become congested,
and thus are unable to purify the sanguineous fluid necessary
to meet the requirements of the organism. Hence the brain,
and every other part, loses its natural stimulus, and the uncon-
scious wildness which supervenes becomes in a great measure
accounted for; hence, also, the utter hopelessness of the case,
and the speedy death of the patient.

PatHoenomonic Symeroms.—Purging, which generally
commences suddenly, is attended with pain, and which is aggra-
vated by labour.

Causrs.—The causes are numerous, but the most common
are—giving the horse green food in large quantities, and after-
wards driving or riding him a long distance, either during the
prevalence of hot or very wet and cold weather ; allowing the
animal to drink freely of cold water whilst freely perspiring ;
allowing the animal to drink immediately after eating corn,
such as oats or split beans. By drinking water immediately
after eating corn, a quantity of rough undigested food is washed
into the intestines, where, by its mere mechanical irritation
upon the mucous surface, purging is easily produced. I have
known it thus caused in many instances. The proper mode in
feeding, is always to give the water before the corn. Riding or
ACUTE DIARRIUGA. 349

driving the animal very fast for a considerable distance when
the stomach is filled with food; suddenly changing the diet,
particularly if to a kind of food which the animal seldom or
ever partakes ; subjecting him to cold draughts after riding or
driving him for a distance; and lastly, some horses, from the
nature of their constitution, are predisposed to diarrhoea: such
are the kind termed washy horses.

TREATMENT.— Without rest medicine will prove of little or
no avail in this disease; if possible, then, place the patient in a
comfortable box, well littered with dry straw.

The best remedies in general for this affection are—Vera-
trum -¢- and 1, Camphor, Sesquichloride of Iron and China.

Veratrum 6 and 1—It is best to commence at once with
this remedy by giving 2 drachms of the - tincture in 5 or 6
ounces of tepid water, after which, use the medicine in 2-drachm
doses of the 1st dilution: it may be repeated every fifteen or
thirty minutes according to the urgency of the symptoms. It
is rarely, however, that more than two or three doses of the
drug are required.

Camphor.—Camphor is sometimes necessary, and succeeds
when Veratrum may have failed to produce the desired effect.
It may either be given alone or used in alternation with Vera-
trum. Give it in half-drachm doses, mixed with 6 or 8 ounces
of weak whiskey and water.

Sesquichloride of Iron and Tincture of China -o-.—These
are to be given when recovery is fully established. Give
the Sesquichloride of Iron in 2-drachm doses every morning,
mixed with 6 ounces of water; and 3 drachms of the tincture
of China every night in a like quantity of water. These medi-
cines may be repeated morning and eyening as directed for five
or six days in succession.
350 ACUTE DIARRH@A.

Diet anp Arter-TreatmEnt.— When the violence of the
attack has subsided, and all immediate danger is warded off,
great care will be required in the after-treatment of the animal.
The patient should be kept as still as possible; he should be
warmly clothed, and allowed to drink freely of gruel, made as
described at pages 68 and 73; rice-water may be also allowed ;
or rice-water and milk ; also boiled rice, or sago and milk; also
aired water, and occasionally a draught or two of cold water,
which at times will prove peculiarly refreshing. His diet should
consist of boiled grain—such as oats, or barley, mixed with
bran and boiled linseed ; carrots will also be relished if they
should happen to be in season.

Many individuals commit the error of having recourse to
dry food in cases of this kind, of which nothing could be more
injurious—its very presence upon the debilitated and irritated
mucous membrane of the bowels will greatly tend to keep up
the diseased action which but so recently prevailed. Let the
food, therefore, be soft, soothing, and nutritious in its nature.
It is seldom that the patient (if the attack has been a severe
one) will be ready for work in less than six or eight days; at
least, however well he may appear, I would recommend that he
be kept from all laborious work for that period of time. For
further particulars respecting diet, see Section VI., Page 108.

SUB-ACUTE AND CHRONIC DIARRHGA.

This form of Diarrhoea is not common, unless the occasional
purging which is manifested by what is termed a “ Washy
Horse” be considered to come under the present arrangement.
When existing, it betokens either constitutional feebleness of
the animal affected, or a bad state of the organism. Large-
sized, flat-sided horses, are most frequently affected by it;
/
SUB-ACUTE AND CHRONIC DIARRH@A. 351

and its tendency, if neglected or improperly treated, is to
terminate in dysentery ; and sometimes (though rarely) in
Farcy or Glanders.

Symptoms.—The most conspicuous symptom of the disease
is that of the animal purging fecal matters, which are either
of a dirty brown colour, semi-fluid, and generally without
effluvium of an offensive character ; or semi-fluid, clay-coloured,
and emitting an effluvium not unlike that proceeding from
rotten eggs. The appetite may be good, or it may not— usually
it is the former; but however regular and large the consump-
tion of food, the animal is so weak as to be incapable of long
continued exertion, either for saddle, harness, or draught
purposes.

As the malady continues, the patient becomes slowly
reduced in condition; the appetite fails—the limbs swell—a
cough supervenes ; and in some cases Farcy and Glanders may
appear, and the animal becomes a loathsome object.

Causrs.—Horses of delicate constitutional vigour are prone
to this disease, which may be excited by causes of a trifling
nature. Improper food, or food not properly prepared, is one
cause. The long-continued application of cold and wet to the
skin. Allowing the animal to drink freely of water soon after
being fed, thereby washing the undigested food into the intes-
tines—which, irritating the mucous surfaces, gives rise to
Diarrhea. The last named is a very common cause, and one
readily obviated.

TREATMENT.—The best remedies, in general are—Barbadoes
Aloes, Veratrum 1, Camphor, Sesquichloride of Iron, aud
China.
352 SUB-ACUTE AND CHRONIC DIARRH@A.

Barbadoes Aloes.—It is best to commence with a purga-
tive ball, the strength of which should be regulated by the
size aud breed of the patient; from 4 to 6 drachms of the
drug, made into a ball, will usually constitute the minimum or
the maximum dose.

Veratrum and Camphor.—After the subsidence of the action
of the purgative, recourse should be had to Veratrum and
Camphor. Give them in alternation, morning, noon, and night
—the Veratrum in 2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed
with 6 or 8 ounces of tepid water; and the Camphor in
30 grain doses, mixed with a little whiskey and water.

Sesquichloride of LIron.—Tincture of China.—Give these
remedies as directed at page 349.

Dizt.—The diet of the patient should undergo a thorough
scrutiny. Has the animal naturally tender bowels? Is the
regular food unsuitable? Many horses of this kind cannot be
made-to thrive upon dry food; their diet should be carefully
prepared, and given soft and wet. During the existence of the
diarrhea, the food of the patient should consist of boiled milk
and boiled bread, boiled rice, rice-water and milk, gruel,
and occasionally milk and eggs. When convalescence is
established, boiled barley, mixed with bran, and boiled linseed
may be allowed; or a little malt; or a few carrots, if in season ;
or a few boiled turnips,

The teeth of the patient should also be examined.

Avoid having recourse to dry food. Dry food given to
the patient will make the disease worse. It irritates the
mucous membrane of the intestines.

For further instructions respecting the diet of the patient,
see Section VI., page 108.
353

SUPERPURGATION.

Superpurgation, or over-excitement of the intestines from
the undue action of purgative medicine, is a condition of the
bowels which the veterinary surgeon is frequently called upon
to treat.

The symptoms, associated with the action of a purgative
upon the bowels, are--quickened rate of the pulse, attended
with a partial but temporary loss of its force ; the breathing is

also a little hurried: this is the most conspicuous when purging ©

is about to commence; and the animal is nauseated. If the
purging, however, does not go on to an undue extent, these
symptoms soon subside—the pulse becomes normal, and the
nausea is succeeded by a desire on the part of the animal for
food; but should the animal be of a weak constitution, or be
taken out of the stable and ridden or driven a considerable
distance while the purging continues, or taken out too soon
after what is called the “setting” of the physic, or if the pur-
gative dose be too powerful in the first instance, or if two or
more of these circumstances or causes act in association, the
purging will in all probability become excessive, and the life of
the animal may be placed in danger. Purging may continue for
a long time ; but so long as the patient is kept quiet in the stable,
so long as the appetite remains good, and the pulse maintains
its regular, slow, and round beat, little or no danger need be
apprehended; but if the appetite fail, if the pulse becomes
thready, and the patient weak, it behoves the owner to act with
promptness. .

“The following symptoms,” says that excellent observer,
John Field, “indicate the violent and too long continued action
of purgatives, and invariably portend a fatal termination.
Staring glassy eyes; frequent, distinct, feeble, and sometimes
thread-like pulse; purging offensive matters, with or without

Zz

x
354 SUPERPURGATION.

distention of abdomen, or distended abdomen without evacua-
tions ; offensive mouth, or tongue pallid or whitish with fur, and
pasty ; smell quite peculiar ; respirations tranquil, but it becomes
laborious, when the belly becomes enormously distended ; extre-
mities warm; the horse usually stands still, sometimes paws or
wanders about, and but rarely lies down.’ ,

TrratMENT.—The best remedies in general for Superpur-
gation, are—Tinct. of Veratrum, Camphor, Tincture of Opium,
Flour Gruel, and Port Wine.

Veratrum and Camphor.—Use these remedies as, directed at
page 352. Should they fail, however, to have a speedy effect,
recourse should be had, without delay, to the following :—

Tincture of Opium and Flour Gruel.—Give the patient
2 ounces of the Tincture of Opium, mixed with a quart of
Flour Gruel. The Opium will speedily allay the increased
peristaltic action of the intestines, and the gruel will act as
a protection to the mucous membrane by sheathing it.

Port Wine and Flour Gruel—Port Wine mixed with Flour
Gruel is frequently valuable to check Superpurgation. Give
a pint for a dose, mixed with a quart of gruel.

Dint.—The diet, for two or three days after the Superpurga-
tion is stopped, should consist of boiled rice or bread and milk ;
after which, boiled barley and bran, and boiled turnips may
be resorted to until the intestines are fully restored to their
normal state.

WORMS.

It is not my intention to enter into any exposition of a
learned theory as to the origin of Worms, their varieties, and
modes of existence ; neither do I intend to enumerate a number
of break-jaw names of the orders, genera, and species of worms
which exist. These are matters for the consideration of the
WORMS. 855

naturalist, and possess little or no practical value to the veteri-
nary surgeon, or to the owners of horses. A knowledge of
their mode and conditions of development, however, would
probably prove of practical use, inasmuch as it might lead to
the discovery and application of certain means to prevent their
propagation.

Kinps.~-“ Of the genus of worm called ascaris there are
many species; two of which inhabit the intestines of horses,
viz :—the ascaris lumbricoides, and the ascaris vermicularis.”’* ©

“The ascaris lumbricoides, or the long white worm, is a crea-
ture closely resembling the common earth worm. It measures
from six to twenty-seven inches in length, and is a parasite
which inhabits the small intestines. It is a formidable looking
object, and if there be many of them, they may consume more
than can be spared of the nutritive matter of the food. A tight
skin, a rough coat, and a tucked-up belly, are often connected
with their presence; they are occasionally voided, both singly
and in large quantities.”

“The ascaris vermicularis is a small dark-coloured worm,
commonly called the needle worm, and inhabits, for the most
part, the large intestines. Hundreds of them sometimes descend
into the rectum, and immense quantities of them have been
found in the cecum. This variety of worm is a more serious
nuisance than the former: they cause a very troublesome irrita-
tion about the fundament. Their existence can generally be
discovered by a small portion of white, hardened mucus, which
is found adhering to the anus.’’f

Symproms.—The symptoms of worms are in numerous
instances of a very uncertain character. A horse having a
starved, pinched appearance, associated with an unthrifty condi-
tion of the skin and hair, would, in all probability, be regarded

* Percival, + Youatt on the Horse.
356 WORMS.

as having worms. These appearances may or may not depend
upon the cause in question. A starved, unthrifty state of the
animal, may arise from causes of a widely different character.
On the other hand, we frequently find worms in great abundance
in horses in which we do not expect to find them. Stout, fat,
high conditioned horses, are sometimes attacked with inflamma-
tion of the bowels: death may result in consequence, and upon
making a post mortem examination of the carcase, the stomach
and small intestines may be found to contain hundreds of
worms, numbers of which may have perforated the walls of the
intestines, and penetrated the abdominal cavity ; and yet during
the life of the animal there may not have been observed a single
symptom which would have led any one to suspect the presence
of so many parasites.

A common symptom, and one generally considered indicative
of worms, is that of a deposit of yellow fungus-looking matter
close to the fundament ; this sign I regard as a correct one ; its
absence, however, does not indicate the absence of worms.

TrreatMEnT.—A number of remedies such as emetic tartar,
linseed oil, tobacco, vinegar, and others, are considered infallible
destroyers of worms; it is not, however, easy to destroy them
so long as they remain within the body.

I have made a number of experiments with reference to
their speedy destruction, by immersing earth worms in various
liquid medicines, such as spirits of turpentine, tincture of nux
vomica, liquor arsenicalis, tincture of aconite, and many others,
all of which in their concentrated state will kill worms; but,
unfortunately, these medicines cannot be so administered to
the living animal without endangering its life.

In the treatment of a horse infested with worms, it should
be borne in mind that we have a double duty to fulfil, viz: to
destroy the worms, and also that state of the digestive organs
which favours their development.
WORMS. 357

The best remedies in general for the destruction of worms,
are—Aloes, Aconite, Turpentine, Savin, and Rock Salt.

Aloes.—It is a good practice to commence the treatment
for worms with a purgative; as not unfrequently it removes
an incredible number, especially of those small needle-like
parasites, the ascarides vermiculares.

The size of the dose will, to some extent, depend upon the
size and breed of the animal infested; 6 drachms of the drug,
however, may be considered, as an average dose under circum-
stances of this character. It is best to give the Aloes in the
form ofa ball. For instruction as to the best modes to pursue
with reference to the treatment of the animal before and after
the administration of the purgative, see pages 75, 76, and 77.

Aconite.—Aconite is a powerful poison to earth worms;
and I also know, from experience, that it is a powerful destruc-
tive to the larger round worms (ascarides lwmbricoides). In
numerous instances when I have found it necessary to admin-
ister Aconite to horses, the owner has expressed his surprise at
the great number of dead worms which the patient has voided
along with the dung. Before resorting to Aconite for the
express purpose of destroying worms the animal infested
should have a purgative previously, and when that has operated
satisfactorily, the horse should be placed in a comfortable box,
aud his diet, for several days, should be nutritious, but scanty ;
the object being to sheath the worms as little as possible from
the action of the drug, and also by keeping them with less
food than ordinary, to render their bodies more active agents
of absorption than what they were previously. The Aconite is
then to be given three or four times a day, in 8-drachm doses
of the 1st dilution, mixed with 8 ounces of water. If larger

‘ doses of the drug are given, and especially if not copiously
diluted with water, symptoms of vomiting may supervene. The
358 WORMS.

animal is affected with efforts of involuntary deglutition; a
clicking noise is heard, and continues for some time, which is
referrible to the pharynx, so that to repeat the remedy further
might be productive of dangerous consequences to the horse.
The Aconite, then, should be well diluted, and frequently re-
peated, say at least three or four time a day.

Turpentine.— Turpentine is an old vermifuge. To large-
sized horses 2 ounces by measure may be given for a dose. It
is best to administer the remedy each time in a pint of thin
gruel. It would not be safe to repeat the dose more than twice
a day ; and even then its effects upon the kidneys should be
watched with attention, and if it produces frequent attempts to
urinate, attended either with copious or scanty emision of urine,
cease to give more Turpentine, and allow the animal an
abundance of oatmeal or linseed gruel to drink. Should medi-
cine be necessary to further neutralise the turpentine, recourse
may be had to Camphor.

Savin.—Savin is a vermifuge which I have not tried, but
which has been much recommended.

Rock Salt.—Salt is stated to be a preventative of worms.
It is a commendable practice to allow horses salt. Place a
lump of Rock Salt in one corner of the hay rack, and allow
your horses to lick it when they choose.
359

Szcrion V.

DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS.

NEPHRITIS. DIURESIS.

IRRITATION OF THE BLADDER. HEMATURIA,

SCANTY EMISSION OF URINE. RETENTION OF THE URINE.
a a

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

Tuer Urinary Organs consist of the two kidneys—one situated
upon the right, and the other upon the left side of the spinal
column: also of the two ureters—one of which passes from
each kidney to the right and left sides of the bladder, where
they terminate: also of the bladder, and a canal or channel
which passes from the posterior extremity of the bladder; this
is called the urethra.

These organs are not numerous, and—with the exception of
the kidneys—not complex in their structure, nor difficult to
understand.

The kidneys are the organs which secrete the urine from
the blood. The ureters are the conduits by which, as soon as
it is formed, the urine is conducted to the bladder. The bladder
is a large muscular cavity, or bag, into which the urine, for
the sake of convenience, is temporarily lodged; otherwise it
would be perpetually dribbling away, to the annoyance and
discomfort of the animal: whilst the urethra is the canal or
360 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

channel which conducts the urine from the bladder to without,
when the bladder expels its contents.

The diseases and derangements of this class of organs are
not numerous. Those of the rarer kind, such as Calculi of the
Bladder, I have omitted to describe in the present treatise: so
rare, indeed, is this affection, and one or two others which
might be named, that many of the oldest practitioners in the
profession have never seen a case.

The urine is a fluid of a peculiar character. It is composed
of a number of substances ; and, without doubt, the condition
of this fluid will be greatly altered, and the alteration hold a
definite relation to the pathological changes which the organism
may from time to time undergo; but the intimate nature of
. these changes, and their relation to disease are questions which,
up to the present hour, are unknown. Upon a future occasion,
however, it is my intention to treat upon this matter, and
to give to the world the few facts and observations which I
have been enabled to obtain in this obscure department of
veterinary pathology.

The kidneys are subject to inflammation, and to softening
of their substance; also to hemorrhage, arising from injuries
of a mechanical kind, from softening of their substance, and
from excessive congestion of a temporary character. They are
also liable to sympathetic disturbance, which causes an inordi-
nate secretion of urine; and also to the formation of calculi
within the pelvic cavity of the organ.

The bladder is liable to inflammation, to ulceration of its
tissues, and to the consequent escape of the urine into the
pelvic and abdominal cavities ;* also to hemorrhage, to irritation

* T once treated w case of Peritonitis, which afterwards was proved to
have arisen in consequence of an ulcer within the bladder allowing the urine
to pass into the pelvic and abdominal cavities.
NEPHRITIS. 361
of its mucous and nervous tissues, and to spasm of its muscular
structures. 7

Such are amongst the principal forms of disease to which
the urinary organs are subject. They are also exceedingly
subject to injury (especially the kidneys) by the practices of
ignorant people, who, if not prevented, will persevere in the
indiscriminate use of diuretic medicines to those animals which
unfortunately may be under their control. For further remarks
upon this matter, the reader is referred to pages 169 and 170.

NEPHRITIS.
[INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS.]

Nephritis, or Inflammation of the Kidneys, is not a common
disease ; although I believe it to be more so than is generally
supposed. Nephritis, in one of its forms, is very liable to be
mistaken for Inflammation of the Bowels. Violent attacks of
the malady are highly dangerous. Blaine says—“It is stated
that mares are more liable to Nephritis than horses, and horses
are more prone to Inflammation of the neck of the Bladder ;”
and he further states that “his experience does not justify him
in believing it.” My experience, however, warrants me in doing
so. I have not treated a very large number of these cases—
possibly no one veterinary surgeon has: but, out of fifteen
cases of Acute Nephritis, nine of them were mares; while the
majority of cases which I have treated of Irritation of the Neck
of the Bladder have been geldings.

The disease may be limited to one kidney, or both organs
may be affected at the same time. When both are acutely
diseased, the chances are that the patient will die.
362 NEPURITIS.

Symrroms.—The symptoms of Nephritis, in many respects,
are very similar to those which are present when the bladder is
inflamed or irritated. Nephritis frequently commences in a
very insidious manner: the hind-limbs are moved stiffly ; the
abdomen is tucked up; the animal urinates frequently, and the
urine is scanty. As the disease proceeds, the patient walks
with a straddling gait; the efforts to urinate become more
frequent and more urgent, and the small portion of urine which
may be expelled is mixed with blood; the animal breathes
hurriedly, and the pulse is quick and irritable; the patient
presents a suffering and dejected appearance ; and the skin over
the region of the kidneys is warmer than natural.

In other cases (and they are the most common) the symp-
toms of the disease resemble those of Inflammation of the
Bowels. The patient struggles and rolls violently about ; per-
spires considerably ; paws the ground; stretches out the limbs
as though anxious to urinate, and the urine contains blood.
Sometimes the urinary secretion is entirely suppressed, when
the violence of the patient is excessive, especially if associated
with enteritic disease.

Causzes.—Injuries of a mechanical nature inflicted upon
the loins. Bad food, such as kiln-dried oats or musty hay.
Inordinate doses of spirits of turpentine, or Venice turpentine,
or nitrate of potash, and other medicines which possess diuretic
properties. The absorption of cantharides from blisters which
may be applied to the sides in cases of Pleuritis or Pneumonia.
The presence of a calculus within the pelvis of the kidney;
and it is stated that allowing the animal to drink hard water
has caused it.

TrratmMEent.—The best remedies and modes of treatment
to pursue, in general, are—Aconite, Hyoscyamus, Cantharides,
NEPHRITIS. 363

Barbadoes Alves, Camphor, and Hot Water Fomentations to
the back and loins.

Aconite.—Hyoscyamus.—Cantharides.—As soon as the na-
ture of the disease is fully determined, commence with Aconite.
of the 1st dilution, and give it in 2-drachm doses, mixed each
time with 5 or 6 ounces of water; and repeat it every two
hours, for three or four times in succession. Or the Aconite
may be alternated with Hyoscyamus of the 1st dilution; or
(except when the disease is caused by Cantharides) with’ Can-
tharides of the 3rd. Use the Hyoscyamus in 2-drachm doses,
mixed with 2 ounces of water; or-the Cantharides in drachm
doses, mixed with 2 ounces of water.

Camphor.—Should the disease arise from the action of
cantharides upon the kidneys, Camphor is the proper antidote.
Give it in 2-drachm doses of the tincture, mixed with 4 or 5
ounces of weak whiskey and water. The dose may be repeated
every three or four hours, according to the urgency of the
symptoms.

Hot Water Fomentations to the Loins are likely to prove
of great value, at whatever stage of the disease they may
be resorted to. Apply the water by means of a thick wool-
len rug.

- In two or three cases I have applied warm Aconite lotion
to the loins, and I think with benefit. Make the lotion as
follows :—

Tincture of Aconite... a 4 drachms
Water... ait an 1 pint

Mix the two together, and apply the liquid warm. Apply it
freely every two hours, until the more urgent symptoms abate.

Barbadoes Aloes.—A purgative will be useful if the cause
of the disease can be traced to bad food; when such is the
364 DIURESIS.

case, administer a 6-drachm ball forthwith, and afterwards resort
to the Aconite as directed above.

Dint.—The diet of the patient should consist of mashes,
carrots (if in season), or boiled turnips. The drink should
consist of a little cold water, or barley-water. I am not an
advocate, however, for any very large quantity of fluid to drink ;
give a little, and administer it frequently.

For further particulars relating to diet, see Section VI,
page 108. ,

DIURESIS.

This malady is usually designated Diabetes Insipidus. It
is a disease which may prevail at any period of the year, and it
may be produced from a variety of causes. It may exist either
in an endemic or sporadic form. It is an affection which calls
for promptness and decision on the part of the veterinary
surgeon, otherwise it may speedily terminate in the patient
becoming glandered. The excessive drain of fluid from the
system, a fact so peculiar in this disease, so deranges the vital
economy of the blood as to favour the rapid development of
the latter.

Symetoms.—The symptoms at the onset of the disease are
frequently insidious. The appetite fails; the animal exhibits
weakness of a general character, with the attendant symptoms,
dullness of spirits, and perspiring readily upon slight exertion ;
the patient is thirsty ; he urinates frequently, and the urine is
secreted in great abundance. At first neither the pulse nor
the respirations are materially disturbed ; as the disease pro-
ceeds, however, the pulse and respirations quicken, the thirst
becomes urgent and excessive, and the patient manifests the
DIURESIS. 365

greatest eagerness for water; and will drink soap suds and
other fluids of a nauseating and repulsive character if left within
reach, especially if they are cold. The colder the drink the
more it is relished by the patient.

The urine is clear in colour, and of a very low specific
gravity. Regarding-distilled water at 1000, I have frequently
found diabetic urine as low as 1000°3 or 1006°4.

It the disease is not checked, the weakness of the patient
becomes excessive; the body sinks rapidly in bulk; the hair
becomes dry and pen-feathered; the limbs swell, ulcers appear
upon the nasal membrane, and the animal speedily becomes a
loathsome object.

PatHoenomonio Symproms.—The secretion of urine is
excessively abundant. The urine is colourless, and of a low
specific gravity. The thirst of the patient is inordinate.

Causrs.—The most common causes of Diuresis are bad
food,—such as mow-burnt hay and fusty oats, or oats that are
soft ; allowing the animal to drink inordinately of cold water
when perspiring excessively. Diuresis is always caused by bad
food or derangement of the digestive organs.

Treatment.—The first essential towards the cure is to
remove the cause of the disease, and as this generally arises
from improper food. the diet should be thoroughly inspected,
aud what is objectionable be at once removed.

The best remedies in general are—Baryta Carbonica 3, and
Tincture of Iodine.

Baryta Carbonica.—I have cured great numbers of cases
of Diuresis with this remedy. Use it in 2-drachm doses of
366 DIURESIS.

the 8rd dilution, mixed with 2 or 8 ounces of water ; and repeat
it morning and night, or more frequently if necessary.

Tincture of Iodine —Sometimes the Baryta Carbonica fails
to produce the desired effect, in which case have recourse
to the Tincture of Iodine. Use it in 6-drachm doses, mixed
with 5 or 6 ounces of water. The dose may be repeated night
and morning for three or four days in succession.

Dirr.—The diet of the patient should consist ef carrots
(if in season) ; also rice and boiled barley. Cold barley-water
should also be given to the patient to drink.

For every instruction relating to the diet of the animal, see
Section VI., page 108.

IRRITATION OF THE BLADDER,

Irritation of the Bladder, like Nephritis, is not a common
disease. During the fifteen years I have been in practice I
have treated about six cases of the malady, and every case did
well. The causes of the disease are sometimes very obscure.
In two cases which I treated I never could detect how the dis-
ease originated. Sometimes, however, powdered cantharides
are given to horses mixed with other substances, to improve
their condition ; when, if the doses are too large, or the animal
is more sensitive to the drug than ordinary, a violent form of
Irritation of the Bladder is very likely to supervene.

Symproms.—The animal affected is dull, he stands quiet,
or occasionally he lies down and appears as though the bowels
were affected with pain. The patient frequently tries to urinate ;
the back is arched, the tail is elevated, and after a prolonged
effort the patient either desists or he succeeds in expelling “but
a few drops of urine. Sometimes the urine contains streaks of
blood. If the animal be a mare the pudenda will present a
DIURESIS, 367

state of tumefaction, while the skin between the hind limbs will
be more or less excoriated from drops of urine adhering to the
hair. An examination per rectum of the state of the bladder
will prove this organ to be in a contracted state; while pressure
upon it will cause the animal to groan and strain violently as
though the patient was desirous to expel urine.

PatHognomonic Symproms.—Zhe patient strains fre-
quently to urinate.

TreatmMint.—The best remedies for this disease, in general,
are—Cantharides, Hyoscyamus, and Camphor.

Cantharides.--I have cured several cases of this disease by
means of Cantharides; it will not, however, be proper to use
in cases where the disease may have arisen from the use of the
drug in the first instance. Use the remedy in 2-drachm doses
of the 8rd dilution, mixed with 4 or 5 ounces of water; and
repeat the dose morning, noon, and night.

Camphor.—For instructions as to the proper use of Cam-
phor, and the dose necessary to give, see page 365.

Hyoscyamus.—This is an invaluable remedy. Give it in
2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed with 3 or 4 ounces
of water. A dose may be given morning, noon, and night.

Dirr.—The diet should consist of boiled barley, carrots,
and bran. Barley-water to drink. See Section VI., page 108.

HAMATURIA.
[BLOODY URINE.]

Hematuria, or Bloody Urine, is an affection common only to
aged horses. The kidneys of old horses, in numerous instances,
become softened—indeed, it is rare to examine them without
perceiving indubitable evidence of the fact; and when in a
368 WEMATURIA.

softened condition in the living horse, they are exceedingly
prone to become lacerated or ruptured in their tissues if the
animal be put to greater exertion than ordinary. The blood,
however, which is mixed with the urine, and which is the
characteristic feature of the malady, does not in all cases come
from the kidneys. In a case which very lately came under my
treatment, and which I carefully examined after death, I dis-
covered that the blood had been exuded principally from the
inner surface of the ureters.

The patient was an aged cab mare, and the bleeding came
on in consequence of the animal being exerted beyond her
strength. The appearance of the blood was very singular, and
worthy of notice. It was coagulated in the urine, and every
time the animal parted with water the blood came away in rolls,
the length and thickness of which was about that of a black-
lead drawing pencil. This led me in the first instance to sus-
pect that the blood came from the ureters. The patient, in
consequence of being very old, was destroyed, and the post
mortem examination confirmed my surmise: the ureters were
injured, and also filled with congulated blood ; the kidneys were
softened, but not otherwise deranged.

Another case which came under my care was that of a very
old draught horse. The animal was injured in consequence of
being compelled to drag a heavy load of manure through a
quantity of soft clay. The blood came away in small irregular
formed clots. The subject of this case recovered under the use
of cold water cloths applied across the loins, associated with
rest, and the internal use of lactic acid.

TrREaTMENT.—All that can be done in the generality of
cases may prove but temporary. If the patient is old, and the
kidneys softened, more than temporary relief cannot be expected.
HEMATURIA. 369

The best remedies in general are—Arnica, Lactic Acid, Cold
Water Cloths to the loins, and rest.

Arnica.—Use the Arnica lotion to the loins, and Arnica
in 2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed with 2 or 3 ounces
of water. A dose may be given morning, noon, and night,
until the more violent conditions are passed over.

Cold Water Cloths—Large woollen rugs dipped in cold
water, and placed upon the loins, are to be frequently applied.
Cold water injections may also be occasionally resorted to.

Lactic Acid.—Lactic Acid may be given when the affection
has been in existence for some time. Use it in 2-drachm doses,
mixed with 4 or 5 ounces of water. It may be repeated twice
a day for several days in succession.

Drer.—The diet should consist of boiled barley, cold ; barley-
water, cold, to drink ; also, carrots or boiled turnips, cold.

In addition to medicine and cold applications, proper diet
and complete rest to the patient are absolutely necessary.

SCANTY EMISSION OF URINE.

Scanty Emission of Urine can never in itself be regarded

.as a disease. It frequently exists as a symptom of disease.
The condition, however, to which I allude on the present occa-

sion, is when the animal appears to be perfectly healthy in every

respect, and, in fact, no doubt is so; only, to use‘ the words

of the groom, “the horse stales badly.”” The generality of

horsemen regard such a condition as indicative of disease, and

without further consideration not unfrequently have recourse

to powerful diuretics to remedy the defect.

CausEs.—The causes which give rise to this scantiness of
urine are numerous. Severe labour may cause it; if a horse
24
870 SCANTY EMISSION OF URINE.

labours severely, and perspires freely in consequence, the kidneys
will not secrete that amount of fluid which they would do if
the animal was placed in circumstances of an opposite character.
The kidneys of a horse living upon dry food will necessarily
secrete less water in the urine than the kidneys of another
horse living upon succulent food, or diet of a watery nature.
A purgative given to a horse, if followed by a brisk action upon
the intestines, will greatly reduce the ‘amount of fluid within
the body, and for days after the “setting” as it is termed, of
the physic, the animal will urinate very scantily; yet it is a
common practice with farriers and people who are ignorant of
what they are doing, to give the horse diuretics to remedy what
they designate “a stoppage of the oss’s kidneys.”

Working horses secrete less water in the urine in summer
than in winter; and lastly, scantiness of the urinary secretion,
arising from natural causes, is a very common fact; and if such
horses are healthy it is better not to give them medicine, but
rather to regulate the defect (if defect it is) by a judicious diet,
and now and then allowing the animal a few quarts of barley-
water. ’

Indigestion will cause scantiness of urine: when arising from
this source, the animal is hide-bound; the appetite bad, or it
may be ravenous; the hair is penfeathered, and the bowels
constipated. In cases of this kind the cause should be looked
to. The best remedies for the purpose are—Nux Vomica,
Arsenicum, small doses of Aloes, or Pepsine. See Article
“ Indigestion,” page 814, See also pages 169 and 170.

SPASM OF THE BLADDER.
[RETENTION OF THE URINE.]
Spasm at the neck of the Bladder is an affection very likely
to be mistaken for Colic. The symptoms of both diseases to
the inexperienced or careless observer are similar.
SPASM OF THE BLADDER. 371

Symproms.—The disease usually commences suddenly ; the
animal breathes hurriedly; the pulse rises in some cases to
sixty or even seventy beats per minute; the animal paws the
ground; the abdomen is pinched-up, the back is sometimes
arched, and the penis hangs pendulous out of the sheath; the
‘animal throws himself down and rolls violently about, then
rises suddenly, looks round at his flanks, stretches himself out,
and strains forcibly to eject his urine, but after many attempts
fails to do so. Sometimes he perspires profusely, while in other
cases the perspiration exists in patches, and is limited to the
sides of the neck or beneath the abdomen.

