I? .Si.^ ^'j. ^ .s^ ^y. v^ ^^ -'^S'. ^0^ ^^A V^^ ^V. ,.^^^ A^' ^ '^A V^ ,^~^ "^^^. -.4 . -■? > f <; ! fifl> •!! CHAPTER III. HOW TO TELL A HORSE'S AGE. A KNOWLEDGE OF CHANGES IN THE TEETH THE ONLY MEANS. THIS CHAPTER TO BE STUDIED IN CONNFXTION WITH THE ACCOMPANYING CUAKT. BUYERS LIKELY, WITH- OUT THIS KNOWLEDGE, TO BE DECEIVED. INCISORS CHIEFLY TO BE RELIED ON. CONDITION OF A FOAL'S MOUTH. THE CHANGES THAT FOLLOW. HOW FOAL TEETH ARE TO BE DISTINGUISHED FROM HORSE TEETH. WEARING AWAY OP THE GRINDER OR ENAMELLED PORTION. NUMBER OF TEETH IN A FULL-GROWN ANIMAL. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HORSES AND MARES AS TO NUMBER. INCISORS, HOOKS, AND ''WOLF'S TEETH.'" HOW TO DETERMINE AGE TILL FOAL IS TWO YEARS OLD. HOW FROM TWO TO OLD AGE. THE HORSE OF MEDIUM SIZE TO BE TAKEN AS A STANDARD. SHOOTING UP AND GRINDING OFF. IRREGULAR TEETH ; HOW TO JUDGE. PECULIAR HARDNESS OF BONES AND SLOWNESS OF CHANGE IN CERTAIN BREEDS. THE MULE; AGE HARD TO FIND OUT WITH EXACTNESS. DECEPTIONS ; HOW TO DETECT. CRIB BITERS ; HOW TO EXAMINE. TERMS DEFINED. The age of a horse is to be accurately determmed only by an examina- tion of the teeth, with a knowledge of the changes which, from time to tnne, take place in them. The follo^\ing directions, studied in connec- tion wdth the drawings exhibited on the accompanying chart, and the ex- planations written under them, will enable any one of ordinary acuteness and powers of observation, to judge for himself, and thus to avoid that most common of all the jockey's impositions, a liability to be deceived in the age of horses held for sale. The incisors furnish the chief indications ; and to them the attention must be mostly directed ; but the back and hook teeth should be observed to some extent, as their condition may occasionally serve to correct and more frequently to corroborate the indications of the incisors. When first foaled , the colt has no incisors . Twelve back teeth have in most cases forced their points by this time through the gums ; but it is not until from two to three months afterward that the four nippers ap- pear ; in six weeks the nippers are seen ; and in about eight months the four corner teeth. There are now, at eight or nine months old, twenty- 48 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. four teeth, (upper and lower), QsMedi foal-teeth . These are all changed })y the fifth or sixth year, and those that follow are called horse-teeth. The back teeth appear as follows : the three front double pair are seen at birth, and are afterward changed ; the fourth double pair appear from the eighth to the nhith month ; (this fourth double pair are the first that remain stationary, and they are found in every year-old colt) ; the fifth double pair, or fifth four, appear in the second or third year ; the sixth, usually m the fourth or early in the fifth year. These three double pairs of back teeth (last named), remain unchanged, as do also the four hook teeth. The hook teeth are uncertain as to time of appearance, coming some- times at the end of the third year, sometimes in the middle or at the end of the fourth, sometimes in the middle or at the end of the fifth, some- times at the beginning of the sixth. Oljserve particularly that the incisors of the foal differ from those of the horse : (1) By their regular, conical formation; (2) by a narro\v contraction called the neck, visi])le almost in the center of the body of each tooth, while nothing of the kind is seen in horse-teeth ; (3) by their smaller size, even when full groAvn. The milk teeth, (or those teeth which are cast or shed), taken from the jaws of dead foals and compared with horse-teeth similarl}^ obtained, are found to be o\\\y about half as long as the latter. The breadth is not to be depended on, since the milk teeth of large foals appear almost as broad as those of small horses. When the nippers become horse-teeth, they form a great contrast to the middle and corner teeth. The size of these last will at once show them to be milk teeth . ( 4 ) By the fact that the outer surface of the foal-teeth is smooth and striped with brown, while on horse-teeth the same surface is divided by a dirt}^ 3^ellow indentation inclining toward the center, which is sometimes double upon the upper teeth. One should study the form of the incisors by carefull}^ examining those taken from dead horses of different ages. Each incisor will be found to consist of a hard, enamelled part, called the grinder, which has protruded above the gum ; of a bony su])stance, Avluch has l)een for tlie most part hidden in the gum ; and of a root, which has occupied the cavity of the jaw-bone. These teeth, (of the foal as well as of the horse), are slowly but con- tinually worn away by biting and chewing, so that the length is constantly decreasing, — sometimes evenly and regularh^ — so that in old age the tooth that was once two and a half or three inches long is found to be not exceeding half an inch in length. The breadth generally decreases in about the same proportion ; but with this difference in foal and horse- teeth, that the thickness and breadth of foal-teeth are constantly decreas- THE HORSE, HIS AGE, HOW TO TELL IT. 49i ing from the grinder or hard enamelled part to the end of the root, while horse-teeth decrease from the root upward. The grinder, or hard, grat- ing portion of the tooth, which has not yet been used, has somewhat the form of an egg ; it is three times as broad as thick, and hollowed out in the shape of a funnel, which hollow has two sharp edges inclosing it. This socket or hollow is called the tnar-k. In the center of this mark, a sort of kernel may be seen — a tube commencing at the end of the root — that contains the nerves of the tooth ; but this inner hole must always be distinguished from the mark, which is the outer depression, lying next to the sharp edges. The inner cavity is a funnel-shaped socket, of hard, enamel shell, around which, and inside the outward shell, is a thick fluid, which remains during the life of the tooth, becoming, by degrees, gray matter. This fluid averages about four lines in depth in the lower incis- ors and about eight in the upper ones. The outer edge of each incisor always rises a line or two above the inner edge ; therefore, when the upper and lower are first grated together, cnly the outer edges touch for some time ; and tlie inner edges do not tauch until the outer ones are worn down to an equal height with them. Ilorse-teeth generally do this in about one year. At the age of two and a half, the teeth begin to change, and those which then appear are called Ilorse-teeth. (See chart. Fig. 7, A). A full grown stallion or gelding has 40, and a mare 36 teeth — the male having four hook teeth which are lacldng in the female, except that some- times she has imperfect teeth in the corresponding part of the mouth. Those teeth found in some young horses, next to the first double teeth, and called "wolf's teeth," are not included in this number, as they are not real teeth, — frequently not ])reaking through the gums at all, and usually, in any case, disappearing in eight or nine years. ' Twenty-four of the true teeth, in both horses and mares, are situated in the upper part of the mouth, (that is, in both jaws, above the lips). They are divided into six double pairs, counting upwards from below, so that those situated next to the incisors in all the four rows are first ; those next to them, second; and so on to the last pair, which arc called back teeth. Twelve others are in the lower part of the mouth, surrounded by the lips, six in the upper and six in the lower jaw, standing, each lot, m the form of an arch, and occupying the entrance to the hollow of the mouth. These twelve are called incisors. The four innermost, two in each jaw^- those forming the key of each arch — are called nippers ; the other two isi each arch are called corner teeth ; and those bet-Aveen the nippers and the corner teeth are called middle teeth. Each of these teeth in the lower jaw rubs against the corresponding one in the upper jaw. The teeth of the upper jaw are broader and thicker than those of the lower. The four 50 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. hooks are seated alone, over each corner tooth, but nearer to the corner teeth of the upper than those of the lower, so that they, (the hooks ), never come m contact with each other. The horse has always attained the age of four and a half or five years before he has a full number of perfect teeth. Before this time, the^ younger the animal the fewer the teeth, and even these are not all perma= nent. The more a permanent incisor loses in length, by friction, the more it also loses in width, so that the nearer the friction surface approaches to the root, the narrower and thicker it must appear. Every new hook tooth is cylindrical and somewhat hooked, with a cone- shaped projecting grinder, and this is surrounded by a spoon-shaped edge, turned toward the hollow of the mouth, so that the cone cannot be seen from the outside ; and the whole grinder, or hard, enamelled part, has the appearance of the back part of the bowl of a spoon — the edge, like a screen, surrounding the short cone, but so that two deep furrows remam between. Except this grinder, the rest of the body is uniforml}^ round, and the surface almost even. As previously said, however, these by themselves afford no reliable indication as to age. Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 show how the age of a colt may be determined till he is two years old. The following further explanations, taken in connection with the chart from Fig. 7 to Fig. 46, inclusive, will teach how the age, from two to thirty, can be ascertained. Large horses have, of course, larger teeth than small ones ; but taking a horse of medium size as a standard, one can make allowances for either larger or smaller, and easily arrive at just conclusions. The incisors being our main reliance, our remarks must be understood to refer chiefly to them. The length of the tooth of a horse of medium size is three inches, or thirty-six lines. After the changed tooth has arrived at its proper length, it shoots up a line regularly every year, and if the teeth stand right, the grinder is worn off a line every year. It is also, as has been said, worn off in both width and breadth, so that the grinder becomes, from year to year, shorter and smaller, as shoAvnby the chart. If, however, the teeth stand too far forward, (irregular teeth, see chart. Fig. 41), they do not wear down in the same proportion as they «hoot upward, and they become very long. The age in this case can be ascertained with ease and exactness by obseiwing directions given under Fig. 41, and noticing with care the following points : At the age of five years, the corner teeth of the lower jaw have grown up five lines above the gum ; each middle tooth, seven lines ; and each nipper, nine. At eight years, and older, each corner tooth of the same horse projects only THE HORSE, HIS AGE, HOW TO TELL IT. 51 four, the middle teeth, six, and the nippers, eight lines above the gums. This is absolutely necessary to be taken into account, because it is the only means by which one can decide mth certainty as to the age of a horse Avhose teeth have become longer than thej' would have been if set right and wearing regularly. The foregoing remarks and directions are based upon the assumption that there is no peculiarity about the individual animal or the breed to which he belongs that would materially interfere with the principles laid down. It remains, however, to notice that to those breeds of horses which develop very slowty, of which the Spanish horse may be cited as an example, the rules are a little more difficult of application. The bones of these, and perhaps of some few other Idnds, seem to be harder, and the teeth change somewhat later and appear to wear down more Hlowly ; so that it sometimes happens that such horses, after their fifth year, appear a year or two younger than they really are ; but the same animals are apt to be more than ordinarily strong, hardy, and long-lived, and to be taken at a diminished age really detracts nothing from their worth. The age of a mule is somewhat difficult to determine with exactness, owing to the cause just stated. Deceptions may be practiced with very thrifty young horses, Avhen it is desirable to make them appear of suitable age for work or for breeding, by knocking out the incisors a year sooner than they would naturally change themselves. If a purchasei' suspects deception, he can determine the matter by closely examining the remaining teeth. If the nippers have changed, and the inner edges of the corner teeth have not yet come into contact, the foal is but one year old — and so on. The opposite cheat — that of trying to make a horse appear younger than he really is by burning artificial marks in upon the teeth — can be detected by closely examining the enamel and the effect of the mark upon it. When a horse has reached an advanced age, say twelve to twenty, the enamelled surface has become so minute that burning in as large a mark as is found in horses considerably'^ 3^ounger would disturb the whole enamel and so leave a means of detecting the fraud. In the case of crib-biters, that wear out their teeth prematurely, and so appear really older than they are, examination must be directed to the corner teeth, which are seldom injured ; or, if the corner teeth prove to be injured, deduct from the apparent age as man}' lines as are wanting to make the teeth of the natural length. To feed constantly, from weaning time, upon hard, unshelled corn, sometimes produces the same effect as crib-biting, and the same directions must be followed in forming an estimate. 52 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. We close the chapter with a short vocabulary, by reference to whiclij the reader may more readily apprehend the meaning of the terms employed in the ensuing chart. Incisor. — A cutter ; a fore-tooth which cuts or bites. In the horse, those twelve teeth, six in the upper jaw, six in the lower, which are surrounded by the lips, are called incisors. Grinder. — As used in the present chapter, it denotes the hard, grating, upper portion of the front teeth. Line. — One-twelfth of an inch. Mark. — As used with reference to horse teeth, it denotes that depres- sion in the grinder lying inside the sharp edges and adjacent to them. Nippers. — Those two teeth in each jaw that occupy the middle of the semi-circular row. Corner Teeth. — The two outer of the six front teeth in each jaw. Middle Teeth. — The teeth between the nippers and the corner teeth. Hooks. — Four teeth, two in each jaw, situated over corner teeth, or beyond the incisors, reckomng from the front of the lips, and having a • cylindrical and somewhat hooked shape. Milk Teeth. — The front teeth of a foal which appear at about three months of age and are cast withiu two or three years. CHAPTER IV. DIFFERENT BREEDS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS. I. THE INFERIOR VARIETIES: MANY FOUND IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. SOME GOOD, BUT LITTLE KNOWN OF THEM. II. SOME CONSIDERED AS TO WORK RATHER THAN BREED; THE FARM HORSE; THE HUNTER; THE HACKNEY; HORSES FOR HEAVY DRAFT. III. THE ARABIAN. IV. THE BARB. V. THE ENGLISH THOROUGHBRED. VI. THE PERSIAN. VII. THE TURK. VIII. THE TURKOMAN. IX. THE EGYPTIAN. X. THE DONGOLA. XI. THE NORMAN PERC HERON. XII. THE THOROUGHBRED IN AMER- ICA. XIII. THE MORGAN. XIV. THE NARRAGANSETT PACER. XV. THE CANA- DIAN. XVI. THE CONNBSTOGA. XVII. PONIES. I. The Inferior and Little Known. Among the great variety of horses there are many that are either of inferior importance or so little known that it is deemed unnecessary to notice them in detail. India, China, Japan, Siam, several of the Euro- pean States, and North and South America, have horses that are in some instances widely different from each other, as well as from the approved breeds ; but they are not known to possess any remarkable excellence, or any distinctive points that are constantly reproduced in their offspring, — 80 that a mere casual reference to them, with very general statements as to qualities and characteristics, is considered to be sufficient. In India alone there are various stocks, known to have been so lon a w o revived upon the restoration of Charles II. to the throne. This prince himself sent to the east to purchase brood mares and stallions, but ht» 70 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. iiffected chiefly Barbs and Turks. Many of his wealthier subjects engaged in like enterprise on their own private account. But the most marked improvement of English stock followed the introduction into that country of the Darley Arabian, a fine and vigorous stallion imported during the latter part of Queen Anne's reign by one Mr. Darley. Several horses of great repute descended from him, of which the most noted were Almanzer, Flying Childers, and Bartlett's Childers ; and from the Childers, besides- numerous others, of more or less celebrity, Childers, Blaze, Samson, Snap, and Eclipse deserve special mention. Of the last named, it is recorded that though he was thick- winded or what is termed a "roarer," he never lost a race and never paid a forfeit ; and that three hundred and thirty-four of his descendants proved to be winning horses. During the reign of Louis XIV., of France, and when the Arabian stock, the descendants of the Darlej^ were already in high repute, a horse called the Godolphin Arabian, but which was really a beautiful Barb, of excellent spirit and action, was rescued by one Mr. Coke from the igno' ble employment of drawing a cart in the streets of Paris, (where his striking characteristics seem to have been wholly overlooked), and carried to England. He is said to have been about fifteen hands high, of a brown color, and to have been distinguished by the height of his crest and for round and drooping quarters. From him is descended much of the finest racing blood in England. We have spoken of the thorough-bred as a pure-blooded horse ; and though this ought doubtless to be understood with some limitations, as even in the best of the stock there is probably some tinge of old Eng- lish and Spanish blood ; yet, such has been the great care bestowed upon him that he is regarded as ' ' the eastern horse brought to the very highest state of perfection." It is certain that, as previously remarked, he is in some respects superior to the best of the original breeds. This has been brought about by long continued careful attention to breeding, to feed- ing, to all those points, in fact, necessary to the elimination of. vicious strains and the preservation and improvement of those qualities that tend to the one great end in view — fleetness, with a corresponding power of endurance. The climate of England is said to be peculiarly favorable to the horse ; and this influence has perhaps contributed something to the making of the English racer a pre-eminently fine and much admired animal. The following may be regarded as his distinguishing points : His chest is his one and only mark of superior strength ; this is wide and deep. His body is round, his flanks and belly light. His ears are fine ; his eyes prominent ; his nostrils are wide ; his lips are small and thin, while he is remarkably wide between the jaws. He has a long and THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 71 fine neck, to which a thin mane lies close. His withers are uncommonly thin and high ; his back is low at the withers, then straight to the haunches. Measured from the haunches to the turn of the rump, he is long; from the turn of the rump to the tip of the hock he is long and thin. He has great power of springing, to force himself forward, by reason of his legs standing rather under the body than erect. His buttocks rarely touch each other ; his legs below the knee and hock are small , and the cords stand out conspicuously. His tail is slight and thin-haired, sometimes slightly waved ; the hair of his legs is very line ; he has no fetlock tufts, and his hoof is small and cupped. His color is generally bay, In-own, or chestnut; his height varies from fifteen to seventeen hands. His coat is thnmer and the hair more silky than in common breeds. The soundness of feet and legs, and the powers of endurance, which characterize the Arab, have been transmitted to the thorough-bred ; and while the latter is not himself well suited to heavy harness work, or indeed to any of the general purposes of the farmer, animals are often ol:)tained by judicious crosses with him which are admirably adapted to various uses. He is valued solely for the turf, and for light single draft, except, as we have before remarked, for the improvement of the general stock of horses by admixture ; and for this latter purpose we are largely dependent upon him in America as well as in Great Britain. V. The Barb. The horse of the Barbary States has long been known for his excellent qualities; and he is especially remarkable for fine and graceful action. His powers of transmission are great, so that his marked traits are found in his descendants at remote periods and after commixture of various and inferior breeds. He has impressed himself particularl}^ upon the Spanish horse and the English racing stock. It is thought that the horses of Spain owe all their excellences to Barb blood,, which was brouglit into that country by the Moors, at the time of the conquest. The Barb is found chiefly in Morocco, Fez, and Tripoli, and with the exception of an excellent species found in the kingdom of Bournon, he is the only African horse deserving of special mention. The horse of Bournon is represented l)y some as being superior to both the Arabian and the Barb. In addition to what has been said in those sections in which we have treated of the Arabian and the thorough-bred, the following description of the Barb will be sufficient to convey to the mind of the reader what a true horse of this breed really is : 72 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. In height, he is from fourteen to fifteen hands ; his chest is round ; his shoulders are broad, but light, and somewhat obliquely sloping ; his withers are thin and rather high ; his loins are straight and short ; his flanks and ri])s are round and well developed ; his haunches are strong ; liis croup is somewhat too long for nice correspondence with the rest of the body; his quarters are muscular and full ; his legs are clean, and the tendons are clearly marked ; his pasterns, like his croup, are some- what too long and slanting, but not so much so as to amount to real defect ; and his feet are sound and of good shape. But his head is especially beautiful. It is small and lean, while the ears arc of medium size and admirably placed. The mane is rather meager ; but the neck rises l)oklly from the withers, and gives an impression of ease and grace in carriage. In spirit and fleetness he is not regarded as the equal of the Arab, much less of the real thorough-bred ; ])ut in a certain native vigor and in form he is superior. VI. The Persian. No traveler to whose Avritings w^e have access in this country has sufficiently described the horses of Persia to enable us to point out with exactness the difference between the inferior and the better breeds that are known to exist in that country. The term the Persian liorse is ordinaril}' applied to the most excellent of all, which has been celebrated for hundreds of 3'^ears longer than the Arabian. At the present da}^, he has a large proportion of Arab blood in his veins. As a general thing, he is somewhat taller than the Araljians ; and in beauty and speed he is their equal ; but his powers of endurance are not so great. VII. The Turkish. This horse is believed to be descended from the best stock of Arabs, — crossed, however, with some breed that has given him greater proportions than his ancestors ; at any rate, the Turkish horse of to-day is full sixteen hands high, often more ; and he is more muscular than the Arab, though still of elegant appearance, clean Ihnbed and active. It is asserted by some'that he is descended from Arabs and Persians ; and it is known that he possesses many of the best qualities of these stocks. Though strong and of sufficient spirit, he is docile, and well adapted to domestic uses. An arched neck, with a high crest, is a striking characteristic of the Sreed. VIII. The Turkoman. A.8 we have said elsewhere, none of the Tartar breeds except the Turko- THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 73 man or South Tartary horse are worth}^ to he rated among the bettei' class of animals. He is famous for purit}" of blood, for good speed, and for M'ondcrful powers of endurance. It is related that one of them has been known to travel nine hundred miles, bearing a rider, in eleven successive days. He is not really a graceful animal, however, as his head is rather large, and his legs are long in proportion to his height, which is from fifteen to sixteen hands. Other domesticated horses among tlie Tartars arc evidently of the same l)reed as the wild horses which are found in various parts of the country and in immense numbers, as the characteristics of the wild are exhi))ited in a marked manner in the domesticated. Indeed, it is known that these wild herds are often drawn upon for recruits when necessity drives the inhabitants to add to their stock of serviceable animals. All these inferior creatures are small and narrow ; the}^ have long necks, apparently weak legs, large heads, and light 1)arrels. The prevailing color is a reddish sorrel, with a black stripe along the back. Their manes and tails are black, except at the roots, where the hairs preserve this reddish cast. Their general appearance is rough and inelegant ; but they are of the most hardy nature ; and, contrary to appearance, they are rapid travelers. They live and even perform long and arduous journeys upon the sparsest and poorest food. IX. The Egyptian. It is represented by some who have devoted more than ordinary care to the study of the origin of breeds, and to the horse in his relations to various peoples and countries, that the horse of the ancient Eg}q3tians was identical with an inferior race that afterward existed among the Assyrians. Some sculptures, found among the ruins of Nineveh, care- fully executed and well preserved, portray a horse wholly different from that nobler animal carved in other bas-reliefs found in the same ruins. He is said to have been the Egyptian horse ; and as thus convejxd to us, he was a large and heavy animal, having a coarse and ill-proportioned head, but a high crest. The modern Egyptian is also of unpleasing aspect. From wheresoever derived, he is rough and ugly. Frequently his legs, knees «and neck become positive defects ; but a good head is occasionally found. He would scarcely be deserving of mention were it not that he is spirited and impetuous ; and this, together Avith his weight, renders him valuable for heavy cavalry, in which capacity he has won some celebrity. His powers of endurance are not great. X. The Dongola. This horse is also entitled to consideration chiefly upon the ground of 74 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. his being greatly prized as a war horse. Unlike the Egyptian, however, he has not only speed but powers of endurance ; and some have described him as both beautiful and tractable. Yet, even those who have had opportunities for personal observation do not agree in their descriptions and their estimates. One speaks of him as being deficient in substance and wanting in stoutnesss ; while another thinks him to possess the highest type of symmetry, size, and strength. From another M^e get this more particular description : In height, he is full sixteen hands ; his body is short ; his neck is long and slim ; he has a fine crest ; and his Avithers are high and sharp ; but his breast is narrow, his quarters and flunks are flat, and he has a rather ugly back. He is found in the kingdom of Dongola and in adjacent regions. XI. Wild Horse of America. That the horse existed in America at some far distant epoch is undeni- able since the fossil remains found prove this conclusively, and progress- ing naturally from age to age into more and more perfectly developed tyj)es. Yet at the discovery of America at the several points by the early navigators, no mention is made of native horses, as would surely have been done if such had been known to the Indians. America is undoubtedly indebted for her wild or feral horses which have roamed the great valleys of the Pacific slope, the immense plains of the West and South-west, and the grassy portions of Mexico, to the early Spanish adventurers on the Pacific slope, as were the wild horses of the great plains and of Texas to the horses abandoned by De Soto when he turned his face eastward towards the Mississippi, after having abandoned his search for the fotmtain of youth and the new Eldorado. So Mexico and the Isthmus were stocked with horses in like manner, for it is futile to suppose that the increase of horses escaping from the Spanish conquer- ors of South America would have made their way northward through interminable and tangled forests, and mountain fastnesses, but that rather they would have betaken them to the pampas, which in reality they did. Thus in a comparatively short time they covered most areas of country with immense droves, in reality as wild and as free as though they had always existed there. That the facts arc as we have stated, is patent from the fact that the produce resembles in many close characteristics the Spanish and Andalu- sian horses of the early Spanish adventurers, as did those found wild in New Foundland resemble the French horse of that period ; as does the Canadian pony of the present day, although diminished in size from insuf- ficient food and the inclemencies of the climate through the long generations which have passed since their introduction into Acadia in 1604, and into Canada four years later. THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC XII. The Norman Percheron. 