Causzs.—Some horses exhibit the greatest repugnance to
urinate when in harness, but as soon as they are loosed out
they do it freely; such horses are very liable to suffer from
retention of urine, and if they be allowed to drink heartily of
cold water, especially while the bladder is full, the act is almost
certain to be succeeded by an attack of acute pain from spasm
at the neck of the bladder. An attack may also be caused from
the presence of a calculus in the neck of the organ.

TREATMENT.—The best remedies and modes of treatment
in general are—Aconite, Nux Vomica, Cantharides, and Injec-
tious of Hot Water.

_ For instructions as to the use of the above-named remedies,
see pages 332 arid 335; also for every instruction as to Injec-
tion, see pages 157 and 158.

The practitioner should always examine the state of the
bladder per rectum.
372

Szorion VI.
DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.

TETANUS, PARALYSIS.
APOPLEXY. MEGRIMS.
HYSTERIA.

a

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

Tur phrase “the nervous system,” a phrase we hear repeated
almost hourly, is one which if contemplated in all its numerous
and important, relations will be found to embrace the most
comprehensive inquiries which physiological science can open
to the mind of man.

The horse, like all other highly organised animals is pos-
sessed of “a nervous system,” the structure of which is highly
complex; and the uses of which are twofold: first, to place the
animal itself in intimate relation with the external world; and
secondly, to place every member and every part of a member of
his body in intimate relation with every other member and part
of a member.

“The nervous system,” says Erasmus Wilson, “may be
divided for convenience of description into—I1st, the brain;
2nd, the spinal cord; 8rd, the cranial nerves; 4th, the spinal
nerves; and 5th, the sympathetic system.”

oy
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 873

It is by means of the brain and its nerves, the spinal cord
and its nerves, and the sympathetic system, that the relations
T have stated are maintained.

The sympathetic nervous system is distributed to the heart,
and to the blood vessels throughout the body; and also to
those various organs, the aggregate of which constitutes what -
is called the organic sphere of the animal’s body.

The brain and its nerves, and the spinal cord and its nerves,
preside over the sensational and locomotive spheres of the
animal; while, in addition, the two systems exchange filaments
with each other, and thus the whole is balanced in every part
in a manner which cannot fail but excite the wonder and admi-
ration of every beholder.

The diseases and derangements of the brain, the spinal cord,
and the nerves thence proceeding, I have alone to treat upon
in the present section.

The nervous structures of the horse do not manifest such a
numerous class of diseases as those which affect the correspond-
ing class of structures of the human being ; nevertheless, those
which have been observed in the former are closely similar,
both in the mode by which they invade the system and in their
general course and terminations.

The blood vessels of the membranes investing the brain and
the spinal cord are prone to congestion, and to the effusion of
serum amid their tissues.

The-substance of the brain and the spinal cord are prone to
softening and to other changes within their tissues, which are
the immediate causes of certain forms of disease, some of which
are of a violent and dreadful character. 3

Injuries of a direct character inflicted upon the spinal cord
may destroy all voluntary power in two or more of the limbs;
or a similar effect may result to a single limb, ora single muscle
of a limb.
874 TETANUS.

The ventricles of the brain are liable to the growth of
tumours within their cavities; also the vessels of the brain
proper, are liable to congestion, inflammation, and to the forma-
tion of Abscess within their tissues.

TETANUS.
; [Locg-Jaw.]

It is usual to consider this disease as being presented under
two forms, viz. :—Idiopathic and Traumatic Tetanus. As the
symptoms which characterise both forms of the malady are
precisely similar, one general description of the complaint will
suffice. .

Tetanus, arising from injuries of a direct nature, is the most
common form of the disease, and it is also the most fatal. It
is more prone to occur from injuries of a trifling nature in old
than in young horses; and it is also more prone to occur from
injuries inflicted upon the hind limbs than upon the fore limbs.

Injuries inflicted upon the hind feet, and upon the muscles
situate in the region of the ischium, are exceedingly liable to
cause the disorder ; and that too of a very unmanageable nature.

The period, front the infliction of the injury to the period
of the disease being manifested, may be called its period of
incubation.

Not unfrequently a wound or an injury causing Tetanus may,
to all appearance, be healed before the disorder is observed.

On the other hand, it may arise within a few hours after
the occurrence of the accident, and run its course to a fatal
result with exceeding rapidity, and with a degree of violence
fearful to observe.

Wounds so quickly inducing Tetanus are usually of the
variety called punctured wounds.

Old horses very seldom recover from the disease, especially
where the pulse is much disturbed at the commencement.
TETANUS. 875

In those cases of Tetanus where the jaws become firmly
closed, recovery from the disease is rare.

The more rapidly the disease supervenes upon the infliction
of an injury the ‘more acute it generally is, and the more
destructive in its results.

The period of the duration of the disease, in fatal cases, is
from a few hours to fourteen or even twenty-one days.

When recovery takes place the duration of the disease is
generally from four to six weeks.

' Fever is not a necessary attendant upon Tetanus. In many
of the worst forms of the disease I have found the pulse scarcely
disturbed, unless the patient was unduly excited.

Tetanus is a remittent disease. In cases which tend to a
favourable result, the paroxysms of spasm occur less and less
frequently, and are less and less severe, until in the end they
entirely cease, and the patient recovers.

Tetanus is presented in a threefold form, viz. :—as an acute,
sub-acute, and chronic disease. It is from the sub-acute and
chronic forms that the greatest number of tetanic cases recover.

The time at which Tetanus may appear after the infliction
of an injury varies from a few hours to even three weeks. From
three to ten days, however, appears to be the average period.

Symproms.—The symptoms of Tetanus may be arranged
into three classes. First—symptoms of the early or incipient
stage of the malady; sccond—of the middle or sub-acute
stage; and third—of the acute, or last stage. In every case of
Tetanus which ends fatally, the most acute stage of the disease
is the last. The patient is generally in the end destroyed from
its excessive active violence. The most acute stage may set in
at onge, or follow so quickly upon the first as to have prevented
the first from being noticed. Should the first stage of the
376 TETANUS.

disease continue for any length of time, the animal will be

observed to manifest a peculiarity of gait; presenting, in fact, —
a degree of stiffness and disinclination to move altogether —

uncommon to behold. One of the earliest symptoms, and
perhaps one more clearly indicating what is about to supervene
than any other, is the projection of the membrana nictitans
over the front of the eye. A degree of stiffness in the gait
may arise from other causes—such as recent exposure of the
animal to cold and wet, or from severe labour. By lifting up
the head of the patient, however, and observing if the haw, as
it is commonly called, suddenly projects over the front of the
eye, accompanied with a reluctance and a starting back on the
part of the patient to submit to the operation, we may at once
decide that the case is one of Tetanus. The jaws may not be
closed, nor the animal present anything peculiar to the ordinary
observer; but the projection of the haw, together with the
general hardness of the muscles of the body are symptoms
sufficiently indicative of the malady.

Szoonp Sragz.—aAs the disease advances, or passes into
the second stage, the general stiffness becomes more confirmed.
The head, neck, body, and limbs lose their suppleness. The
patient, when made to turn round, does so as stiffly as a beam
of wood. The general appearance of the animal at this time is
well represented in Fig. 23.

The muscles situate at the junction of the head and neck
present a state of tightness peculiar to the disease; the ears
are cocked and firm, as though attentive to sound; the hind
limbs are placed wide apart; the patient straddles and walks
exceedingly slow; the tail is constantly elevated, and possesses
@ peculiar quivering motion; the muscles of the belly are
cramped ; the pulse is seldom disturbed, but the respirations
are quicker than ordinary; the haw projects more or less over
TETANUS. 377

the eye continually ; the temperature of the body will be
. natural. Should the patient be able to eat, food will be sought
with even more than ordinary avidity. For a few days at first
the bowels will be torpid, aud the urine high-coloured; but as
the system becomes accustomed to the shock undergone, unless
prevented from the drugging so commonly pursued in this
malady, the functions of the digestive and urinary organs will
resume, to a considerable extent, their wonted state. The
disease being a remittent one, the spasm and general excitement
of the system becomes increased, and afterwards declines. The
patient perspires freely, the muscular system becomes more
rigid, and the respirations are also increased. This remittent
character of Tetanus is of constant occurrence. An increase of
the general spasm may come on once every twelve or twenty-
four hours, for many days in succession, and continue for a
long time, with a similar degree of force; then slowly abate
both in intensity and in regularity, until it disappears and
leaves the patient convalescent; or the third stage may super-
vene, and destroy the animal.

   

FOUNTAIN

Fig, 23.—Tetanic Horse, after Youatt,
378 TETANUS.

Turep Srage.—The third and last stage of this fearful
malady is marked by the spasmodic attacks presenting as it
were a cumulative character. They appear with increased
force; they are of longer duration, and they succeed each other
with greater rapidity, until in the end the limbs become so
rigid that the patient is no longer able to balance himself; he
falls to the ground, a heap of cramp and distortion; the limbs
will become inflexible; the neck will be drawn towards the
back with a force that threatens to crush the bones of the
cervical and dorsal vertebrae into fragments; the nostrils will °
be dilated, and the body suffused with perspiration; the respi-
rations will have become more rapid and harsh in sound, until
at last one spasm more dreadful in intensity than any former
one seizes the poor animal, and death mercifully closes the
painful scene.

PatHoenomonio Srmproms.—Spasm and rigidity of the
voluntary muscles generally, associated with protrusion of the
membrana nictitans, and incapacity of the animal for rapid
motion.

Cavusrs.—The mechanical causes of Tetanus are numerous;
and many of them are seemingly so simple as to appear inade-
quate to the production of such violent, and terrific effects.
Simple punctures and mere scratches upon the skin have been
known to induce the malady. Mr. Dickens, of Kimbolton,
relates in the Veterinarian, for 1857, page 689, the case of a
young horse having received a slight scratch upon his side, by
coming in contact with a nail. Ten days afterwards the animal
was seized with Tetanus of so violent a character as to destroy
its life in a few hours.
TETANUS. 379

Pricks in the foot at the time of shoeing, or from the shoe
being forced awry, and the stumps entering the sole ; punctures
near to the ischium; docking too close to the rump (this
operation, independently of going too close to the rump, is very
likely to induce Tetanus, if the animal operated upon be old) ;
broken knees; kicks from another horse, inflicted upon parts
contiguous to the joints, particularly the hock joints; castra-
tion, particularly if the animal be exposed to cold and wet after-
wards ; saddle-galls and injuries of almost every grade of triviality
are sufficient, at times, to cause the worst forms of Tetanus.

The causes of the idiopathic forms of Tetanus, are sudden
exposure and long continuance of the animal to cold and wet.
The two acting in association will speedily produce the disease,
especially in delicate, well-bred animals. Irritation, arising
from the presence of worms in the intestinal canal, is another
(though not a frequent) cause of Tetanus; and it is stated to
have arisen in consequence of exposure of the animal to the
influence of deleterious gases.

TrEatMEenT,— Comfort to the animal is of the very highest
importance in this disease. Medicine, unaided by warmth and
quietness, will effect little or nothing.

Upon the discovery of the disease, the animal should be
placed at once in a comfortable box, entirely away from every
source of annoyance. Repose and a low degree of light are
prime essentials to recovery. The straw in the box should be
plentiful, and chopped in the way recommended at page 118;
and as the disease will cause the animal to perspire abundantly,
plenty of dry clothing should be at hand to use in place of that
which it may be necessary to remove. The quantity and kind of
clothing will of course depend upon the season and the kind of
weather which may prevail at the time. See page 117 to 119.
380 TETANUS.

With regard to medical treatment, we could say much in
condemnation of the modes usually pursued. Numbers of
horses we doubt not, die from the disease. Numbers, endowed
with constitutional vigour sufficient for a time to conquer almost
anything, recover in spite of both disease and treatment; whilst
others are without doubt destroyed by the treatment pursued.

The treatment, to be rational, should be directed to three
ends. First—to the external comfort of the animal ; second—
to the state of the part locally injured, when the disease arises
from causes of a mechanical nature; and third—to control the
violence of the disease, by giving all the aid we can to the vital
powers. The nature of the attention to be directed to the
comfort of the animal, the reader will find amply treated upon
from pages 108 to 119.

Tetanus it may be said resembles to some extent, a heap of
combustibles; the least violent interference with the disease,
and the whole animal is at once in a state of fearful commotion.
The administration of large doses of purgative medicine, such
as Calomel or Aloes, or the Farina of Croton, are very likely,”
in patients naturally excitable, to heighten the disease.

Many authors upon Tetanus, manifest alarm at what has
been called, “that fearful state of constipation so common to
Tetanus.” Now this said “fearful state of constipation” is, to
a great extent, mythical. When disease of a severe character
invades the system, all the natural secretions are for a time
more or less suspended ; but so soon as the organism recovers
its force, or becomes accustomed to the change produced by the
disease, the more important functions are resumed. I have
witnessed this over and over again in Tetanus, particularly with
regard to the digestive functions.

» For three or four days after the commencement of an
attack, the bowels rarely act; but if, at the expiration of the
TETANUS. 381

time named, these organs do not resume their proper functions,
have recourse to one or two warm injections of soap and water,
and clear the rectum of its contents; after which it is seldom
necessary to repeat the process, or to give purgative medicine.
It is true that in post mortem examinations of horses which
have died from Tetanus, I have found the contents of the
intestinal canal to be somewhat dry; this, however, is easily
accounted for, if we reflect upon the large amount of watery
fluid which is cast off by the skin during those excessive attacks
of perspiration I have previously alluded to. This watery
exudation is yielded by the excretory vessels of the skin, which
vessels derive it from the general mass of blood. On the other
hand, the rapid disappearance of the watery portion of the
blood excites a general absorption of all the loose fluid
throughout the body; hence we can readily explain why the
contents of the bowels should, after the death of the patient,
be in a state of dryness.

Treatmint.—The best remedies and modes of treatment,
in general, are—Camphor, Arnica, Strychnia, Nux Vomica,
Belladonna, Muriate of Morphia, Chloroform, Extract of Indian
Hemp, Steam Baths, and Fomentations..

Camphor——Camphor is a valuable remedy to commence with,
when the disease arises from exposing the animal to cold
and wet. Give 3 or 4 drachms of the strong tincture, com-
bined with a small portion of flour, in the manner directed
at page 146. The dose may be repeated every three or four
hours, for twenty or thirty hours in succession,—during which
time those in attendance upon the patient should endeavour to
gradually restore warmth to the system. Camphor is not of
much service in Traumatic Tetanus.

. Arnica.—When the disease arises in consequence of a
wound, Arnica is the best remedy to commence with, Use it
382 TETANUS.

of the 1st dilution, and give it in 2-drachm doses. It may
either be given alone, or in alternation with Nux Vomica of
the 1st dilution.

Strychnia is one of the most valuable remedies for
Tetanus, but it requires to be used with the greatest caution.
It should not be used lower than the 5th trituration. I
have experimented largely with this drug upon tetanic
patients, and I am satisfied that it cannot be used with
safety for four or five days in succession, of a lower trituration
than the fifth. A lower trituration will produce Colic, a dis-
ease, which if supervening in Tetanus, is extremely disastrous.
Give the medicine in scruple doses, at intervals of five or six
hours; it may be given in a little wet flour upon the tongue.
It is best to use Strychnia alone—that is, not alternated with
any other remedy. As the patient improves, supply the medi-
cine less frequently.

Tineture Nux Vomica.—This remedy may be supplied in
alternation with the Arnica, Give 20 drops for a dose in a
little water. Administer them every four hours, in turn.
Nux Vomica is valuable in promoting the action of the bowels.

Belladonna is a remedy of the highest value in Tetanus.
The dose proper to supply varies from 2 drachms by measure,
of the 1st dilution, to 2 drachms by weight of the extract
of the drug. It is better toresort to Belladonna after the
disease has existed for some time. Its use should be steadily
persevered in for a week or ten days in succession. If the
animal be large-sized, administer 2 drachms by weight of the
extract night and morning. Administer it mixed with wet
flour upon the tongue. It is better first to make thin the
extract with a little Spirits of Wine, before combining it with
flour. So long as the patient improves under the adminis-
tration of the drug, continue its use. Many practitioners report
highly of the curative properties of Belladonna in Tetanus.
TETANUS. 383
+

Muriate of Morphia is another capital remedy to admi-
nister in this disease. our or five grains may be given at a
dose ; give it in wet flour. It is an excellent remedy to resort
to after the bowels have resumed their natural functions.
These organs, however, require watching under its influence,
otherwise constipation may ensue. As Morphia is the aetive
principle of Opium, the latter may perhaps be selected in pre-
ference, on account of the price. If so, use the Opium in
drachm doses, night and morning; give it in wet flour. We
have more faith in Belladonna as a curative agent in Tetanus
than in Morphia or Opium.

Chloroform is another pre-eminent remedy to resort to
when the disorder has become chronic, and Belladonna ceased
to act with decided benefit. Sometimes a remedy acts well for
a time, and then fails to produce any further change. It is
occasionally so with Belladonna, in cases of Tetanus. Chloro-
form is best given in cold flour gruel. The gruel should be
well boiled, and used thin. Mix in the following proportions:

Chloroform... oe ais 6 drachms by measure.

Cold Flour Gruel, thin... 1 quart.
Before mixing the two together, the gruel must be cold. Place
the mixture, when not used, away from the light, and supply
the whole at four times, at intervals of six or eight hours be-
tween each dose. We have witnessed the best results from
Chloroform, ministered as directed.’ If resorted to at the
commencement of the disease, we question if its effects would
prove as well marked as if given in six or eight days afterwards.

The Steam Bath should be resorted to in Tetanus more
frequently than itis. To do so is not difficult, especially by -
the aid of the steam-generating apparatus, figured at page 182
of my “Principles and Practice of Veterinary Medicine.’’*

* London: John Churchill, New Burlington Street, W.
384, TETANUS.

With this apparatus, it may be effected by a process at once
simple, cheap, and efficient. Proceed as follows :—Procure two
light wooden trestles, seven feet in length, and about four feet
six inches in height. Along the top of each trestle bore six
holes, each hole half an inch in diameter; bore them at equal
distances from each other, and at corresponding distances in
each trestle. Place the trestle four feet apart, and parallel to
each other in the box or stable where the patient is to be
operated upon. Lead the animal between the trestles; then
from one trestle to the other fix bent rods of half-inch iron, or
of hoop-wood—each rod passing over the patient as an arch.
Then over the whole draw a waggon-cover; the cover must be
large enough to cover the iron arches and the trestles, and to
fall to the ground behind and on each side of the patient. In
front fix a smaller piece of tarpauling; fix it under the neck,
and in front of the breast. The head of the patient should be
outside; but every other portion of the body must be within,
with the tarpauline so closely secured as to prevent the escape
of steam. Let the whole apparatus be prepared with as little
noise and as little excitement to the animal as possible; and
when all arrangements are complete, and the outer door closed,
turn in the steam near to the ground and under the belly of
the patient. Continue it for twenty minutes or half an hour,
or longer if the process be agreeable. After the bath great
care must be exercised, otherwise injurious effects may ensue.
The animal should be briskly scraped; then clothed with
hood, breast-cloth, woollen rugs, of an extra size, and woollen
bandages to the limbs, after which allow the patient to drink
freely of gruel. The animal may then be left alone for
several hours. Should the Steam Bath prove beneficial, it may
be repeated every three or four days until convalescence is
fully established.
_ TETANUS. ‘ 885

Fomentations.—In addition to the steam bath, as recom-
mended above, it may prove advantageous to apply Hot Water
Fomentations along the spine. To effect this, procure a thick
woollen rug, which saturate with hot water, and place upon the
back ; and immediately above it place a dry rug, folded three or
four times lengthways; then over the whole fix the article
called body sacking, such as pourtrayed at Fig. 22, page 343.
By this simple process, hot fomentations can be firmly secured
to the spine, readily changed when necessary, and retained so
long as they may prove beneficial.

- lLocat Treatment.—Having fully detailed the systemic
treatment of Tetanus, it is necessary to describe what is requi-
site locally in the traumatic forms of the malady.

Supposing the injury to be inflicted upon one of the feet,
remove the shoe and pare the organ. Thin it at the sides with
arasp: and thin the sole until it springs from the application

- of gentle pressure. Afterwards immerse the foot in a large
poultice, made of bran and hot arnica lotion; the lotion to be
made as directed at page 331. The poultice should be renewed
twice or thrice a day.

The attendant, in going about the patient, should do so with
all possible gentleness. If the injury be a flesh wound, a large,
soft sponge, dipped in warm arnica lotion and fixed to the part
injured, will be proper to apply. Should a difficulty be expe-
rienced in fixing the sponge to the wound, pursue the following
plan :—procure a few slips of linen of sufficient length, half an
inch wide in the middle, and one inch wide, or more, at the
ends. Place the sponge in close contact with the wound, and
let an assistant hold it there until the ends of the linen straps
are secured to the skin, by means of thick glue or collodion.
Collodion will set the quickest, but glue will hold the best,

2B
386 TETANUS.

Place the ends of the linen straps so that the lotion, which
may drain out of the sponge, cannot drain upon the glue,
otherwise the straps will fall off. By this process the sponge
can be held to the wound, and fresh lotion poured upon it when
desirable. The arnica lotion may be changed for a lotion of
belladonna or tincture of aconite.
Tincture of Belladonna tes wi 1 ounce.
Water ... re Sg 25 a 1 pint.
Mix together, and apply warm. Where aconite is chosen in
preference, mix it of the strength directed for the arnica and
belladonna misture.*

In cases of Tetanus, when a wound situate upon the fleshy
part is the exciting cause, if the skin contiguous be tight, hot,
and tender, make two transverse incisions, one about an inch
above, and another an inch below the wound. Make the inci-
sions with a clean, sharp scalpel; make them freely, and allow
them to bleed as long as they will. Then clean away what
blood may adhere to the limb, and apply the arnica or the
belladonna lotion as directed. In two cases of Tetanus arising
from wounds situate upon the semi-tendinosus muscle, a few
inches below the ischium, two incisions to each case, and of the
kind recommended, were made with the best results. In both
‘the cases alluded to, the skin was hot, tightly stretched, and
exceedingly tender. In wounds presenting the character
described, it may be the best plan to entirely remove the

* A better article than glue, for holding the linen straps to an injured
part, will be found in a cement made as follows :—Take black pitch, 2 ounces ;
gutta percha, cut into thin slices, 1 ounce. Place the two together in a thick
brown earthenware jar, which put upon a slow-burning fire. Carefully and
repeatedly stir the mixture, until the ingredients are thoroughly melted and
incorporated. A little of this made warm, and put upon the ends of the
linen straps and held a few moments to the hair, will speedily set and remain
fixed, even if wet by the lotion.
TETANUS. 387

tissues originally injured from the tissues contiguous. Such
removal could be readily affected in muscular parts; but in the
region of a joint, or amongst tendinous structures, it would be
impracticable.

‘Wounds and injuries causing Tetanus should always be
examined with care, as foreign bodies may lodge, or purulent
matter may be pent within. Where a sinus exists, its depth
and direction should be ascertained, and, if practicable, opened
freely to the bottom. A contused wound, when associated with
Tetanus, should also be freely opened, and its contents removed ;
but where wounds are healthy in appearance, the skin not
stretched, nor the tissues tender, I am of opinion that isolating
the wound, or resorting to incisions above and below the injury,
will not benefit the patient. The hair should he removed from
the back along its entire length, to the depth of three or four
inches on-each side of the spine; and by the aid of spongio
piline, the part can be kept constantly wet with the warm
belladonna lotion. In three cases of Tetanus, I had the hair
shaved from the back to the extent directed, and the exposed
skin freely rubbed with the extract of belladonna, aud after-
wards the warm lotion regularly applied. Two cases out of the
three recovered.

Drer.—The diet of the patient should be one easy of
digestion. Mashes of boiled rice and bran, boiled barley and
bran, bread and milk, boiled turnips, bran, and boiled oats, are
all articles of a proper kind.

For further particulars respecting the diet, see Section VLI.,
pages 108 to 118.

In conclusion, I may add that Traumatic Tetanus is a dis-
ease which, in many instances, the practitioner must expect to
fail in his efforts to cure; and the reason why appears simple.
-The direct cause of the tetanic state is evidently of a continuous
388 PARALYSIS.

character ; and where the cause is continuous, unless it can be
destroyed, or its operation prevented, our curative efforts are
certain to prove abortive—no matter whether the disorder be
Tetanus, or, in fact, disease of any kind.

PARALYSIS.

Paratysis, or Palsy, as it is commonly designated, is far
from being a common disease. It generally attacks the animal
in a very sudden manner, and from the particular parts of the
body in which it is liable to manifest itself, so it is named.
With reference to the human being, Palsy is arranged as pre-
senting itself under four varieties, namely :—

1 Paratysis Parrraris, or Partial Palsy—as when one
or two muscles only are affected.

2. PaRaLysis HEMIPLEGIA—as when one half of the body
longitudinally is affected; or, in other words, when one side of
the horse is affected.

8. Paratysis Pararteara—Palsy of one half of the body
in a transverse direction—as when both hind limbs are affected
and the rest of the body is free from the disease.

4, Paratysis VenemMata, or Palsy proceeding from the
animal having partaken of some poisonous drug. This is a rare
form of the disease, but it occurs occasionally, and for a very
instructive case of the kind see Veterinary Record for 1848,
page 39.

Partrat Patsy is occasionally present in the horse; and
one of its most common forms is where the muscles and lips of
the face become affected in consequence of the facial nerves
being pressed upon.

Symproms.—The lips hang pendulous; the patient experi-
ences great difficulty in eating—during the act of seizing the:
PARALYSIS. 389

food the head is held awry, the food is gathered slowly and
imperfectly, and not unfrequently it falls out of the mouth, the
animal being unable either to retain or to masticate it.

Sometimes the loss of power is limited to one side of the
face, in which case the muscles affected are drawn towards the
contrary side; prehension of the food is more perfect than
when both sides are affected; and the animal also masticates
with greater power and freedom.

Cavsrs.—Pressure upon the facial nerves. I was once
called to eight horses all affected with facial paralysis. They
had been used a few hours previously at a funeral, and each
horse had carried a plume upon his head, which plume had been
made secure by inserting the bottom part of it into a broad
flat steel spring of an arch-like form, the ends of which pressed
close to the cheeks and immediately upon the facial nerves, and
every animal in consequence became completely palsied in the
face and lips. Two of the number were many weeks before
they thoroughly recovered.

TrearMEent.--Cotp Dovcuz.—In cases of this nature it
is better not to resort at once to medicine. Patience, aided by
a few simple modes of treatment, may suffice to restore the
nervous energy. Douche the cheeks occasionally, with cold
water ; apply it freely by means of a syringe, similar to the one
figured at page 157. If the muscles on both sides of the head
are affected, douche both sides of the face at the same time;
and immediately after the operation envelope the head of the
patient in a thick woollen rug, and by means of it rub the parts
affected until the hair is dry, and warmth is thoroughly restored
to the skin. Be careful not to uncover the head of the animal

until the skin is warm and the hair dry, otherwise the douche
will do little or no good. The operation may be repeated twice
390 PARALYSIS.

a day, for two or three days in succession, at the end of which
time, should it fail to produce the desired effect, recourse should
be had to other remedies and modes of treatment of a different
character.

The best remedies and modes of treatment in general are—
Strychnia, Biniodide of Mercury, and Galvanism. |

Strychnia.—This remedy may be given internally. It should
be prepared and used as follows :—weigh 1 drachm of Strychnia
into a clean large-sized porcelain mortar, add to it 10 drachms
of lump sugar, and slowly, but thoroughly, triturate the two
together for an hour. Strychnia, when so prepared, constitutes
what I call the Ist trituration of the drug, half a scruple of
which may be given to the patient for a dose morning, noon,
and night; administer it in combination with flour as directed
at page 146. It requires to be watched, otherwise, if pushed
too far, bad effects may result.

Biniodide of Merewry.—This is a remedy to use externally.
Apply it to the cheeks in the proportion of 1 drachm of the
Biniodide to 2 ounces of lard.

Galvanism.—Should the above-mentioned remedies fail,
recourse may be had to galvanism. It should be applied to
the cheeks in a very mild form, and its use continued for some
time. Powerful shocks will not only alarm the patient, but
also exhaust the natural irritabilily of the structures to which
it may be applied.

Paratysis Humirrrdia.—this is a form of the disease
which more frequently affects old than young animals of the
equine species. The disease is generally manifested suddenly ;
at other times the attack is slow and insidious: The animal
is left alone perhaps for the night to all appearance in perfect
health, and the attendant, upon entering the stable the morn-
PARALYSIS. 891
ing following, is surprised to find the horse down and unable
to rise without assistance; and upon getting him up he finds
that he is incapable of either walking or standing without sup-
port. In a few hours, however, he may so far recover as to
be able to stand without assistance. It is very rare indeed
that the loss of power in all the limbs remains complete.

The symptoms at this stage of the malady are generally
well marked. The head will be drawn to the contrary side of
the body paralysed; one half of the lips and the ear of the side
affected will hang pendulous and powerless; the eyelids will
be drawn downwards, and the eye will present a squinting
appearance; the limbs of the same side will be placed wide
from the trunk, and at irregular distances from each other, and
the patient, if made to walk, will do so slowly and spasmodically,
and instead of moving in a line directly forwards, the body will
move in a curved direction. In the more severe forms of the
disease, the anus is partly open, and the urine dribbles from the
patient involuntarily.

PatHoenomonic Symptoms.—The limbs of the animal are
to a considerable extent powerless. The patient moves feebly and
irregularly, and in doing so, the body is involuntarily drawn to
one side. .

Causrs.—Excessive labour, old age, and constitutional
debility.

TreatmMent.—Perfect recovery is not to be expected. If
the animal be old, and not valuable for purposes of breeding, it
is best to destroy the patient. Where, however, it is determined
to try the case, the best remedies in general are—Aconite, Rhus
Toxicodendron, Strychnia, and the Cold Water Douche.

Aconite.—Rhus Toxicodendron.—Should the patient be
feverish, have recourse to Aconite and Rhus. Use them of
‘the 1st dilutiou, each in 2-drachm doses, and give them alter-
nately every three or four hours.
392 PARALYSIS.

Strychnia.—Before having recourse to Strychnia let the
malady have taken on a definite form, and the system have
become accustomed to the change. Strychnia will produce little
or no good if resorted to at the onset of the disease. Com-
mence with scruple doses of the remedy, prepared and used as
directed at page 390. Stronger doses may be given as the sys-
tem becomes inured to its action. The dose may be gradually
increased from drachm doses of the 1st trituration to 5-grain
doses of strychnia untriturated.

Cold Water Douche.—In having recourse to the Douche,
contrive to let the water descend upon the patient from a good
height ; and immediately the operation is completed, cover the
animal thoroughly and closely with thick woollen rugs, and
allow them to remain upon the body until warmth and dryness
are restored to the skin.

Paratysis ParaPrecia,—Two varieties of transverse para-
lysis are occasionally presented to notice: one where the loss
of motor power is complete—(@) loss of power in the hind
limbs from fracture of the spinal column; and a second, where
the motor power is partly lost—(6) loss of motor power in the
hind limbs from temporary exhaustion.

TrEatmMENnT.—Loss of motor power, as a sequence to fracture
of the spinal column, cannot be cured. It is beyond the power
of a veterinary surgeon, and the aid of veterinary surgery, to
cure fracture of the spine. The sooner an animal so circum-
stanced is destroyed the better. When arising, however, as an
effect of inordinate labour, or struggling long and violently, in
consequence of the animal falling into a ditch and being unable
to escape, the probability is that good may be effected.
PARALYSIS. 393

The first thing to be done is to place the animal in circum-
stances favourable to recovery. If the patient is lying in a
ditch, get him ont as speedily as possible; and if remotely
situate from stable, barn, or shed, either procure a sleigh, and
remove the patient upon it, or construct a tent upon the
ground and place the animal beneath.

It is easy to erect a dry, comfortable tent, with a few strong
poles and a couple of waggon covers ;—to carry a few bundles
of dry straw to the place; and if the weather be wet, to exca-
vate a ditch around the tent to carry off the surface water.

Having made the patient comfortable, give the animal an
injection of warm water and soap, empty the rectum of its
contents, and if necessary, the bladder also; then administer
two or three quarts of gruel, prepared as directed at pages 112
and 118; or a mess of warm milk and bread sops; after which
the limbs should be bandaged with woollen bandages, and all
done that can be accomplished at the time to restore warmth
and power to the extremities.

The best remedies in general are—Arnica and Rhus Toxico-
dendron.

Arnica and Rhus Toxicodendron.—Apply Arnica lotion
freely to the back and limbs. Use it warm, and give Arnica of
the 1st dilution in 2-drachm doses, mixed with water; also,
Rhus of the 1st dilution in 2-drachm doses. Give these reme-
dies in alternation, and repeat them every three hours for
twenty or thirty hours in succession.

If the patient be unable to get up, he should be raised with
blocks, and afterwards partly supported in slings for a few days.
In cases of this kind the extremities sometimes swell to a con-
siderable extent, and the muscles are so bruised. and weakened
as to require considerable time ere they fully recover their
normal condition.
394

APOPLEXY. :
[CONGESTION OF THE BRAIN.] ;

Apoplexy, like Paralysis, is a rare form of disease; and
when it does occur, frequently proves fatal, unless detected in
its incipient stages, and treated judiciously and decisively.

The disease generally presents three distinct or well-marked
stages—the first of which is characterised by a preternatural
excitement of the animal; the second, by unsteadiness of gait
and partial unconsciousness ; and the third, by profound coma,
stertorous breathing, and ultimately death. The periods which
may elapse between one stage of the malady and another will
depend upon circumstances, such as the age, breed, and general
treatment of the patient.

Symptroms.—First Sragzu.—The animal is excited; he
looks wildly about; sometimes he starts, and manifests alarm
when approached even by his regular attendant; he is impa-
tient, feverish, and restless. If driven in harness, he will pull
towards one side of the road more than the other,—and, if not
prevented, will run against the walls or into the hedges; and
at times he may become so ungovernable as to run away. The
appetite is sometimes disturbed, and at other times not.

Szconp Stagz.—The second stage of the disease is marked
by more decisive symptoms. The movements of the animal
will be more unsteady, and less under the influence of the
will; the eye will be dull and inanimate; the patient will bore .
his head aginst the wall or the wood-work of his box ; occa-
sionally he may be aroused for a short time, when he may seize
a mouthful of food, masticate it for a few moments, then
press the head against the wall, and doze as before. The volun- —
tary wiuscles will be affected with tremblings and involuntary
twitchings. The pulse, in some cases, may be as low as twenty
APOPLEXY. 395

eight per minute, and the respirations softer and more gentle
than natural.

Tarrp Sracs.—The third stage is characterised by com-
plete insensibility, and loss of motive power to the patient.
The pulse will be reduced, and the respirations in many cases
will fall as low as four per minute. In this condition the
patient may continue many hours; when at last the breathing
will become stertorous, and death speedily supervene.

PatHoenomonic Symproms.—Hezcitement of the animal in
the first instance, succeeded by unsteadiness of gait, associated
with boring of the head against the wall, dozing and partial
blindness in one or both eyes of the patient.

Causzs.—The causes, in many instances, are obscured and
uncertain. Sometimes the disease is associated with disease of
the digestive organs; and sometimes, with tight reining and
over-driving, especially during the prevalence of very hot
weather.

TrEatment.—Horses affected with Apoplexy seldom re-
cover, unless the disease is discovered and properly treated
during its incipient stage. For further particulars respecting
the treatment of this disease, see article “ Gastritis’ (Treat-
ment of), pages 327 to 329.

MEGRIMS.

“ With those out of the profession, who have much to do
with horses, Megrims appears a disorder intelligible enough.
Every horse-dealer or groom pretends.to know what Megrims
is; in the minds of these individuals there is no mistaking it
for anything else; and in point of fact—so far’ as a certain
common assemblage of symptoms go—Megrims is not difficult
396 MEGRIMS.

to diagnose, it being nothing more than what is medical
language we should designate Vertigo.’’*

Megrims is a disease common to old horses; it is rarely
that young horses are so affected. Sometimes it appears in a
very mild form, and the attacks of Vertigo are manifested at
long intervals: while in other cases they are so violent and so
frequent, especially when the horse is at work, as to render the
animal all but useless.

Symptroms.—The attack is generally sudden. The animal
may be going at full trot, when all at once he will commence
shaking his head; the ears will be drawn, in a peculiar manner,
close to the poll; the eyelids quiver; the nose will be pro-
truded, and the head will be pulled round to one side; at the
same time tbe body of the animal will tend in the same
direction. Ifthe driver perceives what is the matter, and pulls
the animal to a stand, further consequences in all probability
will be prevented; but if he be ignorant of the affection, and
perseveres in driving forwards, or in driving quick, the attack
will be aggravated ; the animal will commence trembling vio-
lently, to breathe quickly, and to perspire; he will rush for-
ward, unconscious of surrounding objects, stagger, and fall to
the ground, where he may lie for ten or fifteen minutes—at
the end of which time he will rise upon his feet, shake himself,
and proceed as if nothing had happened.

Parnogyomonic Symproms.—The attack is sudden, and
the animal is affected with giddiness.

Causrs.—The disease may arise from the presence of
tumours within the ventricles of the brain; also in conse-

* Percival’s “Hippopathology,” vol. iii., p. 27, 1st edition.
MEGRIMS. 3897

quence of the arteries at the base of the organ being ossified ;
also from chronic disease of the digestive organs. Driving a
horse in winkers will sometimes excite the disease: while the
same animal, if driven with an open bridle, may not be attacked.

TREATMENT.— When the disease arises in consequence of
tumours within the lateral ventricles, or from ossification of the
arteries at the base of the brain, the disease cannot be cured ;
when caused, however, from disease of the digestive organs,
the case, in all probability, will admit of being cured.

The best remedies, in general are,—Barbadoes Aloes, Nux
Vomica, Arsénicum, Pepsine, and Sulphur.

Barbadoes Aloes.—In two or three instances I have known
Megrims cured by the aid of Aloes, and by strict attention to
the diet. Give the patient 1 drachm by weight of Aloes
daily, until purging is produced.

Nux Vomica.—Arsenicum—When the purging has ceased,
have recourse to Nux Vomica and Arsenic. Give the remedies
night and morning alternately. Use the Nux Vomica in
2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed with 3 or 4 ounces
of water ; also the Arsenicum, in 2-drachm doses of the 8rd
dilution, mixed with 2 ounces of water. The use of these
remedies may be persevered in for ten or twelve days in -
succession, or even longer, if thought necessary.

Pepsine.—Some time ago I was consulted respecting a
horse affected with Megrims. ‘In addition to the disease, the
animal presented an unthrifty appearance; the skin was dry
and harsh; the hair staring, and its natural colour bleached ;
the abdomen presented a pinched-up or contracted appearance ;
the dung was dry and glazed; the appetite was moderate.
The animal was also affected with diseased thrushes, and with
Grease in the heel of the right hind limb. Small doses of
398 HYSTERIA.

Aloes were administered to commence with; after which I gave
the animal Pepsine regularly for some time, after every meal.
Regulation of the diet was strictly enforced. The patient
recovered.

Dint.—The diet of every horse affected with Megrims
should undergo a thorough examination and revision. Is the
corn fusty? Is the hay good? or does it contain dust? or is
it mouldy ?

For every information respecting the diet of the patient,
see Section VI., page 108.

HYSTERIA.

I now enter upon the consideration of a malady which, up
to the present period, has not been described by any English
veterinarian except the author of the present treatise. I
designate the disease in question Hysteria, from the general
resemblance which I believe exists between it and certain
forms of Hysteria which at times are known to affect the.
female species of the genus homo.

In the year 1854 I published a pamphlet upon this disease,*
and up to the period, named I have seen and treated six cases
of the malady; since then, however, I have treated four others,
and been consulted twice respecting it.

I have never known this disorder to affect animals of any
kind but mares.

It is far from being a common disease—in proof of which
I may state, that I have conversed respecting it with veterinary
surgeons who have been forty years in extensive practice, and
who have stated to me that they never saw a case of the kind.

Tam unable at present to assign any cause of the disease
which appears to me adequate to produce it.

*On Hysteriain the Mare, with illustrative cases ; by W. Haycock, M.R.C.V.
London: Aylott & Co.
HYSTERIA. 399

In every case of the disease which I have treated hitherto,
it has been manifest in mares which had previously stood at
rest for a period varying from three to seven or eight days.

The disease commences suddenly, and always by the animal
manifesting an unusual state of gaiety and wildness upon being
taken out of the stable, either for work or for exercise.

The disease never occurs to mares which are daily put to
work, or are daily exercised; so that it does appear that con-
fining mares in the stable for several days in succession is at
least a cause which predisposes the animal to the affection.

The name which I have given the malady has been objected
to, on the ground that it is not analogous to Hysteria in the
human being, to me, however, it appears closely similar—so far
as I can judge of Hysteria from books especially—to what Dr.
‘Copland, in his ‘‘ Dictionary of Practical Medicine,”’ designates
the “ anomalous forms” of the affection.

Symproms.—When Hysteria is likely ‘to manifest itself,
the animal, when brought out of the box, will commence
leaping and jumping in a wild and ungovernable manner, and
occasionally to falter in its gait. The limbs will suddenly be-
come powerless, and the lost power will appear as suddenly to
return. The animal will perspire excessively and breathe hur-
riedly ; when, if the rider or driver should suspect what may
happen, and return the mare at once into the stable, worse
consequences may not ensue; but if the animal is driven for-
wards, symptoms indicative of a dangerous condition will in all
probability supervene.

As the disease proceeds, the voluntary muscles of-the hind
limbs will become so affected with spasm as to render them
powerless. The animal will fall to the ground, struggle, and
fight almost without ceasing. The mucous membrane of the
400 HYSTERIA.

nostrils will become of a dirty blue or leaden colour; the
breathing will be hurried, short, and at times gasping; the
skin will be bathed with perspiration, which, in the generality
of cases, will be hot and steaming. In addition to the incessant
struggling, the animal will strain violently, and eject, by the
urinary passages, immense quantities of bloody urine. The
pulse may beat from 60 to 100, and the respirations reach as
high as from 80 to 50 per minute.

In this condition the patient may remain for some hours,
until at last the animal dies from exhaustion; but, if carefully
dealt with and judiciously treated, the violence may subside,
and recovery ensue.

PatsHoanomonic Symproms.—The animal is affected with
partial loss of voluntary power, which rapidly attacks first one
limb, and then another; the muscles of the hind limbs are
affected with severe spasm; and the urine is mized with blood,
and is of a dark coffee-colour.

TreatMEentT.—Prior to commencing the medical treatment
of a patient affected with Hysteria, secure for the animal, if
possible, the following advantages, viz. :—a loose box which is
clean and cool in temperature, where the light is admitted
sparingly, and where straw is dry and plentiful.

The best remedies in general are—Aconite, Belladonna,
Chloroform, and Mercurius.

Aconite and Belladonna.—Commence at once with these
remedies. Use the Aconite in 2-drachm doses of the 1st
dilution, mixed with 6 or 8 ounces of water; a dose may be
given every half hour, for two or three times in succession,
after which have recourse to Belladonna, and use it in 2 or
38-drachm doses of the -6 tincture, mixed each time with 3 or
HYSTERIA, 401

4 ounces of water. The dose may be repeated every fifteen
minutes, for three or four times in succession, when if the
patient be improved, use the remedy in 2-drachm doses of the
1st dilution, and repeat it at longer intervals.

Belladonna is invaluable in Hysteria. I scarcely ever knew
it fail to afford the patient speedy relief. Four cases out of
the six which are published in the pamphlet I have previously
referred to, were principally treated with Belladonna, and they
all recovered.

Chloroform.—Should Belladonna fail to afford that relief
to the system desirable, have recourse to Chloroform. Use it
in 2-drachm doses, mixed with a pint of cold thin flour gruel.
The dose may be repeated in two hours afterwards should
necessity require.

Mercurius.—The uses of the Belladonna and the Chloro-
form are to sooth the system and render the animal quiet;
effects which may be known by the patient ceasing to struggle,
and by the skin becoming dry, when our attention should be
directed to the regulation of the urine, and one of the best
remedies for this purpose is Mercurius. Use it in half-drachm
doses of the 2nd trituration, mixed with a little flour, and given
as directed at page 146. The dose may be repeated every hour,
as frequently as necessity may require.

AFTER-CONSEQUENCES OF THE DisEAsxe.—The condition
in which the patient may be left after the acute form of the
disease has subsided is a matter which requires attention. If
the attack is severe, the animal will not be as lively and as
vigorous for some time afterwards as before the attack. Some-
times the voluntary muscles generally will be greatly enfeebled ;
at other times the voluntary muscles only of the hind limbs;
and. in other cases again the debility will be principally

2c
402 HYSTERIA.

confined to the psoas muscles.* When the voluntary muscles
of the organism at large are affected, the appetite of the patient
will be bad; the movements of the limbs will be feeble, stiff,
and somewhat uncertain; the abdomen will present a pinched-
up condition, and the patient will daily lose bulk. The system,
in fact, when so affected, requires tone and vigour; where the
muscular debility, however, more especially affects the psoas
muscles, the movements of the hind limbs are of a different
character from what I have described, and are such as to indicate
the structures affected. In addition to the general weakness
of the limbs, the haunches will be straighter than natural, and
the animal will step as though one hind leg was longer than
the other—similar, indeed, to the movements of a man having
a long leg and a longer, and who, when walking, will rise and
fall at every step.

Treatment.—In conditions of the kind now described, I
do not advocate much treatment medically if it can be avoided.
If the weather be favourable, and the season of the year proper,
the best thing to do is to turn the patient for several weeks to
grass, when, in all probability, the animal will return perfectly
restored; but if the season prevents this, then try the effects
upon the patient of a loose box, warmth, and diet of a soft and
nutritious character.

The best remedies in general are—Barbadoes Aloes, Sesqui-
chloride of Iron, Tincture of Capsicum, Arnica, Rhus Toxico-
dendron, and Cold Water Cloths to the spine.

Barbadoes Aloes.—Use the Aloes, and administer them
as directed at page 397. Use them until purging commences,
then withhold the remedy, and after the subsidence of the
purging have recourse to the Sesquichloride of Iron and Capsi-

* The psoas muscles are muscles situate under the spine. See Glossary.
HYSTERIA. 4038

cum. Give the former in 2-drachm doses in 6 or 8 ounces of
water every morning, and the latter in 2-drachm doses of the
1st dilution in 5 or 6 ounces of water every night. Repeat
these remedies daily for six or eight days in succession.

Arnica.—Use the Arnica both as a lotion externally and
as aremedy internally. As a lotion, use it as directed at page
201, apply it freely along the back of the patient three, four,
or five times daily. Give Arnica in 2-drachm doses of the Ist
dilution, mixed with 2 or 8 ounces of water; a dose may be
given two or three times a day for several days in succession,
or it may be given in alternation with Rhus Toxicodendron, in
2-drachm doses of the Ist dilution.

Cold Water Cloths—Should the Arnica lotion fail to
afford the patient relief, try the effect of Cold Water Cloths
applied to the back along its whole length. The wet cloths
should be covered with dry woollen ones. The object being to
excite an increased action within the skin and sub-tissues of
the structures affected.

Dirt.—The diet of the animal should consist of locust,
bran, rice, boiled barley, turnips, carrots. For further par-
ticulars, see Section VI., Page 108.
404

Section VII.

GENERALITIES.
PURPURA HEMOBRHAGICA. MELANOSIS.
LYMPHITIS. STRANGLES.
MYOSITIS. CHILL.
LAMINITIS. RHEUMATISM.
OPTHALMIA. SPECIFIC OPTHALMIA.
OPACITY OF THE CORNEA, NYMPHOMANIA.
GLANDERS. FARCY.
OVER-EXHAUSTION, SWELLING OF {HE SHEATH.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

Tun present section may be regarded as somewhat hetero-
geneous in its general character. It treats upon a number
of diseases which cannot be legitimately classed in any of the.
preceding sections. Many of the maladies herein described
affect the organism at large. Purpura Hemorrhagica, Glan-
ders, and Rheumatism are diseases of this kind; I have there-
fore deemed it the best to classify them with the principal
diseases of an idiopathic nature, which affect the muscles, the
feet, the eyes, and the lymphatic system.

To have arranged these maladies into separate sections
would have necessarily involved much additional matter, with-
out adding materially to the usefulness of the volume, besides
increasing the size to an extent far beyond its present limits.
PURPURA HEMORRHAGICA 405

‘Perhaps at some future time 1 may re-arrange the contents of
this section ; for the present, however, I trust the reader will
find it sufficiently complete for all practical purposes.

PURPURA HAMORRHAGICA,

T regard Purpura Hemorrhagica as a disease arising from
a species of paralysis affecting the filaments of the organic
nervous system, which are distributed through the tissues of
the arterial and capillary blood-vessels.

Purpura in the horse and Quarter I]l in cattle are diseases
closely analogous. Purpura is generally seen in association
with Scarlatina: in fact, before the latter terminates fatally,
it invariably takes on the form of Purpura. It may exist, how-
ever, as an independent disease; and when such is the case,
the probabilities are—if the patient is young, and the system
is not poisoned with huge doses of medicine—that recovery
will ensue; but when Purpura appears in association with
Scarlatina, especially when the Scarlatina is of a malignant
form, the probabilities are against the patient, however young
it may be, or however judicious the treatment. Purpura
Hemorrhagica is a disease of a severe character, and is at all
times to be considered highly dangerous, especially if associated
with Scarlatina, and the patient is old and the vital energies
weakened.

Symproms.—The symptoms of this affection are usually
well marked. The attack is generally sudden, both when it
appears in association with Scarlatina, or as an idiopathic dis-
ease. Its first appearance is marked by sudden swelling of the
limbs (generally the hind limbs), which is speedily succeeded
by an extension of the swelling to other parts of the body—
such as the head, the fore limbs, and under the abdomen, The
406 PURPURA HEMORBHAGICA.

swellings are hard, lumpy, and somewhat tender; and their
terminations are exceedingly abrupt, and they do not readily
pit upon pressure. The nasal membrane is, or speedily does
become, covered with large purple-coloured, or blood patches.
The respirations are generally disturbed; and the pulse, in the
less severe forms of the malady, will beat at sixty or sixty-five:
while in the more severe types, from eighty to ninety, or even
one hundred beats per minute, are common. As the disease
proceeds, other symptoms of a peculiar character are presented.
The head, if not affected at the commencement, will swell, and,
in the course of a few hours, reach such a size as to present a
truly hideous appearance; the lips and nostrils become so hard,
and distended with effused blood, that the patient loses all
power to partake of food. Sometimes the swellings of the
head will for a time be limited to the eyelids of one eye; or
the tongue may swell, and ultimately attain such a size as to
gag the mouth open. When the nostrils are distended, or
their mucous membranes covered with blood-patches, the
breathing becomes snuffling and harsh in sound; and when the
eyelids are rapidly distended, bloody serum is exuded, which
runs down the cheeks, and the patient appears as though
weeping blood. Not unfrequently the dung is ¢oated with
blood; and the urine may also contain it, in consequence

of blood being exuded from the internal surface of the
bladder.

Paryoenomonic Symproms.—The Pathognomonic Symp-
toms are—sudden swelling of the body and limbs, which fre-
quently appears in association with Scarlatina, but which may
appear independent of the latter; the swelling terminates
abruptly, and patches of effused blood are also present upon
the nasal membrane of the nostrils.
PURPURA HEMORRIAGICA. 407
Cavusrs.—Anything which debilitates, or lowers the tone
of the vital energies, predisposes the organism to the develop-
ment of Purpura—such as exposure of the animal to cold and
wet; poor, scanty diet, especially in association with severe
labour, and continued exposure to cold and wet. Scarlatina is
a cause of Purpura; also that peculiar state of the respiratory
organs produced by, or associated with, Chronic Cough.

4

Trratment.—The best remedies, in general, are—Bryonia 1,
Nitric and Muriatic Acids, Arsenicum 8, Ammonia Citrate of
Tron, Sesquichloride of Iron; and Cold Water Bandages and
Scarifications.

Bryonia.—Arsenicum.—I have found Bryonia to be a remedy
of great value in this disease, especially in its idiopathic forms.
_ Use it in 2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed with 3 or 4
ounces of water. The doses may be repeated three or four
times a day. It may either be given alone or in alternation
with Arsenicum, of which use the latter in 2-drachm doses of
the 3rd dilution, mixed with 2 or 3 ounces of water.

Nitrie and Muriatie Acids—For instructions as to the
use of these remedies, see page 184.

Ammonia Citrate of Iron.—This is a remedy of great value,
if used during the convalescent stage of the disease. Give it
in 2-drachm doses, repeated three or four times a day; each
dose should be mixed with 6 or 8 ounces of water. It improves
the condition of the blood.

Sesquichloride of Iron.—Sometimes this latter preparation
of Iron acts better than the Ammonia Citrate. Give it in
2-drachm doses, mixed with 5 or 6 ounces of water. A dose
may be given night and morning.

Cold Water Bandages—Apply bandages, dipped in cold
water, freely to the swollen limbs; soft twisted hay-bands will
408 PURPURA IEMORRHAGICA.

prove the best, especially for large-sized, coarse-limbed horses.
Cold water, if properly applied, invigorates the system, and the
bandages will afford support to the weakened vessels of the
limbs. They may be renewed three or four times a day.

Scarifications.—The swellings which appear, arise from the
presence of effused blood, beneath the skin, cellular tissue,
and amongst the muscles. The blood, when effused, should be
dealt with, as far as possible, like a foreign body. When
effused in large quantities, its continued presence is very likely
to prove injurious, in consequence of its being decomposed.
To prevent this, as far as possible, and to relieve the tenison,
scarify the swollen parts freely with a small lancet. Avoid
cutting the skin in the region of a joint, or amongst the
muscles and tendons of the limbs. The nose, the lips, the
tongue, the sheath, ard beneath the belly, are parts which
admit of being freely scarified.

Dizt.—The patient should be placed in a cool, dry, com-
fortable box. The diet should be generous but light. Boiled
barley, malt, and bran will be suitable; or boiled beans; also a
few carrots, if in season. If the patient be young, and of
considerable value, allow him half a bottle of port wine every
day, for five or six days in succession. When convalescence
is established, exercise the patient daily, if the weather will
permit.

For further particulars respecting the diet, see Section VI.,
page 108; also pages 58 to 62.

MELANOSIS.

Melanosis is an affection which I scarcely know whether to
class as a disease or not, It is manifested for the most part
by old grey horses. It is not, however, exclusively confined to
them, although I have never seen it except in horses of this
MELANOSIS. 409

colour. One singular feature in connection with it is, that it
never appears except when the animal grows lighter in colour.

Melanosis is not to be found in every aged horse of a grey
colour; although I believe melanotic deposits within them to
be more common than is generally supposed.

Symptoms.—The symptoms are of a very simple character.
Tumours appear in one or more of the numerous regions of the
body, and they may be developed either internally or externally ;
if internally, their existence may not be known of or even
suspected, until after the death of the animal, when they may
be discovered by an examination of the carcass.

Externally, melanotic deposits commonly appear in one or:
other of the following parts, viz.:—around the root of the tail;
in close contact with the anus; within the mamme; at the sides
of the sheath; in the region of the flanks; amongst the loose
tissues immediately behind the elbow joints; at the lower part
of the trachea in front of the breast; and upon the sides of
the head, in closé contact with the parotid glands.

Internally, they may be found in close contact with the
liver; within the omentum; amid the duplicate folds of tissue
in close contact with the bowels; amid the lungs; around the
substance of one or both kidneys; and, in short, of many other
localities which it is unnecessary to enumerate.

Melanotic deposits are always manifested in a very slow
insidious manner. At first they may appear as mere specks,
which gradually increase to an uncertain size.

ParHoanomonic Symproms anv Proors.—The animal
being grey, and the colour of the hair disappearing. The inser-
tion of the lancet into the growth will at once determine whether
ats contents are melanotic or not. The colour and consistency of
melanotic deposits being that of black ink.
410 LYMPHITIS.

Cavsz.—Professor Dick is of opinion that the deposit in
these cases consists of the dark pigment of the hair. Instead
of this pigment being distributed to the hair generally, it is,
in consequence of some peculiar change arising within those
tissues of the skin wherein the pigment in question is secreted,
deposited locally as we discover it.

TrEATMENT.—Deposits of the character above described
cannot be treated, in the majority of cases, with any hope of
permanent success. If they exist in localities where their
presence may not interfere with the usefulness of the animal,
it is better to leave them alone, especially if in close contact
with important structures—such as the parotid gland, the base
of the tongue, or amid the larger vessels and nerves of the
neck. A horse affected with Melanosis may be a useful animal
for years after the appearance of the deposit.

LYMPHITIS,

Lymphitis is a disease which, although without place in any
of our standard veterinary books, is yet, upon the whole, well
known, and is designated by a variety of names. In Scotland,
for example, it is called Weed ; while in various parts of England

“it is known as Felltick, Thick Leg, Farcy, Water Farcy, Shot-
o’- Grease, and a number of other names which it is unnecessary
to detail, and which, if detailed, would be impossible to under-
stand Twenty years ago a Mr. J. Henderson, V.S., wrote a
paper upon this affection, which the reader will find in the
ninth volume of Zhe Veterinarian, and from that time to the
present it does not appear that our knowledge of its pathology
is very greatly increased.

Symproms.—The disease generally begins with a shivering
fit, though, in many cases, its progress will be so rapid that its
LYMPHITsS. 411

commencement will not be noticed by any save a careful obser-
ver. Generally the attack is very sudden; the owner or the
servant may go now, as it were, out of the stable, and leave his
horse to all appearance perfectly well, and upon returning in
an hour hence he will find him standing upon three legs, while
the fourth will be flexed and held high from the ground; the
pulse will vary in its beats according to the intensity of the
attack, rarely, however, beating less than fifty, or more than
one hundred per minute; while the respirations may be fifteen
or twenty, or even forty, in the same interval of time. If the
affected limb be examined, especially upon its internal surface,
it will be found hot, swollen, and acutely tender, which symp-
toms for many hours may gradually increase in intensity.

Soon after the commencement of the disease, a number of
vessels may be seen running across the limb in various direc-
tions, of about the thickness of a quill; they are most numerous,
however, upou the inner surface of the leg, where they terminate
in round or irregular formed masses, which masses are acutely
tender if squeezed: these prominent vessels are the inflamed
lymphatics, and the prominent masses alluded to are the in-
flamed lymphatic glands. Sometimes the swelling extends from
the junction of the limbs with the body down to the very foot ;
at other times it only reaches down to the hock, and when
very severe a sort of sweat exudes from the skin and lies upon
the hair.

The coarser the breed, and the older the animal, the greater
the liability to Lymphitis. Young coarse bred horses are also
prone to it, particularly if highly fed and under worked; but
in the young horse the disease, in the majority of cases, if not
in all, quickly runs its course, and the affected limb becomes in
time perfectly restored to its pristine condition, and if due
precaution be taken the malady may not again manifest itself,
412 LYMPHITIS.

at least for years to come; while in old horses the diseased
limb is seldom or ever reduced—it remains permanently thick-
ened, and the animal is extremely liable to have acute or sub-
acute attacks of the same disease periodically. In the majority
of cases, again, the malady is usually confined to a hind leg, and
that on the left side; sometimes both limbs are affected, but
never, as far as I have seen, very acutely at the same time; the
left limb might be attacked acutely, and some time afterwards
the right one, but never both limbs simultaneously. I have
also found that if the disease be treated according to the old
mode, namely—by bleeding and purging, that horses so treated
are more prone to be again attacked than if not so treated.

Patnoenomonic Symproms.—The lymphatic glands situa-
ted at the top, and upon the inner surface of the limb affected,
are enlarged, inflamed, and acutely painful.

Cavses.—The predisposing causes are simple; the chief of
them are—peculiarity of breed; the regular giving of very
nutritious food in too great abundance; previous attacks of the
same disease; old age; and sudden changing of the animal
from a poor to a rich diet. The immediate, or exciting causes,
are—heavy blows upon the limbs; severe scratches and cuts ;
sudden over-exertion; working of the animal in water, or very
wet ground ; the sudden checking of old discharges from diseased
limbs—such as grease, bad thrushes, etc.; allowing the animal
to stand in cold draughts when perspiring freely, or checking
the perspiration suddenly by riding him into a stream of cold
water.

TREATMENT.—The best remedies and modes of treatment
to pursue with this disease in general are—Aconite 2 and -,
LYMPHITIS. 413

also Belladonna 1, Bryonia 1, Hot Fomentations, Aloes, Exer-
cise, Cold Water Bandages, and Diuretics.

Aconite 2 and -¢.—Fomentations—In the more severe
forms of the malady, and so long as its extreme violence con-
tinues, give the patient Aconite of the 2nd dilution every two
hours, and frequently foment the limb with water, at a tem-
perature of 120° Farenheit, for thirty or forty minutes at a
time. Give the Aconite in 2-drachm doses, mixed with 6 or 8
ounces of cold water, and also make a lotion as follows and
apply to the affected limb externally :—

Aconite -9. oe — 4 drachms.
Warm Water ... sel 1 pint.

Use a portion of this every hour, and apply it warm.

Belladonna 1 and Bryonia 1.—Upon the subsidence of
the severer symptoms, recourse should be had to Belladonna
and Bryonia. Give the Belladonna in 2-drachm doses of the Ist
dilution, mixed with 2 or 3 ounces of water; also, Bryonia of
the Ist dilution in 2-drachm doses, mixed with 3 or 4 ounces:
of water. These remedies should be given in alternation morn-
ing, noon, and night, and their use persevered in for several
days in succession.

Aloes.—In those cases where the system of the patient is
gross, and loaded with impurities, or where the diet has been’
too abundant, or where the disease has arisen in consequence
of the sudden arrest of old discharges from the limb affected, a
purgative should be given to the animal when convalescence is
established. Barbadoes Aloes is the best purgative for the
purpose ; give 6 drachms for a dose. For instructions as to
the management of the patient during the operation of the
purgatives, see pages 76, 77, and 78.
414 STRANGLES.

Exercisz.— When convalescence is established the patient
should be gently exercised, weather permitting, two or three
times a day, for twenty or thirty minutes at a time. Exercise
will aid materially in dispersing the swelling and stiffness of
the limb. If a purgative is given, the patient should stand at
rest until its free action upon the bowels has subsided.

Cold Water Bandages.—When the patient is aged, or when
the swelling is slow in being dispersed, have recourse to Cold
Water Bandages. Apply them three or four times a week so
long as necessary. When the bandages are not used wet (and
it is not good to use them too frequently to the same patient),
apply them dry, that is, during the time the animal is at rest.

Diuretics.—In those cases where the disease takes on a
chronic form, and remains so, a Diuretic administered occasion-
ally may prove of value. One of the best for this purpose is
Tincture of Bryonia. Give it in 2-drachm doses of the strong
tincture, mixed with 4 or 5 ounces of water.

Dier.—For instructions respecting the dietetic management
of the patient during the acute and sub-acute stages of the
disease, see Section VI., Page 108.

STRANGLES.

Strangles is a well known disease, and there are few indi-
viduals owning horses but who are familiar or imagine them-
selves familiar with it.

Mr. Percival classifies the malady as one peculiar to the
lymphatic system: whether he is correct or not in so arranging
it in all cases is a matter of doubt. I believe it arises in
numerous instances from derangement which occurs amongst
the molar teeth during the progress of horses from the first to
the fifth year of their age.
BTRANGLES. 415

Sometimes the affection is simple in its character, and mild
in its effects ; while in other cases it acts with a virulence upon
the patient which is surprising.

Generally speaking, the local effects of Strangles are con-
fined to the region of the larynx, and to the sub-maxillary space ;
sometimes, however, the tissues of one locality after another
manifest a disposition to inflame, and the inflammation goes to
the suppurative stage, so as to impress one with the belief that
Strangles occasionally takes on a specific form of fever; the
specificity of which consists in a marked tendency of the organ-
ism at such times to develope purulent deposits, which are
limited in the general run of cases to the tissues of the sub-
maxillary space; but on some occasions extending to other
localities—such as the flanks, between the hind limbs at their
junction with the trunk; also, at the bottom of the neck, and
between the fore extremities.

Strangles is a disease which may be said to be peculiar to
young horses, and analagous to measles in children. It attacks
horses most frequently between the third and fifth year of their
age, though sometimes before the former and sometimes after
the latter; while occasionally we meet with a disease in old
horses which, if not Strangles, is certainly closely similar to it.
The disease sometimes occurs to young animals at grass, and
sometimes it is developed soon after the colt is placed under
the care of the breaker.

Many breeders of horses are of opinion that every horse is
liable to Strangles, and that it is an effort of the organism to
cast away collected impurities. Whether this opinion be one
based upon correct observation J am unable to say.

In more violent forms of the disease, especially when con-
fined to the sub-maxillary and laryngeal regions, it is very prone
to leave the patient a Roarer, and to produce Spasm of the
416 STRANGLES.

Larynx. Strangles, when limited in its local effects to the
sub-maxillary space, may be denominated Regular; but when
its effects are manifested by the formation of Abscess in other
localities, it is designated Irregular Strangles.

Symproms.—The symptoms which characterise Strangles
are different in some cases from what they are in others. One
colt will be in full health to all appearance, as it were, to-day,
and to-morrow he may separate himself from his companions,
appear spiritless, carry his head low, be affected with a soft,
sounding cough, and the appetite be but very indifferent. In
the course of a day or two he will be found to gulp his water,
and perhaps to have become more dejected, and in this state he
may continue with little or no material alteration for six or
eight days, at the end of which time a large tumour will have
formed in the sub-maxillary space, which will ripen, burst, and
discharge a large quantity of thick purulent matter. From this
time he will generally improve in spirits, appetite, and bodily
appearance, until he is restored perhaps to a state of health
better than he possessed previous to the attack.