75 AmoniT the striking and useful breeds, no horse has attracted more attention during the last half-century than the Norman Percheron, other- wise known simply as the Percheron, — a stock peculiar to La Perche, a 76' ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. district in France. Volumes have been written respecting this horse, and various theories as to his origin and development have been advanced, by inter- ested partizans at times, and again by pure lovers of horses who pursued truth for truth's sake alone. One writer insists that he is descended from what &ome call the primi- tive or natural horse, the pure blood Arabian, crossed with a stock of heavy draft horses existing in that section, but without historic mention, prior to the Crusades, He thinks that after the defeat of the Saracer. ihief , Abderame, by Charles Martel, in Vouille, in -which battle a host of Saracens perished, the cavalry of the enemy. Oriental horses of marked ha:racter, true Arabs, fell into the hands of the French, — thence many of these horses were brought by their victorious masters to the districts of Normandy and La Perche. Here commixture of blood with a heavier horse of excellent quality follow^ed, and the cross resulted in producing the now celebrated Percheron. The native race referred to is thought by some to have been the old war horse of the Normans — heavy, bony and slow — good for cavalry use during the days of chivalr}^ when the carrying of a knight and his armor required an animal of great strength and powers of endurance. Others think that it was a stock of horses then peculiar to Brittany and used for draft rather than for war. One author asserts that the Percheron is descended from a remote cross between the Andalusians (after their commixture with the Morocco Barbs) and the Normans ; and this somewhat fanciful reason is given for the active agency of man in bringing it about : that the Norman, though pow- erful, was too slow for a fully caparisoned knight — the Andalusian or Spanish Barb was too light — and a cross was effected for the purpose of securing a horse that combined speed with power. But it is not within the scope of the present work to enter into minute particulars of this kind, nor to indulge in the discussion of mooted points that have a merely curious interest. Whatever may have been the origin of the ^Fercheron, it is evident!}^ a pure race, one capable of producing and reproducing itself unchanged through a long succession of years, and without deterioration of qualities when like sires are bred to like dams. Even when the Percheron stalhon is put to the service of inferior mares, he impresses himself in a remark- able manner upon his offspring, transmitting to them his own striking characteristics. Percheron mares bred to inferior stallions affect in like manner, and in almost equal intensity, their progeny — though the rule is that the stallion exerts the greater influence in determining the character of the foal. THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 77 The old Norman stock is said to have transmitted to this race their ex- traordinary bone and muscle, while the Arab or Andalusian or whatever may have been the cross, give the spirit and action. The Norman has 78 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. been described as being capable of carrying gi*eat burdens at a reasonable rate of speed ; to have been large, comjDact, muscular, and possessing the greatest endurance. The points of the Percheron may be stated as follows : The head is short ; the brow is broad, and has that hollow of profile between the eyes and nostrils sometimes known as the dish-face — (in this greatly resembling the Arab) ; but the head in general is not heavier than seems in keeping with the general massiveness of the frame ; the neck is long, well-arched and heavy, but, like the head, not dispropor- tioned to the general bulk. The back is short ; they are well ribbed up and round barrelled ; their legs are particularly short from the knees and hocks downward ; they are heavily haired, but have not such shaggy fetlocks and feet as this would seem to indicate ; their sinews are iron- like ; and their feet are hard, sound, apparently insensible to disease. In height, they are from fourteen and a half to fifteen and a half hands, the latter being rather more than the average. Gray is the characteristic, almost the only, color. For hard work on ordinary fare the Percheron is unequalled ; and his energy and endurance are wonderful. He will keep his condition where another horse would die . of hard labor and neoflect. Thousrh full of spirit, unflinching under even painful effort, he is yet docile. In mere speed he is by no means the equal of the thorough-bred ; but for quickness of movement at heavy draft he has no rival. Hitched to a light carriage or Avagon he is capable of maintaining a good rate of speed for a long time together, or of making comparatively short journeys with a rapidity that is astonishing. One, carrying a light vehicle and the driver, is known to have made 55 3-5 miles over a hilly and difficult road, in four hours and twenty-four minutes ; and another, harnessed in like manner, is said to have traveled 58 miles and back in tAvo consecutive days, without being touched with the whip, occupying four hours and less than two minutes going, and four hours, one and a half minutes returning. The Percheron of to-day makes an excellent cross with either the Arab or the English thorough-bred. For the improvement pf our draft, stock in the United States, no other horse is to be compared to him. Bred to good mares, this half-breed would partake more of the qualities of the sire than of the dam, and the progeny would be almost the equals of the pure French horses. Another step, bringing a pure imported stallion to the seiwice of these half-breeds, would give us a race of horses for all work that would so far excel the ordinary race of scnibs as to seem almost like a different sjiecies of animal. At Oaklawn, Du Page Co., 111., is one of the largest stud farms of the world, and it is devoted exclusively to the Percheron stock. THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 79 XIII. The Clydesdale Horse. The west of Scotland has been long famous for its draught horses. Away in the upper wa;'d of Lanarkshire, the progenitors of that noble race of horses* so called Clydesdale, from the Vale in which they were originally reared, were first brought to the front and made famous throughout the whole of Scotland ; so much so that the common work horse of that country is now, to all intents and purposes, a Clyde; and many of the Shire Horses of England are deep in their blood also. Where the originals came from, and how they were bred, are questions that have often been discussed in the public press. Tradition, without any founda- tion in facts, points to the importation of Flemish Stallions into the above ward nearly two centuries ago, by one of the Dukes of Hamilton, who sought improvement in his stock. Whether such is the case or not, certain it is that by some means or other, the farmers in that country possessed a grand lot of brood mares, from which the Clydesdales of the present day owe their activity and hardiness. Our own opinion is, that they grew up into the state of perfection in which they were found about the beginning of the last century, through the judicious mating of the home stock, and that up to that time, little or no fresh blood was intro- duced. The upper ward of Lanarkshire is a wild and somewhat bare country, with a thin soil, which, however, is admirably adapted for grazing purposes; the farms are small, and the husbandmen who made their livelihood from the profits of the soil, were a shrewd and saving race, with a love for their stock born in them. Proud of th,eir cattle and horses, and considerably skilled in their care, they developed for the district in which they lived, a class specially suited to their wants. In kine they modelled, as it were, the Ayrshire Cow, and in horses, more especially in this particular district, they produced and kept continually im- proving the Clyde. Just as on the banks of the Tees, long years ago, there existed a grand race of cattle, so on the hills that rise gently away from the waters of the Clyde, a class of horses belonged to it, which were associated with no other shire or county in Great Britain, till a more enlightened day with the aid of the printing press spread their fame abroad, and created for them an immense demand. Thus we find the horses about the year 1720, when Mr. John Paterson, of Lochlyoch, introduced a Flemish Stallion. Whether through the introduction of this horse or otherwise, the Lochlyoch mares became very famous, and from them, directly or indirectly, most of the noted stock of the present day trace their origin. From the Lampits mare, a descendant of the above stock, came Glancer (335), the horse that may be called the father of the present race of Clydes- dales. 80 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. In a table compiled for the " Clydesdale Horse Society " it is astonishing to see the influence that this horse has wielded. Without any system, most of the breeders were ignorant that such a horse ever existed, till the herculean labors of Mr. Dykes, secretary to the above society, ferreted out all these facts. It is most interesting to study the relationships of the various crack }iorses of the present day. Wherever you begin, the pedigree by some means runs into Glancer (335). Gradually, but surely, from those wild uplands, Clydesdales have spread, as it were, over the whole world. They found, early in this century, a congenial home amid the richer soils of Galloway, and while thriving there, they obtained even a greater notoriety on the bare hillsides of Kintyre. Branching out thus, they spread over all Scotland, reaching some favored spots in England, and within later years they have found their way to America and Australia, where they are as much prized as upon their native heath. In the Antipodes, they have no rival, but in the United States they come into competition with the " Percherons." The inherent value of the Clydesdale lies in his reproducing powers. Bred for generations among themselves, ofttimes bred in and in, they are most im- pressive, and put upon the common mares of this continent, the produce is a splendid farmer's horse, while those animals which have two or three crosses of this blood, are becoming exceedingly valuable for draying in towns, and, owing to their special fitness for heavy work, at the present moment the demand far exceeds the supply. The indications are, that the Clydesdales and Percherons will gradually Ibecome the work horses of America. Farmers who in olden times (and, we are sorry to say, even in these days), merely scratch their land, have no use for either of those breeds, but as a^-riculture advances, as science surelv overcomes brute force, when the days of deep ploughing and thorough cultivation become a necessity, then will the ■husbandman know the value of heavy, well-built horses. To attain this end, horses of the above breeds must be used. Each will ■serve their end, but for wear and tear it is likely the Clydes will eventually take the lead. It is true, the Clydesdales of the present day are not so hardy as they were. The system of feeding for show, carried to great excess by the Scotch breeders, has given rise to diseases among pure-bred animals, which they do not happily reproduce, and which has tended to make some of the best horses that ever were bred, but indifferent stock -getters. Then little attention was paid to systematic breeding. The old way and style which, no doubt, was conducted with great success as far as it went, did not tend to produce so many good horses as we may expect under the skilful mating of both well-bred and good-looking animals. 81 82 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOC'I'OR. Just as we have seen grade bulls vie in excellency with the thoroughbred, so it was with the Clydesdale horse. Five years ago, through the efforts of various parties, all lovers of the Clyde, a society was established for registering pedigrees, and their operations have met with signal success. They have laid the foundation of a system by which breeders can attain grand results from a careful and judicious selection of good blood. And so in America they have a Stud Book, drawn U|) on the same basis as the Scotch ])ublication, and here breeding is being carried on, more especially by Western breeders, with a zest second only to that of the farmers in Scotland. This American and Colonial demand for good horses with pedigrees, has given a great impetus to breeding at home, and it is likely we shall see some grand results from the efforts that are being made. Blessed with j)erseverance, and holding their own judgment at a premium, no men are better suited for this work than the small dairy farmers from the regions of Ayrshire, Galloway and Lanarkshire. It is to them and some larger farmers and proprietors we need to look for the grand, colossal horses which have made, and are destined to make, the name of the Clydesdale more famous than ever. The main feature of tlie Clydesdale is its size, combined with activity and hardiness. Bred upon a bare, and not very prolific soil, they thrive well upon being transplanted to a more generous and richer location. It is the universal practice among the west of Scotland breeders to keep their young stock in a semi- wild state, giving them only as much food as is necessary for health and develop- ment until they are between two and three years old. Great capacity for endurance is thus secured. A fat colt is never seen, scarce even among those reserved for the stud. Treated thus when they are young, they grow up hardy, with clean bones and well-developed muscles, and almost entirely free from hereditary disease. And, perchance, no horse of the present day, excepting those existing on the Arabian deserts, can compare for genuine and valuable intelligence with those we are now writing about. Treated for generations by their masters as companions, that is, after they had received their primary education, a sense almost human in some cases is found engraved in their nature. Just as the Scottish Collie and the noble Newfoundland have developed almost suTiernatural instincts, so the Clydesdale horses, being the companions as well as slaves of a class of men who took pride in their sagacity, have come to be looked on as possessing a rarely and widely defined instinct. Thus they combine strength, soundness and sense, the three attributes necessary to make a horse successful in the wagon or plough. THE POINTS OF THE CLYDESDALE. The writer had much to do with the formation of the Clydesdale Stud Book, THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 83 and for a full description and history of the breed of horses we refer our readers to this volume. In the meantime we cannot do better than abridge as shortly as possible the beau ideal of the horse as given there : The head, a broad jaw, ending, as a rule, in a not very fine or well-developed muzzle, but with large, open nostrils. The eye full and vigorous, yet mild. The forehead brdad and full, especially between the eyes. The ears long and active. The neck should be strong and massive, supporting the head gaily, and showing on its top a good development of muscle. The shoulder should be oblique, like a thoroughbred, so that the horse can step out boldly. The legs should be short from the fetlock to the knee, and comparatively long from the knee upwards. The forearm should be well developed, showing lots of muscle. The bones must be hard and flinty, flat-sha[)ed, with no fleshiness ; both muscle and bone seeming entirely separate. Lots of hair is essential. Of little use itself, it shows forth quality and strength of bone, and is typical of the pure-bred horse. The knees should be big and bony. The feet of the Clydesdale are nearly invariably good ; great, big, widely developed hoofs of the best quality, and connected with the leg with sloping pasterns, which help every horse to go up and down hill. Nothing, in our idea, is so essential to a draught horse as good pasterns. The chest should be broad and full. The back and barrel should be straight and round, with the ribs going well back towards the quarters. In this particular Ave find the weak part of the Clydesdale. He is not altogether so symmetrical as he should be, as a rule, in this respect. Broad, low-set quarters, with muscular thighs descending into broad and proportionately-developed hocks, sum up the good points of the hind end of the Clydesdale. Avoid fleshy hocks ; let them be clean cut and devoid of fot or puffing. The hind leg should be short, broad, flat, clean and slightly inclined for- ward, while the pastern should also incline forwards ere it joins the hoof. The height of the Clydesdale averages about sixteen hands two inches; over that height they become clumsy, except when very well developed. The best color undoubtedly is brown, with white marks, and, so far as possible, this color is being adopted among breeders. Good action is sure to be possessed by a horse modeled on the above type. Both walking and trotting, there will be a style and majesty that attracts the eye and is useful when at work. THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 85 XIV. The Thorough-bred in America. The Flemish and Danish horses, large, strong, heav}^ draft breeds, have had more or less influence upon the horses of the United States, particu- larly in Pennsj'lvania, Ohio, and the northwestern States ; but no other blood is so widely disseminated among our various stocks as that of the English thorough-bred. We have been dependent chiefly upon this animal for the improvement of the horses among us ; and from a time long prior to the Revolution, it has been the custom of our most ambitious breeders to import from. England both stallions and mares, but more especially the former, for this purpose. Leonard Calvert, Lord Baltimore, sometime betw^een 1740 and 1750, presented to a Mr. Ogle an English thorough-bred stallion, by which the colonial horse of that portion of the country was much improved ; and this same gentleman. Ogle, imported Queen Mab, shortly after he came in possession of "Spark," the Baltimore horse. Selima, a marc sired by the Godolphin Arabian, was brought over by one Col. Traskcr ; Miss Colville, or Wilkes' Old Hautboy Mare, was imported by Col. Colville ; .Jennie Cameron, Crab, and others, by different persons, at various times. It was not until within about fifty years ago that any reliable stud book or turf register began to be kept in the United States ; so that it is often diflicult to establish a claim to good pedigree extending beyond that time ; but many valuable importations are known to have taken place previous to 1829 ; and the register since kept shows that there is a very larije ad- mixture of English blood in many parts of the countr3^ The work stock of the southern States before the war, as noAv, was, of course, drawn mostly from States farther north and east, and w^as of in- different character ; but much attention was paid in that part of the country to raising stock ; and all horses raised there have more or less of the thorough-bred in them. jNIany really fine animals were found there, — the race-horse preserved in his purity, — but the true thorough-bred has rarely been found at any time in the northern States. In New Eno-land, the good driving horse, the horse of all work, medium sized and stoutly- built, is mostly found ; in New York, they have animals representing almost every variety of breed known in the United States, and among them the descendants of many famous racers. In Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the Northwest generallj-, they have a great variety of heavy draft horses — some of them of great size — not much attention having been paid, as yet, to saddle, light carriage, and race horses. In the West however, considerable improvement has been made by the introduction of fine stallions from Kentucky and Tennessee, Ot both the thorough-bred and the Morgan strain. In Kentucky and Ten- nessee, the breeds are various, but there is a very laroje admixture of the 86 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. thorouarts of Sweden and of Iceland, in Wales, and on the southwestern coast of England. All these little animals seem to have oriofinated in latitudes to which the horse is not native, and to be dwarfed descendants of large and powerful progenitors. Noticing first the Shetlands, those of most perfect form, though of THE HORSE, DIFrERENT BREEDS, ETC. 91 sn,all size, are found in the extreme northern isles of Yell and IT,, . In he,o.ht, the, do not average n.ore than nine or ten L!^ ifd "^^ \ bhetland .an be so tall as eleven hands. In form they are round and 92 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. closely ribbed up ; the head is well shaped — lean and bony, wide in the brow, sometimes slightly basin-faced, like the Arab : the ears are very small, well placed, are carried erect ; the eyes are large and bright, with a fine look of intelligence ; the neck is short and thick, and covered with a great mass of coarse mane ; the shoulder is sloping, thick, and having little elevation at the withers ; the loins are broad but finely formed ; the quarters are well made, but not large in proportion to other parts ; the back is gently curving, with never any tendency towards what is called sway-back ; the legs and feet are of excellent shape, and of the most poweiful texture, so that the Shetlander is a stranger to all those diseases of the feet and legs to which many horses are subject, and a lame Shetland is almost unknown ; the tail, like the mane, is of great volume. When roammg wild they live on the poorest fare, and are exposed to all the inclemencies of the seasons. When they cannot pick up their scanty subsistence upon the uplands, by reason of the snows of winter, they betake themselves to the sea shore and live upon kelp and sea weed. When taken by the peasants of those localities which they most inhabit, and reduced to subjection, they still require but little food and little care. Their endurance is very great ; and though they are of course incapable of great speed, they will carry weights largely disproportioned to their size, and keep up a uniform pace of from four to five miles an hour throughout the day, accomplishing forty, even fifty miles between morning and evening with apparent ease. They are gentle, affectionate, easily trained, and as children's horses, and for all other purposes for which a pony can be at all serviceable, they •are the best of all found in either hemisphere. The prevailing colors are black, brown, and a dark sorrel. The Mexican Mustang, one of the most widely known and distinct of American ponies, is found chiefly on the prairies of Texas and Mexico. His oriiiin is doubtful ; though it is aflirmed that notwithstandino; his di'minutive size, and some striking points of degeneracy, there is clear indication of Spanish origin. It is difficult, however, to account for the difference between him and other wild horses, that discover in size as well as in general formation that they are the descendants of animals left or lost upon the American continent by the early Spanish discoverers and conquerors. These ponies are undersized ; of very slight limbs ; often ugly and dis- proportionately made ; with long neck, long back, and long, slender and weak posteriors. Their hoofs are often badly formed, tending to flatness and irregularity. Their heads, however, though long, are lean, well shaped, and wellset ; and their nostrils are wide. Their manes and THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 93 tails are fine. They have some activity and spirit, and are sometimes vicious, but not difficult to subdue. In a wild state, they are easily out- winded hy well-tramed horses of the larger breeds ; but domestication seems to have the effect of improving their powers of endurance, as they do good service for the Comanche Indians as a cavalry horse — carrying those w^arriors, and enabling them successfully to evade the pursuit of xvell-trained United States cavalry. Almost every color is found among them. ' The Indian Pony, another American, is thought to be a degenerated Norman — having sprung from horses of that stock brought to Canada by the first French emigrants, and allowed by some means to escaj^e into the forests, as was the case ^\\i\\ certain Andalusians farther south. Wandering, from generation to generation, in those cold regions, and mider circumstances altogether unfavorable to the production of generous groAvth, they have become dwarfed and in other particulars modified as to form. They seem in their present state to be a perfectly distinct animal ; and they possess many points of excellence. The}^ are found in the upper Mississippi country, on the borders of Canada, and w^est of the great lakes, and are used chiefly hy the different tribes of northern Indians. Great herds of them are found in a wild state on the north- western prairies. They are a larger animal than the Mustang, and in most respects far superior to him. Though he is to be considered a true pon^s he is often thirteen, sometimes even fourteen, hands high. The body is very strongly built, being round-ribbed, short-barreled, and -with powerful limbs. The neck is thick and short ; the legs are covered with thick hair, and seem somewhat heavy and clumsy, but they are as firm, mus- cular, iron-like and sound, as those of the Shetlands. The mane is very heavy, often falling on both sides of the neck, while the forelocks cover the eyes, and give a sort of shaggy appearance about the upper portion of the head ; the tail is also heavy and generall}- inclined to be wavy. They have a high crest, and quite a proud carriage of the head. They are docile, intelligent, sure-footed, capable of enduring all the rigors ot a northern Winter, and able to perform long-continued journeys, at a moderate pace, while carrjdng or drawing disproportionate burdens. Their courage is so high that they do not readily succumb to any hard- ship, however trying its nature, and though coupled with poorness and Bcantiness of fare. CHAPTER V. BREEDING AND RAISING I. IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT. II. THE BEST STOCK THE CHEAPEST. III. HE- REDITARY TENDENCIES AND IMMATURITY TO BE GUARDED AGAINST. IV. PRINCI- PLES OF TRANSMISSION. V. THE TWO METHODS, " IN-AND-IN " AND '* CROSS" BREED* ING CONSIDERED. VI. TREATMENT OF THE MARE AFTER BEING SERVED, DURING PREGNANCY, ETC. VII. HOW TO KNOW WHETHER A MARE IS IN FOAL. VIII. HOW TO KNOW TIMB OF FOALING. IX. ABORTION, OR SLINKING THE FOAL. X. HOW TO RAISE COLTS. XI. MULES. I. Importance of the Subject. No subject connected with the rearing and use of stock can be of more importance to the farmer and stock-grower, the intelligent, practical bus- iness man, than that of breedmg. That it is every way more profitable to any one who rears and trains a single colt to have that colt of the very best rather than of any indifferent quality is almost too palpable to need a moment's consideration. That it is possible for every man of observa- tion and o-ood judgment to improve his stock is equally obvious. There is no line of work which horses are called upon to perform that has not its peculiar requirements, that can be better met by some specific kind of animal than by one chosen at haphazard. It is a matter, then, of the plainest common sense that every one who means to rear a horse for his own use should consider beforehand to what purposes he will most prob- ably devote it. If it is designed for market, he needs no less to consult his interests by determining what markets are accessable to him, and what description of animal will be apt to find most ready sale therein, at most remunerative prices. For the farmer who %vants to breed and rear horses of all work, it would be manifestly foolish to seek a high-priced pure-blooded race, for his 94 THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING, 95 mares, unless the mares themselves were of such type as to render it necessary to breed to high and elegant stallions in order to obtain those medium-sized, but compact, and moderately quick-paced animals that are so well adapted to all the wants of the farmer. On the other hand, one wanting a light and fleet animal would set his inconsiderateness in a striking manner who should so disresrard all the die- Lijtes of sound sense as to hope to succeed by any chance selection of either mares or stallions. II. The Best Stock the Cheapest. It may be laid down as the first rule — a foundation principle — ^that the very best and purest stock that is really adapted to the end in view should be sought after. It costs even less to feed a horse of good blood and lineage than it does to maintain a scrub ; it costs no more to shelter him ; it costs less to groom him and keep him in condition than it does to keep the scrub from lookino" like a scare-crow ; his movement is almost invariably smoother and steadier for the same rates of speed ; his temper is generally better ; his pluck and energy not less so ; and if it is found necessary to put him upon the market, he brings a better price. The service of a stallion known to be of good, generous blood, and possessing adequate powers of transmis- sion, must of course cost more ; there must be a dam adapted to the obtaining of a foal of the best tjqie possible from such a sire ; but the penny-wise, pound-foolish policy of refusing to avail one's self of these advantages, when in the bounds of possibility, is too apparent. Taking it for granted, then, that the best, in this case, is always the cheapest — that the finer and purer the horse can be, other things being- equal, the more useful, more easily maintained, and more marketable he is hound to be, it remains to consider some points that must always be re- garded by the intelligent breeder, who seeks wisely to adapt means to ends rather than to trust to chance. in. Hereditary Tendencies and Immaturity to be Guarded Against. A caution most needful to be insisted upon at the outset is that relating to the transmission of tendencies to disease and of actual disease itself. It seems that no man in his right senses, knowing the results to Ihe human family when this consideration is disregarded, would think for a moment of utterly ignoring the possibilities of evil consequences ; but ordinary observation leads to the disclosure of the fact that among horses diseases and impaired constitutional powers are often transmitted in this way. Mares at an advanced age, too stiff, too weak, too slow to 96 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. be of any further active use, are turned to account for breeding purposes — and the result is, a weak foal, lacking thrift and lacking spirit. Mares hacked about until they are ring-boned, spavined, and splinted, or perhaps dropsical or with a glanderous tendency, — no longer useful on the farm or on the road, are relieved from the work which they can no longer do with any chance of profit, and sent to the stallion. Eesult : a foal with a rickety or knotty osseous system, or with a