Should the larynx be affected with spasm, the breathing of
the patient will be attended with a rough snoring noise, or as
the closure of the glottis becomes more complete, with shrill
whistling, or screaming sounds. See “ Spasm of the Larynx,”
page 251. :

Such are the symptoms and the course pursued by the
disease in the majority of cases ; others occasionally occur where
the animal wastes ; loses condition daily ; his coat becomes dry,
long, and staring; his skin is as though it was glued to his
ribs ; he creeps about the hedges and shady places away from
his companions, where he can stand unmolested, and where he
may remain for hours utterly indifferent to everything ; if food
STRANGLES, 417

be offered him he picks amongst it in a very languid and dejected
manner, or refuses it altogether ; the pulse is fifty or even sixty
beats per minute; the mouth dry and foul, and the mucous
membrane of the eyes and lips presents a faint yellow tinge.
In this manner the animal may continne until he becomes so
feeble and so much reduced that he would die unless nutritious
food was forced into him; generally, however, the disease takes
what is called a “turn,” which is manifested either by the
sudden appearance and speedy development of an abscess be-
tween the jaws and around the region of the throat, or otherwise
by a gradual improvement to vigorous health without the forma-
tion of any such abscess.

Symproms or Inrecurar Srrancres.—The Symptoms
which are usually presented by Irregular Strangles will depend
upon the locality in which the disease may become manifest. In
the generality of cases, however, it will be easily recognised
inasmuch as the effects of the malady are usually developed
externally. If the breast of the animal, for example, should
be affected, it will be known by the muscles of this region
gradually losing their natural softness, and also that roundness
of form which is so conspicuous in health. As the disease pro-
ceeds, the swelling becomes harder and more painful, especially
if the head of the patient be elevated. The animal will stand
as if rooted to one place for hours in succession ; the appetite
will be bad, the bowels constipated, and the urine scanty. The
animal will also be unable to travel quickly; the steps will be
short and slow, and the fore limbs will be placed wide apart;
neither will he lie down, unless forced to do so by those in
attendance. The pulse and respirations will be increased—in
some cases considerably so. The swelling of the structures of
the breast will present centres of hardness, and the enlarge-
ment generally will be hotter than the parts contiguous.

2D
418 STRANGLES.

In this state the patient may remain for a considerable
time; when, if proper treatment be adopted, recovery may
gradually supervene, or the inflammation may become more
active, and pass into the suppurative stage; in which case
recovery will be doubtful, especially if the deeper seated
structures are affected, and the purulent matter should be
discharged into the chest.

Parnoenomonie Proors.—Reavrar Srranaizs.—The
youth of the animal. The appearance of a purulent abscess,
and development of the same within the sub-maaillary space.

Innrcutar Straneres.—The youth of the animal. The
appearance of purulent abscesses upon one or more localities of
the body, associated with Strangles in its reqular form.

Treatment oF Reeutar Straneitzs.—The best remedies
and modes of treatment to pursue with Strangles, in its regular
forms, are.-—Hepar Sulphuris and Mercurius, Sesquichloride of
Iron and Iodide of Iron; also Blisters, Poultices, Hot Water
Fomentations, Tracheotomy, Warmth, and a generous diet.

Hepar Sulphuris and Mercurius.—The ‘administration of
Hepar Sulph. is considered beneficial in aiding a rapid forma-
tion of purulent matter. It also relieves the soreness of the
throat so common in this disease. Use it in 2-drachm doses of
the 8rd dilution, mixed with 2 ounces of water; it may either
be given alone, or in alternation with half-drachm doses of
Mercurius of the 2nd trituration. If these remedies are used
in alternation, give them morning, noon, and night.

Sesquichloride of Iron.—Todide of Iron.—These are medi-
cines to use when the patient is convalescent, especially if the
animal is left by the disease in a weak and debilitated condition.

i
STRANGLES, 419

It is difficult to state, in every case, which of the remedies to
prefer; sometimes one, and sometimes the other, is necessary.
Use them in 2-drachm doses, mixed each time of their being
given with 6 or 8 ounces of water.

Blisters.—A Cantharides Blister, if applied to thé skin of
the sub-maxillary space, during the incipient stage of the
abscess, will frequently prove of signal service in hastening
the formation of purulent matter. Before rubbing on the
Blister, clip away the hair from the part. It.is best, in every
case of Strangles, to apply a Blister at once.

Poultices—Upon the subsidence of the action of the
blister, have recourse to hot Poultices, made of bran and boiled
turnips; and renew them every six or eight hours, until the
Abscess is ready to lance, which may be known by the soft,
elastic condition of the tumour-like substance constituting the
Abscess. When ready for opening, push a lancet into the
most dependent and most elastic part of the swelling. Make a
bold free opening’; then with the index finger break up all the
cells, cavities, and adhesions within, so as to effectually liberate
the whole of the contained matter; after which apply a fresh
Poultice, and continue to do so at intervals of ten or twelve
hours, for two or three days in succession.

For all information necessary as to the preparation of Poul-
tices, and the proper mode to apply them to the neck and to
the sub-maxillary space, the reader is directed to turn to pages
149 to 154. *

Hot Water Fomentations.—For all necessary information
as to the application of Hot Water Fomentations to the neck,
or in steaming the head, see pages 156, 157, and 249.

Tracheotomy.—When the disease is associated with Spasm
of the Larynx, arising either from inflammation of the laryngeal
tissues, or from reflex nervous action, it is better to open the
420 STRANGLES.

trachea, and insert a tube into it forthwith. My reasons for
this I have fully explained in the article on “ Roaring,” pages
279 to 285.

After the insertion of the tube, look to its being securely
tied, and also to its being thoroughly cleaned every twenty or
thirty hours, so long as it is necessary to continue its use.

Warmth.—Warmth to the patient is essential to the cure
of Strangles. When the patient is confined in a comforiless,
cold, or damp stable, the progress of the malady is always slow
and unsatisfactory. Warmth and comfort to the animal aid
the rapid formation of purulent matter.

Dirt.—A generous diet, associated with warmth, poultices,
and blisters locally, will constitute, in the majority of cases,
the only treatment necessary. For further particulars respect-
ing Diet, see page 108.

Treatment oF InneauLar Straneies.—The treatment
necessary to pursue with Irregular Strangles will depend upon
the locality in which the disease may fix itself. If it becomes
manifest amid the loose tissues of the flank, or within the loose
tissues in connection with the sheath in horses, or the lymphatic
glands situated near to the mammary glands of the mare, all
that is possible should be done to encourage suppuration ; but
if the structures of the breast be attacked, all that is possible
should be done to prevent suppuration; so that, in describing
the treatment necessary to pursue in the latter form of the
malady, I shall do it separately.

TREATMENT OF STRANGLES AFTEOTING THE FLANK aND
Mammary Ruerons.—The best remedies and modes of treat-
ment in general are— Hepar Sulphuris, Sesquichloride of Iron,
Hot Water Fomentations, and Poultices.
STRANGLES. 421

Hepar Sulphuris.—For Instructions as to the use of this
edicine, and proper dose to give, see page 418.

Sesquichloride of Jron.—For instructions relating to the
use and proper dose of this remedy, see pages 418 and 419.

Fomentations.—For instructions as to the temperature of
the water and other particulars in association, see pages 155
to 156.

Poultices—An arrangement of material may be contrived
to hold a Poultice to the mammary region. <A piece of strong
sacking should be made to pass under the abdomen, and firmly
retained to the part diseased by means of straps passing around
the body and secured upon the back; the poultices should be
large, and made of bran, hot water, boiled turnips, and hog’s
lard.

TREATMENT OF STRANGLES AFFECTING THE Breast.—
The first essential to regard is the comfort of the animal. Place
him in a loose box, which is roomy, and well littered with clean,
dry straw ; after which, every attention should be directed to
aid and support the vital energies. If the patient does not lie
down, he should be compelled to do so in the manner directed
by Rarey, Telfer, and others—a plan which is now so well
known as to need no further description.

Arsenicum and Belladonna.--Arsenic is an invaluable
remedy in cases of this nature. Use it of the 3rd dilution, in
2-drachm doses, mixed with 2 or 3 ounces of water. A dose
may be given morning, noon, and night, for several days in suc-
cession; or it may be given in alternation with Belladonna of
the 1st dilution, in 2-drachm doses, mixed with a like quantity of
water. If the two are used, give them in alternation morning,
noon, and night. The Belladonna is to arrest the formation of
purulent matter.
422 STRANGLES.

Fomentations.—The breast should be fomented occasionally
with water, at a temperature of 166° Fahrenheit.

Dret.—The diet should consist of boiled oats or barley, or
beans mixed with~bran and chopped hay. Milk may also be
allowed, and cold water. A small quantity of malt mixed with
bran may be given occasionally with advantage; also carrots,
if in season.

When convalescence is established, a few doses of the
Sesquichloride of Iron may prove of value. For further par-
ticulars respecting the diet of the patient, see Section VI,
page 108.

MYOSITIS :
INFLAMMATIOM OF THE MUSCLES.

Myositis, or Inflammation of the substance of one or more
of the voluntary Muscles, is an uncommon affection, and one
not hitherto treated upon in any of our regular works upon
veterinary medicine.

Sometimes this affection is limited to the muscles of the
shoulders and chest, of one or both sides. In other cases all
the principle voluntary muscles of the organism are more or
less involved.

In treating upon the malady I shall consider its effects
when presented locally ; and also the symptoms by which it may
be recognised when the muscular system at large is affected.

Myositis is very likely to be mistaken for Rheumatism, or
Pleurodynia, or Pleuritis, or Inflammation of the Lungs, or
even Inflammation of the Laminz of the Feet; close observa-
tion, however, together with a careful inquiry as to the cause,
will enable the veterinarian to arrive at correct conclusions as
to the nature of the case before him.
MYOSITIS. 423

Cavsz.—I only know of one cause of Myositis, and that
is—exerting the animal beyond its natural powers. Taking a
horse which may have been used for several months, or even
years, at slow work, and without a moment’s preparation driving
him with great speed for a considerable distance ; or subjecting
a horse to the same treatment immediately after taking him
from a long run at grass, is all but certain to produce the malady
in question. One of the worst cases of the disease I ever saw,
occurred to a mare which was taken from slow work, to which
she had been used for some time. She was put into the shafts
of a gig, and driven five miles and a quarter over a hilly
country in twenty minutes. The same cause is also just as
likely to produce inflammation of the feet. /

Hunters, race horses, and-cab horses, are perhaps more fre-
quently affected with Myositis than any other class of animals.
In certain cases where the patient has died, 1 have found the
following appearances :—muscular tissue lacerated and softened,
and attended with an effusion of serum and dark blood like
stains in the muscular substance.

Symptoms or Locat Myosrris.—The muscles most
frequently affected locally are those of the shoulders—such
as the serratus magnus, the latissimus dorsi, and the extensor
brachii.

The pulse and respirations are always disturbed: the degree
of disturbance depending upon the amount of injury inflicted
upon the muscles ; the breathing is short and hurried, but the
respiratory murmer is clear throughout the chest, except when
the disease is associated with Pneumonia or bronchial disease
(which it sometimes is), when mucous rales within the trachea
and bronchial tubes will be present. If not associated, how-
ever, with either of these maladies no such sounds will be heard,
424 MYOSITIS.

but towards the bottom of the chest the healthy murmur is
frequently associated with a buzzing or humming noise, which
arises from muscular tremor. The skin over the part diseased
is contracted into folds, and the affected tissues are swollen,
and warmer and firmer than natural; the animal shrinks if the
sides of the chest are pressed, and frequently emits a low
grunt; the movements are performed reluctantly, and with a
short paddling gait; and the extremities are generally cold.

ParHoeryomonic Proors.—The proofs are of such a
character that by careful attention the matter is rendered one
of certainty. Has the patient been very recently subjected to
excessive and long continued exertion, especially in harness ? and
are the sides, or parts affected, swollen, hot, and tender ?

Symptoms oF Genrrat Myosrris.—The animal, if made
to walk, performs the act slowly, and steps out timidly ; or if left
alone, stands for hours in succession as if rooted to the place;
the pulse generally beats from fifty to sixty, or sixty-eight
per minute, and the respirations are usually from thirteen to
sixteen or eighteen ; the abdomen presents a peculiar contracted
condition ; the skin seems as though it was literally glued to
the flesh and to the bones; the hair is dry, and harsh to the
touch; the bowels are constipated, and the urine is scanty and
high coloured; the animal shrinks if handled or pressed upon ;
the appetite is bad; now and then the horse will pick a small
portion of hay, and he does not lie down.

A patient affected with a severe form of Myositis appears
as though suffering under a combination of the diseases, Teta-
nus and Rheumatism.

PatHoenomonic Proors.—Has the patient been very re-
cently subjected to excessive and long continued exertion, especially
MYOSITIS. 425
®
in harness? Does the animal walk slowly and step out with fear ?
Do the trunk and limbs present a contracted appearance ?

TreatMEnt.—The best remedies and modes of treatment
in general are—Barbadoes Aloes, Arnica -6 and 1, Rhus Toxi-
codendron 1, Fomentations, and turning the patient to grass.

Barbadoes Aloes.—The administration of a purgative in
these cases will generally prove beneficial. The size of the
dose will depend upon the size of the animal; from 4 to 6
drachms, however, will constitute the average quantity. For
particulars as to the treatment of the patient during the opera-
tion of the purgative, see pages 75 to 77.“

Arnica - 1.—Apply Arnica lotion to the structures injured
-in Local Myositis. Prepare the lotion as follows :—

Tincture of Arnica ae on 6 drachms.
Water .. ay saa es 1 pint.

Mix the two together, and apply a portion five or six times a
day. Useit warm. After the operation of the purgative, the
administration of Arnica, internally, may be steadily pursued,
and adhered to for some time. Use it of the 1st dilution in
2-drachm doses, mixed with 3 or 4 ounces of water. The repe-
tition of the dose will depend upon the violence done to the
muscular tissues. If the affection be general, repeat the dose
every four hours, for three or four days at the commencement ;
or if it be local, but severe, administer it as frequently, and for
a similar period, after which it may be repeated twice or three
times a day for several days longer.

Rhus Toxicodendron—Sometimes Rhus Tox. produces a
better effect in these cases, if given internally, than Arnica.
Use it of the 1st dilution in 2-drachm doses, and repeat it
according to the directions already stated for Arnica.
4.26 MYOSITIS.

Fomentations.—Few things will tend more to sooth the
patient, whether the affection be local or general, than Fomen-
tations. If the affection be systemic, fold large woollen rugs,
previously dipped in water at a temperature of 114° Fahrenheit,
around the animal. If the affection be local, fomentations can
be more readily applied.

After fomenting the body at large, the patient should have
a cold shower bath: a contrivance for this purpose may be easily
devised; and immediately after the shower bath, the animal
should be briskly rubbed with dry coarse cloths, and then
covered with dry woollen clothing, and left alone for several hours.:

Turning the Patient to Grass,—Myositis, be it understood,
is an affection difficult at times to cure: considerable patience,
will be required ere the animal is restored, and not unfrequently
all remedies of an ordinary character prove of little or no avail.
The malady cannot be eradicated by storm. “The patient lingers,
and the owner perhaps becomes impatient. The best plan to
pursue, under circumstances of this nature, is to turn the animal
to grass—that is, if the season be favourable. A run of two
or three months’ duration is generally necessary to nocampheh

what is desired.

Drer.—For particulars with regard to the diet of the
patient, see Section VI., page 108.

CHILL. ~

I use the above term to designate an affection, or rather a
state, which may terminate either in direct recovery, or in the
manifestation of an inflammatory disease of some important
organ or set of organs. When this particular state is present
it is impossible to say, with positive certainty, whether further
derangement or not will ensue; all that can be said is, that an
abnormal effect is produced, which may terminate in this or
CHILL. 427

that direction, according to the constitutional force of the
animal—to the predisposition of any organ or set of organs to
become affected in any particular manner—and to the treat-
ment which may be pursued at the onset.

Symproms.—The first symptoms, which are usually ob-
served before the chill proper sets in, may be thus described :-—
dullness or want of spirits upon the animal entering a stable
after a journey; hanging of the head; standing fixedly in one
place; taking little or no notice when spoken to; smelling at
the food ; picking amongst it perhaps for a short time, and then
leaving it altogether. In addition to these, the eye is dull, and
the countenance dejected; the animal grinds his teeth, and
breathes quicker than usual, while the pulse is seldom or ever
disturbed at the commencement. Presently his coat will begin
to prick, and at the same time he will begin to tremble with
considerable violence ; his breathing will become more hurried,
and this will be attended with a harsh, blowing sound in the
nasal passages ; the pulse all the time will retain its usual slow,
regular beat. This chilly state may continue from half an hour
to two hours, or more—when the patient becomes quieter, the
breathing softer, the skin and extremities warmer; and the
pulse rises to fifty, or even sixty beats per minute. From this
condition, if the animal be judiciously treated, the attack may
gradually pass off, and perfect recovery speedily ensue; or it
may pass into Catarrhal Fever, or Pneumonia, or Bronchitis, or
Lymphitis, or Laminitis, or Inflammation of the Bowels, or—
what is very common—a bad, obstinate Cough.

Causzs.—The causes of Chill may be stated in a few
words, viz.:—exposing the animal to cold draughts; allowing
him to drink freely of cold water, im very hot or during very
cold weather; exhausting him with labour, and then placing
428 CHILL.

him in a damp stable; washing the limbs with cold water, or
riding him (while in a state of. perspiration) into a stream of
cold water.

Trratment.—The best remedies, in general, are Aconite
and Aromatic Ammonia.

Aconite.—Two or three doses of Aconite will generally
suffice to restore the patient, unless the case be one of more
than ordinary severity. Use the remedy in 2-drachm doses of
the Ist dilution, mixed with 6 or 8 ounces of water. The dose
may be repeated every thirty or forty minutes, until a change
for the better is observed.

Aromatic Ammonia.—Sometimes the Aconite fails to pro-
duce the desired effect ; when this is the case, have recourse
to the ammonia. The proper size of dose will depend upon
the size and breed of the animal; 6 or 8 drachms, however,
may be given with safety in a pint of cold water. If it should
be necessary to repeat'the Ammonia, half the quantity above
prescribed may suffice. :

Clothing.—The patient should be well clothed with warm,
comfortable clothing; and, when convalescence is established,
warm gruel may be allowed the animal to drink. Should the
patient be affected with Cough, see article “ Cough,” page 286,
and treat the animal as there directed.

LAMINITIS.
INFLAMMATION OF THE LAMINZ OF THE FEET.
Laminitis is a disease less frequently seen than formerly.
It is exceedingly painful in its acute forms, and tends to utterly
destroy the usefulness of the animal.
Inflammation of the Feet, of the Bowels, and of the Lungs,
may be fairly set down as three of the most violent and
LAMINITIS. 429

dangerous diseases to which the horse can be subjected. A
horse suffering from a severe attack of Laminitis literally
appears to melt before the vision of the observer.

Heavy draught-horses, and horses having flat soles and
weak hoofs are the most subject to the malady.

The disease presents itself under two forms—viz., Acute
and Sub-acute Laminitis. :

The fore feet are far more liable to suffer from the disease
than the hinder ones; and this may arise from the former being
more subject to concussion than the latter. In progression,
the hind limbs propel the body, while the fore limbs carry its
weight, and receive the concussion which results from loco-
motion.

It is not common for both the fore and hind feet to be
attacked with Laminitis at the same time. Sometimes (espe-
cially in Metastatic Laminitis) the disease will cease in the
fore feet, and appear in the hind ones; and it is more uncom-
mon still to find Acute Laminitis confined to one foot only.

Symrroms.—The symptoms of Acute Laminitis differ ac-
cording to the stage at which the disease may be seen. The
early symptoms are—the animal being dejected; occasionally
breathing quicker than ordinary ; appearing anxious; and fre-
quently shifting his position. If taken out of the stall, and
made to walk, he does so with pain and reluctance ; he steps
short, and paddles in his gait; the feet also are warmer than
natural.

As the disease progresses, the breathing becomes more
hurried, and the pulse greatly quickened; in some instances
‘it may reach as high as ninety, or even one hundred beats per
minute. The movements of the animal are peculiar, and, to a
close observer, at once indicate the nature of the malady. The
430 LAMINITIS.

patient does not lie down; and if the lamina of the fore feet
are inflamed, the hind limbs are brought forward, and placed
well under the belly ; the fore feet are frequently shifted; the
knees are maintained in a semiflexed position; while the little
weight which they are obliged to sustain is sought to be thrown
either on the outer sides of the feet, or the points of the toes.
The hoofs are of an unnatural heat; the limbs swell from the
knees to the coronets; the arteries of the limbs affected, throb
with more or less violence, according to the ‘violence of the
disease; and if the feet be smartly tapped with a hammer,
the patient either will suddenly drop to the ground, or emit a
low groan. Sometimes the nose is brought down close to the
feet, and these organs are regarded with a countenance which
manifests a painful anxiety.

In the more severe forms of the disease, the animal per-
spires profusely ; drops of clear water chase each other rapidly
down the hairs of the mane and tail; the eyes are wild, hag-
gard, and blood-shot ; the bowels are constipated, and the
secretion of urine suppressed.

Parnognomonto Symproms.—The Pathognomonic Symp-
toms are—throbbing of the arteries of the limbs affected,
associated with unnatural heat, and excessive tenderness of the

feet.

TrEMinations oF Lamrnitis.—The terminations of Acute
Laminitis require to be noted. The disease may terminate in
several modes. 1st—In resolution: that is, in a return of the
feet to their normal state. This result, however, is not com-
mon. 2nd—In the hoofs being sloughed away, and in the
death of the patient. 8rd—In the soles of the feet descending.
LAMINITIS, 431

This is a common termination, and one which may ever after-
wards render the animal useless, even for the performance of
slow work upon soft ground ; while the more favourable forms
of it disqualify the animal, in a great measure, for rapid loco-
motion especially upon hard macadamized roads. 4th—In the
hoofs being gradually cast, and new ones being as gradually re-
produced. From the commencement to the completion of this
termination, a period of ten or twelve months will be neces-
sary. 5th—In the sub-acute and chronic forms of the malady:
in this state the animal may remain for an uncertain period.

Causrs.—The causes of Laminitis are numerous. Concus-
sion is the most common, especially when acting in association
with exhaustion of the vital powers generally, and of the feet in
particular; and this is very likely to happen from riding or
driving the animal inordinate distances. Exposing the feet to

-severe cold; as for example, when the animal is compelled to
stand for a long time in half-melted snow, and then being sud-
denly removed to a close, warm stable. The animal being
prevented, for a long period, from lying down, either in
consequence of disease, or from being confined on board a
ship.

Indigestion, either from causes which have been in opera-
tion for a long time, or from those of a recent character—such
as the eating of wheat, or gorging the stomach in consequence
of getting to the corn chest during the night. Indigestion is
a more common cause of this disease than is generally supposed.
Young horses kept for a time in loose boxes, and made fat with
soft food to prepare them for sale, are very prone to manifest
Laminitis if suddenly put to work, especially if this is associated
with change of diet. Many young horses have died from
inflammation of the feet arising from this cause; and the
432 LAMINITIS.

sellers of them have afterwards been condemned as dishonest
traders, and then compelled to refund all the purchase money.

Metastasis, or the transition of disease from one part of the
organism to another—as, for example, from the bowels to the
feet; or from the lungs to the feet is another, but not a fre-
quent cause of Laminitis: whenever it does occur, however, it
is invariably associated with excessive constitutional debility.

TREATMENT.—The treatment of Laminitis, like all other
diseases, should have strict reference to its cause. When the
malady arises from acute or chronic disease of the digestive
organs, or from general debility causing Metastasis, it will be
evident that if we intend our curative efforts to prove successful,
we should direct them partly to the digestive organs, or to the
removal of the constitutional debility, as the case may be. Even
in those cases which may appear to solely arise from the animal
being over-driven—or, in short, from any other cause of an
external nature—the careful practitioner will never lose sight
of these facts.

Another matter of great importance also requires to be
noticed ere we enter upon the general question of treatment—
viz.:—patients affected with this disease seldom or ever lie
down, either at the commencement or during its most violent
stages. Many practitioners, in consequence of this, recom-
mend laminitic patients to be slung; but slinging horses ought
never be resorted to in disease, except under circumstances of
the most urgent character, and then only for as short a period
as possible. The proper way'to act is to lay the patient down,
according to Mr. Rarey’s plan ; and in cases of acute Laminitis,
very little trouble suffices to effect this. Buckle up a fore-leg,
and hold the patient steady, and in a few minutes he will drop
upon his side—almost without a struggle.
LAMINITIS. 433.

The best remedies and modes of treatment to adopt in
general, are—Nux Vomica, Arnica, Aconite, Barbadoes Aloes ;
Ice to the Feet, Hot Fomentations, Poultices, Rasping and
Paring the Feet, and Bleeding locally.

Nuz Vomiea and Aconite—When the affection arises
from Acute Indigestion, or when it is aggravated by disease
of the stomach, Nux Vomica and Aconite will be excellent
remedies to give internally. Use the Nux in drachm doses
of the 1st dilution, mixed with 3 or 4 ounces of water, and
repeat it every three or four hours; or it may be given in
alternation with Aconite 1, in drachm doses, and repeated
every two hours. ,

Barbadoes Aloes.—A purgative is occasionally of great’
service in this disease—especially if it arises from gorged
stomach, or from the animal having eaten wheat. The size of
the dose will depend upon the breed and size of the patient:
8 or 10 drachms of the drug will be necessary for large, heavy
draught-horses; and if the purgative should fail to operate in
fifteen or twenty hours after its administration, give drachm
doses of Aloes every three hours, until purging commences:
during the operation of the purgative, the use of other remedies
may be suspended. For further instructions relating to pur-
gative medicine, see pages 75, 76, and 77.

Ice to the Feet.—Hot Fomentations.—The adoption of one
or other of these modes will depend upon the vital condition
of the patient, and of the structures locally diseased. If the
constitutional debility be excessive, I am of opinion that hot
water is the best to apply, if not throughout the disease, at
least during its early stages. On the other hand, where the
disease may have arisen from the operation of intense cold upon
‘the feet, warmth suddenly applied would in all probability be
injurious. In all cases where the constitutional energies are

25
434 LAMINITIS.

feeble, or where the disease does not arise from excessive cold,
as a general rule I should recommend Hot Water Fomenta-
tions to the feet, in preference to Ice or Cold Water.

For all necessary instruction as to the application of
Fomentations and Poultices to the feet and limbs, see pages
149 to 156.

Rasping and Paring the Feet.—Many veterinary surgeons
recommend the soles of the feet to be pared, and the crusts
to be rasped, until the structures operated upon spring when
pressed upon; as a rule, however, I dissent from such a prac-
tice. Pare the sole until it springs, but avoid rasping the
crust to any considerable extent. When this latter operation
is done to excess, it favours the disorganization of the lamina,
and the descent of the sole.

Bleeding from the Foot.—Bleeding from the toe, or from
the artery at the side of the sole, will often prove of signal
benefit in Laminitis. It is a bad practice, however, to abstract
blood at the commencement of the malady. If the laminitic
inflammation be associated with a vigorous state of the system,
let the disease exhaust its violence to some extent before the
abstraction of blood is effected ;* while, if the vital energies
are feeble (which is always the case in the metastatic forms of
the malady), to bleed at any time under such conditions will be
productive of more harm than good. As a rule, then, in cases
of Laminitis where bleeding is necessary, allow the disease to
have been from six to ten hours in existence ; and do not operate
then unless the pulse has become hard, firm, and wiry. The

* Perhaps the reader may exclaim—why not bleed at the commencement of
the attack, and prevent the violence to which you allude? In reply, I have
simply to observe, that it cannot, in the majority of cases, be so prevented.
For a more complete exposition of the principle.of treatment now laid down,
the reader is directed to pages 70 and 71 of my “Principles and Practice of
Veterinary Medicine and Surgery.” London: J. Churchill, 1858. ,
LAMINITIS. 435

quantity of blood necessary to take away will depend upon
circumstances ; perhaps two quarts from each foot—perhaps
less. When the patient is bled, however, and the wounds
made secure, lay the animal down upon a comfortable bed of
straw ; then darken the box, and leave him to rest.

Drzr.—The patient should have gruel to drink, made
according to the directions given at pages 112 and 118; also
boiled corn and bran, carrots, boiled turnips, or a little boiled
barley. When the disease arises from Metastasis, the patient
should be supported with eggs and milk; bread and milk and
wine may be given occasionally.

For further directions as to diet, see Section VI., page 108.

Croruine.—Avoid clothing the animal too heavily; clothe
according to the season, and the bodily condition of the patient.

RHEUMATISM.

Rheumatism is a malady which is common to young horses ;
sucking foals are exceedingly liable to the affection. In them it
presents itself in a form termed “Joint Evil.’ Old horses,
however, are not exempt from rheumatic diseases.

Acute Rheumatism is, on some occasions, remarkable for the
extraordinary manner with which it changes from one locality
of the organism to another. In other forms of the malady, the
system generally is affected. In both conditions, however, it
is associated with inflammatory fever, more or less intense.

Acute Rheumatism is sometimes preceded by a smart
attack of Pleuritis (Pleuritic Rheumatism) ; in other cases the
two are associated. I never knew Rheumatism, however, to
terminate in Pleuritis.

In the Acute forms of Rheumatism affecting the joints,
especially the knee or the hock joints, distention of the synovial
436 RHEUMATISM.

ieavities and thickening of the vascular tissues are consequences
which frequently supervene. The distention and thickening
of these tissues often become permanent.

Well-bred horses are more subject to the malady than
draught horses.

The duration of the disease is from one to three, or even
four weeks—i.c., from its commencement to the complete
recovery of the animal. In describing the disease, I shall
consider it as being presented under two varieties :—Ist, as
Acute; and 2nd, as Sub-acute Rheumatism.

Symproms or Acurr Rurumatism.—Acute Rheumatism
not unfrequently supervenes upon Epizootic Catarrh ; and, in
doing so, it may appear either as Pleuritis (Pleuritic Rheuma-
tism) in the first instance, or it may manifest itself in the
limbs; or the former may terminate in the latter. If in either
form, however, the attack will generally be sudden and ex-
tremely severe.

The patient, to all appearance, may be recovering, when
suddenly he will commence breathing quick ; the breathing will
be attended with frequent sobs, and at times it may take on a
spasmodic action; the pulse will be peculiar—beating, for a
short time, strong and rapid ; the action will then become slow,
soft, and gentle; then violent and rapid as before.

The respiration will be attended with frictional sounds
within the chest; the patient will stand rooted, as it were, to
‘one place; the skin will be covered with patches of perspiration,
and the animal will sometimes be irritable in temper.

In this state the animal cannot long remain. Unless relief
be afforded, the vital energies will sink under the violence of
the attack. The pulse will, on some occasions, rise as high as
ninety or one hundred beats per minute ; the patient will grind
ROEUMATISM. 437

‘his: teeth, and the thirst will be excessive. A half-conscious
state may supervene, and death speedily result ; or—what more
frequently occurs—the violent symptoms referrible to the heart
and the pleura will disappear, and the disease is transferred to
a hind limb, the joints of which swell, become hot, and acutely
painful.

In this manner the disease may hold its course until it has
invaded every limb in succession ; when its violence may sub-
side, and the patient gradually recover.

Suz-acurte RurvmMatism.—Sub-acute Rheumatism differs
principally from the acute form of the disease in possessing a
more diffusive character; the pain is not so excruciating; the
pulse is softer, more regular, and not so quick; and it is
also the most common form in which the malady is deve-
oped.

It is manifested, for the most part, within the muscles and
‘the facia of the loins and hind extremities. The patient, to
use common phrases, is “ shoulder-tied,” or “loin-bound.” It
is with difficulty the animal can be made to move from one
place to another. The appetite is bad, and the temper of the
patient, on some occasions, is excited. He will snatch and bite
savagely at those who touch or approach him.

PatHoenomonic Symproms.—Zhe animal is suddenly at-
tacked with lameness in one or more of the limbs, associated with
inflammation, swelling, and acute pain within the joints. The
disease shifts out of one limb into another.

Causzs.—The causes which excite and predispose the sys-
tem to Rheumatism are numerous. LEpizootic Catarrh is.a
predisposing cause of this character; also regularly keeping
438 REEUMATISM.

horses in stables which are damp and ill-ventilated; while, as
exciting causes, I may enumerate the prevalence of east winds;
exposure of the animal, when prespiring, to cold draughts; also
long exposure of the animal to cold and wet in association ;
also irritation of the system from superpurgation.

TrratmEent.—Warmth, dryness, and comfort, within the
habitation of the patient, are essentials highly necessary to the
cure of Rheumatism.

The best remedies and modes of treatment, in general, are
—Aconite, Arnica, Belladonna, Bryonia, Colchicum, Rhus Toxi-
codendron, Cantharides, and Rhododendron; also Mustard
Embroeations, Hot Water Cloths, and Warm Lotions.

Aconite and Arnica.—These are excellent remedies when
the disease is of a sub-acute character ; and when it has arisen
in consequence of recently exposing the animal to cold and
wet, or to cold draughts of wind.

Use each remedy in 2-drachm doses of the Ist dilution,
and give them in alternation, at intervals of three or four
hours.

In the severer forms of the disease, or where it is associated
with Pleuritis and with disease of the heart, Aconite will con-
stitute one of the principal remedies; it may be used both
internally and externally. Make the lotion as follows :—

Tincture of Aconite RB oes 2 ounees.
Soft Water ee sin is 1 gallon.

Mix the two together; and, immediately before using the
lotion, warm it to a temperature of about 116° Fahrenheit,
and apply it (where practicable) to the swollen limbs, by means
of woollen bandages dipped in the warm fluid.
RHEUMATISM, 439

Belladonna and Bryonia.—Sometimes a change from Aconite
to Belladonna and Bryonia, will prove of benefit to the patient.
Use the Belladonna of the Ist dilution, in 2-drachm doses,
every two or three hours. Use the Bryonia in like quantity,
of the Ist dilution. The two may be given in alternation ; or
either of them may be alternated with Aconite.