tendency to some form of dropsy, or ready, in the presence of any exciting cause, to develop a case of glanders. And so of other disorders, more especially of roaring, thick-wind, blindness, contracted feet, grease, and affections of the brain and nervous system. Some mares have a peculiar predispo- sition to surfeit, some to swelled legs, some to vertigo, some to a sort of unaccountable viciousness. No wise breeder can afford to disregard these thinsfs. If he wishes to rear a horse for service, he wants a sound foal ; for he knows he can get from such a one more work for less cost than from one unsound in bone, muscle, secretions or integument. If he designs to breed for market he is aware that neither a puny nor a diseased creature can be palmed off there either to his profit or his credit. To insure healthy, active, thrifty progeny, then, the dam must be sound and vigorous; and this is no less true of the sire. We dwell less upon the latter because it is of far less frequent occurrence for a broken down and diseased stallion to be kept for the service of mares than for mares of this description to be put to breeding because they are known to be fit for nothing else, but are erroneously deemed useful for this. The condition of the stallion, however, must not be overlooked. Every breeder must have a care to choose a vigorous stallion, and one free from blemishes, mal-formation and hereditary taints. Nor should mares be put to breeding too young. They should be full grown and vigorous, and when their powers begin to fail they should no longer be subjected to this service. It is the practice of some to begin to breed at two ^^ears of age. This is injurious to the mare, and otherAvise unprofitable to the owner. The growth of the mare is hindered ; her form is modified both by the weight of the stallion and by carrying the foal. And the foal itself is apt to lack fullness and power. Yet, it takes from the young mother that sustenance which she needs for her own development, so that she is dwarfed, while it grows up a more or less puny creature — of insufiScient value to compensate for the injury done to the dam. No mare should be so used till she is at least three years old — four would be the better and more profitable age. It is said that mares which are allowed to mature, and are well treated afterwards, will not lose enough of their natural vigor to disqualify them for bringing forth good foals till after they are twenty years old ; but it is idle to THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING. 97 expect good, strong, Avell-formed, thrifty, and spirited offspring from a uiare that is either too 3'oung or too old ; or that is subjected, even in maturity, to hard work, poor and insufficient food, and cruel handling. IV. Principles of Transmission. Let us next notice this principle, that when the dam and the sire both possess a due ainount of vigor, the foal will combine in itself the most viarked characteristics of both; while any quality thatis pecidiar to either of them is apt to be prominent in the offspring. This applies to both dis- position and physical conformation. It will be seen from this statement that no matter what the general line of policy to be pursued b}^ the breeder, that of in-and-in, or that of crossing, he must select his stallions and mares "svith the view to having one suiDplement the other. If the mare is deficient in any point, the iiorse should be full or predominant there, and vice versa; and if any pe- culiar trait is desired, that should be very strongly developed in either sire or dam, while merely nominal in the other. Another special point to be considered is this : that for the production of a full-formed, symmetrical, vigorous, and thrifty foal, the mare should he proportionately larger than the horse. An overgrown stallion, of great ])ower, serving a mare of diminutive size, or of size somewhat less in pro- portion than liis own, will beget her a strong embryo that will require more room and more nourishment than the mare can afford ; and the result must be weakness, and, probably, deformity — almost inevitably diminutive tdze. Men's minds were particularly called to this fact in Great Britain when, during a course of years, the farmers of Yorkshire thought that by breeding their mares to the very largest stallions the}^ could find, and without regard to the size of the mare, they could meet the demand in London for great overgrown horses, which it was then the fashion to drive in coaches and other heavy carriages. The result was a race of almost worthless creatures. In other points than mere size, more depends upon the selection of the mare than that of the horse. The great majority are mares bred aft(;r their o^vn stock unless the stallion is so powerful as to neutralize or over- come this physiological peculiarity ; so that it is necessary for her to be of good lineage if the best results are wanted. If she has come from dis- eased, vicious, or in any way evil ancestry, though she may be free from perceptible taint, the bad points of her stock will very probably appear in her offspring. This principle makes it necessary to have a regard for her color and for the color that is known to have been prevalent in* her line, since any dirty, vari-tfnted, and otherwise disagreeable colors may appear in a foal of hers if her progenitors have had such a hue. 98 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. V, The two Methods, "In-and-in" and "Cross" Breeding Considered. As for the two leading methods of breedmg, circumstances generally determine which the farmer or other breeder on a moderate scale is to adopt. He is now almost always under the absolute necessity of cross- ing ; and the main point with him is, lioio to cross, in order to secure the best results. The main directions are already laid down, with sufficient minuteness to enable anyone of ordinary intelligence to judge as to the best means. One point must not be overlooked, that really to improve the stock of horses as to blood — to obtain a strain that has the power of transmitting itself, and of so continuing in a steady line of improvement, recourse must be had to pure blooded horses. The English racer or thoroughbred is almost our sole reliance in this respect ; although an Arab may occasionally be found. The true Norman Percheron is endowed with this characteristic of pure-blooded horses — he has great powers of impressing himself upon his offspring, and perpetuating the strain ; but he is too heavy for the ordinary run of marcs in this country -, and if heavy draft stock rather than the lighter horse of all work is wanted, the Percheron mare should also be used — or some other of equal lenirth and weight. Good mares of the common mixed breeds in the United States, bred to the light Arab, Barb, or thorough-bred stallions, will almost invariably produce foals partaking of their own size and strength, and of the finer forms, activity, and wind of the stallion. It is difficult to lay down any specific rule for crossing. The whole matter must be left to the good sense of the breeder, after the general state- ment of principles previously set forth. If the breeder has in view a mere racer, and is unable to obtain both thorough-bred mare and stallion, let him seek the racing stallion, at least, and one that will, as previously directed, supplement his mare — supply the points in which she is want- ino- for that specific purpose. If he wishes a trotter, the same care must be observed. As trotting horses are of late days in great demand in the United States, we insert here a cut of one of the most celebrated of the Old World trotters, the '< Marshland Shales," a horse foaled m 1802, and which was known to old age as the very best m the British Isles. A careful study of his conformation will be of advantage to those who seek to learn the peculiar points of a horse of known excellence. He was a half-bred ; and the impression long prevailed among the sporting men of England, (if it is even yet extinct), that no pure thorough-bred nor Arabian could excel as a trotter. Now, let the reader compare him with *' Dervish," and note the points of difference. "Der^dsh" was a little bay Arab, exceedingly fine, and remarkable for a darting or straight trot — throwing out his fore-leg and THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING. 99 straightening the knee before the foot touched the ground. He Avas sound, hardy, and a powerful foal-getter ; and a cross with such a horse, upon any well-formed, large and reasonably long-bodied mare, would be apt to produce the beau ideal of a trotter— moderately large, long, yet compact, and with light and clean 3-ct powerful limbs. Notice particularly the cut representing "Gold Dust," a Kentucky horse, foaled near Lexhigton, the property of L. L. Dorsey, a few vears prior to the civil war. He was mixed blooded, having been sired bv 100 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Vermont Morgan, a great trotter, while his dam had in her both Arabian and thorough-bred blood. It is worthy of consideration on the part of the breeder that the cc^ts of '-Gold Dust" showed stronger marks of their Arabian and Englis/i ancestry, which came by his dam's side, and remotely, than of the Morgan, his sire, so superior is the pure blooded horse as a transmitter of his own qualities, and an improver of breed. *' Gold Dust" is worthy THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING, 101 of Study. He was not only beautiful, but a horse of the finest action-^ a fast walker and famous as a trotter. When native American stallions such as he can be found, the owner of good mares need not repine if he finds it impossible to come at the much-to-be-desired pure blooded foreigner. He may rest assured of getting improved colts, and of such character as will, if judiciously handled, perpetuate, to some extent at 'east, their own jrood qualities. If it is heavy draft stock that is to be sought, the Norman Pcrciicron 102 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. stallion, as we have previously intimated, ought to be had, provided the breeder has mares of such size as to render it judicious to put them to so large a horse ; otherwise, the Norman Percheron mare may be most advantageously bred to some native stallion, say a Morgan, a good Canadian, or some other compactly built and quick-paced horse. But it is unnecessary to extend these suggestions. If the breeder will consider with care what he really wants, and observe the points upon which we have touched, he will be at no loss to judge intelligently what course to pursue when cross-breeding is his only resource. He may often, of course, find it difficult to obtain just the stallion Avhich his judo-ment tells him he should have for his class of mares ; but this is a pointed argument in favor of that care which our farmers should long ago have exercised in this matter. Intelligent attention to the improve- ment of our stock throughout the Union will soon make it possible for them to select their stallions, rather than to be forced to take up with every hack that comes along with a flourish of red surcingles and a wonderful pedigree, manufactured to order. As to in-and-in breeding, but little need be said. All the long-winded, voluminous, and learned discussions of the subject have resulted in adding but little more to our stock of knowledge than this : that too close in-and-in breeding is likely to bring about weakness, malformation, and general deterioration ; but that to fix and preserve and intensify a certain strain, the Jew, (to speak in a figure), must not intermarry with the heathens round about him. In other words, to have true Morgans, both sire and dam must be of that stock, though of different families : to keep up the real Norman Percheron horse, we must have Norman Percherons, both male and female, to breed from ; and so on. The objection to close in-and-in breeding seems to be here : that nearness of kin is apt to be associated with likeness of qualities, both physical and mental, (if we may so speak of the horse) ; and thus the great requirement that one parent must supplement the other is not complied with. If there is a weak point in both, the weakness is perpetuated and made worse, whereas a weak point in one should be counteracted by a correspondingly strong point in the other. If it could be known with absolute certainty that two animals, close of kin, had strongly marked opposite traits of character, constitution and conformation, they might be bred to each other, and with the best of results. Such is sometimes the case ; but it is not likely to be, and the rule should be as we have said — let the strain be the same, \yat the kinship as far removed as possible. This is believed by the most candid observers to be the secret of Arab success. The individual breeder knows not alone his own animals, but those of his tribe, and of other tribes as well. Moreover, the Arabs THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING. lO.'i are close observers and astute judges of horse flesh, and an intelligent son of the Desert could by no reasonable means be induced to breed his mare to a stallion in which his eye had marked some weakness or evil tendency which he knew the mare likewise to j)ossess, however slight the hidications might be in either. Then, to recapitulate briefly: if the breeder has it in his power to keep up a certain stock, let him guard against the slightest admixture of heathen blood ; and to be as sure as possible of no evil results, let him look to se- curing sires and dams as widely removed from kinship as possible ; but he can never afford to disregard the point previously so much insisted upon, as a principle to be observed in crossing, that if either parent has a fault, the other must be correspondingly strong there. VI. Treatment of the Mare After Being Served, During Pregnancy, etc. It is proper next to notice some little matters of detail in connection with the management of brood mares. Forty-four weeks is regarded as the time which a mare goes with foal ; but this must be taken as mean time, since one occasionally brings forth a perfect colt four or five weeks sooner, and others will go equally as long beyond this period. When once the time of a mare is known, the breeder can generally regulate her going to the horse so as to have the colt appear at whatever season he consideres most desirable, but without this knowl- edge he cannot. After having been served by a horse, the mare should be allowed to stand idle awhile, as conception will be far more apt to take place if she is left to herself. If put to brisk motion, or to any strain immediatelv after copulation, she is apt to fail of conception. She should also be kept away from strmg-proud or badly castrated geldings, not only at thiy period, but during her entire pregnancy, as they are apt to Avorry her to the casting of the conception, or, at a later period, to slinking the foal. After she has been allowed a reasonable season of quiet, moderate work will be rather beneficial than injurious ; and this may be kept up until about the time of foaling. Special care should always be exercised to guard her against being kicked, heavily thrown, or inordinately strained in any way. It sometimes occurs that at the time of foaling, a false presentation is made, producing difliculty of delivery ; but no reliable instructions can be here given as to what course to pursue in these cases ; and it is best to seek the aid of some skillful veterinary surgeon. The mare which has had a colt will be found in season sometime within the next thirty days, and she ought to go to the horse at this time if she IS to be bred at all. The ninth day after foaling will generally be found 104 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. to be the right time. Whenever indications of heat are discovered, the matter should not be delaj^ed, as the season may pass off and not return. After putting, the days of trial are the ninth, then, if she refuses, the seventh after this, and upon a second refusal, the fifth after this, which is sufficient to prove her. VII. How to Know Whether a Mare is in Foal. It is often important for both breeders and traders to knp^ whether a mare is really in foal ; and one writer has published the following direc- tions for determining this point, which he says may be implicitly relied on : "After the first service of the horse, and before the next trial, on ex- amining the vagina, or bearing, if conception has not taken place it will be of a fresh, bright, or florid and moist appearance, with a clear drop, appearing at the lower part, and which, if touched, will mcline to extend ; but if conception is present, a different appearance of the surface of the vagina will be presented. It will be found dry, and of a duty brown or rust color ; and a dark, Ijrown looking drop will replace the former clear drop. When these latter ap^Dearances are present, pregnancy may be re- garded as certain." VIII. How to Know Time of Foaling. Two days, (in some mares only one), before foaling, a sort of sticky substance will be found protruding from each teat, somewhat resembling drops of milk. Care should now be taken to provide a suitable place for her, as this is a certain indication of near delivery. 