Colchicum.—This remedy will prove valuable when the
hock and the fetlock joints are more particularly involved. It
may also be tried in the sub-acute form of the disesse. Use it
in 2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed with 2 or 8 ounces
of water. The dose may be repeated every three or four hours ;
it may either be given alone, or alternated with any of the
medicines named. :

Cantharides.—In two or three cases of Sub-acute Rheu-
matism, I have used Cantharides in 1-drachm doses of the lst
dilution, in alternation with Bryonia of the Ist, and with
benefit. The use of Cantharides is indicated when the skin is
dry, the fever acute, associated with suppression of the urine.
Cantharides requires using with considerable caution. If the
remedy is given alone, dilute it freely with water. The dose

, may be repeated every four or five hours.

Rhus Toxicodendron and Rhododendron.—These are re-
medies for the disease, should it become chronic. Use them in
2-drachm doses of the Ist dilution; they may either be given
alone, or in alternation with each other.

Mustard Embrocations.—Mustard, as a counter-irritant to
the chest in Pleuritic Rheumatism, will sometimes prove of
great benefit. For proper directions as to the preparation and
mode of applying the Mustard, see pages 159 and 160.

Dret.—The diet of the patient should consist of milk, milk
and water ; also gruel, prepared as directed at page 112. Green
clover or carrots may be allowed, if in season.
440 ROEUMATISM.

For further particulars relating to the diet, clothing, and
housing of the patient, see Section VI., page 108.

Joint Evil.—Before concluding the present article, it is
necessary to offer a few directions with respect to the treat-
ment of Joint Evil, as it is a form of Rheumatism very destruc-
tive to young animals. Sucking foals are exceedingly delicate
animals, and when attacked with acute disease, their life powers
readily succumb; so that our treatment is more a question of
hygiene than of medicine.

TreatmMent.—The swollen joints should be bathed with
the Aconite lotion, prepared as directed above; after which the
joints should be folded with thick layers of cotton wool, and
the patient should be kept dry and comfortably warm.

The remedies best adapted in general, for these cases, are—
Aconite, Belladonna, Bryonia, and Colchicum. Use them of
the 1st dilution, in doses varying from 20 to 80 drops, mixed
with a little water. Each remedy may be given alone, or two
of them may be given in alternation.

Dier.—Small quantities of food should be frequently given
to the patient. It should consist of sago and milk, or of equal
parts of thin flour gruel, boiled linseed, and milk; it may be
given by means of a sucking bottle. Should the bowels of the
patient become constipated, a small quantity of treacle mixed
with the diet will sufficiently relax them.

COMMON OPTHALMIA,
The eye of the horse is neither so liable to disease nor is it
affected with so numerous a class of maladies as the human eye.
The disease I am about to describe is known by a variety
of names; sometimes it is called Catarrhal Opthalmia; also,
SPECIFIC OPTHALMIA. 441

Common Inflammation of the Eye; and at other times Simple
Opthalmia, in contradistinction to another form of inflam-
‘matory disease of the eye called Specific Opthalmia.

Symproms.—The symptoms of Common Opthalmia are
swelling and closing of the eyelids, associated with an abundant
secretion of tears which flow down the cheeks, and produce a
_ scalding effect upon the skin of the cheeks and of the parts
contiguous. If the eyelids are opened, the mucous membrane
will be seen to be congested with innumerable blood vessels,
associated with dimness of the cornea. Sometimes the patient
is affected with cough, and sometimes not; and occasionally
the above symptoms constitute the most prominent features in
Epizootic Catarrh.

_ Causzs.—Exposure of the animal, when perspiring, to cold
draughts ; and to the combined effects of wet and cold. The
disease sometimes prevails as an epizootic.

TrREaATMENT.—See Article “ Traumatic Opthalmia,” Section
VIII. See also Article “Epizootic Catarrh’” (treatment of’)
page 228, :

SPECIFIC OPTHALMIA.

The best and most complete account of this disease which
has hitherto appeared from the pen of any English veterinary
writer, is that which was written by the late Mr. W. Percival,
and which is published in the third volume of that author’s
work, entitled “Hippopathology.” The article treating upon
the disease in question is written with great clearness, and is
faithful to a degree; it is one of those diseases, in fact, upon
which I should naturally expect Mr. Percival, when living, to
have written soundly and excellently.
44.2 SPECIFIO OPTHALMIA.

Symproms.—lIt is unnecessary, in a work like the present,
that I should detail every symptom in association with the
above-named peculiar type of Opthalmia; I shall content my-
self with merely pointing out the principal differences which
exist between the specific and the common forms of the malady.

Specific Opthalmia is distinguished from the common forms
of the disease principally by the following peculiarities :—

I.—The disease is periodic in its attacks; hence the
name which is sometimes given to it—Periodic Opthalmia.

II.—It is generally manifested suddenly, and it is also
a metastatic affection; that is, it may suddenly disappear, out
of one eye, and as suddenly appear in the other.

III.—It is attended with more or less febrile commotion
of the system, especially at the onset of the disease.

IV.—It generally passes into dedhepints condition, in
which condition its duration is uncertain. Sometimes it slowly
disappears, and at other times it again suddenly takes on
the acute form.

V.—It is rarely attended with that swollen condition
of the eyelids, or that excessive secretion of tears which accom-
panies the more common forms of Opthalmia.

VI.—It is prone to terminate in Cataract, and in com-
plete blindness of one or both eyes.

VII.—The predisposing causes of the disease are consti-
tutional; and they are also hereditary.
SPECIFIC OPLHALMIA. 443

Parnoenomonic Proors.—The disease is manifested peri-
odically, and it generally attacks the deep seated tissues of the
affected organ.

TREatMENT.—The best remedies and modes of treatment
in general are—Aconite, Arsenicum, Tincture of Iodine, Nitric
Acid, Chlorate of Potass, Ammonia Citrate of Iron, Nux
Vomica, China, and Sulphur.

Aconite.—Arsenicum and Belladonna.—Aconite is indicated
at the commencement of the disease, especially when the malady
is associated with a high degree of fever. The fever cannot in
these cases be regarded as sympathetic of the inflammation of
the eye; it is, in my opinion, to be considered as an integral
part of the disease. Use the Aconite in 2-drachm doses of
the 1st dilution, and give it to the patient morning, noon, and

: night, A lotion of Aconite may also be used to the eye, con-
sisting of Tincture of Aconite 4 drachms, mixed with a pint of
water, which should be applied to the eye three or four times a
day by means of a small broad-ended syringe. The Aconite
may either be given alone or in alternation with Arsenicum 3
‘in 2-drachm doses, or Belladonna 1 in 2-drachm doses.

Arsenicum is indicated both in the acute, sub-acute, and
chronic forms of the disease ; in the latter it may be given with
advantage in alternation with the Ammonia Citrate of Iron.
The use of the two should be steadily persevered with for at
‘least two or three months in succession. Use the Arsenicum
in 2-drachm doses of the 8rd dilution, and the Iron in 2 or
8-drachm doses. The patient should have about two doses of
each kind of medicine per week.

Chlorate of Potass.—Nux Vomica.—China.—Sulphur.—
These are all excellent remedies to give in Specific Opthalmia,
especially in the chronic forms of the disease. Give the
‘44.4, SPECIFIC OPTHALMIA.

Chlorate of Potass in 2-drachm doses, and repeat it every thirty
or forty hours for four or five days in succession ; or it may be
given in alternation with China or Nux Vomica. Sulphur is
also an excellent remedy ; give it in 2-drachm doses of the Ist
trituration ; its use should be continued for some time.

Drer anp Gunrrat ManacemEnt.—The diet and general
management of the patient are matters which require close
attention on the part of those having the care of horses affected
with this disease. Derangement of the stomach will aggravate
the disease, and the least undue exposure of the animal to cold
and wet is almost certain to be followed by an acute attack of
the disease. The vital energies of the patient should therefore
be sustained to the utmost, and every precaution taken to guard
the animal against unnecessary exposure.

OPACITY OF THE CORNEA.

Opacity of the Cornea is very frequently the effect of an
attack of Opthalmia arising either from the common or the
‘specific forms of the disease. Sometimes the opaque condition
‘of the Cornea is speedily removed by absorption without any
treatment whatever; at other times it remains, when active
treatment, with a view to its removal, becomes necessary. Ii is
desirable to remove it because the opacity frequently causes
horses so affected to shy a great deal, and they are rendered
dangerous in consequence.

One of the best remedies for this purpose is the Tincture
‘of Iodine, which should be applied directly to the surface of the
eye by means of a fine camel’s hair pencil. The application
should be repeated two or three times a week, for two or three
weeks in succession if necessary; giving to the animal at the
same time 4-drachm doses of Iodine of the 1st dilution, mixed
‘with 4 or 5 ounces of water, for a like period,
445

NYMPHOMANIA.

By the term Nymphomania, I mean that morbid condition
of the sexual organs of the mare which continues after the
proper season is past for the animal taking the horse.

It is a morbid condition which is not only annoying to the
mare, but sometimes it renders the animal dangerous to the
owner and to those in attendance.

i

TrratMEeNtT.—The best remedies in general are—Tincture
of Cantharides, Murex Purpura, and Aloes.

Cantharides —Sometimes a single dose of this remedy will
remove the affection ; and sometimes many doses of it are not
productive of the least beneficial effect. Give the tincture in
2-drachm doses, mixed with 6 or 8 ounces of water. The medi-
cine should be given to the mare when the stomach of the
animal is empty. Should it fail to produce a beneficial effect,
have recourse to the Aloes as a purgative.

Murex Purpura.—Have recourse to the Murex after the
purgative has been given and its effects have subsided. Give
it in 2-drachm doses of the 8rd dilution, mixed with 3 or 4
ounces of water. Repeat the dose once a day for several days
in succession. The animal should also be fed sparingly.

GLANDERS AND FARCY.

It is not my intention to occupy the reader with any very
lengthy observations of my own upon Glanders and Farcy ;
want of space forbids it upon the present occasion.

Glanders and Farey are different forms of the same disease,
Glanders may first appear, and Farcy supervene ; or what is
called Farcy may first appear, and Glanders supervene. Farcy
is simply a tertiary form of Glanders. ,
446 GLANDERS AND FARCY.

Glanders is a disease of the blood, and the inveterate forms
of the malady are those where the nutrition of the tissues of
the body have become contaminated; as the nutrition, in fact,
of the more remote tissues become affected, the blood necessarily
becomes more and more loaded with poisonous materials, and
the disease will become more and more virulent in its effects.

Glanders is sometimes developed with extraordinary rapi-
dity. This is more particularly the case with animals kept in
closely confined and ill-ventilated stables; in other cases, again,
the disease for sometime may be slow and insidious, and then
suddenly become virulent.

‘The disease is highly contagious, not only to other horses,
but to human beings also.

Causzs.—The causes of Glanders are innumerable; but
any influence upon the animal economy, the operation of which
lowers the vital force, acting in association with bad ventilation
and imperfect purification of the blood, will favour the develop-
ment of this disease.

PatHognomoyio Symproms or Guanpers.—The pathog-
nomonic symptoms of Glanders are ulceration of the nasal
membrane, associated with purulent discharge from one or both
nostrils; with enlargement and hardness of the sub-mazillary
glands, and fixedness of the same to the internal surface of the
inferior maxilla.

The ulcer, which is pathognomonic of Glanders, presents
{especially in the more advanced stages of the disease) the
following peculiarities :—

It is chancrous; of a dull red colour; ragged and angry
looking ; irregular in form and size; fungoid in appearance ;
SWELLING OF THE SHEATH. 447

having minute vessels passing towards it which present a venous
character conjested with blood having a venous appearance, and
which bleed upon the slightest irritation.

Trratment.—Having satisfactorily determined the disease
to be Glanders, the best course to pursue is to destroy the
animal affected forthwith. The liability of the malady to spread
to other horses, and the great danger of its being communi-
cated to human beings, renders the destruction of the patient
imperative.

In conclusion, I may observe, that in my opinion hundreds
of cases of Ozena have been mistaken for Glanders, and the
animals destroyed in consequence. See Article ‘“Ozena,”
page 238.

SWELLING OF THE SHEATH. 7
Horses are sometimes affected with swelling of the sheath.
It is a condition of the parts which frequently arises from
debility, and also as a result of the animal being confined for
some time to the stable, either in consequence of sickness, or
from the want of work. The most common cause, however, is
uncleanness of the sheath.

TrraTMEentT,—Examine the organ, and if its interior be in
a dirty condition, cleanse it thoroughly with warm water and
soap. Should the affection arise from debility, or confinement
of the horse to the stable from any other cause, cleanse out the
sheath, and exercise the animal daily. Attend also to the diet
of the horse.

For further particulars as to the diet of convalescent
patients, see Section VL, page 108.
448

OVER-EXHAUSTION.

Exhaustion and over-excitement of the system, although,
(strictly speaking) cannot be considered as forms of disease,
yet I shall treat upon them for two or three reasons :—First,
because they are states of the organism which very frequently
are the forerunners of the most destructive kinds of disease;
secondly, because they are the most prolific sources of disease ;
and thirdly, because they have never been treated upon, and, in
fact, searcely recognised by veterinary writers as anything
worthy of their attention, beyond a mere passing remark. A
close observer, however, of equine disease will: perceive their
effects almost hourly. Cab and livery horses are exceedingly
liable to suffer in consequence. They especially predispose the
organism to both acute and typhoid forms of disease—such as
Acute Inflammation of the Bowels, of the Feet, Kidneys and
Heart, Lungs, and also of Typhoid Pneumonia. I have wit-
nessed, on several occasions, attacks of Enteritis and of Lami-
nitis, of a most frightfully severe character, arising from these
causes. A veterinary surgeon having the care of horses
belonging to an establishment where the work is of a most
uncertain and irregular character, as in livery stables, should
always be on the alert as to the existence and consequences of
Exhaustion and over-excitement.

Symptoms oF Over-Exnaustion.—Over-exhaustion of the
system deranges, more or less, every function within the
organism; so that, in noting its symptoms, we simply note
what relates to a condition of general disturbance. .

The temperature of the skin is deranged ; the legs and feet
aay be of a feverish heat, while the hair upon other parts of
the body may be penfeathered. The appetite will be fickle, or
the animal may refuse every kind of food, and yet appear
>
OVER-EXHAUSTION. 449

anxious for it. _ Horses so affected seem as though they desired
something entirely different from their ordinary kind of fare.
The pulse may not be much excited, but it is peculiar; some-
times it is a little thready, or irregular, or intermittent. The
animal will be shifty and uneasy; the respirations will be
slightly hurried or irregular; and sometimes a faint, soft cough
will be emitted.

The condition now described is one of great danger to the
animal so affected, unless its existence be recognised, and
measures of a conservative character taken to ward off its
consequences; but if the animal be exposed to the effects
of wet or cold, or made to perform a still greater amount of
labour—or if the two causes act in association—disease of a
severe character will most certainly supervene ; and, in all pro-
bability, the animal will die.

TreatMENT.—The first great esssential towards recovery is
rest to the animal; it is not only a primary essential, but it is
an absolute one. The other essentials are—pure air, and a
warn, comfortable habitation ; with suitable food, prepared in
a suitable manner.

The best remedies, in general, are—Aconite, Aromatic
Ammonia, Nux Vomica, Sesquichloride of Iron, Chlorate of
Potass, and Hot Water.

Aconite may be given at the commencement of the treat-
ment; it will tend to allay the feverish excitement of the system.
Use it in 2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed with G6 or 8
ounces of water. A dose may be given every three or four
hours, two or three times in succession.

Aromatic Ammonia.—-Aromatic Ammonia is valuable when
the hair is pricked and the animal is chilly. Give it in
6-drachm doses, mixed with 6 or 8 ounces of water. It may

25
450 OVER-EXHAUSTION.

be repeated once or twice, at intervals of three or four
hours. |

Nux Vomica.—Sesquichloride of Iron.—These remedies are
to improve the appetite and the general tone of the system.
They should not be resorted to until the morbid excitement
has subsided, otherwise they will not be productive of good.
Give the Nux in 2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed
with 3 or 4 ounces of water; and the Iron in 2-drachm doses,
mixed with 8 ounces of water. They may be given in alternation,
morning, noon, and night, for four or five days in succession.

Chlorate of Potass—This remedy will be found valuable
to administer when the dung emits a disagreeable effluvium.
It may either be given alone, or in alternation with Aromatic
Ammonia, or Nux Vomica. If alone, give it in drachm doses,
mixed with water, and repeated every six or eight hours; or if
in alternation, every four hours, for two or three days in suc-
cession.

Hot Water.—Bathe the limbs with hot water. The process
may be repeated night and morning, for two or three days in
succession. The water may be used at a temperature of 112°
or 114° Fahrenheit. Bandage the limbs immediately after
fomenting them.

Dier.—The dieting of the animal, until fairly recovered, is
a matter of importance. It should consist of bread and milk,
boiled barley and bran, now and then a carrot or two (if in
season), or a boiled turnip. For further particulars relating to
diet, see page 108.
Section VIII.

WOUNDS AND INJURIES.

WOUNDS AND INJURIES, CAPPED HOCK.

CAUSES OF WOUNDS AND INJURIES. BRUISED HOCK.

SYMPATHETIC FEVER. ; OPEN JOINT.

TREATMENT OF WOUNDS. FISTULOUS WITHERS.

BROKEN KNEES. TRAUMATIC OPTHALMIA,
—~<+—_.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

To fully treat upon Wounds and Injuries it would be necessary
to describe a number of states and conditions both of a simple
and complicated character; simple and complicated, inasmuch
as they are of every kind, grade, and degree, from a slight
swelling upon any part of the skin, caused perhaps by the
stroke of a whip, to the fracture of a limb, or the penetration
of ‘the cavity of the chest by a large foreign body, such as a
bar of iron or the pole of a coach.

In a treatise like the present I cannot enter into a minute
description of every kind of wound and form of injury to which
horses are subject, together with the treatment necessary to
pursue in every individual case. JI shall, therefore, only describe
those wounds and injuries which are of the most common occur-
rence, together with those modes of treatment which I have
found the best in effecting their cure.
452 PRELIMINARY REMARKS,

CAUSES OF WOUNDS AND INJURIES.—Before entering upon
a special account of each particular form of injury, a few remarks
in relation to the causes which are productive of injury to the
horse may prove of advantage to the reader.

Causes productive of disturbance to, and within the animal
economy, such as are now implied, admit of being arranged
into two orders—mechanical and chemical. The principal me-
chanical causes are kicks, blows, punctures, striking one limb
against the other during the act of locomotion, falls, concus-
sions, injuries from shoeing, and a hundred others of a similar
character.

CurmicaL Causes are of a very limited class; that is, so
far as this class of causes are allowed to operate perniciously
upon the horse. Occasionally a veterinary surgeon is called
upon to afford assistance to one of the equine class, which by
some means or other, seldom very clearly ascertained, may have
fallen into a wet lime pit, or upon whose limbs a carboy of
nitric or sulphuric acid may have been spilt. Beyond an occa-
sional case of this nature, one rarely, however, hears of horses
suffering violently from the operation of chemical causes of a
direct character.

Mecuarican Causrs.—For the convenience of pointing
out certain causes of injury of this class, it is proposed to have
a more limited classification, or rather it is proposed to divide
this class of causes into sub-classes ; the object in doing so is,
that I may the more efficiently point out defects which are not
only numerous, but are the most fruitful source of accidents
falling under the cognizance of the veterinary surgeon; and if
by pursuing this course I am the means of inducing those who
are the owners of, or the attendants upon, these animals, to
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 453

become more vigilant and circumspect, and thus not only
prevent suffering, loss of labour, and even at times the life of
a valuable animal, my task will have been performed to a good
purpose. It is not possible at all times for the most careful of
men to avoid every cause of accident ; but it is more than pro-
bable that numbers of casualties which have happened might
have been avoided, and others of daily occurrence may in like
manner be prevented.

Horses used for the purpose of society, or which are intended
for such purposes, are found in three states of existence, viz :—
in the stable, at work, and at grass; so that mechanical causes
of injury very naturally arrange themselves into three classes,
viz:—such as may happen to the animal within the stable ; such
as may happen to the animal when at work; and such as may
happen to the animal while at pasture.

Crass 1.—Ok sucH AS MAY HAPPEN WITHIN THE STABLE,
comprises: 1st—horses getting loose in the stable, and fighting
with each other; 2nd—slips upon the pavement of the stable ;
8rd—injuries from the timber and iron work used in the con-
struction and division of the stalls; 4th—injuries from the
animal being cast in a stall or loose box; 5th—injuries from
improperly fastening the head of the animal; 6th—injuries
from the feet of the animal becoming fast in a loose urine grate,
or any open space which inay exist between the sets consti-
tuting the. floor of the stalls; 7th—injuries from improperly
constructed stall posts; 8th—injuries from hooks and nails in
connection with the mangers and racks; 9th—injuries to the
feet and tendons of the.animal from forks and other tools used
within the stable ; 10th—injuries to the feet of the animal from
shoeing; 11th—injuries inflicted upon the head, hips, ribs,
shoulders, and other parts of the animal, from lowness of the
stable, narrowness of the stalls, or from low and narrow door-
ways to stables.
454 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

I hold it ag a rule, that accidents having once occurred,
similar accidents, under similar circumstances, are liable to
oceur again. Of the causes above enumerated, let us examine
a little more in detail; at the same time, I beg of the reader,
if he be the owner of a horse, to go at once and thoroughly ex-
amine his own stable, with an eye to the prevention of conse-
quences such as I shall presently treat upon. Accidents are
sooner prevented than remedied, and “the eye of a master,” it
is said,“maketh diligent.” Causes of injury arising from circum-
stances numbered Ist, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, and 11th, are the
most common sources of injury to horses while within the
stable.

1st.— Becoming loose in the stable, and fighting with each
other.—This is generally done during the night. A horse by
suddenly jerking his head, or from restlessness, pulls and
stretches the head-collar shank, or what is more probable, what
ought to be the shank; the fastening breaks, and the animal
finds himself loose, when he at once begins to wander about
the stable. This excites alarm amongst the other horses, and
presently the row begins; and unless some one be at hand to
restore order, the owner may consider himself a fortunate indi-
vidual if no worse injuries are inflicted than a few cuts and
bruises. Sometimes, however, they break the limbs of one
another, or a jaw bone is broken, or a joint is laid open, and
months elapse before the animal injured is again fit for service.
Stablemen are often careless, and for weeks or months before
the grand melée comes off every animal in the stable may have
been tied to the manger in a most insecure manner, probably
with old halters, or old neck straps without buckles, and with
a piece of old hempen cord for a shank, half untwisted, and
more than half rotten.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 455

2nd.—Slips on the Pavement of the Stable—The majority
of stables are ill-constructed; few are rightly constructed in
every essential. From the pavement being too steep, or greasy
from the accumulation of dirt, horses slip, and sometimes
severely injure themselves. Broken knees, and even fractures,
occur from causes of this nature.

3rd.—Injuries from the Timber and Iron Work used in the
construction and division of the Stalls.—The necessity for attend-
ing to causes of this nature will be exemplified the best by the
short account of a case of injury which resulted in death, as a
consequence of that carelessness so common in these matters.
‘Without stating lengthy details, we may relate—that in order
to strengthen a stall post a strong flat piece of iron, thin at the
top, and eight or ten inches in length, was let into a large stone
at the bottom end of the stall post. The iron was let into the
stone at its lower end to the depth of about three inches.
Down the flat surface of the iron a number of small holes were
bored, through which were passed an equal number of screws
into the wooden post immediately behind the iron; so far all
very well. In course of time, however, the screws fell out, and
the post dropt as before to one side, and left the iron standing
alone. As usual, in such cases, the matter was not noticed,
until one morning a servant man, on entering the stable, found
one of the horses lying dead. Upon removing the horse the
iron in question was found within its body. The animal, in
lying down, had dropt upon the projecting iron, which had
pierced the skin and muscles in the region of the flank, had
torn open the large vein situate immediately contiguous to the
spinal column, and the horse had bled to death, without again
rising from the ground. It is perhaps needless to say that
attention was given to the projecting metal after this, and that
the stall post was made secure forthwith.
456 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

4th.— Injuries from the animal being cast in the Stall or
loose Box.—It is seldom that horses are severely injured from
being cast in the stall. It appears as though some horses had
a fondness for this sort of thing; they will be found cast so
frequently, and in places where it cannot be said to arise from
want of room. If after removing the animal into another stall
or box, having more room than the one it was taken out of,
and the casting is repeated, it may be fairly set down as an item
of vice, and perhaps the best mode of cure in such cases, is to
try the effect of a whip upon the animal before righting him.
I know that this remedy has succeeded in more instances of the
kind than one. Injuries from causes numbered 5, 6, 7, 8, and
9, are of less frequent occurrence.

5th.— Injuries from improperly fastening the head of the
animal.—Chains and ropes are the common articles by which
horses are secured to the manger; and weights of lead, iron, or
wood, are also common articles for suspending to the end of
the tie.*. Very frequently this is neglected, and the loose end
is merely secured by tieing it to the ring at the front of the
manger. Ifa shank so secured be very long, the horse when
eating hay from the ground—a common habit with many
horses—may easily have one of his limbs become entangled,
and before the limb is liberated he may injure himself to a
serious extent. The author once attended a case of this nature,
where the flexor tendons of the near fore leg were exposed for
more than three inches in length. The injury arose from the
limb being entangled in a chain. Similar accidents may result

* To determine the proper length of the tie or the collar shank, observe
the following rule :—bring the chin of the horse to the edge of the manger,
pass the loose end of the tie through the ring at the bottom of the manger,
and that part of the loose end which les wpon the ground, if any, is more of

the tie than is required. All additional length of tie is dangerous. The clog
at the end should be from two to three pounds in weight,
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 457

where the tie is too long and the weight too light. On other
occasions the shank will become twisted tightly around the
neck, and the poor animal will be found half strangled, and the
head enormously swollen in consequence.

7th —Injuries to the animal from improperly constructed
stall posts,—A stall post may be too low or too high. If too
high the horse is liable to-strike his head against it when step-
ping quickly round in the stall. When made too low, horses
may kick themselves across the post. Accidents of this nature
have occurred, enormous abdominal ruptures have been caused
thereby, and death to the animal resulted. The proper height
for a stall post is about five feet five or six inches.

Cuass IJ.—Cavszs oF Insury to tHE ANIMAL WHILE
av Worx.—These are also a numerous class of causes. They
may eccur to the animal in the form of falls, and violent con-
cussions; or they may arise from an exhibition of vice, such as
kicking, or bolting in harness, and overturning the vehicle.
Draught horses when heavily loaded, and travelling down hill,
are liable to suffer injury from the breaking of the slipper chain
or in consequence of neglect in not putting on the slipper; also
from the gathering of nails within its feet; striking of the shoe
of one limb against the opposite limb, arising either from a faulty
conformation of the limbs, or from fatigue, or bad construction
of the shoes, or all these causes acting in association. Also,
from slips of the animal in winter during the prevalence of
frost; also from ill fitting, and badly constructed harness and
gears. The harness or gears may be too large, or too small, or
too heavy. These and many other causes of a like nature
occur so frequently, and are moreover of so palpable a nature
that further remark upon them is unnecessary.
458 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

Crass III.~-Insurizs arisina TO ANIMALS WHILE AT
Grass.—In treating upon this class of injuries, the reader
should understand that we allude not only to adult animals,
but to young animals unbroken. The majority of injuries which
occur to horses whiles at grass, arise from kicking, galloping,
and leaping. They kick each other at times in a most savage
manner. In galloping they frequently sprain themselves, or
are severely injured from falls or violent concussions. In leap-
ing walls and hedges they are frequently bruised and staked.
They are also liable to suffer from injuries inflicted purposely
by malicious people. It is bad practice to turn horses to grass
where a footpath crosses the pasturage, particularly if near a
large town, or contiguous to the banks of a river. Wagabonds
are always wandering about such localities accompanied with
vicious dogs, under pretence of ratting. Now and then these
wretches take it into their heads to pitch at a mark with stones,
and on some occasions, instead of hitting the mark, they hit
the eye of some poor animal. Accidents, from causes of this
nature, are sadly too common, as many who own young stock
know to their cost. Turning young horses and horned cattle
together into the same pasture is not a practice to be approved
of. Sometimes a young horse will delight in racing and tor-
menting young cattle, and this sort of game frequently ends by
the latter becoming goaded to desperation, when a battle ensues,
in which the former not unfrequently receives its death-blow ;
or the horn of the beast inflicts an extensive flesh wound; or
the cavity of the chest is entered ; or the abdomen is penetrated,
and the bowels protrude. We could relate many accidents of
this nature, some of them of a very singular character.

The parts of the animal most frequently injured from the
operation of causes such as we have enumerated, are—the
thighs, the hocks (both upon their outer and inner surfaces),

\
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 459

the patella joints, the ischium, and the fleshy region imme-
diately contiguous thereto; also the knees, the breast, and the
feet. We have attended upon scores of cases of this nature
and by far the greater number were injured in one or more of
the parts named. When a veterinary surgeon receives an
order to attend upon a case of injury, he should go prepared
to combat consequences of the worst character. The most
formidable injuries are—fractures of one or more of the
bones; penetration of the cavities of the chest or the abdo-
men, by large bodies—such as the pole of a coach or the end of
a gig-shaft, attended with injury to the large blood-vessels, or
protrusion of the bowels, and division or laceration of one or
more of the larger arteries or veins. The next in importance
are open joints; after which we may rank flesh-wounds, such
as are extensively torn, lacerated, jagged, or contused. For
the former class of injuries, bandages, splints of wood, and
gutta percha, may be required. For the second class, collodion
' and cotton wool; and for the latter, perhaps a few carpet-pins,
a portion of soft string, Tincture of Calendula, and Tincture of
Arnica. The consequences to be anticipated (or which may
prove inevitable results of the severer forms of injury), are—
hemorrhage, so profuse as to destroy the life of the animal
unless discovered and arrested; limited, but permanent, rup-
ture of the bowels; permanent lameness; traumatic fever, or
traumatic tetanus.

WOUNDS AND INJURIES.

Wounds and Injuries comprise a number of conditions of
an abnormal character—such as Flesh Wounds, Broken Knees,
Open Joints, and Fractures of the Bones. It is proper also to
describe wounds with reference to the region of the body in
which they may exist; as, for example—abdominal wounds,
460 WOUNDS AND INJURIES.

wounds of the neck, wounds of the ischium, and so forth.
They are also described with reference to their direction—viz.,
whether they be transverse, circular, oblique, or perpendicular.
Of Flesh Wounds there are five varieties, viz. :—

1st. Incised Wounds.

2nd. Lacerated Wounds.

8rd. Jagged Wounds.

4th. Punctured Wounds.

5th. Contused Wounds.

An Incised Wound is a wound where the skin and sub-
tissues are clean cut.

Lacerated and Jagged Wounds are those where the skin
and sub-tissues are torn and jagged.

Punctured Wounds are wounds inflicted by small but
sharp-pointed instruments, such as a nail or an iron spindle.

Contused Wounds are injuries inflicted upon the skin and
sub-tissues, without any perceptible breach or division of the
skin.

Hezatine oF Wounps.—In order that what I write respect-
ing the treatment of wounds may be perfectly understood, and
its rationality fully recognised, it is necessary that I explain,
to some extent, the nature and course of the healing process.
Many erroneous notions prevail with regard to the treatment
of wounds. Authors have written, and continue to write, as
though the natural powers of the living animal were incapable
of repairing wounds and injuries. We are alike taught by
veterinary authors and the generality of veterinary teachers,
that medicated fomentations, stimulating oils, linaments, decoc-
tions, and astringent washes of almost every variety, and even
at times the application of red-hot iron, are all necessary to
cure a wound, or keep down exuberant granulations, or what is
commonly called “ proud flesh.”
WOUNDS AND INJURIES. 461

The healing process is described as consisting of stages—
viz.: “union by the first and second intentions ;” the “ first
intention” consisting of adhesion of the divided surfaces by
means of a glutinous fluid called lymph, the parts being in fact
united to one another by a species of glueing; while the
“second intention,” the granulating or suppurating process,
consists in the fleshy chasm being filled up by the gradual
deposition of fleshy grain-like particles, superimposed one upon
another. In the healing of wounds, the chief care of the
practitioner should be directed to the attainment of union by
the first intention. The suppurating process is one not to be
desired; and, in the majority of instances where it occurs, it
will be found to arise more from the maltreatment of the
wound than from any natural tendency of the tissues, when
injured, to manifest such a change. We are told that union
by the first intention is very rarely to be accomplished, espe-
cially with large-sized wounds, or with such as are jagged, torn, |
or lacerated.

The healing process may be briefly described as follows: *
A wound of the flesh, when first inflicted, is generally suc-
ceeded by more or less bleeding, which, if not interfered with,
or a large blood-vessel is not divided, and the animal is allowed
to remain at rest, will shortly stop. Blood is effused, and a
clot is formed upon the exposed surfaces, which speedily plugs
the open mouths of the bleeding vessels. This is the first
process. The second is, the drying of the blood-clot, and
tumefaction not only of the parts injured, but of the parts
contiguous thereto, About the third day, and in some cases
even as early as the second day after the accident, the dried

* It must be distinctly understood that we are here treating upon flesh-
wounds left entirely alone, where the constitutional energies are vigorous,
and where the patient is not put to labour.
462 WOUNDS AND INJURIES.

blood will crack, and at the bottom of the cracks lymph will
appéar. The cracks of the blood-clot and the appearance of
lymph are constantly associated phenomena, but the two may
be hastened or retarded by the weather. When the weather is
hot—as in the months of June, July, and August—wounds will
speedily present a moist appearance. If the weather be cold
and frosty, wounds will present a dry appearance for some
time, and the formation of lymph be consequently delayed;
so dry, in fact, will a flesh-wound frequently become in cold
weather, and continue so for days, that any one not acquainted
with the cause might conclude that the injured tissues were
taking on a permanent leathery state. About the fourth day,
all circumstances being favourable, the cracks will in the
generality of cases become wider, and the lymph more abun-
dant and more dense. The formation of lymph may now be
said to have become established ; and its secretion will go on
until the fleshy chasm and all its irregularities become filled to
a level with the skin. Finally, the lymph will harden and
dry, and the wound will become what in surgical language is
termed cicatrizéd. "When the lymph-secreting process is fairly
established, the swelling and tumefaction will rapidly disappear ;
until, long before the healing process is complete, the tissues
immediately contiguous to the wound will have become as free
from swelling as though not involved with the wounded tissues.
Such are the processes by which the vital powers repair a
wound, or a breach of continuity in the flesh; they are simple,
and thoroughly effectual.

TREaTMEnT oF Wounps.—In directing our consideration
to the treatment of wounds, several important matters require
the care of the practitioner: first, attention to the injury; and
secondly, attention to the system of the animal injured. A
WOUNDS AND INJURIES—TREATMENT. 463

small injury, unimportant to all appearance, will sometimes
produce systemic effects of a very severe nature—such as a
violent condition of inflammatory fever, or a violent form of
Tetanus; these are common consequences.

‘When called in to treat a wound, the veterinary surgeon
should take cognizance of its condition. By this I mean, he
should note whether it be a small, large, lacerated, contused, or
a punctured wound. Is it deep or superficial? Does it bleed
profusely ? Is it associated with fracture of one or more of
the bones? To what depth does it extend, and in what direc-
tion does it run? Is there within it any foreign body—such
as a piece of stone, a splinter of wood, particles of sand, or a
piece of broken glass? All these and many more are matters
to determine, and are comprised in what we term the condition
of the injury.

Should the hemorrhage be copious, the bleeding vessel
should at once be got at, and made secure by tying a strong
ligature of silk around it. The colour of the blood, and the
manner in which it issues forth, will be sufficient to determine
the character of the vessel injured. If the blood be of a bright
scarlet colour, and if it issues in partially interrupted jets, the
vessel injured will be an artery; while the size of the current
will afford some indication of its calibre. In searching for a
blood-vessel, a large, soft sponge is necessary to dab upon the
part where the bleeding vessel may be.

Having secured the bleeding vessel, the next duty is to
remove any extraneous substance which may be present.
Foreign bodies may be taken away with the common forceps:
but to remove sand and small grit, the best instrument is a
powerful syringe—similar to the one shown at Fig. 16, p. 157—
which fill with tepid water, and send the contents forcibly upon
any part where the grit may lodge, the object being to wash it
464 WOUNDS AND INJURIES—TEEATMENT.

away by the force of the current. The practioner should next
clip away all fragments of loose tissue, whether it be skin,
muscle, or tendon. These fragments cannot unite again;
therefore remove them, and save nature the trouble by a pro-
cess far more tedious and uncertain.

We have now arrived at that stage of the business where
almost every one who professes to understand the matter would
exclaim, “ Now stitch up the wound.” Whether this should
be done, however, will depend upon circumstances. Sutures
are advantageous in some cases, and not in others. THe general
error with regard to sutures is in supposing their application
necessary to every wound of the incised, torn, or lacerated
varieties. We propose, therefore, to discuss the matter, and
determine, so far as experience will permit, not only the proper
cases in which to use them, but also the proper kind of suture
best adapted for flesh-wounds.

The cleaner a wound is cut, the more perfect the cure; pro-
viding the wound be rationally treated. Sutures to such
wounds are proper; but where wounds are much jagged and
torn, the skin torn, or the muscular substance broken up or
ploughed deeply into—or where foreign substances are lodged
within the part injured, and cannot be entirely removed, it is
better not to insert sutures, but to cut away the loose bits of
skin and flesh, to remove all the dirt which it is possible to
remove, and give the wound the most finished appearance pos-
sible under the circumstances. On the other hand, in wounds
which are large and deep, and where pieces of skin and flesh
hang loose, and away from the surface-line of the injured parts
sutures will be found of good service: they will effectually fix
the loose parts, and give a proper direction to the action of the
healing powers.
WOUNDS AND INJURIES. 465

Scuturrs.—The best Sutures for securing a wound are those

which receive the names of the Twisted and the Interrupted
Sutures.

The Twisted Suture is made Fig, 24.
by passing a strong pin through ZS
each side of the wound, and

     
  
  
 
  
 
  

N

ieee
then drawing the borders closely / Vy
and securely together by means Uj Za

Yi

of a short length of small,
coarsely-twisted hempen string, “77
which is afterwards made secure 7%
around the pin, as shown in the
annexed engraving. The point
of the pin is then removed, and
one suture is complete. This  mpyisted Suture and Totereaptad
form of suture is the best for Suture.
wounds not immediately contiguous to any of the joints. In
having recourse to it, the operator should take firm hold of the
skin, and afterwards tie the pin firmly within its substance.

The Interrupted Suture is made in a similar manner to the
twisted suture, only it is accomplished with a needle and silk,
instead of a pin and a short length of hempen string. <A glance
at the annexed engraving will sufficiently explain the nature of
the operation. The needle should be broad and curved, and the
silk should be strong, and used of double thickness. This
form of stitch answers well when it can be made to hold
properly; but sometimes the secretion from the wound
destroys the silk, and sometimes the stretch which is exerted
upon it by the skin and sub-tissues is so great as to cause the
silk to cut its way out of the skin; the wound, in either case,
is opened afresh, and the cure is rendered more tedious in
consequence.

24
466 WOUNDS AND INJURIES.

The proper kind of needle best adapted for making the

interrupted suture, is shown in the annexed engraving.
Fig. 25.

 

Needle for Interrupted Suture.
Rurzs To OBSERVE WHEN InsERTIne SuTuRES.— Unless

great care is exercised in placing the injured parts straight,
and afterwards keeping them so, unsightly blemishes are certain
to remain. These rules may be thus stated :—

I.—Before sutures are inserted look well to the wound,
with regard to its size, form, and direction. The most com-
mon form of wound is that of a triangle.

II.—In fixing sutures, place them so as to secure the
divided parts as exact to each other as possible. The best
way to do this is to commence by securing the wound at its
most conspicuous parts, by which means accuracy of adjust-
ment throughout will be more readily effected. If the injury,
for example, be of a triangular form, it is best for the operator

_ to commence with his sutures at the highest point of the
triangle; by this mode the sides of the wound are placed
straight against each other.

ITI.—The distance at which sutures will be fixed apart
from each other will depend upon circumstances. One inch,
however, may be set down as the average distance.

IV.—In fixing sutures, avoid forcing the skin into folds
or corrugations. The wounded parts will be found to grow
together in the way they are set. In like manner, where
WOUNDS AND INJURIES. 467

sutures are not used, the skin should be attended to in this
respect ; otherwise the part, when healed, will present an
ugly blemish. To the want of care, in this respect, may in
general be attributed the ugly blemishes which remain after
the healing of wounds. It is seldom the skin requires to be
forced from its adhesions more than once to prevent con-
sequences of this nature.

V.—Whatever kind of suture is resorted to, the operator
should secure firm hold of the skin, and make the sutures
no tighter than what suffices to hold the divided edges
properly in contact.

ViI.—The lowest part of a wound should be left more
open than any other, to allow free exit to any serous exuda-
tion which may collect. Such exudation not unfrequently
carries away particles of dirt, or other foreign bodies of a
minute kind.

VII.— When sutures are properly fixed, let them remain
until the wound is thoroughly healed. It has been taught
that sutures excite unnecessary inflammation, and that, in
consequence, they should be removed as speedily as circum-
stances will permit; this is an error. On the contrary,
they excite little or no inflammation. Sutures, unless loose,
and frequently disturbed, are all but inert.

A few remarks on the state of the wound before sutures
are inserted, and we close this part of our subject. Before
sutures are inserted, the injured vessels should have ceased to
bleed; or the operator should be certain that a clot of blood
is not enclosed within the surface of the injury. A clot of
blood, so enclosed, will act as a foreign body and produce
468 WOUNDS AND INJURIES.

inflammation, and necessitate the removal of the sutures. It
is better, therefore, to wait until the hemorrhage ceases, and
until the exposed surfaces put on a glazed appearance; when
the operator, having previously removed all foreign bodies and
loose shreds of tissue, is, with a soft sponge, to gently remove
what blood may be deposited at the bottom of the wound, and
proceed, without delay, to insert the sutures of the kind neces- |
sity may require, and according to the directions already given.
Having secured the wound with sutures, other duties present
themselves for consideration—such as dressings to the injury ;
the use of bandages, fomentations, poultices, and (in certain
cases) the mechanical support afforded by the use of a high-
heeled shoe.

Dressing of Wounps.—Tincture of Calendula is one of
the best remedies which can be used as an outward application
to flesh-wounds of every kind. Use it as a lotion, mixed as
follows :—

Tincture of Calendula eae nish 1 ounce.
Soft Water ... es se — 1 pint.
Tincture of Arnica is fhe proper remedy to be used to
injured tendons and the fibrous structures generally, whether
such injury be of the nature of sprain, cut, or bruise. Use it
as a lotion, mixed as follows :—
Tincture of Arnica ... aes si 1 ounce.
Soft Water ... i a an 1 pint.
Calendula lotion is slowed the first rank as an outward
applicant to flesh-wounds. Arnica lotion is considered the
best for external use to wounds of the tendinous and fibrous.
tissues. Lotion, if applied to either class of wounds, will-
produce a quicker result, if used warm. This may be easily:
effected by keeping the bottle containing it upon the hob, a short
distance from the fire. In this situation it will keep warm, and
WOUNDS AND INJURIES. 469

be ready for immediate use. Two.drachm doses of Arnica 1, in
2 ounces of water, should also be given to the patient two or
three times a day, as an internal remedy, unless Traumatic
Fever of a severe character should necessitate other treatment
of a nature to be ‘fully described hereafter.

Bandages.—Bandages, in numerous cases of wound, will
be found excellent auxiliaries to a successful issue. The best
kind for the purpose are linen; a linen fabric is cooler than
woollen. Bandages for wounds should be from four to five
inches wide, and of a length suitable to the circumstances of
‘the case. They are procurable from every saddler, of a kind
purposely made for stable use. Home-made bandages are
objectionable, unless the borders are secured. Raw edges, as
housewives call them, are a nuisance : the loose threads become
entangled amongst the sutures, where sutures are used; or
they become insinuated into the sore, and thus excite unne-
cessary irritation. Bandages will be found of value to incised
wounds inflicted upon the lower part of .a limb. Their appli-
cation will prevent undue swelling of the limb; but at the
same time they have the disadvantage, particularly to wounds
not sutured, of causing them to remain raw longer than if left
alone. The advantages, however, must be placed against the
disadvantages, and the balance decided accordingly. When
applied to a wounded limb, bandages should always be put on
wet; the hair should be wet also. Wet bandages keep their
position better than dry ones; they should be put on with
caution, the operator taking care to make them secure. To
bandage a limb properly requires practice. The bandagé
should fit easy ; it should also press equally upon every part to
which it may be applied, and so arranged that ordinary motion
of the limb, so long as the patient remains in a stable or loose
box, will be unable to work it loose.
470 ’ ‘WOUNDS AND INJURIES,

Fomentations.—Fomentations are highly valuable in pro-
moting the cure of wounds: they relax the tension of the
swollen tissues ; and by so doing promote a greater freedom of
circulation within the wounded structures, and a more rapid
exudation of lymph. In fomenting a wound care is necessary,
otherwise more harm than good may be done by the operation.
It is not desirable, when fomenting a wound, to wash away
what nature produces to heal it. Hot water should be applied,
not so much wpon the wound as immediately around where the
injury may be situate. For further particulars and directions
relating to this matter, see pages 155 and 157.

Poultices.—As I have treated upon everything of practical
importance relating to Poultices, at pages 149 to 152, to avoid.
repetition, the reader is directed to turn to that portion of the
present treatise.

Hieu-Hzerzp SHor.—In certain forms of injury to the
extremities (during the time the animal is at rest in the stall or
loose box), it is necessary to relax, as much as possible, the
natural tension of the structures injured. This may be effected
by raising the heel of the Fig. 26.
injured limb; and the
best way to do it is by
the use of a shoe, similar
to the one shown in the
annexed engraving. In-
juries upon the point,
and posterior parts of
the hock-joint, require thus relaxing; also the structures
situate at the back of the hind limbs, between the hock-joint
and the root of the tail; also in cases of injury upon the
flexor tendons both of the fore and hind-limbs; and also when

 

High-Heeled Shoe.
WOUNDS AND INJURIES. 471

injury is inflicted upon the muscles at the back of a fore
limb above the knee, or immediately behind the knee-joint.
The caulkens of the shoe represented, are made high; and,
reaching from one caulken to the other, for the latter to rest
upon, isa stout bar of iron. The purpose of the cross-bar is
to allow a more uniform pressure to the foot when upon the
ground, and also to prevent the shoe from being entangled
amid the straw: if the patient be turned to grass, it will also
prevent the heel from sinking deep into soft ground. The
caulkens should be made not only of extra length, but should
project backwards ; when so constructed, the foot is not thrown
up so suddenly, nor pitched so much upon the toe. The
length of the support, including the cross-bar, should be from
one to two inches. Of course the length of the support need
not be so great if the caulkens are not inclined backwards.
See Fig. 26, as it is a matter of some importance.

Loosz Box.—The wounded patient should be placed in a
comfortable loose box; and if the weather be cold, the animal
should be well clothed; but if the weather be warm, the
clothing may be dispensed with. Especial care should be
directed to the doors and windows of the box, to shut out the
flies. The windows should be guarded with gauze, or thin
canvass blinds. Flies, in hot weather, are a dreadful pest to a
wounded horse. For further directions with regard to loose
boxes, see page 117.

ExercisE.—Exercise may, in the milder cases of injury, be
resorted to, particularly if the patient has not the liberty of a
loose box. It is a matter, however, of no great importance to
give directions upon. The condition of the patient, including
the extent of the wound, the state of the weather, and other
matters of a trifling character, of which the ownér of or
472 WOUNDS AND INJURIES.

attendant upon the animal will be fully competent to judge
upon, should determine how far exercise may be resorted to.

Treatment or PunorurED Wovunps.—This variety of
wound, as I have previously stated, is the most dangerous of
all others. They are so, says Druitt in his valuable work on
surgery,—

“ 1st.—Because from their depth they are liable to implicate
blood-vessels, nerves, viscera, and other deep-seated parts of
importance.

“ 2nd.—Because the parts which they traverse are stretched
and torn,and consequently are disposed to inflame and suppurate.

“8rd.—Because matter when formed has no free exit, and
is liable to burrow extensively.

“Ath.—Because foreign bodies may be carried into great
depths without being suspected, and create long continued
irritation.

“5th.—Because they are most liable to be followed by
Tetanus.”

The locality in which the puncture may occur, will, to a
considerable extent, determine the course to be pursued.
Should the puncture be inflicted within a fleshy part, passa
small director, if possible, to the bottom of the wound, and
then with a straight probe-pointed bistoury cut it freely open.
Make it, in fact, an open wound. The danger will thereby
become lessened to some extent, and the whole will be exposed
to view. After the wound is laid open, carefully remove either
with the forceps or the large syringe any foreign matter which
may be observed; after which leave it alone for some time;
then apply a few twisted sutures, and treat the wound according
to the rules already laid down. Dress with the Calendula lotion
give Arnica internally, and keep the animal upon a cooling diet.
WOUNDS AND INJURIES. 473 |

The puncture, however, may be inflicted within structures
which, to lay freely open would be likely in the end to destroy
the patient. It may occur, for example, within .a joint, or
amongst the tendons of a limb. It is clear in cases of this
nature, such a proceeding as laying’ the wound freely open is
altogether inadmissible. The course under these circumstances
is, if possible, to carefully inspect the instrument which inflicted
the puncture, and from its appearance judge as to the depth it
may have penetrated, and whether it has left any foreign matter
within the injury, such as rust of iron or splinters of wood.

In treating a punctured flexor tendon, we must, if possible,
prevent suppuration of the injured tissues. The burrowing of
purulent matter amongst the tendons is at all times a serious
affair, and to prevent it recourse must be had to many expe-
dients. In the first place, after having determined the extent
of the puncture, place upon the foot a high-heeled shoe, apply
a lotion of Arnica freely to the surface of the part injured, then
keep the limb well secured with cold water bandages, and imme-
diately over the seat of the injury, both upon the inner and
outer side of the tendons, place a small roll of wet linen, each
roll about three or four inches in length, and about the thick-
ness of the thumb. These rolls must be placed within the folds
of the bandage, and pressed with moderate firmness to the limb ;
the object being, by pressure and cold, to limit the inflammatory
action which may ensue. If suppuration has set in before
medical aid was sought, the pus should be liberated, when the
course of treatment will still be very similar. Should matter
have gravitated to the fetlock, it must of course be evacuated ;
but the operator had better proceed with caution, lest he should
make an incission into the cavity of the joint.. To avoid doing
this force the skin to one side when making the incision, so
that the external opening will not correspoed to the one passing
ATA, WOUNDS AND INJURIES.

through the sub-tissues. After the matter is evacuted, recourse
should be had to bandages and to'the linen rolls; only, in this
case, the rolls will require to be larger than those described
above, or more numerous; and they must be carefully applied
in a direction parallel to the length of the tendons. In this
manner we have succeeded on many occasions, in bad punctures
of this nature, in restoring the parts to health without the least
blemish being in the end perceptible.

We recommend the use of linen rolls. At times, however,
there use is prejudical. This is the case now and then with
horses of an excitable nature. The best substitute in such cases
is a wet sponge; it is, in fact, the best upon every occasion of
the kind, but it is expensive ; so that where rolls of linen or
wash leather will answer the purpose, the expense of sponge is
saved. Sponge of a proper form can be selected, or clippings
can be made of lengths suitable to the requirements of the
practitioner. The advantages of wet sponge-rolls, are their
softness and elasticity.

Above all things, in these cases, avoid blisters and the
application of hot stimulating oils. By the aid of a high-heeled
shoe, such as shown at Fig. 26, page 470; with Arnica 1, in
2-drachm doses, administered to the patient; Arnica lotion
externally ; also cold water bandages, linen rolls, or wet sponge ;
together with a cooling diet; is a course of treatment which
if steadily persevered in, will effect all that is desirable

TREATMENT OF ContUSED Wounps.—A Contused Wound
I have elsewhere defined to be a bruise without break or division
ofthe skin. Its contents usually consist either of serum wholly,
or clots of blood and serum, both of which should be removed,
and the wound afterwards treated as an ordinary incised wound.
Sometimes these cases prove obstinate. The sac may be opened
WOUNDS AND INJURIES. AT5

and its contents liberated, but it will refill many times in
succession. The best plan to pursue, is not to open the sac
at once (that is, if the practitioner be called in to a case of
the kind soon after the accident), but to foment the injury
several times a day, for several days in succession, until the
diseased action has had time to exhaust itself, when the swelling
may be freely opened, and its contents evacuated. After the
part is opened, should the situation of the cavity permit, pres-
sure may be applied; it will hasten the cure by preventing a
further effusion of serum. But if pressure cannot be applied,
and the sac refills if left alone, enlarge the opening previously
made, inject Arnica freely within, and leave a tent of tow in
the orifice for twelve or fourteen hours, at the end of which
time the lips of the opening will be found swollen, and purulent
matter will issue therefrom. All which then remains to be done
will be to encourage for a time such purulent discharge until a
new action is thoroughly established; then remove the tent
from the orifice, and dress daily with warm Arnica or warm
Calendula lotion, of the strength described at page 468.

Systemic Disturpance Causep By Wounps.— We have
now to consider the principal phenomena of a constitutional
nature which occasionally become manifest as a sequence to
wounds and injuries of every variety, and of almost every degree
of severity, save those of the most trivial character. To early
recognise and successfully combat two forms of systemic dis-
turbance of the traumatic class will require every care, and at
times the highest skill, on the part of the veterinary surgeon.
The first is Traumatic Fever; the second, Traumatic Tetanus.

Traumatic Fever may terminate in Traumatic Tetanus; or
Traumatic Tetanus may supervene without any perceptible
intervention of Traumatic Fever, or the two may be associated.
476 WOUNDS AND INJURIES.

In wounds of a severe character, from the second to the
fifth day after the infliction of the injury, the system begins to
manifest sympathy towards the part injured. This manifesta-
tion of sympathy, when presenting symptoms of a kind presently
to be described, is denominated Sympathetic Fever, Acute In-
flammatory Fever, Traumatic Fever, and other names which I
need not enumerate. It is a state which is generally spoken of
in terms of alarm, as though it was something greatly to be
dreaded, and requiring the practitioner to apply measures of
the most urgent nature for its dispersal, otherwise the results
are regarded as certain to be fatal. Now, we unhesitatingly
assert, that such alarm in the generality of cases is entirely.
groundless. Traumatic Fever is easy to control, save in those
cases where vitally important viscera—such as the lungs, the
abdominal organs, or the brain, are extensively injured. The.
period when cicatrization occurs in wounds of the ischium, or
in broken knees, is far more to be dreaded than the inflamma-
tory fever which supervenes upon the occurrence of a wound
in the general run of cases. One important fact must be borne
in mind, viz.—that Traumatic Fever is to be regarded as an
inevitable consequence in wounds and injuries of a severe cha-
racter; and that, being inevitable, instead of attempting in
extreme cases to ward it off, or seeking to suddenly check it
when developed, we ought rather to carefully watch its progress,
and endeavour, if possible, to keep it within bounds, until its
cause becomes so far modified as to allow of the subsidence of
the fever. Indeed, this is all we can hope to accomplish; for
as one of our eminent writers upon surgery observes, when
speaking of a similar state in the human being: “it cannot be.
cut short, although its undue violence may be abated.”

Symproms.—The animal, from the occurrence of the acci-
dent to the commencement of Acute Fever, may not have
WOUNDS AND INJURIES, 477

thoroughly rallied from the shock; so that the veterinary sur-
geon ought to be fully alive to what may follow, and by judicious
treatment from the first, endeavour to do that which will modify
its effects accordingly. Usually about the third day the pulse
of the patient will manifest disturbance of the system. It will
increase in the number of its beats, reaching on some occasions
as high as 75, 80, 85, or 90 per minute. The respiratory pro-
cess will also be found to participate. The respirations may
become from 30 to 45 per minute, and be of a short and super-
ficial character. The skin at’ one time will be hot, and the
breath hot, at another time the skin will manifest chilliness and
the hair become elevated; the urine will be scanty and high-
coloured, and the bowels what is called constipated. In addition
to this, the patient will be exceedingly restless, and if the injury:
be amongst the muscles of a limb, the limb will be frequently
shifted. The injured parts will also become exceedingly tender,
swollen, angry looking, hot, and in some cases, dry in appear-
ance, and in others moist from the exudation of a watery secre-
tion. In this state the patient may continue two or three days,
at the end of which time, should the case progress favourably,
the surface of the wound will present a less tender and angry
appearance. The pulse will have become softer, and the skin.
of a more genial temperature. In short, the state of the animal
will be found to gradually improve as the exudation of lymph
becomes more abundant; until finally the swelling will dis-
perse, and the animal will become thoroughly restored.

Trratment.—The indications presented are twofold: first,
to control the violence of the fever; and secondly, to aid to the.
utmost the natural powers to exude lymph. In promoting the
latter we at the same time are relieving the former.

The best remedies in general are—Aloes, Aromatic Ammonia,
Nux Vomica, Rhus Toxicodendron, Aconite, and Fomentations.
478 WOUNDS AND INJURIES.

Aloes—Where the condition of the patient is hith, or
where the system is in a gross state, a purgative will prove
highly beneficial; but if the animal be feeble, or suffering from
excessive loss of blood, a purgative is to be avoided.

The best purgative is Barbadoes Aloes, the dose of which
will depend upon the size and breed of the patient; 6 drachms
by weight, however, will suffice for a large sized horse. Aloes
is best given in the form of a ball.

Aromatic Spirit of Ammonia is indicated in cases where the
pulse is feeble and easily compressed, and where the vital
powers are depressed. Sometimes it proves of essential service
if given to the animal while under the excitement arising from
the injury. Horses of a very exciteable nature will on some
occasions, after receiving an injury, tremble severely and
breathe rapidly for hours afterwards. A diffusible stimulant
given to the patient upon such occasions will be found of value.
From 4 to 6 drachms of the remedy may be given for a dose in
a pint of cold water. The Ammonia may either be given alone
or in alternation with Arnica, in 2-drachm doses of the 1st
dilution.

Nuzx Vomica.—Should the administration of a purgative be
deemed necessary, Nux Vomica is a remedy to resort to after.
the action of the purgative has subsided. It will assist in
keeping the bowels in a well-regulated condition. Give the
remedy in 2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed with 5 or
6 ounces of water: repeat it every eight or ten hours.

Rhus Toxicodendron.—This is a valuable remedy to apply,
either as a lotion or to give internally. Used as a lotion, it is.
good for wounds and injuries of the tendons and ligamentous
structures. Mix it as follows, and apply the lotion warm to
the wound :—

Rhus Toxicodendron oe in 1 ounce.
Water (soft) en it ct 1 pint.
BROKEN KNEES. 479

If resorted to for internal use, it may either be given alone or
in alternation with Nux, or Aconite, or Arnica. Give it in
2-drachm doses of the 1st dilution, mixed with a little water.
Aconite.—Aconite will frequently be found an excellent
remedy to apply externally, especially when the patient is
severely pained. Make a lotion of it as follows :—
Aconite .. a ot aig 1 ounce.
Water sw. ste ste tes 1 pint.
Mix the two together, and apply the lotion warm. ’
Fomentations.—Of Fomentations I have already treated :
for every particular with respect to their use, temperature of
the water, and so forth, see page 155 and 156.

BROKEN KNEES.

Broken Knees is a common form of injury. Sometimes the
parts are injured so slightly as to be merely grazed; in other
cases the joint is so injured as to render it an act of humanity
to destroy the animal forthwith. Injuries, however, of so
severe a character are not common; more frequently the skin
of the knee-joint is divided, and the sub-tissues are more or
less torn and lacerated.

The accident of falling and bruising the knees is more
common in hot than during the cold months of the year. The
heat of the weather, the constant battering of the feet upon
heated, unyielding roads, together with the exhaustion expe-
rienced by horses which are over ridden or driven during the
summer season, are causes which sufficiently account for the
result in question.

The most formidable injury of the knee is—where the joint
is opened and the bones are exposed, A reference to the
diagram (upon the following page,) of the structures of the
480 BROKEN KNEES.

knee, together with the description appended to it, will enable
the reader to more fully comprehend the nature, relative im-
portance, and position of the tissues which are generally
injured.

The annexed engraving is, to some extent, a diagram of the
superficial structures which enter into the formation of the
fore-leg of the horse. The reader is to suppose the limb to be
stripped of its skin.

abc, The extensor metacarpi
muscle, a muscle which arises at the
bottom part of the shoulder, and
passes down the front of the leg, as
shown in the engraving. It termi-
nates in a strong, flat tendon, which
is inserted into the top part of the
cannon-bore f, immediately under-
neath and in front of the knee:
this muscle is represented divided
between the letters a and d. Situ-
ated directly behind the extensor
metacarpi muscle is the synovial
membrane &, which is also repre-
sented divided, for the purpose of
showing the cavity of the knee-
joint. 7 7 Is a thick fibrous struc-
ture, situate immediately behind the
skin. This membrane, from its
position, will naturally afford a
strong covering and protection to the extensor muscles; it is
represented as rolled a little to one side. g, the extensor
metacarpi oblique muscle (extensor oblique muscle), a muscle
which crosses the extensor metacarpi, and is inserted into the

 
BROKEN KNEES. 481

bone and fascia above the knee; its use is to hold down the
extensor metacarpi, and to aid that muscle in extending the
limb. Surrounding the tendon a } (extensor metacarpi muscle),
is the sheath of the tendon, the inner surface of which (the
surface facing the tendon) secretes the necessary. amount of
synovial fluid to lubricate the tendon. Of this synovial sheath
I shall have more to state presently.

To complete the present description, I may mention that a
mass of fat is always situated between the back surface of the
tendon of the muscle a 4, and the front of the synovial mem-
brane &, the uses of which are important. It aids in the
prevention of friction between the tendon a 6 and the mem-
brane & ; and also, in consequence of its acting as a pad to the.
tendon, it will be a slight fulcrum to it, and give it a greater
directness of action when called into play.

Now the structures most liable to injury, when a horse falls
with violence to the ground, are the skin, its sub-tissues, and
the tendon of the extensor metacarpi muscle (muscle ab ¢). It.
will be evident to the reader who reflects upon this matter,
that before the cavity of the knee (or, in other words, the joint of
the knee) can be exposed, the following structures must be
completely divided: 1st—The skin, which is. always of great
thickness in front of the knee. 2nd—The fibrous tissue 7 j,
which is immediately behind the skin. 8rd—The synovial
sheath of the tendon of the extensor metacarpi. 4th—The
tendon of the extensor metacarpi muscle. 5th—The fatty
substance behind the tendon ; and 6th—The synovial membrane
of the knee joint proper.

The reader is not to understand, from the above, that the
knee joint proper never is exposed, because the contrary is the
fact; but I am of opinion that the exposure of the ie yates is
far less common than is generally believed..

2H
482 BROKEN KNEES.

Examination oF THE Patiewt.—The first thing which a
veterinary surgeon should do, when called to a case of Broken
Knees, is to examine the feet of the animal. Is there a stone
embedded between the inner side of the frog and the inner rim
of the shoe? Or has a nail penetrated the frog, or the sole of
the foot? Or does the shoe fit the foot improperly, and lame
the animal in consequence ? Is the patient affected with corns ?
These, and similar matters, are to be determined forthwith.

I was lately called to a case of Broken Knees, and I found,
in the right fore-foot of the patient, a small piece of slate firmly
wedged between the outer side of the frog and the sole of the
foot: it had been there several days, during which time the
animal had suffered severely from its presence. In every case,
then, of Broken Knees, remove the shoes and carefully examine
the feet.

The next thing to do is to determine the condition of the
wound. Is the joint opened, and are the bones exposed? Or is
the tendon of the extensor metacarpi muscle laid bare? In
either case a discharge of synovia will be present. To ascertain
precisely the extent of the injury, lift the foot from the ground,
and flex the knee to its utmost extent,—when, if the joint is
opened, the bones will be brought fairly into view; and the
chances of recovery may be calculated accordingly.

Wasuine tHe Kwers.—Having examined the knees, and
satisfied himself of the extent of the injuries, the third requisite
for the veterinary surgeon to do is to cleanse the wounds
thoroughly. This he can best perform with water, and the aid
of a large syringe similar to the one shown by Fig. 16, p. 157.
Fill the instrument with water repeatedly, and send its con-
tents each time, with force, upon the torn and lacerated
structures ; after which, clip away all the ragged and thready
BROKEN KNEES. 483

bits of tissue and projecting portions of skin which may hang
from the surface, and the operation of cleansing is complete.

TreatMENT.—The simpler forms of Broken Knee, and the
treatment necessary to the same, I will first describe; after
which I will fully treat upon what is proper to do when the
joint is exposed. Hit,

The best remedies, in general, are—Cold Water Bandages,
Arnica, Rhus Toxicodendron, Sulphate of Copper, and Aromatic
Ammonia.

Cold Water Bandages.—In every case of Broken Knee,
from a graze of the skin to the laceration or division of the
tendon of the extensor metacarpi, commence the treatment
with Arnica Lotion and Cold Water Bandages, and continue
their use for several days in succession. The bandages should
be removed and re-moistened with water every three or four
hours during the day, and the Arnica lotion applied as fre-
quently. The lotion should be made as directed at page 468.

At the end of the time stated (or before, or after, as neces-
sity may require) remove the bandages, and allow the patient
to stand six or eight hours, without either the bandages or the
lotion being applied—during which time inspect the knees
carefully, and see if synovia escapes, where it escapes, and to
what extent. :

To stop the escape of synovia the efforts of the veterinary
surgeon should be directed; and one of the best substances for
this purpose is the Sulphate of Copper, which prepare and use
as follows :—Take of the Sulphate 4 drachms, which triturate
in a clean wedgewood mortar, so as to reduce its particles to:
an impalpable powder* ‘Wipe the wound as dry as possible

* Be particular with respect to the fineness of the powder, otherwise the
Copper will do more harm than good.
484. BROKEN KNEES.:

with a clean soft linen cloth; and upon the part where the’
synovia escapes, dust a portion of the above powder every hour
for twelve or fourteen hours in succession—during which time,
in order to insure the stillness of the patient, secure its head
to the rack. I have directed the powder to be applied every
hour, for twelve or fourteen hours; but it may be necessary to
continue its use, as directed, for three or four days in suc-
cession, ere the flow of synovia is completely arrested. Some-
times, however, the desired effect is produced in a much shorter
time. Should the synovial flow be arrested, and the knee
present other proofs of a favourable character—that is, if the
structures do not swell inordinately, and the patient moves the
limb freely and feeds well—all that the attendant can do is to
leave the injury alone. Time is necessary to allow the vital
force to restore the injured tissues to a condition as complete.
as possible under the circumstances.