8he should be removed from other animals, and a careful person should see to her often enouoh to guard against accidents. Before the signs referred to, as shown by the teats, however, there is on each side of the spinal column, from the tail to the haunch, a furrow- like fold ; and the bag will generally be found considerably increased in size. These signs show that delivery is not very remote, but cannot be relied on to denote the day. IX. Abortion, or Slinking the Foal. When about half the time of pregnancy is passed, more than ordinary pains should be taken with the mare, as it is at this time, if at all, that she is apt to slink. She ought now to have better feeding, and even gentler handling than she had previously ; though at all times the owner but consults his own interests when he carefully guards her against ill usage. She has more need of food, and is less able, at this time, to ^endure hunger, as the rapid growth of the foetus makes a constant and THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING. 1 Oo severe draft upon her system. Want of care may cause abortion; and if a mare once casts her foal, she is apt to do so at a corresponding period of pregnancy afterwards, — more especially if like provocation occurs. Various other causes of abortion, some of which may be briefly adverted to, for the purpose of pointing out certain preventive measures and sug- gesting others. Blows, strains, and any violent excitement may have this effect ; and it is said that to allow a mare to see and smell food to which she has been accustomed, and of which she is fond, without suffer- ing her to eat of it, will cause slinking. Feeding hogs or other stock upon corn, in sight of a mare that is not also thus fed, is, for this reason dangerous. Sympathy is a known cause: a pregnant mare, seeing an- other cast her foal, is apt to be affected in like manner. Nervous spasms, or a sort of animal hysteria, resulting from sympathy of the womb with a diseased stomach or other organ, occasionally results in causing the foal to be cast. Some affirm that a smell of blood, or of freshly slaugh- tered meat, will do it. If a mare slinks because of a hurt, a strain, or some acute attack of disease, she is not apt to fall into the habit of aborti6n, provided proper care is taken to guard against exciting causes at a corresponding period of her next pregnancy. When once this tendency is established, hoAvever, it is difficult to coun- teract it, as the slinking is more than likely to take place at times when the mare is not under observation. If symptoms of casting chance to be discovered in time, it may be prevented by promptly burning pigeon feathers, (or those of other birds, if these cannot be obtained), on a hot pan, or a pan of coals, and holding them so that she will be obliged to inhale the smoke. X. How to Raise Colts. If the colt is healthy and thriving, he should be weaned at from five to six months old. If allowed to run with the dam after this period, he is an unnecessary burden to her, since he has already learned to pick up and devote to his own use other sustenance, and he may most judiciously 1)0 taken awa}'. If at this time the dam is still inclined to furnish milk so copiously as to render the udder painful to her, she should be looked after for a few days, to see thattlie over fullness does not result in inflam- mation and swelling. If necessary, draw away the milk by hand once a day for three days. It is a good plan to keep her at this time on dryer food than usual, and at more than ordinarily steady work. This course will tend to prevent the secretion of the usual quantity of milk, and the vdder will soon be dry. IQQ ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. No matter how well born a colt may be he can never amount to anything if raised a starveling. If the dam is what she should be, he will have been furnished with abundant sustenance from the time of conception to that of delivery, which is one of the secrets of full-formed, linely-proportioned, vigorous foals. From foal-time to weaning he will have been kept vigorous and growing by the quantity and character of the milk furnished him, together with such little food as he has early learned to partake of at the manger and in the pasture of the dam. And now, upon being weaned, it is of the utmost importance that he have liberal food and sufficient protection from the inclemencies of the weather. This must be carefully attended to during the whole period of growth if he is expected to make any adequate return to the owner. Bruised oats and bran have been recommended as the very best food to be given for a considerable time after weaning. In any event let his food be supplied with regularity ; and it must be nutritious, yet of such kind and so disposed as to be easily partaken. He should not be stabled too much, nor in any otner way too closely confined — being allowed all that range and exposure to out-door weather common to older stock in the more clement seasons ; but he should never be left out in cool rains nor in tlie storms and biting cold of Winter. If '1 place is provided in which he may always shelter himself when the condition of the weather inclines him to seek cover, it will save trouble and yet insure a natural growth, and that hardihood which comes of sufficient contact with cold and heat. For this purpose a straw rick is sometimes recommended — so constructed as to furnish shelter on the le^vard side. This will give at the same time both bedding and a light species of food. Provision must of course be made for his obtaining readily, and Jit such times as the wants of nature may dictate, plenty of jDure water — the purer the better. Thus much as to food, drink, and shelter. Another point of impor- tance must not be omitted in his raising, that is, familiarizing him with his master or with whomsoever has charge of him. He should be handled sufficiently and in such a way as thoroughly to overcome all shyness, and to lead him to feel that man is his friend. This confidence once established, his training — when the proper time comes for that — will be easily and successfully accomplished ; his subsequent relations with his master will be always pleasant, and his value thereby much enhanced. And this, indeed, touches a fundamental principle in the care of all dumb beasts. Lead them to recognize that man is their friend ; that they can depend on him to advance their comforts, and to secure their welfare. THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING. 107 XL Mules. The breeding and rearing of mules, so common in many portions of the United States, requires more than a passing consideration. To obtain the best results in crossing with the ass demands as much intellio-ent care as in the case of the horse : and the mule-breeder will iind it much to his advantage thoroughly to inform himself as to how these results are to be obtained. Many mistaken impressions prevail as to the relative usefulness of the mule, as compared Avith the cost of breeding and maintenance. It is thought by the inexperienced that he is almost equally adapted to every kind of draft work to which the horse may be put ; that his power as a pack-animal is nmch greater than that of the horse ; that his endur- ance is greater ; that he can subsist on less food ; and that he demands every way less care. All these things are set down to his advantage ; but in most instances the impressions are wholly erroneous. As a general thing, he is not well adapted to road or to city purposes at all. Especially are hard roads and pavements destructive to him if he is large of body and disproportionately small of leg. He is not so stout as a horse of proportionate size ; he is utterly incapable of carrying so great burdens as some have represented, even if loaded and attended bv experienced packers, — particularly if the journey is to be continuous and the roads are at all heavy ; his powers of endurance are not greater than those of the hardier kinds of horses ; he will consume as much food as a horse of proportionate size, if required to do like work and to maintain a like con- dition ; and as to care, he can do without it — so can a horse — but both fail thereby of that eminent thriftiness, sprightliness and longevity which is to be expected of animals to which it is extended. On the other hand, and to his discredit, it is commonly thought that he is naturally vicious, and wholly iacapable of appreciating kindly treat- ment — that the only way to control him is by violence. Hence, those who handle him generally feel as though they are justifiable in whipping, beating, kicking and whatsoever other cruelties they may choose to inflict. This is a grievous, foolish and wicked mistake. The mule has one means of defense, and his heels are dangerous to those who wantonly provoke or startle him and place themselves in his way. His long ears are sensi- tive, and by roughly handling them his combativeness is easily aroused, and distrust is awakened to that degree that renders him almost unman- ageable. Yet, the mule may be so raised and trained as to make hiu) gentle, obedient, even affectionate and ready to follow his master like a dog — so trusty that only the one always necessary precaution need be observed in dealing with him — to keep out of the way of his heels, which 108 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. he thruvvs out as instinctively when startled, irritated or approached by i-. stranffer, as a cat thrusts out her claws. It has been remarked that "when a mule gets perfectly gentle, he is unfit for service ;" and that, taken in connection with the prevailing method of training him, is doubt- less true ; but there is a better way, and, if followed, it would result aw we have stated above. Now, while the mule is not adapted to everything, and endowed with powers that are adequate to endure starvation and brutal treatment while in the performance of hard and faithful service, he is admirably calcu- lated to meet many of the wants of individuals and corporations ; and his breeding, rearing and training are matters for intelligent consideration. For supplying the army he cannot be replaced ; for towing canal boats he answers admirably ; for hauling cars inside of coal mines, he is indis- pensable ; for the general knock-about work of a farm he is good in all temperate climates ; and in a cotton and sugar country, where it is warm and sandy, he is most especially valuable. Though he cannot endure everything and still meet every requirement of a heartless task-master, he is yet gifted with a hardihood that is admirable, and recuperative powers that are astonishing. Seemingly half dead, utterly broken down and worthless, he will, with a little rest and care, soon be again ready for service. In breeding for mules no less attention should be paid to the selection of suitable mares and a suitable jack than in the case of horses. It, is folly to use old, worn-out, diseased, ill-formed, ill-conditioned mares, and yet hope to obtain a good foal. As a general thing a great, overgrown, losg-legged mule is next to worthless. He is expensive to keep and unreliable as a worker — lacking wind, strength and nimbleness. The medium-sized, clean, compact mule is by all odds the best, unless a team can be found to combine more than the ordinary height with round bodies, not disposed to fleshiness, and larger, stronger legs than usual, with feet above the common size — which is seldom the case. The Spanish or Mexican mule — the offspring of stout, close-built, active Mustang or Mexican mares is superior in endurance to any known in the United States. He requires less food, takes it quicker, and is always in better fix for travel. If it is more profitable to raise good animals than poor ones, (and no man of ordinary intelligence can doubt this proposition), select mares for mule bearing that are sound, compactly built, and yet without any contractedness of body — active, strong, every way service- able. Then, the choice of a suitable jack is important — doubly so from the fact that the great majority of mares breed after the jack in the matter of legs and feet, and, if it is a good and powerful jack, the foal will generally bear his marks, which is a matter of some imnortance, THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING. 109 since mules so marked are always regarded by experienced stock men as being most hardy and valuable. The jack should be large — the larger the better, other things bemg equal, since it is impossible to find one so much surpassing in size the mares we have described as to render him objectionable on account of disproportion, as may easily be the case with 110 _ ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. a horse. Most especially must the breeder have an eye to his legs and feet ; for here, if at all, the mule is apt to be a failure — having a horse's body, ready to take on flesh beyond his requirements, mounted on legs that are too slight of bone and too small of muscle, with feet below the standard size for highest usefulness. The cut on preceding page is a portrait of a large and powerful Poitou ass, an animal much valued in that district of France for breeding heavy draft mules from cart mares. The one here represented has been de- scribed as being fourteen and one-fourth hands high ; greatest girth, seventy-seven inches ; girth behind the shoulders, sixty-six inches ; length of ear, fifteen inches ; ears, tip to tip across, thirty-two inches ; with hoofs much larger than those of the common ass. Compare him with the small, light ass, now in too common use among us. The differ- ence seems to be almost one of kind ; and with these representations in his mind, no observant stock-grower can be persuaded to put up with a poor pretense of a jack for the service of his mares. As for the treatment of mares that are to be thus bred, no farther directions need be laid down, since it must be substantially the same as that prescribed for the breeding of horse foals. The like instructions relative to weaning, feeding, and sheltering the colt must also be carried out ; and too much importance cannot be attached to beginning earlj^ the work of familiarizing him Avith man. He should be taught to regard his keepers without fear, to allow himself to be haltered, and readily to submit to direction and guidance. If this is done, he will be easily trained, when the proper time shall have arrived ; and if properly handled and judiciously taught then, he will be not only a useful, but a trusty and agreeable animal. CHAPTER VI. HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN A HORSE. AMERICAN VS. ENGLISH FOALS. II. AT WEANING TIME. III. THE FIRST LESSON. .. IV. TRAINING. V. TRAINING TO WORK. VI. TKAINISG TO BACK. VII. TRAINING TO SADDLE AND HARNESS. VIII. TO HANDLE A HORSE. IX. HOW TO HANDLE A VICIOUS COLT. X. SADDLING AND HARNESSING. XI. HOW TO SUBDUE A VICIOUS HORSE. XII. HOW TO TRAIN TO THE SADDLE, XUI. TRAINING TO TROT IN HaR. NESS. XIV. HOW TO TRAIN TO TROT IN LIGEIT HARNESS. XV. HOW TO TRAIN POU THE PLOW. XVI. TRAINING TO THE WAGON. XVII. HOW TO TRAIN A RACER. . XVIII. TRAINING A STALLION I. American vs. English Foals. It is a common remark among Englishmen visiting America that our horses are more easily controlled and managed in the breaking in and training than English horses, and hence they have been led into the error of supposing that they were deficient in courage and spirit. Nothing could be farther from the fact. The true reason is, the growing foals in the United States are more the companions of the children of the farmer than in England. They are not as a rule, beaten and abused, and thus do not find their real powers of resistance as they do in England under the handling of hirelings of little intelligence, and almost no education. In the United States the fondling of the colts and fillies commences almost with birth. They are special pets of the boys of the family. On the farm, and even on the road, the mares are often regularly worked with the colts ranning at the feet, a very bad plan for the colts, and 111 1 12 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. especially so for the mares, but which, nevertheless, early accustoms the"^ young animals to strange sights, while it renders them tame and confiding. II. At Weaning Time. The true education of the colt or filly should begin early ; at weaning time. They should then be haltered and taught to lead, to stand quietly in the stall when tied. After this is thoroughly understood the colts may then have their liberty, for there is nothing more healthful, or better calculated to develop those powers necessary to the exhibition of speed, endurance, or great muscular exertion, than constant, every-day exercise, which all young animals naturally take in their play, and this often of the most violent character. ^ III. The First Lesson. The first lesson the young foal should be taught is to come readily at call. This is easily accomplished by providing one's self with delicacies, such as sugar and salt, of which horses are especially fond. If there are a number of them they will all take the lessons together, and easier, for the most intelligent will assist the others. At the same time they must be taught to be quiet by a light tap of the whip to unruly ones. In haltering, the colt or filly should be approached from the near side, the halter in both hands. Let the colt smell it until it no longer fears it, when, holding it properly in the left hand the right hand may be passed over the colt's neck and taking the strap of the halter it may be drawn on and buckled almost before the colt knows it. In case the colt should be wild, shy, or vicious, it must be confined in some place where the halter may be put on, but no haste must be manifested, until at the moment when it is to be buckled. Then do it quietly and quickly. If very strong, two ends of rope, each ten feet long, should be attached to the ring of the halter, and a free passage out of the stable allowed, one man holding each rope. In the case of a colt three or more years old, and strong, these ends should be twenty feet long, and the halter should have a cavesson so the muzzle will be pinched during violent struggles. The men holding the ropes — there may be one or more, according to the struo-o-les of the animal — are not to seek to throw the colt or horse, but simply to restrain him in his struggles to escape. The vard should be soft so that if the colt falls it will not be injured. But if the animal does fall, when down it should be firmly held so for five minutes, or until resistance entirely ceases. As a rule, before the expiration of fifteen minutes, the colt will take a lick of salt from the hand and thereafter follow quietly. As soon as the colt gives up he should be led to the stable. THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. 113 tied, given a little water and fedj and then be left to himself, being certain he can neither break the halter or injure himself. As before stated, the foal once haltered, taught to stand quietly, and to lead kindly it may then be given its liberty until of the proper age for training. The animal three years old and over once in hand should be thoroughly broken and made way wise without delay. IV. Training. The regular training of a colt or filly should begin at the age of two years past. There are many urgent reasons for this ; first, the animal has neither the full strength, nor the disposition to resist, that it will have at a more mature age ; second, it is more tractable, and will acquire its les- sons more easily ; third, it will not have contracted habits of self-will difficult to be broken off ; and fourth, lessons in flexions of the body may be taught that will naturally increase its usefulness in whatever direction it may be wanted. In the whole manner of breaking and training the trainer must not only understand himself, but the young horse as well and also as of special importance, the particular use for which the animal is intended. If the colt is of cold blood, that is of no particular breeding, it will not pay to spend much time on its education. It is simply to be taught to lead qui- etly, to stand still to be harnessed and unharnessed, to be accustomed to the ordinary sights and objects he will encounter, to work quietly at the plow, or other farm implements, and to the wagon on the road, and to stand quietly when tied on the public streets. If to be trained as a road horse, or as a saddle horse, or both, or as a hunting horse, a trotting horse, or a racer, all these will require special, and sometimes, long con- tinued lessons according as the animal is intelligent and tractable or otherwise. It should always be remembered, however, that there is nothing gained by cruelty and abuse. A contrary animal may be punished, but it should always be done calmly and with judgment. V. Training to "Work. The first lesson for any use is implicit and perfect obedience to the will of the master. This thoroughly accomplished the rest of the task is com- paratively easy, it is only a question of time. It is supposed the animal is entirely free from acquired vice, that it has been halter broken, and taught to stand quietly at the end of the halter, to follow quietly, to lead by the side of the master, and to stand quietly in the stable. The next step is to procure a bitting bridle, a strong bridle with a heavy smooth snaffle bit with a tongue piece and keys depending from the center 114 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. of the bit, it must also have a check rein that may be lengthened or shortened, and two side straps one on each side. The harness is simply a very wide strong surcingle, with padded back piece, having at the top a strap and buckle to form a loop for the check rein and also a buckle on each side of the surcingle in which to buckle to side straps. To the rear of the pad of the circingie is attached a back strap and round crupper strap, the latter to buckle and unbuckle. Take the harness, and approaching the colt in the stall, let him smell it until satisfied, then put it on without undue haste or fuss. If the colt is nervous or skittish, talk to him and take time. The harness on, put on the bridle, giving plenty of length to the check rein and side straps, so the colt will not be unduly hampered, and let it out in a smooth, tight yard, following it about with the whip under the arm. Sometimes a strong colt will struggle and sweat violently, but if he has been properly handled heretofore, he will take the subjection pretty much as a matter of course. Let him exercise an hour a day for a few days, tightening the check rein and side straps gradually, until his head is brought into proper position, but not a constrained position. When he ceases to fret at the harness, pass the snap of a leading rope through the near ring of the bit and snap it into the off one. This rope should be about fifteen feet long. Taking the end in the hand, exercise the colt in a circle, allowing him to walk if he will. When somewhat tired let him stop and standing in front of him, say come, tapping him lightly on the fore-legs with the whip. If he pulls, hold him firmly, but without undue violence while he resists, tap- ping him on the fore-legs at intervals, using the word come. He will soon find the way to escape the whip to be to get near to you. Then fondle him and give him a trifle of sugar or salt and let him follow to the stable. So proceed from day to day, exercising him in a circle both to the right and left, (lunging it is called), gradually increasing his pace to a fair trot, until he will work as you want him, turning at the word to the right or left circle, or to stand and come to his master at the word of command. VI. Learning to Back. This is one of the most difficult things to teach a colt properly, and one most commonly slurred over. No horse is properly trained for the most simple use, until he will back as readily and as perfectly as he will go forward. It should be taught him while in the bitting harness, so that at the conmiand to back he will do so to the extent of one or more steps. This is done first by standing in fuont of the colt and taking a rein in each hand ; or take hold of the rings of the bits themselves. At THE HORSE, HO\V TO BREAK AND TRAIN. 115 the word back, use pressure enough to curb the neck somewhat, but not enough to force the body in such a position as to cause the center of gravity of the animal to be strongly displaced. In backing, a hind leg should be lifted first, then a fore leg, and so on in rotation, the reverse as in walking. When the animal will back promptly and in line for ten or fifteen steps consecutively, the further lessons may be safely left until the time when the rider is in the saddle or in the vehicle behind the horses. Sometimes the motion may be made by standing at the side of the animal. However it is accomplished, if strong resistance is made the lesson must begin again and again until it is entirely comprehended and well executed. When so, a slice of sweet apple, carrot, a little sugar, or something the animal likes may be given it. VII. Training to Saddle and Harness. We have strited that the colt should be broken at two years old. At this age, however, it should never be put to hard labor. The work at two years old should be more in the nature of exercise than anything else, and this exercise should be to insure proper flexions of the body and limbs than for the amount of work the animal will accomplish, bearing in mind always, as before stated, what the animal is designed for. If as a saddle horse solely, or in connection with light driving, it is absolutely essential that the flexions should be thorough. The word flexion is but another name for rendering the head, neck, body and limbs perfectly sup[)le. The animal must first have been rendered so quiet and obedient that he will not strongly resist the will and action of the trainer. Put a bridle with a curb-bit on the colt, being careful to know that it fits and that there is space between the chain and jaw, so the finger can be easily slipped between. Standing in front of the horse, seize the right curb-rein with the right hand, about six inches from the branch of the bit, and the left rein Avith the left hand at about half the distance from the branch. Draw the right hand towards the body, pushing at the same time with the left, so as to turn the bit in the horse's mouth. If the horse backs, continue the operation until he yields. When the horse flexes his jaw and lowers his head, let the left hand slip along the rein to the same distance as the right, then drawing the two reins equally bring the head near the breast, and hold it there oblique and perpendicular, until it is sustained of itself. The horse will give notice by champing the bits. The jaw is flexed to the left by a contrary move as given above. So the horse may be made to hold his head up, and perpendicular, to lower it, so the trainer can make the horse flex his neck to the right and left, 116 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Standing at his shoulder, the trainer may make him move the hind-legs to one side or the other, the fore-legs remaining stationary, or to move the fore parts in a circle the hind-legs remaining intact, and this by means that will naturally suggest themselves. But in all this there must be no ill temper displayed by the trainer no matter how bad the horse may act. Even if it be necessary to punish him the operator must be perfectly cool, never speaking in a loud voice or doing anything to cause undue resistance in the animal. The object is to teach the animal subjection to the will of man, and this can never be done by intemperate violence. Our practice has always been to break at two years old so the animal may become way-wise, flexible to the bit, to draw light loads, and under the saddle to walk, trot, or gallop, at com- mand. Then at the age of three to four years, we let it again have its liberty. The reason of this is, at this age the colt is shedding some prin- cipal teeth, and therefore not fit for work. If the lessons have been carefully given they will never be forgotten. If however he be properly fed, in the stable, he may continue to do light work through his third and fourth year. In no case, however, should he be put to heavy draft until he is five years past. As a carriage horse, the animal should not have hard work until he is the same age. Then he will get better and better until eight years old, and often do good service at the age of fifteen to eighteen and sometimes when past twenty years of age. There are more horses ruined between the ages of four and five years than at any other age. Vni. To Handle a Horse. As we have stated, the foal should be handled as early as possible, and by