Sometimes, when the discharge of synovia is stopped, and
the wound is all but completely healed, the knee will swell.
considerably. This generally arises from the patient being
taken to work before the limb is sufficiently recovered. When
this is the case, the animal should at once be taken from work,
and Arnica lotion and cold water bandages should be applied
regularly, until the swelling and the temperature of the limb
are reduced, and the parts more efficiently restored.

TreatMEntT oF Open Kwer Jornt.—Having ascertained
that the joint of the knee is exposed, and having also removed
all the dirt which may have lodged in the broken tissues, the
great object is to keep the limb straight until the natural
powers have so far restored the injured tissues as to effectually
close up the breach. Now this cannot be done if the limb is
not so secured as to prevent the joint from being bent.. ‘The.
BROKEN KNEES. ‘485

bending of the knee, if allowed before the broken tissues are
repaired, will aid materially in preventing a proper cure: the
consequence of the bending will be—supposing the case to
terminate in the most favourable manner possible under the
circumstances—the healing process will proceed more slowly ;
synovia will firmly clot within the joint, and when clotted will
act as a foreign body, and irritate both the synovial membrane
of the joint and the cartilages of the bones; new growth of
substance will gradually extend over the external opening of
the wound, and close up the coagulated syuovia ; the structures
‘of the knee, in consequence, will take on a slow form of inflam-
mation ; and in the end the joint will become stiff, and the
patient ever after rendered useless except for slow work, or (if
a mare) for breeding purposes.

To prevent these consequences, secure the limb as follows ;
Bandage the limb from above the knee down to the fetlock
joint. Between the bandage and the hair, and on each side,
place lint in close contact with the outer and inner sides of the
limb, and close up to the knee fix two pieces of sponge (one
piece to each side) of moderate thickness, and about four inches
in length; then take a wood splint—seventeen or eighteen
inches in length, 3-16ths of an inch in thickness, from three to
four inches wide—convex upon one side, and concave upon the
other + and within two inches of each end holes should be cut
through the splint (one hole at each end) 3-8ths of an inch
wide and one inch in length, the long way of the openings to
be parallel with the long direction of the splint. Through the
openings of the splint pass two straps, having buckles attached
to them; then place the concave side of the splint against the
back of the knee—the middle of the splint to be a little below
the knee joint ; pack soft wet sponges between the back of the
knee and the splint, so as to cause the latter to fit close and
486 BROKEN KNEES.

secure, and in order to do this, it will be necessary to place
sponges both above and below the joint ; then, while an assistant
holds the splint evenly to its place, bandage it firmly to the
limb—leaving, as before, the wound exposed; after which,
buckle the straps, and the operation is complete.

In the course of a few hours, sympathetic fever will
generally set in, the severity of which will depend upon cir-
cumstances—such as the extent of the injury, the susceptibility
of the patient, and the treatment which afterwards may be
pursued. So soon, however, as the animal becomes restless,
commence bathing the limb with cold water; then itis that the
value of the sponges will become evident—the object being, by
constantly wetting them with cold water, to maintain the knee
at a cool temperature, and thus keep down the fever so far as it
may be caused by inflammation arising from the wound. The
mere bandaging, however, of the limb, and maintaining it in a
rigid, straight position, for days together, will produce con-
siderable fever to nervous and excitable horses.

Cold water may be applied to the sponges occasionally, by
pouring it between the bandages and the limb; or if it would
be better to have it flowing upon the sponges uninterruptedly,
for two or three hours in succession, adopt the following simple
arrangement :—Procure a large tin vessel, having a strong
moveable handle; at the bottom part of the vessel sglder a
small tube, with a tap attached ; fill this vessel with cold water,
and hang it up at the side of the stall, higher from the ground
than the head of the patient. Procure also three or four yards
of india rubber tubing, of a quarter of an inch diameter, one
end of which slip over the pipe soldered to the bottom of the
tin vessel, while into the lower end insert a few inches of copper
or tin piping ; tie it and the india-rubber tube (the copper pipe
within the india-rubber tube) securely together ; after which,
BROKEN KNEES. 487

pass this end behind the bandages, and turn the tap so as to
allow the water to flow upon the sponges; the stream of water
down the flexible tube can be regulated by the tap situate at
the bottom of the vessel. It is not desirable to have a strong
current, as it would wet the limb and the floor of the stall too
much, and empty the tin vessel too rapidly. By having two or
three taps soldered into the tin vessel, and as many india-rubber
tubes attached, it is clear that small currents of water can be
directed to any part of the knee joint, and the currents kept
flowing so long as the tin vessel is supplied with water. In
this manner the inflammation within the joint may in numerous
cases be effectually controlled.

The best remedies for internal use, and the general prin-
ciples relating to the treatment of Sympathetic Fever, I have
already detailed and treated upon at pages 477 to 479.

The treatment of the wound, or of the structures directly
injured, will in one sense be a simple affair. The principal
difficulty will be to arrest the flow of synovia; and perhaps the
best mode of doing this will be by a free use of the solution of
Nitrate of Silver, and also of the Sulphate of Copper, in the
way described at page 484. Note carefully the place where
the fluid escapes; dab the part with the Nitrate of Silver,
and then dust the powder frequently upon it.

The limb should be kept rigidly straight, if possible,
until the opening into the cavity of the knee is closed
with new tissue; and, in order to do this, relieve the animal
when he is thoroughly wearied, by placing him in slings.*

* Upon the whole, I think very little of slings ; but circumstances may
arise when the veterinary surgeon may be compelled to resort to them. It
appears to me that machinery might be constructed to secure the patient, then
to raise him from the ground, and gradually lower the animal upon his side,
and there allow him to remain as long as necessary.
488 . OPEN JOINT.

Drer.—The diet of the animal should be entirely of a soft
character. If in season, give grass or green clover; or, if the
accident occurs during the winter season, allow boiled turnips,
carrots, and mashes of bran and linseed. For further instruc-
tions relating to diet, see Section VI., page 108.

OPEN JOINT.

Before treating upon Open Joint in its particular forms, I
will direct the attention of the reader to one or two matters of
practical importance in relation to it.

First, with regard to the term Open Joint, I wish the reader
to understand that I mean by it any opening made into the
sheaths and burse of tendons, as well as into a joint proper.
Both forms of injury are of a very similar character, and they
are to a great extent productive of results of a similar nature.

The chances of recovery to a joint when opened will depend
upon the following conditions, viz.—the size of the opening ;
the extent of the injury which may be inflicted upon the syno-
vial membrane; the time which may have elapsed from the
infliction of the injury to proper treatment being commenced ;
the kind of joint which may be penetrated ; and the treatment
previously pursued.

Openings made into the following joints and structures will
be more readily cured by placing a high-heeled shoe upon the
foot of the affected limb,* viz.—injuries of the burse and the
fibrous sheaths situated at the back of the knee; the flexor
tendons of both the fore and the hind limbs; the fetlock joints ;
injuries to the tendons situate within the hollow of the heels ;
the structures contiguous to the hock, the stifle, and the
elbow joints.

The treatment of Open Joint should be as simple as possible.
Unless the joint can be made rigid and secure without the

* For proper form of shoe to use, See Jig. 26, page 470

’
OPEN JOINT. 489

infliction of pain, the limb should be left entirely free, and
other measures of a different character resorted to. _

Some animals when severely injured, are fully conscious of
the necessity of being quiet. When tired of standing they
will lean against the wood work of the stall, and slide down
upon the straw as gently as possible; and when necessity
requires they will rise again as quietly. Let those having the
care of such animals look carefully to the shank of the head
collar, and see that it is of extra strength; and also that the
ring in the manger through which the shank passes be firmly
secured to the bottom of the manger. The shank, when firmly
tied, will aid the animal materially to rise from the ground;
indeed, without it, the act would be difficult to perform.

‘When a joint is opened, or its structures are injured, first
wash the wound thoroughly, but avoid washing and fomenting
it for many hours afterwards. When the joint is kept con-
stantly wet, it is impossible to tell whether synovia escapes or
not. Hundreds of horses affected as described have been
crippled for months, in consequence of doctoring and fomenting
the limb when a joint was open.

TreatmMEent.—The best remedies in general for closing
wounds of this character, are—Sulphate of Copper, Nitrate of
Silver, Lime, and Collodion.

Sulphate of Copper.— Nitrate of Silver and Lime.—Sulphate
of Copper and Nitrate of Silver will sometimes permanently
arrest the flow of synovia by coagulating it at the mouth
of the opening; and when a plug is obtained, and it firmly
adheres to the injury, the opening will gradually heal and
no further harm ensue; but it is seldom that matters will
proceed so favourably—the pressure of the synovial current
(especially if the patient be uneasy) will force the plug from
490 OPEN JOINT.

the wound time after time. The best way to apply the Nitrate
of Silver is in solution. Tie a small piece of sponge to the end
of a stick, which dip into the solution and dab upon the open-
ing as the synovia flows out. The best mode to apply the
Sulphate of Copper is in powder, which prepare and use as
follows :—take half’ an ounce of the salt, powder it in a wedge-
wood mortar to an impalpable powder, then add 2 ounces of
flour and mix them well together, and dust a portion of the
powder upon the opening every fifteen or twenty minutes until
a firm crust or scab is formed upon the opening; should this
fail to have the desired effect, recourse should be had to the
Lime.

Lime.—The Lime for this purpose should be burnt, slaked,
and powdered ; a small portion of which should be frequently
placed upon the opening, the object being to form a solid crust
upon the injury. J have on numerous occasions succeeded in
arresting the flow of synovia by this means when every method
previously tried had failed.

Collodion.—This is a valuable agent to apply when the
opening is recent; it is seldom, however, it will check the dis-
charge from an opening which has been a week or more in
existence. Cotton wool should be dipped into the Collodion,
the wound should be wiped perfectly dry, and the Collodion
plaster placed firmly upon it; after which, a number of plasters
of a similar kind should be placed on and around the first one,
so as to effectually close it in every direction.

CAPPED HOCK.

Capped Hock generally originates from a bruise, either in
consequence of the animal kicking against a hard substance,
such as a board or a stall post, or from lying with the hock in
close contact with the bare floor.
CAPPED HOCK. 491

The point of the hock in these cases swells considerably,
and in the more acute and severe forms of the injury the animal
is lame. Sometimes a Capped Hock proves a very troublesome
affair, especially when the structures are severely injured and
the animal is wrongly treated. People who rub stimulating
mixtures, hot oils, and irritating compounds upon the swelling,
will in, all probability, aggravate the case beyond all hope of
perfect restoration.

Treatment.—If the case be acute, that is, if the hock be
much swollen, hot, and painful, and the patient lame, put a
high-heeled shoe upon the foot of the limb affected, and apply
Arnica lotion and hay bandages dipped in cold water to the
joint. In order to prevent the rough hay chafing the skin of
the, hock, first fold a wet woollen bandage around the part,
and then place the wet hay bandage over it. The bandages
may be kept wet by pouring lotion and cold water upon them.
The treatment here recommended should be regularly continued
for five or six days in succession, and the patient during the
same time should be dieted upon soft food.

In two or three weeks after the infliction of the injury,
should the point of the heck remain enlarged, and its tempera-
ture become natural, the enlargement may be rubbed with
the ointment of the Biniodide of Mercury, in the following

proportion :—
Biniodide of Mercury a tis half a drachm,
Lard aa i tay 1 ounce.

A portion of the above to be rubbed daily upon the swollen
part until the skin becomes sore, when the use of the ointment
should be given over and a little oil or lard used regularly
instead, until the soreness is gone, when the ointment may be
again applied until the soreness is again produced ; in this man-
492 FISTULOUS WITHERS.—BRUISED BACK.

ner the enlargement upon the point of the hock should be treated
until it'entirely disappears. The dispersion of the soreness will
be much facilitated by exercising the horse occasionally.

During the treatment care should be taken to prevent the
hock from being again injured. The animal should be well
supplied with straw.

FISTULOUS WITHERS.—BRUISED BACK.

A fistulous condition of the withers, and a bruise or crush
upon the back, are injuries caused in almost every instance by
the saddle.

The tissues of the withers when bruised or injured inflame ;
the common symptoms of which are, swelling of the parts,
accompanied with increased heat and great tenderness. As the
disease proceeds, the swelling increases until at last matter is
formed, which ulcerates through the skin and is discharged ;
and thus a condition of the structures is established, which may
continue for an indefinite period, unless prevented by proper
treatment. ‘

TreatMent.—The treatment of Fistulous Withers should
be of a very direct and simple character. Arnica lotion and
cold water cloths are the proper remedies to commence with,
unless matter should exist within the structures injured at the
time the animal is brought to a veterinary surgeon for treat-
ment, or if the structures be in that state that the formation of
matter is inevitable, then warm lotions and hot fomentations are
the best to adopt until purulent matter is formed, when the
abscess should be opened and its contents evacuated. The
abscess should be cut open to the very bottom. Unless every
sinus in connection with the abscess is freely exposed, the puru-
lent matter within will gravitate in many directions, and the
TRAUMATIC OPTHALMIA, 493.

disease, in consequence, will daily involve a greater extent of
living tissue. The proper thing to do, then, is to lay open the
fistulous sinuses to the very bottom, and afterwards dress the
parts daily with warm Arnica or Calendula lotion, made as
directed at page 468.

Bruisep Back.—With regard to the treatment of this
form of injury I shall be brief. If taken at the onset—rest,
cold lotions, and cold water cloths, will be the only treatment
necessary. The position of the parts, when injured,.is the
principal hindrance to the healing of the back. Prevention is
better than cure. Examine carefully the saddle, and see that
it fits the animal comfortably in every way.

TRAUMATIC OPTHALMIA.

‘Inflammation of the eye, arising from a blow, or in con-
sequence of a scratch upon the organ, ‘or from a particle of
straw or a seed of hay falling within the eyelids, is a matter of,
occasional occurrence.

Symptoms.—The eyelids are swollen and closed; tears are’
secreted by the lachrymal gland in abundance; the surface of
the eye is dim, its mucous membrane is congested, and the’
patient manifests an intolerance of the light.

TrratMeNnt.—Hxamine carefully within the eyelids for
foreign bodies such as bits of straw, or an inverted eyelash, or
aseed of hay. So long as foreign bodies are retained within
the eyelids, the inflammation arising from their presence will
continue; and all medical and surgical aid applied to relieve
the disease, unless the cause be removed, will not prove of the
least service.

The best remedies in general are—Cold Water, Aconite or
Arnica Lotions, Belladonna, and Aloes.
494 TRAUMATIC OPTHALMIA.

Cold Water.—Arnica and Aconite Lotions.—The applica-
tion of Cold Water to the eye will be valuable when the
organ is inflamed from causes of a traumatic nature. The best
mode of applying it is by means of a sponge. Procure a soft,
large-sized, cup-shaped sponge, which fix to the eye by means
of a linen cloth (the hollow surface of the sponge towards the
eyelids) ; having done this, it is easy to keep the sponge wet
either with Cold Water, or Arnica or Aconite Lotion, made of
the following proportions, viz.—8 drachms of Tincture of Arnica,
or 2 drachms of Tincture of Aconite to 1 pint of Cold Water.

Belladonna.—Belladonna may either be given alone or in
alternation with Arnica. When used alternately, administer
it in 2 drachm doses of the 1st dilution. The Arnica may also
be given in similar quantities. Alternate these remedies
morning, noon, and night, so long as necessary.

Aloes.—If the patient be in high condition, or the system
in a gross state, a gentle purgative may prove of value to the
animal. Give a ball daily, containing 1 or 2 drachms of Aloes,
until the bowels are gently acted upon.

Dizt.—The diet of the patient should be soft—such as bran,
boiled corn, grass, or carrots. See Section VI., page 108.
495

Szotron IX.—LAMENESS.

SPRAIN OF THE FLEXOR PRICKS FROM SHOEING,
TENDONS, SAND CRACK,
SPAVIN. THRUSH.
NAVICULAR DISEASE, SPLINT.
RING BONE. SIDE BONE.
CURB. SHOULDER SPRAIN,
BOG SPAVIN. QUITTOR.
WIND GALLS. CORNS,
THOROUGH PINS. CANKER.
—~<p>-—_

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

In is impossible, in a small treatise like this, to give the reader
-an adequate account of every form of lameness which, from
time to time, is known to affect the horse; to do so would
require a volume equal in size at least to the present. I shall,
therefore, only treat upon some of its principal and most
common forms.
Lameness, as Mr. Percival truly observes, “is but a
symptom of disease—not of itself disease.” Its causes are
innumerable ; the majority of them, however, or what may be
termed its exciting causes, are mechanical. The predisposing
causes of lameness are vital and hereditary. “The diseases and
accidents, of which lameness is commonly a symptom, are
inflammation and ‘ulceration of the joints, inflammation and
ossification of the periosteal and catilago-ligamentous tissues,
496 PRELIMINARY REMARKS. ,

sprain, and inflammation of the ligaments and tendons, lacera-
tion and inflammation of the muscular fibre, disease of the
structures peculiar to the foot, faults or accidents in shoeing,
contusions, wounds of all sorts, tumours, ulcerations, fractures,
dislocations, spasm, and paralysis. A catalogue sufficient to
show that the causes of lameness,’’ as remarked above, are
innumerable, “and equally various in kind as in degree—some
being altogether as simple in their character as others are
complex and obscure.”’* ‘Without a knowledge of the anatomy
and physiology of the locomotive apparatus of the horse, and of
the normal conditions of every tissue, the aggregate of which
constitutes the limbs—without an extensive experience of the
operation of the various causes enumerated, and of their almost
innumerable modes of acting and operating, an accurate diag-
nosis of the precise nature and seat of lameness in all cases, is
simply impossible.

The parts most prone to injury, and of the animal to
become lame in consequence, are the feet, the tendons, and the
hock joints.

Many of the joints, comparatively speaking, are but rarely
affected with disease; the elbow of the fore limb,—the hip,
and the navicular joints of the hind limbs are of this character.

The fore feet are far more prone to be affected with disease,
and the animal to be lame in consequence, than the hind feet.

Spavin, Navicular Disease, and that condition of bone
disease of the knee joint which is very liable to terminate in.
anchylosis of the knee, are all of a character closely similar to
each other.

In every case of lameness, especially when symptomatic of.
disease of a fore limb, before a practitioner pronounces a decisive ,

* Percival’s Hippopathology, Vol. IV., Part 1, Page 8.
SPRAIN OF THE FLEXOR TENDONS. 497

opinion upon the nature of the case, he should carefully examine
the foot of the affected limb. Errors of a grave and very
‘damaging character havé arisen in consequence of practitioners
not attending to this simple, and what ought to be an undeviating,
rule of practice.

SPRAIN OF THE FLEXOR TENDONS.

Sprain of the flexor tendons is a common cause of lameness,
and one which, if not recognized and properly treated at the
commencement, is very liable to terminate in disease and lame-
ness of an incurable character.

The flexor tendons are liable to be sprained at every part
of their tissues, or from their origif at the back of the knees
and the hocks, down to where they terminate at the back of
the feet; and, so far as I have hitherto observed, the tendons
of the hind limbs are just as liable to sprain and injury as those
of the fore limbs.

One of the most common forms in which these structures
are injured, is that of sprain of the metacarpal ligament (6, Mig.
28). A reference to the engraving on the following page will
enable the reader to clearly comprehend the matter.

The symptoms of Sprain, or injury of the metacarpal liga."
ment, are generally of a very direct character. The animal
steps lame; he treads upon the toe; the structures behind the
limb affected are swollen, tender upon pressure, and of a higher
temperature than ordinary. If the disease is not perceived
at its onset, which is very frequently the case, and the animal
is continued at work, the ligament becomes greatly thickened ;
the limb becomes shortened ; it also projects or shoots over at
the fetlock joint, and the animal is rendered thereby incapable
of rapid locomotion. ;

21
498 SPRAIN OF THE FLEXOR TENDONS.

In other cases a sprain occurs at
the top of the fetlock, or at the
locality indicated by the letter e; or
it may occur to any part of the ten-
dons proper between a ande, The
symptoms in every case, however—
whether the sprain occurs in one part
of the tendons or another, are
of a very similar character—
viz.. stepping upon the toe;
heat, swelling, and tenderness
of the tissues injured, and
slight improvement in the gait
of the animal with exercise.

TREATMENT:—The
best remedies and
modes of treatment
in general, are—Ar-
nica, Aconite, Cold
Water Bandages, a
High Heeled Shoe,
Blisters, and Firing.

Hien HEELED
SHoz.—As soon as
the injury is disco-
vered, place a high
heeled shoe upon the
foot of the affected
limb. The shoe alone

will be more than _

half the cure. It

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

Fig. 28.

a The flexor Tendons are partly drawn away
from the limb, to more clearly show the meta-
carpal ligament 6. The uses of this ligament
are to support and give strength to the flexor
tendons. It arises in the fore limbs, just under
the knee, and terminates as shown above.

ce The suspensory ligament ; it is this liga-
ment which is ruptured when the horse (what is
called) ‘‘ breaks down.”

é The top of the fetlock joint—a part which
is extremely liable to be sprained,
SPRAIN OF THE FLEXOR TENDONS. 499

will prevent the structures being stretched, or exerted when
the patient moves about. I have great difficulty, in cases of
sprain, in convincing people of the necessity and importance of
a high heeled shoe. Iam continually told that a shoe of this
kind, if fixed upon the foot of a lame limb, will cause the limb
to grow shorter. The objection is a ridiculous one. The
proper form of shoe is Fig. 29.

represented in the an-
nexed engraving: and
the proper way it should
be made is described at
page 470. Ifthe patient
be a draught horse, the animal should not be worked in the
shafts for some time after recovery, and the heel of the shoe
should be lowered gradually.

Arnica Lotion Aconite Lotion.—Cold Water Bandages.—
Arnica lotion should be applied to the limb several times a day ;
and, during the acute stage of the injury, give the patient
Arnica in 2-drachm doses of the first dilution. The dose may
be repeated two or three times a day.

After bathing the limb with Arnica lotion, it should be
encased in a cold water bandage. A wet hay-band is the
cheapest, and will retain water the longest.

Sometimes in cases of this kind when Arnica fails to afford
relief, Aconite lotion proves of signal service. Use it in the
following proportions :—

 

Aconite ... 8 wen .. 4 drachms.
Water. a ms .. 1 pint.

Apply the lotion warm, several times a day, and afterwards
encase the limb in a woollen bandage, saturated with hot
water. :
500 SPRAIN OF THE FLEXOR TENDONS.

Firing and Blistering.—In severe cases, or when the injury
has been neglected, it will in all probability be necessary to fire
and blister the patient; these measures, however, should not
be resorted to at the onset. The animal should be treated for
two or three weeks prior to these operations being performed,
as directed in page 499; then fire and blister the limb, and
place the animal in a roomy, comfortable box, and there allow
him to remain for two or three months afterwards.

For every particular relating to Firing and Blistering, and
the treatment of the animal after being operated upon, see
remarks contained in pages 161 to 176.

SPAVIN.

Spavin, Navicular Disease, Ring Bone, and Sprain of the
metacarpal ligament, are perhaps the worst forms of disease
and lameness arising therefrom, which can possibly attack the
locomotive apparatus of the horse.

Spavin is well known to be a disease which affects the hock.
Its predisposing causes are bad formation of the limbs; these
are hereditary causes. The exciting causes are sprain of the
joint, and injuries arising from violent concussion to the small
bones of the hock.

As Spavin is a disease of common occurrence, and one the
pathology of which is far from being generally understood, I
will endeavour to place before the reader such leading facts, in
relation to it, as will enable him at least to comprehend its
principal features.

Without entering into elaborate details respecting the
anatomy and physiology of the hock, I may state that its uses
are twofold: first, it facilitates the motion of the limb; and
secondly, it resists concussion. A reference to the engraving
(page 502), which represents the inner surface of the joint (a
SPAVIN. 501

view which is partly accurate and partly diagramatic), will afford
the rationale to these facts.

Locomotion of the animal upon macadamized roads, or
upon any part of the surface of the earth, cannot be without
concussion—to resist the effects of which, the limbs are evi-
dently constructed upon the most perfect principles. Observe
the Skeleton of the animal—and more especially for our pur-
pose, the arrangement of the bones of the hind limbs. These
bones, when occupying their proper position, form with one
another four great angles, which angles will be more or less
acute according to the natural position of the bones in the living
horse, both when the animal is at rest, and also during the
act of locomotion.

The first angle (beginging at the foot) is formed between
the bones of the foot, the pastern, and the cannon-bone a; the
second, between the cannon-bone a and the tibia h—the joint
of the hock, in this instance, uniting the two mediately ; the
third angle is formed between the tibia A and the femur ; and
the fourth between the head of the femur and the pelvis, cer-
tain lateral processes of which hold the spinal column securely
in its natural position.

The angles at. which these bones are placed, with regard to
one another, will to a certain extent, constitute a safeguard
against those shocks and concussions which the animal will
experience when moving over the surface of.the ground. A
second safeguard will be in the great number of soft tissues
which enter into the formation of the entire limb; while a
third exists in the number of the bones of the hock, and in the
manner in which they are placed or secured one upon the other.
In spite of these beautiful and complex arrangements, however,
experience proves that the hock is extremely liable to suffer
from sprains and concussions, and that a very common result,
502 SPAVIN.
in consequence, is the production
of that well known disease,
Spavin. 2
If the joints of the hind limbs
are examined, and carefully com-
pared with one another, it will be
seen that the greatest extent and
freedom of motion (of any of these
joints) will occur in the hocks ;
and also that the motion in the
latter will be principally affected
between the tibia 2 and the
astragalus g; while the small
bones de f'c b, situate below the
astragalus, will act during the
locomotion of the animal, as a
series of buffers. Now it
amongst these bones, d e fe b
upon the inside of the joint, that
the disease in question—viz.,
Spavin—is always located.
Sometimes it commences be-
tween the under surface of the
cuneiform parvum (the bone /)
and the head of the inner splint
bone 4; in which case the Spavin
is called, by dealers and horse-
men in general, “a Jack.” In
other cases, again, the disease
commences higher in the joint, or
between the under surface of the
cuneiform magnum d e, and the

is

 

Fig. 30.
A representation of the hock joint,
partly diagramatic, showing the ar-
rangement of the bones of the organ.

a The cannon bone.

& The inner splint bone.

ce The cuneiform medium.

f The cuneiform parvum.

de The cuneiform magnum.

g The Astragalus, or pulley-
like bone.

hk The tibia. The motion of
the joint is effected between these
two bonesg and. The lower end
of the bone A fits closely to the
bone g, which is provided with
deep grooves, into which the

. lower extremity of the bone / is

securely fixed.

i The os clacis, or the bone
which forms the back prominence
of the hock.
SPAVIN t 503

upper surfaces of the cuneiform parvum f and the cuneiform
medium ¢. This form of the malady is designated “High
Spavin,” in contradistinction to the other. It is a worse con-
dition of the disease than the former. The animal is more
acutely lame: the chances of cure are more remote: and it is
far more likely to involve the other bones and articulations of
the joint.

Symproms.—~Having briefly described the seat, and also
explained to some extent the mode in which certain causes
operate in the production of Spavin, I = now detail the
symptoms of thé disease.

The symptoms during the early stages of the malady vary ;
in some cases the enlargement of the hock precedes lameness ;
and in others lameness precedes the enlargement; and some-
times large bony protuberances of the hock upon the seat of
the spavin are met with without lameness as a result thereof.
having ever existed. Cases of this kind, however, comparatively
speaking, are not common. The joint affected will be of a
higher temperature than ordinary. At first the animal will
move the limb stiffly; but the stiffness will disappear as the
joint -is brought more into play. As the disease progresses
the animal will become decidedly lame, and the lameness more
confirmed, and of a character more pathognomonic of the struc-
tures diseased. The hock will increase in size; the patient, if
made to travel, will step upon the toe and upon the outside
quarter of the foot; he will avoid flexing the hock; the limb,
during the act of locomotion, will sometimes be carried out-
wards and forwards, and sometimes inwards and forwards; and
the toe, to some extent, will be trailed upon the ground.

TrratmEnt.—The best remedies and modes of treatment
in general are—a high-heeled shoe, Firing and Blistering the
hock, and allowing the patient a long rest in a loose box.
504 : SPAVIN.

High-Heeled Shoe.—The proper form of shoe best to use
in cases of Spavin is shewn at Figure 29, page 499.

Firing and Blistering the Hock.—Before having recourse
to the actual cautery, the joint should be made as cool and
the disease palliated as much as possible by means of cold water,
or cold lotions. The best article to apply to the joint to effect
this, is a hay-band folded around the limb and: kept wet with
cold water. Its use should be persevered with for six or eight
days, or longer if necessary ; when the hock should be Fired,
and afterwards Blistered.

Rest.—Hundreds of Spavined horses are ruined either in
consequence of the disease being allowed to go on until the
bones of the joint become ulcerated upon their articulatory
surfaces, or because sufficient rest is not allowed to the patient
after the free use of the cautery.

The cure of Spavin depends upon two essentials: first, upon
the small bones of the hock being anchylosed; and secondly,
when the anchylosis is complete, upon the further deposit of
bone being arrested. So long as motion can be produced
amongst the cuneiform bones, and so long as bony matter con-
tinues to be deposited after the cuneiform bones are perfectly
united, lameness will exist.

The free use of the cautery to the joint, aided by rest to
the limb, will in the generality of cases do all which can be
done in fulfilling these ends. It may be necessary to fire the
hock more than either once or twice; and it sometimes proves
of great value to vary the mode of cauterising the joint. Instead
of burning the skin in lines (the usual practice in these cases)
use a blunt-pointed budding iron, and cauterise the joint by
burning holes into the enlargement. The holes should be about
three quarters of an inch apart; and I am of opinion it is better
to cauterise upon the middle of the bones than within the
grooves or furrows which separate them. See Figure 30.
NAVICULAR DISEASE. 505

The patient should rest three or four months at the very
least after being fired, and the high-heeled shoe should remain
upon the foot during the whole period.

NAVICULAR DISEASE.

Navicular Disease, or, as Mr: Percival designates it,’
“ Navicularthritis,” is another of those maladies giving rise
to Jameness which but too frequently prove incurable.

The ravages of this disease, for the most part, are confined
to the navicular joints of the fore feet. The corresponding
structures of the hind feet, however, are not as stated by
Percival and others, entirely exempt from the malady.

The disease is hereditary in some breeds of horses. Its
attack in many cases is sudden; while in others it is insidious;
and in the generality of cases it is slow in its progress.

The first individual who discovered this disease, or at any
rate, who first made the discovery known, and benefited the
public thereby, was Mr. James Turner, veterinary surgeon,
late of Croydon; before whose time people invariably referred
the cause of this form of lameness to disease of the shoulder,
an error which is yet very frequently committed by individuals
who undertake the treatment of equine diseases, who are
ignorant of every true principle relating to the practice of
veterinary medicine.

The most conspicuous organ which nature has provided (I
may almost say) for the especial protection of the navicular
joint, is the frog of the foot; this organ acts as a buffer to the
articulation. The removal of the frog, or any part thereof,
will of necessity expose the joint more or less to every jar and
concussion arising from the action of the feet upon the ground.
I am of opinion that the predisposition of the fore feet to take
on Navicular Disease is greatly increased in consequence of the
506 NAVICULAB DISEASE.

pernicious practice, which the majority of farriers pursue, of cut-
ting large slices of horn from the crust and the frog of the foot
at the time the animal is shod. Many practices are pursued with
the horse which are destructive alike to his health and general
economy ; but few are more so than the atrocious one of cutting
away the hoof and the frog; and until gentlemen who own
horses better understand what pertains to their welfare in
shoeing, and rigidly enforce the rule of non-interference with
the drawing knife on the part of the farrier, I feel assured that
the practice in question will never be remedied.*

Navicular Disease may exist in association with Side Bone,
or Ring Bone; or all these diseases may exist in the same
animal, at the same time.

Symproms.—Lameness, arising from disease or injury of
the navicular joint, is sometimes (as stated above) manifested
suddenly, while in other cases it appears insidiously; under every
condition of its development, however, when inflammation is
established within the joint, no matter how slight the inflam-
mation may be, the foot affected is certain to be warmer at the
heel than natural; the increased warmth may be so slight that
its existence may be doubted by many; but warmer it will be,
and of this any one possessed of a delicate touch may convince
himself by a careful comparison of the temperature of the two
feet, that is, when one foot alone is affected.

The animal, when stood at rest, will place the diseased foot
in advance of the other; the appearance of the limb, when in
motion, will also be peculiar; the patient will step, even when
slightly attacked with the malady, as though the foot was
clubbed; the animal will avoid stepping boldly upon the heel ;
he will travel with freedom up hill, but in coming down again
the gait will be short and paddling.

&
* For further remarks upon the practice in question, see pages 88 to 92.
NAVIOULAR DISEASE. 507

Should the owner of the horse suspect the nature of the
disease before passing its incipient stage, and place the animal
without further delay under proper treatment, the malady, in
all probability, will be arrested, and perhaps it may not again
return. It is seldom, however, that a cure is effected so readily;
on the contrary, one attack is but too frequently the forerunner
of a second, and a second of a third, until the animal finally
becomes incurably lame.

‘When both fore feet are affected the peculiarities of the
disease will be more marked; the action will be short and
paddling; the animal will tread upon the toes; and, if previously
a high stepper, the action will become low and tripping. As the
disease progresses, or passes into its more confirmed stages, the
form of the feet will change, the heels will contract, and the
crust at the quarters will become deeper and stronger than
when the feet were healthy.

Causns.— The causes are twofold, viz.—predisposing and
exciting. Of the former kind I may class hereditary tendency,
and this is greatly favoured by the excessive cutting and rasping
which the feet undergo when under the operation of the farrier.
The exciting causes are sprains of the joint, concussion, and
over-exertion of the fore limbs.

TreatmEent.—The best remedies and modes of treatment
in general are—Cold Bandages to the limbs, Bleeding the feet,
Blistering within the hollow of the heels, allowing the animal
to stand in wet clay, shoes fixed to the fore feet slightly elevated
by means of a bar across the heels, and Neurotomy.

All these remedies and modes of treatment have been
long known and resorted to (many others could be added
to the list) for years, but- when the malady becomes thoroughly
508 SPLINT.

established, or in other words, if the inflammation within the
joint goes on to ulceration the disease is incurable; and the
best course to adopt is to put the animal to slow work upon
a farm. .

4

SPLINT.

A Splint is a small bony protuberance, the ordinary site of
which is upon and between the cannon and the splint bones of
the extremities.

Splint is a frequent cause of lameness; its appearance is
generally sudden; but at times, in consequence of the smallness
of the protuberance, inexperienced or careless observers are
very likely to overlook its existence. It is stated that large
sized Splints never cause lameness, but this is not correct.

Horses having straight shoulders and upright pasterns are
far more predisposed to manifest Splints than horses whose
pasterns and shoulders are oblique.

Splints are the most common to the fore extremities, and
they usually appear upon the inner sides of the limbs. The
hind limbs, however, are not exempt from the disease; but in
the latter case Splints are generally situated upon the outer
side of the metacarpal bones.

The nature of Splint, its position upon the metacarpal bones,
and the relation which it holds to the functions of the limb, will
be more clearly and fully explained to the reader by reference
to the annexed engraving. fig. 31 is a representation of the
bones of the fore limb of a horse viewed as they appear upon
their inner side; g the radius or the bone of the arm, this bone
is only partly shown; fthe scaphoid; ¢ the magnum; d trape-
zoid; @ small metacarpal or inner splint bone; 6 the large
metacarpal or the cannon bone. The bones f, e, d, are three
which enter into the formation of the knee joint. Now a Splint
SPLINT.

509

is a bony protuberance which is generally situated in the groove
existing between the small metacarpal bone a and the cannon
bone 4. The artist has endeavoured to shew an enlargement of
Fig. 81.

this nature at c. The situation of a
Splint, however, varies considerably.
Sometimes one presents itself near to
the lower extremity of the splint bone ;
at other times in the middle of the
bone; and at other times close to the
joint of the knee; and sometimes upon
the inner surface of the bones. When
present in the latter position, a Splint
can only be discovered by holding up
the limb and pushing the tendons aside.
Splints, when situate near to the supe-
rior extremity of the bone a, are far
more liable to cause lameness than if
situate upon the same bone at ¢, and
when situate behind the tendons the
danger from the size of the Splint is,
that the action of the tendons may be
interrupted.

TreaTMENT.—The most speedy and
effectual mode of dealing with a Splint

is to cast the animal; then make a small _
opening through the skin, immediately =

below the enlargement, and with a

   

small curved but narrow-bladed knife, passed into the opening
and under the skin, the splint is to be cut down upon and com-
pletely divided. The patient may then be allowed to rise, and
the limb kept cool for a few days, by means of a cold water

bandage.
510 RING BONE AND SIDE BONE.

Blistering.—Sometimes a Blister will speedily disperse a
Splint; in resorting to it, however, there is no necessity to daub
a large extent of surface with the ointment. To prevent more
of the skin being irritated than is necessary, wrap a bandage
around the limb, from below up to the Splint; then clip the
hair away immediately over the enlargement, and apply the
blister. In ten or twelve hours afterwards the bandage may be
removed, and the blister washed with soap and water and a soft
sponge.

Biniodide of Mercury.—This remedy is sometimes pre-
ferred to a blister; but as the action of the two are so closely
similar when used to cases of this nature, it is unnecessary to
describe the action of the Biniodide more fully. For every
particular relating to the strength of the ointment, see page 390.

Sometimes it is necessary both to fire and Blister a Splint,
ere the lameness is dispersed.

RING BONE AND SIDE BONE.

Ring Bone and Side Bone are diseases of a very similar
character.

The seat of Ring Bone is within and upon the pastern bones
(see h, Fig. 31.) The pastern joints of both the fore and hind
limbs are alike predisposed to become affected. The disease, as
its name implies, extends round the pastern.

The seat of Side Bone is upon and within the ale of the
coffin bone, or at the sides of the foot. Both diseases, unless
arrested during their incipient stages, will ultimately give rise
to incurable lameness.

The use of a high-heeled shoe, together with firing and
blistering, and allowing the patient long rest in a loose box, are
perbaps the most likely modes of effecting a cure.
511

t

WIND GALLS, BOG SPAVIN, AND THOROUGH PIN.

Wind Galls, Bog Spavin, and Thorough Pins, are all
affections of a-closely similar nature. They essentially consist
of an abnormal amount of synovia, which collects within the
burs of the tendons of both the fore and hind limbs; and
also enlargement of the bursal and synovial membranes of the
hock.

The bursal enlargement, when situate in the synovial tissues
contiguous to the fetlock joints, is called a Wind Gall; a Bog
Spavin, when present at the inferior and anterior part of the
hock (see g, e, c, Fig. 80, page 502); and a Thorough Pin, when
the synovial sac is distended, which is situate at the superior
and posterior region of the hock, or between the os calcis and
the tibia (see Fig. 30, z, h, page 502).

Wind Galls, Bog Spavin, and Thorough Pins, are consi-
dered (but erroneously so), to be frequent causes of lameness.
The real cause of lameness, in these cases, is dependant upon
that condition of the tissues which is the cause of the bursal
distention. Bursal distention is merely an effect of morbid
excitement existing within the synovial tissues of the locality
affected, the cause of which is injury from over-exertion.

TeratmENnt.—The removal of a Wind Gall, a Bog Spavin,
or a Thorough Pin, is a very simple affair. Open them with a
lancet and they are gone ina moment. Not so, however, with
the morbid condition existing within the synovial membranes ;
to subdue this is altogether a different affair.

The old writers on farriery recommend Firing and Blis-.
tering as remedies for these maladies. So far, however, as my
experience goes, I never saw the least benefit, in cases of this
kind, from either the one or the other; but I have, on nume-
rous occasions, known very aggravated cases of bursal distention
512 WIND GAILS, BOG SPAVINS, AND THOROUGH PINS.

to thoroughly disappear during the time of the patient being
allowed a long run at grass.

In all cases, then, of chronic enlargement of the burse,
associated with lameness or stiffness, I strongly recommend,
when practicable, to allow every animal so affected a winter’s
run at grass. The cold air, and the freedom from all exertion
beyond what is voluntary, on the part of the patient, will tend,
perhaps more than any other measure, to cure Bog Spavins,
Wind Galls, and Thorough Pins.

The best palliatives, in general, are—cold water bandages ;
pressure to the distended burs, by means of rolls made of linen
or wash-leather; and Arnica Lotion. For directions as to the
preparation and mode of applying these rolls, see page 473;

-and with regard to the Arnica Lotion, see page 468.

CURB.

What is a Curb? and how can it be cured? are questions
frequently asked by gentlemen owning horses.

The seat of Curb, and its appearance when in existence,
are matters well known to most individuals familiar with
horses.

Spavin is a disease which occasionally affects the bones of
the hock; Curb is a disease which occasionally affects certain
of its ligaments, or of those structures which hold the bones of
the joints firmly in their natural position.

A Curb is a well-known protuberance which occasionally
exists upon the posterior ridge of the hock, a few inches below
its point, or what is commonly called the heel of the joint.
This protuberance will be seen the best, if the observer first
places the hind limbs of the animal parallel to each other; he
should then stand close to the hind quarter of the limb affected,
so as to look down upon the point of the hock. In this position
CURB.

513

the least deviation from the straight line proper to the limb

will be at once detected.

The seat and true character of Curb will perhaps be more
satisfactorily explained and understood by reference to the

annexed engraving.

The engraving represents the
outer side of the left hind limb of a
horse, dissected. The figure is partly
diagramatic. In describing the en-
graving I shall merely refer to those
letters which relate to tle structures
more or less involved in Curb; a the
tendo achilles, two tendons of great
strength which are situated above
the point of the hock and behind the
limb; 6 the os calcis, or the bone
which forms the prominence of the
hock ; ¢ the head of the outer splint
bone; df the flexor tendons—these

_tendons are a continuation of the ten-
do achilles; ¢ the calcaneo cuboid liga-
ment. This ligament arises towards
the top of the os calcis bone 6, and
is inserted into the back of the small
bones of the hock, and also to the
head of the outer splint bone. Now
Curb is simply a sprain of this liga-
ment; sometimes, however, it is
associated with sprain of the flexor

tendons at the point d, in which cases 6
the swelling will be more prominent, ean
and the lameness will also be more apparent.

QE

Fig, 32.

  
  
514 CURB.

Symproms.—Curb, during the acute stage of the disease,
is always productive of lameness. The following symptoms
were present in a case of Curb which I treated a short time
ago, the like of which may be expected to be present to a
greater or less degree in every case of the kind.

I.—There was a slight swelling at the back of the hock,
near to the head of the outer splint bone. (See letter e,
Fig. 32.

I1.—The swelling was warmer than the skin contiguous
to the swelling.

IIT.—When the animal was at rest, he stood almost con-
stantly with his weight upon the sound limb.

IV.—In walking the animal, the lameness was slight; but
when the horse was made to trot, the lameness became more
evident. The animal avoided flexing the hock; the heel of
the foot was not brought to the ground, and the fetlock joint
occasionally shot forwards: and the patient suddenly relieved
the limb by partially halting.

TreatmENnt.—The best remedies and modes of treatment
in general, are—a high-heeled shoe, cold lotions, and Firing and
Blistering.

High-Heeled Shoe.—For the proper form of shoe, and how
it should be made, see Fig. 26, and pages 470 to 471.

Cold Lotions.—Arnica lotion and cold water bandages
should be freely applied to the hock, for at least a period of six
or eight days; when, if the temperature of the swelling is
reduced and the lameness removed, the necessity of resorting
SHOULDER SPRAIN. 515

to the cautery may be considered. For general particulars
relating to Firing and Blistering, see pages 470 to 471.

When a patient affected with Curb is again put to work,
the hind feet ought to be shod with longer calkins or deeper
heels than ordinary, and the shoe maintained so for a consider-
able time afterwards.

SHOULDER SPRAIN.

Horses are sometimes lame in consequence of disease in the
shoulder. The principal forms of shoulder lameness are three,
viz.—lameness from Rheumatism ; sprain of the tendon of the
flexor brachii; and disease of the articulatory surfaces of the
bones which constitute the joint of the shoulder. The most
common of the two latter, is sprain of the tendon of the flexor
brachii.

Shoulder lameness, comparatively speaking, is not common;
but when it does occur, the symptoms are generally so well
marked, that little difficulty need be experienced in determining
the nature and seat of the disease. The engraving in the next
page will aid the reader to a more complete understanding of
this matter: @ the scapula, or the blade bone of the shoulder:
6 the lower end of the scapula, or the situation of the shoulder
joint: e the triceps extensor brachii muscle—extensor of the
arm and elbow joint of the fore limb: ¢ the tendon of the
flexor brachii muscle: 6 the body of the muscle: f the
elbow joint: g the extensor metacarpi magnus muscle (this
muscle is merely shown in outline). The principal structure,
however, to which the attention of the reader is directed, is
the flexor brachii e d. The tendon ¢ is of considerable length;

‘and where it passes over the front part of the shoulder
joint 4, it is provided with a large burse, or synovial bag. The
space enclosed between the lines ¢ iswhere the tendon is generally
516 SHOULDER SPRAIN.

sprained. It is more liable to be affected at the particular
locality pointed out, in consequence of the following simple
reasons—first, because of the acute Fig. 38.

angle at which the tendon is placed,
in having to pass over the front
part of the joint; and secondly, from
the great vascularity of the burse
of the tendon.

Symproms.—The symptoms mani-
‘fested by the patient are peculiar.
The animal trails the toe;—and
instead of the limb being freely
advanced, its flexion and direct ad-
vancement will be avoided as much
as possible. It will be carried in a
circumflex manner, and the animal
will advance sideways. The sidelong
movement, however, will not be so
very palpable, unless the disease be
severe, or of considerable duration,
when this movement becomes well
marked. The toe will likewise be
turned outwards; the heel will not
be brought to the ground; the point
of the shoulder will be warmer
than ordinary, and it will also be
tender upon pressure.

 

. Causzs.—The causes of shoulder lameness are numerous.
Rheumatism is a cause. The remaining causes are principally
of a mechanical kind—such as pushes against the point of the
shoulder ; injuries from blows and kicks; sprains from galloping.
SHOULDER SPRAIN. 517
and leaping. Sprain of the flexor brachii will sometimes occur
to a horse while drawing the plough. If the animal, while so
engaged, is compelled to travel with one fore foot in the furrow
and the other out, an unequal stress is necessarily forced upon
one shoulder, and sprain of the tendon is very liable to take
place in consequence.

TREATMENT.—The best remedies and modes of treatment,
in general, are—a high-heeled shoe, Arnica lotion, cold water
cloths (secured to the part injured), Blisters, Setons, and long
rest to the patient in a loose box.

Sometimes it is necessary to tie a horse up to the aie and
their force him to continue, for two or three weeks, without
allowing him to lie down. The act of rising from the ground
is very likely to inflict fresh injury to the tendon of the flexor
brachii, when sprained.

THRUSH—CANKER.

Thrush, or as it is frequently denominated, Running Thrush,
is a well known affection. Its essential outward characteristic
consists of a discharge of fetid matter from the middle and
sides of the frog.

The hind feet are more subject to the disease than the fore
feet, a fact which perhaps may be explained as follows :—Most
horses, when in the stable, have a pernicious habit of standing
with the hind feet in their own dung: the dung, in time,
becomes an irritant to the foot; an inflammatory condition of
the sensitive tissues of the frog is established, and fetid matter
is discharged in consequence.*

Thrush, Canker, and Grease are diseases of a closely similar
character. Grease, if allowed to continue, will spread to the
frog, and Thrush will be established; while Canker invariably

* To prevent bad effects to the feet in consequence of this habit, I recom-
mend the hind feet to be always shod with leather. See Section V., page 105.°
518 THRUSH.—CANKER.

arises from Thrush. The disease, Thrush, is inflammation of
the sub-tissues of the frog; Canker is the same condition of
disease, extended to the sub-tissues of the sole of the foot.

Thrush is a disease which many affect to consider an insig-
nificant malady. I do not, however, so regard it. It is, to all
intents and purposes, unsoundness ; it is difficult to cure, and,
if neglected, it is certain to terminate in Canker—one of the
most virulent and difficult diseases to eradicate which can affect
the horse. Old horses are far more subject to both Thrush and
Canker than young horses. It is very rare to find a young
horse affected with the latter disease.

TREATMENT OF THRusH.—The best remedies and modes
of treatment, in general, are—Poultices, Nitric Acid, Sulphate
of Copper, Balsam of Sulphur, cleanliness, and shoeing with
leathers.

Poultices—Prior to commencing a course of treatment to
arrest the fetid discharge, remove the shoes, and poultice the
feet for two or three days in succession. Poultice them with
bran, coarse flour, water, and yeast. If the water is added hot,
let the poultice cool before adding the yeast, otherwise the
latter will be destroyed, and also what benefit might result from
its application to the feet. The benefits sought to be obtained
by poulticing the feet are—first, to cleanse them thoroughly ,
and secondly, to modify the peculiar character of the inflam-
mation which exists in the secreting tissues of the frog.

Balsam of Sulphur.—Having poulticed the foot as direc-
ted, and thoroughly cleansed the frog, the next step is to
pare the frog in every part, particularly along its sides. Pare
deep down between it and the sole of the foot, so as to
thoroughly expose the bottom, and bring into view the tissues
which secrete the fetid discharge. Having done this, and
THRUSH.— CANKER. 519

removed every portion of ragged, horny matter, touch the parts
exposed with a feather, previously dipped in Nitric Acid,
Dress freely with Balsam of Sulphur, made close to the foot
by a packing of soft tow, the whole should then be firmly
secured to the sole by means of the shoe and a leather covering.

Sulphate of Copper.—Sometimes Balsam of Sulphur fails
to cure the disease. When such is the case, resort to the
Sulphate of Copper, which may be applied mixed with treacle ;
use it in the manner as directed to use the Balsam of Sulphur.
When the malady is obliterated, continue, for some time after-
wards, the use of leather soles to the feet.

TrReaTMent oF Canxer.—In commencing the treatment
of Canker, the first essential is to freely expose every part of
the sole which may be diseased. So long as any portion of
diseased tissue remains unexposed, every effort to cure Canker
will prove abortive. The most difficult parts to explore, when
affected, are the corners of the heels, and between the lamine
and the crust; in fact, when the disease spreads to the lamine
in front of the foot, the case may be considered as all but
incurable. The best remedies and modes of treatment, in
general, are—Poultices, Chlorate of Potass, Balsam of Sulphur,
Nitric Acid, Sulphur, Linament Eruginis, and pressure to the
sole.

Poultices.—Chlorate of Potass.—Poultice the feet as direc-
ted for Thrush; and, as the horn becomes softened, remove
it with the drawing-knife, until every portion of diseased struc-
ture is fully exposed ; after which, discard the yeast, and mix
the bran and coarse flour with hot water, in which has been
previously dissolved about 2 or 3 drachms of Chlorate of
Potass. Poultices of this kind may be occasionally applied to
the feet for several days in succession: continue them, in fact,
520 THRUSH.— OANKEBR.

until all the fetor is entirely removed from the discharge.
Having removed the fetor, dress the sole with Balsam of Sul--
phur and small twisted pads of tow, closely packed and firmly
pressed to every part; then apply the leather sole as directed
above. In this manner the dressings may be repeated every.
‘five or six days.

Sulphur.—Sometimes dry Sulphur applied to the foot, and
secured there by pads of tow and a leather sole, has a capital
effect. Sulphur should also be given to the patient, in doses
of 2 drachms, three or four times a week.

Nitrie Acid.—Liniment Eruginis—Sometimes it is neces-
sary to dress the foot with Nitric Acid; the process is a
severe one, but frequently beneficial: After the Acid, apply
the Liniment Eruginis; apply it as the Balsam of Seas 1s
directed to be used.

In conclusion, I may observe that the feet, after being
dressed as directed, should be kept perfectly dry. Secondly—
great patience and perseverance should be exercised in treating
a case of Canker; it is difficult to cure, and the curative process
is slow. Thirdly—powerful escharotics, such as Nitric Acid, if
applied too frequently, create a new disease which is as obsti-
nate to cure as Canker; caution should, therefore, be exercised
in using these remedies.

SANDCRACK.

Sandcrack is so well known as to render any elaborate
description of the malady unnecessary. It consists of a
fissure or division of the hoof, and it is alike common to
both the fore and the hind feet. It generally exists either
on the inner or the outer sides of the foot; sometimes,
however, it is found upon the front of the foot extending from
the coronet to the point of the toe. "When present at the side.
SANDCRACK. 521
of the foot, it is called Quarter Sanderack ; if present in front
of the organ, it receives the name of Toe Sandcrack.

Sanderack is a frequent cause of acute lameness, because of
the sensitive tissues of the foot being exposed thereby, and
becoming inflamed in consequence.

Trearmunt.—Several modes of treatment have been pro-
posed for its cure; the most certain and effectual, however,
that I know of, is the one here recommended.

Poultice the affected foot for three, four, or five days in
succession ag necessity may require, with poultices of bran con-
taining hog’s lard; then with a sharp drawing knife cut away’
the horn at the top of the Sandcrack, so as to allow the coronary
frog band, or the secreting villi of the hoof at this part, perfect
liberty to secrete new horn. When the necessary amount of
horn is removed, should the wounded tissues bleed, the operator
will require to wait until the bleeding ceases; after which he
should cover the exposed villi, together with the remaining
portion of the fissure, with a coating of warm cement, made of
three-fourths pitch and one-fourth gutta percha; immediately
after which the foot should be firmly bound up by passing a
quantity of copper wire around it; the patient is then to be
turned into a loose box, and there allowed to remain at least
for ten or twelve weeks.

In removing the horn, and otherwise operating as directed,
observe the following essentials :—

I.—Before the operator attempts to cut away the top
part of the crack, the hoof should be made soft and pliable as
possible with poultices. Poultices will not only soften the
horn, but they will remove incipient inflammation, and
cleanse away all the dirt which may have collected within
the crack.
522 , SANDCRACK.

Il.—After cutting away as much horn as may be
deemed necessary (the more the better), and before the warm
cement is applied, the animal should have a bar-shoe secured
to the foot.

III.—In binding the foot, avoid passing the wire imme-
‘diately over the exposed villi, unless these structures are well.
covered with a small pad of fine tow or cotton wool, previously
dipped into the warm cement.

The advantages derived from treating Sandcrack as directed
above are these:—it cures the malady thoroughly ; while the
new horn, if the animal be allowed to rest, will be so thick and
abundant that it will never again crack in the same locality—
an advantage which is not obtained by any other known mode.

The crust of the foot is secreted at the rate of one inch in
three months; and one inch of new horn should be in existence
before the animal is again put to work, otherwise there is con-
siderable risk of the new horn being split, and the animal
again becoming lame. .

CORNS.

“ This is a very common and a very troublesome disorder ;
it is frequently occasioned by the smith, or in consequence of
bad shoeing. Corns are the most common to flat feet, and
feet with weak, low heels. They are occasioned by the pres-
sure of the heel of the shoe, either by its bearing immediately
on the sole where it is too thin to bear the pressure, or by the
shoe forcing the heel of the crust inwards. In this way the
sensible sole is frequently bruised, the small blood-vessels rup-
tured, and the effused blood penetrates the pores of the horny
sole, thereby causing the dark red appearance observable on
paring out the heels.* (See ff, Hig. 11, page 85).

* White’s Farriery, edited by Spooner.
CORNS.—PRICKS FROM SHOEING, PUNCTURED FOOT. 523

Trrartment.—The best remedies and modes of treatment,
‘in general, are—paring out the Corns, and afterwards applying
a leather sole and a bar-shoe to the foot. The foot should also
be dressed with Tar, or Balsam of Sulphur and tow. In
those cases where the lameness is acute, and the Corn is of
very recent origin, the foot should be well poulticed, with a
compound of bran, linseed meal, and hot water. Sometimes
a Corn will inflame and suppurate. Poultices, in cases of this
kind, are indispensable.

PRICKS FROM SHOEING.—PUNCTURED FOOT.

Injury to the foot from pricking the sensitive structures
when nailing the shoe upon the foot, and puncture of the organ
from gathering a nail, are matters of daily oceurrence ; and as
the two are of a very similar character, the few remarks I have
to make will apply equally to both.

Treatment.— When the foot is pricked or punctured, the
shoe ought to be removed, and the sole of the foot should be
pared until it readily springs from pressure; the organ should
then be immersed in a large poultice—composed of bran, linseed
meal, and hot water, and the poultice should be changed every
six or eight hours, and its use persevered in until the inflamma-
tory action arising from the injury subsides. The wound should
also be occasionally examined, to see if matter be secreted
within—and if secreted, it should be freely evacuated; after
which, if judiciously treated, the effects of the injury will be
speedily removed.

Sometimes a nail will puncture the foot at the side of the
frog, and forced so far into the soft tissues as to penetrate the
flexor tendon, or the coffin joint, and perhaps liberate the synovia
of the joint, in which case, unless prevented by proper treatment,
all the evil effects of Open Joint will supervene. The proper
524 QUITTOR.

treatment to pursue, however, will be to subdue the inflam-
mation by cold applications repeatedly applied to the heel of
the foot, and every attention should be given to arrest the flow
of synovia.

In every case of prick or puncture of the foot, the object is
to prevent the escape of matter at the coronet, and this is best
effected by paring and poulticing the foot, and by allowing the
patient to rest; after which the sole should be protected for
some time by a leather sole and a bar-shoe.

QUITTOR.

“A Quittor,” says Mr. Percival, “is a sore on the coronet,
connected with a sinus in the foot. The usual seat of the
disease is the inner side of the coronet. Jt appears as a conical
tumour, sometimes so painful as to occasion considerable lame-
ness. Its formation is commonly slow, and not unfrequently
imperfect.” The disease is alike common to both the fore and
hind feet. It is a very painful malady; and it may be stated
that draught horses are more liable to the disease than saddle
or harness horses.

Causzrs.—Quittor may arise from punctures of the foot;
also from an inflamed and suppurating Corn; and from any
wound inflicted upon the sole of the organ, or upon its coronary
substance.

TreatMENT.—Poultices to the foot; opening out all
sinuses; freely evacuating pent-up matter; caustic dressings ;
the use of a high-heeled shoe; and long rest to the patient—
are the proper means of cure.

THE END.
GLOSSARY OF SCIENTIFIC TERMS

USED IN THE PRESENT TREATISE.

Ay

Abdomen. The belly. :
Abnormal. Out of rule. Irregular.

Abscess. A collection of purulent
. matter
Absorption. A taking into the sys-

tem of fluids by porous tissues.
Actual Cautery. See cautery.

Acute. Sharp, painful, severe.
Ankylosis, A stiffening of a joint

from a deposit of bone thereon.

Asphyxia, Interrupted breathing
attended with danger to life.

Asphyxiated. In astate of asphyxia.

Asthenic. A term applied to dis-
eases which are attended with a
low feeble condition of the vital
- powers.

Atrophy. A wasting of the whole
body, or any part of it.

B

Bronchial. Belonging to the wind
pipe.

Bronchitis. Inflammation of the
bronchial tubes.

Bronchus, The windpipe.

Bulbous. Lumpy, full of globular
Tumps.

Burse, Little bags containing sy-

novial fluid. See synovia.

Cc

Caleuli, Stony substances occa- ‘
sionally formed in the kidneys and
intestines,

Caries, A term applied to dead
bone caused by disease thereof,

Cartilage, Gristle.

Catarrh, The medical term for a
cold.

Chronic. A term applied to disease
which has existed for a long
time. :

Cranium. The skull.

Cyst. A small bladder containing
hair.

D

Deglutition. The act of swallowing,

Delirium. Disease of the brain pro-
ducing extensive violence or mad-
ness.

Depurating, A term applied to
those organs which purify the
fluids of the body, such as the
kidneys, lungs, and skin,

Diagnosis. The recognising a dis-
ease by its symptoms.

Diaphragm. A muscle which di-
vides the chest from the abdomen,
A large flat muscle, one of the
principal agents in breathing,
526

Diuresis. An excessive discharge
of urine.
Dysentery. Inflammation of the

mucous tissues of the large in-
testines.

E.

Emphysema. An escape of air be-
tween the lungs and the membrane
which covers them ; Broken wind.

Endemic. A term applied to a
disease prevalent in, or peculiar
to, a particular district.

Enteritis. Inflammation
bowels.

Epidemic. A term applied to any
generally prevalent disease.

Epiglottis. A cartilage situate at
the upper opening of the larynx.

Epistaxis. Bleeding from the nose.

Epizootic. The same as Epidemic,

"which see.
Equine. Of or belonging to a horse.

of the

F.

Fetid. Stinking.

Fetor. A stench.

Fistula. A sore of a tubular form,
having an opening at its lower end.

Fistulous. Waving the character of
a Fistula.

G.

Gangrene. Incipient mortification.
Gastric. Belonging to the stomach.

Gastritis. Inflammation of the sto-
mach.
Gleet. A discharge of mucus.

Glottis. The upper opening of the
larynx.

GLOSSARY.

Glands. Organs which secrete

mucus, saliva, urine, &c.
H.

Hematuria. The voiding of blood
mixed with urine.

Hygiene. The theory and practice
of diet to regain health.

Hypertrophy. Undue enlargement
of structure or of any organ of the
body.

I.

Idiopathic. A term applied to dis-
ease arising without any apparent

cause—opposed to traumatic,
which see.
Incisors. The front teeth.

Inflammation. An unnatural action
of the small blood vessels of any
part, attended with redness. swell-
ing, heat, &c.

Intermitient. A term applied to a
disease ceasing and, returning at
regular or irregular periods.

L.

Lamine. The plates (both vascular
and horny) of the foot of the horse.

Laminitis, Inflammation of the
vascular lamine.

Lampas. An enlargement of the
roof of the mouth, immediately
behind the incisor teeth.

Larynz, The top of the windpipe,-
the organ of the voice.

Laryngitis, Inflammation of the
_ larynx.
Ligament. A gristly substance

which unites the bones at their
extremities,
GLOSSARY.

_Ligamentous. Of or belonging to a
ligament.

Lymph. A fluid which circulates in
the lymphatic vessels. A semi-
fluid exuded by the serous mem-
branes when inflamed.

Lymphatics, ‘Vessels containing
lymph.

Lymphitis. Ynflammation of the
lymphatics.

M.

Malor Cavities. Hollows situate
within the cheek bones.
Malformation. A deviation from

the natural form of an organ.

Membrana-Nictitans. A  cartila-
ginous structure situate at the
inner corner of the eye of most
quadrupeds.

Metastasis. A change of disease
from one part of the body to
another.

Molars. The grinding teeth.

Morbid. Diseased.

Muco-Purulent. Discharging mucus
and pus.

Mucous Membrane. The membrane
which constitutes the surface of
the nostrils, mouth, windpipe,
stomach, and bowels.

Mucus. The fluid secreted by the
mucous membranes.

Myositis. Inflammation of a muscle.

N.

Nasal Gleet. A discharge of mucus
from the nose.

Nephritis. Inflammation of the
kidneys.

Nosology. An arrangement, or clas-
sification of diseases.

527

0.

Oesophagus. The muscular tube
which conveys the food from the
mouth to the stomach.

Ophthalmia. Inflammation of the
eye.

Os. A bone.

Ossification. 'The formation of bone.

Ozena, A disease very simllar to
glanders.

P,

Papula. A pimple.

Pathognomonic. A term given to
those symptoms which are peculiar

+ to a disease.

Peritonitis. Inflammation of the
peritoneum, or the lining mem-
brane of the bowels.

Pharynz. The entrance to the oeso-
phagus. It is situate at the back
of the mouth.

Pharyngitis. Inflammation of the
pharynx.

Pleura, The fine membrane which
lines the chest and covers the
lungs.

Pleuritis. Inflammationof thepleura.

Pleurodynia, A rheumatic disease
of the muscles of the chest.

Pneumonia. Inflammation of the
lungs.

Pneumonitis, See Pneumonia.

Polypus. A tumour growing within
the nose.

Prognosis.
disease. .

Prurigo. An itching disease peculiar
to the skin.

Purpura, A systemic disease, the
peculiarity of which is effusion of
blood beneath the skin.

Foretelling the result of
528

R.

Rdle. A rattling arising from a dis-
eased state of the bronchial tubes,
Remittent. A term applied to -dis-
ease which increases and decreases

at intervals,
Ronchus. See Rale.

8.

Scarlatina. Scarlet Fever, inflam-
mation of the skin generally.

Schirrhosity. A.morbid hardness of
structure, arising from long con-

_ tinued disease,

Sedatives. Medicines which assuage
pain.

Serum. The watery portion of the
blood,

Sinus. See Fistula,

Sporadic. A term applied to dis-
eases occurring here and there.

Sthenic, A term applied to diseases
which are produced by accumu-
lated excitability. (See Asthenic.)

Sub-mazillary. Of or belonging to
the lower jaw.

Superpurgation. Excessive purging.

Suppurative. Forming purulent mat-
ter, or pus.

Suture. The uniting the lips of
wound by sewing.

Synovia, The fluid sereted within a
joint for the purpose of lubrication.

T.

Tendon. The gristly termination of
a muscle,

GLOSSARY.

Tendinous. Relating to a tendon.

Tetanus. The disease commonly
called lock-jaw.

Tissue. The textures which consti-
tute the different organs of animals,

Trachea. The windpipe.

Tracheitis, Inflammation of the
trachea.
Tracheotomy.
trachea.
Trawmatic. Belonging to wounds ;

caused by wounds.

Trephine: An instrument used for
sawing a circular portion of bone
out of the skull.

Tubercle. A collection of scrofulous
matter, which generally forms
within the lungs,

Turbinated Bones. Bones within the
nostrils which are of a curved form,

Tympany. Distention of the abdo-

_ men by gas.

Typhus. A fever attended with
great debility of the system.

Typhoid. Having the character of
typhus.

Cutting open the

U, V.

Ulcer. A spreading sore attended
with loss of substance, caused by
inflammation.

Ureters. The channels or tubes
which convey the urine from the
kidneys to the bladder.

Vascular. Of or belonging to blood-
vessels,

Vermifuge, A medicine to expel
worms,
Vertigo. Giddiness of the head,

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