different persons, to early accustom it to different sights and sounds, but always gently. It should be carefully brushed so as not to irritate it ; its feet should be lifted and lightly tapped with a hammer ; a head stall should be put on the foal having a ring but no strap, but so the strap may be attached at any time to lead and exercise it. Thus, the trainer beside it, the colt may be taught to walk, to trot, or stand still , allowing it to do pretty much as it likes, within bounds. Never beat it under any circumstances at this age. Reward it with a trifle of sugar, or a little bread, or a slice of carrot, and fondle it when it has done well. Remember the future horse is to be the servant of man for ten or fifteen years of his life, and that it will pay to take pains wfth the education of so noble an animal, if well bred. In this day and generation it is money *^^hrown away to breed or handle any other, whatever the breed may be. When the foal is six months old strap a pad to its back and attach stirrup THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN, 117 leathers so they may flap about. In the Spring following its birth put a colt's bit in his mouth, with keys attached. Rein him comfortably to the surcingle, to which a crupper must be attached. In this, however, everything must be easy to the animal. Don't try to get his head up. He may be flexed from time to time, that is taught to open his jaw to the left and right ; to turn his head to the right and left shoulder ; to raise and lower his head ; to turn with his hind or his fore-feet hi a circle, those not used being the pivot ; to come to his trainer at the word : to back, to guide right or left by the rein ; in fact at the age of two years he may be made pretty Avell waywise, so that when actually ridden, or hitched beside a stead}^ horse, there will be little fear or resistance to combat. To get him used to the rattling of a wagon, tie him by a lead- ing strap to the trace buckle of the back band to the off and also to the near horse in the team. This will instruct him and get him used to the word, and to walking and trotting quietly. All this may seem like taking a great deal of trouble, but remember that much of it may be done while doing the ordinary labor of the farm. IX. How to Handle a Vicious Colt. Suppose you come into possession of a wild colt at three or four years old, or one that has never been handled. Put him in a close place like a narrow stall, where he cannot turn round or by any means escape. Put on a cavesson halter (a cavesson is a nose-band) and it may end under the jaw in a running noose, so as to press with force when drawn tight. Have lunging straps attached to the halter ring and securely fastened. Allow the young horse free access out of the stable, being careful not to throw him down before he gets out. Let the yard be rather small, but quite tight, and with none near except his trainer and assistant, who holds the ropes. Thus with a strong man to each rope acting in concert the wildest colt may be handled without danger. Let him struggle and rear and plunge, the ropes being well spread to each side. If he rear, ease? on the ropes so as not to throw him, checking him as he comes down again . Only one person should speak, the trainer, using only the necessary words and those spoken in a firm but rather low tone of voice. Have a good and reliable whip, a long, straight, flexible one, but not for use except in cases of an emergency ; as in case the horse should get his liberty by slipping the halter and turn to fight. Then it must be used determinedly, but without exhibition of temper. If he rushes on you, a sharp, strong cut across the muzzle, avoiding the eyes, to be followed by others, as necessary. This will subdue him. If he kicks, a determined sharp cut over the hind legs next the body, will tame him. 118 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. A self-possessed man, understanding the use of the whip, is in but little danger from a 3^oung horse. But there is no need that the animal es- cape. The straps and leading ropes must be secure. When the colt gives up, let the assistant hold the rope, while the trainer, with the whip under his arm, the butt forward, gently and grad- ually shortens his rope, advancing to the horse. Take plenty of time, speaking firmly but soothingly to the horse, watching for any indications of vice. If the ears are held naturally or thrown forward, all is right. When mischief is intended they Avill be thrown back. When the horse allows you to approach him and will smell the whip or your hand, give him a trifle of salt or sugar, rub his nose gently, and induce him to fol- low you. Then lead him into the stable and tie him in the stall securely. From this time on he should have a daily lesson until broken. One thing must be remembered ; in first tying up in the stable, the halter must be so strong that the animal cannot by any possible means break it, and so perfectly fitting and secure that he cannot slip or rub it off. Thus you will never again have to break him of pulling at the halter. X. Saddling and Harnessing. The trammg of the horse fairly commenced, it should proceed day by day. Get hini used to the harness and saddle by putting them on every day. Do not throw them on. Buckle every strap as carefully as though the animal was to be taken to work. The saddle being allowed to be put on without restiveness, and kindly taken, gradually draw the girth tighter from day to day until suiBciently tight so it will not turn. Begin by bearing some weight upon it, first with the hand and then by pulling on the stirrup. If the colt cringes at first and leans over to the side pulled upon, it will soon get over it, and will at length allow the full weight of the man sitting upright upon the saddle in the stall. Then accustom the colt to being touched in different parts of the body with the legs, to be squeezed somewhat with the thighs and knees, mount- ing and dismounting repeatedly. This being permitted, lead him out of the stable, and while an assistant holds him by the bridle above the bits — not by the reins — the trainer mounts, the assistant lets go, and in nine cases out of ten the horse will move off at the word of command. If he does not, use no haste ; give him time. If he rears and plunges, the rider must have full command and confidence in himself, or else quietly dismount and use the previous course until the animal understands what is wanted. If the rider is master of the saddle, and the horse plunges or throws himself about, get him into motion in a field of not less than ten acres, and if rather soft, so much the better ; circle him about the field THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. 119 until he wishes to stop, and then force him forward until he is thoroughly tired and subdued. Ride him to the stable, gentle him, Avash his mouth, let him take two or three swallows of water, add a taste of some food that he likes, and the real work of breaking is done. Thereafter it 'w» ( simply a question of training. When the horse is to be put to the wagon, know that the harness is strong, and that it fits perfectly and easily. If the colt has bemi tied be- side another horse on the road, until he is not afraid of the wagon, so much the better. Hitch him beside an old, thoroughly broken horse, tying the doubletree back so the steady horse may pull all the load if necessary. Get quickly into the wagon while an assistant is attracting the attention of the colt by talking to him and stroking his nose ; pick up the reins and bid them go. Keep the broken horse in a walk or slow trot, as the case may be, and the colt will generally take kindly to the work in less than five minutes. Drive for about half an hour, at a walk- ing pace if possible, letting the colt have his own wa}'^ if not too awkward and ugly, turning from right to left in rather long curves. When the colt shows signs of fatigue, and certainly before he is tired, but not until he has ceased resistance, drive to the stable and unharness carefully and quietly as before described. XI. How to Subdue a Vicious Horse. If he be a colt that has never been handled, the directions we have given for bitting and training will succeed. If he has been made tricky by a previous owner, who was timid, go into the stable when he is tied, watch him closelj^ but keep cool and show no signs of fear. Take him by the head, and speak to him in a firm voice, put on a strong biidle and curb, and order him to back. If he docs not comply, give him a sharp cut on the fore-legs with the whip, and hold him firmly with the left hand, standing facing partly towards his rear, but with the head turned so you can see every movement of his eyes and ears. If the stall is not roomy and high do not attempt it. The struggle is better in a small close yard. If he rear cut him sharpl}^ again over the fore-legs while up, Jind if hn kick cut him on the hind-legs near the body, but never more than or < stroke at a time. When he ceases to resist, gentle him, and so proceed until the animal is entirely submissive to 3^our will. If a horse has ac- q[uired vicious habits from having beaten a timid, or worse, brutal master, the case is more serious. Have nothing to do with him unless fully assured of your powers to subdue him. To succeed he must be made to lie down ; to do this confine him in a stall so close that he cannot turn round in it, and with the near side so / 120 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. arranged that you can approach him sufficiently near to operate in anii direction. If the horse will submit to fondling so much tiie better. Under no circumstances use a whip. The work must be done by showing He horse that his struggles are always against himself. Have the side of the stall so arranged that it may be taken down and .How free egress to a yard thirty feet square, with a high board fence, or, better still, a large square barn floor covered a foot deep Avith straw tramped solid. Procure the following articles : a simple single-rein bri- dle, strong, and having a gag bit with large rings and long guards, the reins to be only sufficiently long so they will lie on the withers ; have also a strong, padded surcingle, made with a two inch ring at the belly ; also, one strap an inch and a quarter wdde, and three feet or more in length, with a strong loop to form a slip noose, and a strong buckle on the end ; and another strap five feet long with the end turned into a loop and firmly sewed ; also two strong knee pads, to protect the knees in falling. Put on the bridle, buckle on the knee pads, loop the short strap around the near fetlock of the fore-foot, raise the foot and buckle the end tightly around the arm of the fore-leg next the body, thus you have one foot firmly held up. Put the loop of the second or long strap about the fet- lock of the off fore-leg, and pass the end of the strap through the ring of the surcingle under the horse. Do not be in a hurry, and in no case lose your temper. If it takes two hours, well and good, you have the horse then perfectly under command however vicious he may be. See that there is entirely free egress out of the stable and let him go Approach him slowly, but without hesitation, steadying him by the voice. If he show fight do not hesitate, he is on three legs and nearly powerless, except to bite, or to strike you in the act of rearing. Seize him by the near bridle rein about twelve inches from the bit, and placing yourself immediately at his near quarter, or just behind his shoulder, gather the long strap in the right hand and when the horse rears draw up the other leg. If the horse struggles let Mm do so. It will not-be necessary to exert much strength, simply tact and coolness in steering him. When he comes down it must necessarily be on his knees. If he continue to struggle let him exhaust himself. It will rarely take over five minutes, snd never ten by the watch. Having him on his knees always seek to draw the head from you by pulling on the rein that comes over the neck. Once you have the head turned keep pulling on him until he gives up completely and lies down. Use no violence on the rein. It is only to be used to steer or guide the horse. It is the strap that does the work. However many attempts he may make to regain his liberty it will only end in the more complete discomfiture of the horse. Once down unless THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. 121' he lies still hold his head still by sitting on it. When completely sub- dued, stroke his head, rub iiim on various parts of the body, soothe and caress hiui, and especially handle him wherever he is disposed to be touchy, being careful always to be on your guard, that if he resist he may be immediately checked. Show him a buffalo robe, an umbrella, or anything he would be likely to frighten at, and always let him smell it until satisfied. Sit on his side, handle his feet, tap them, and at last remove the straps from his feet, and continue to fondle him. If he attempt to rise hold doAvn his head firmly, and bend up one fore-leg. If he get the advantage do not struggle with him but let him rise to his feet again. Lay him down until he gives completely up. He will soon come to lie down quietly at the word, simply by tying up one foot, and at last will do so at your bidding without tying. When down and quiet pass your hand repeatedly over his body, breathe in his nostrils, gently open his mouth, give him soothing words, and when on his feet give him a taste of some- thing he likes. This is substantially Karey's plan, and it may be practiced successfully on very vicious horses, as w^e have done. As a rule, however, the direc- tions previously given will be found to be fully effectual in breaking «olt XII. How to Train to the Saddle. No person should attempt to break a horse to the saddle unless he be a thorousfh horseman himself. It is not sufficient that he be able to stick on a horse's back with or without a saddle. He must be able to do so, lsj to give them insufficient food and water; to allow them to stf\ud THB TEAM OF THE CKUKL AND IMPROVIDENT MASTER, AND THE USUAL SURROUNuINGS day after day uncleaned and in filth, denying them even the poor boon of cleaning themselves ; to work them during the progress of spavin or ring- bone, navicular disease, with corns, gravel, or other painful ailments of THE HORSE, KIND TREATMENT. 147 the foot ; to let them stand shivering in the cold, or in apologies for sta- bles^ in inclement weather without blankets ; to drive them in the mud and Tnire and neglect to clean them ; to ride them under torturing sad- dice-, or to drive them in galling collars and harness ; to use badly fitting THE TEAM OF THE KIND AND fcAREFUL MASTER, AND THE NATURAL SURROUNDINGS. or torturing bits, and then jerk their tender mouths because their agony will not allow them to carry their heads directly in line or go straight ahead ; to ride or drive through deep mud at a pace which quickly ex- hausts the animal, and then beat with a loaded whip, because they flag, or spur them until their sides are a gore of blood ; to keep the poor 148 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. creatures in terror, from fear of the whip, and then beat with renewed vigor because the innocent brute does not comprehend what the master really does not know himself ; to give the faithful servant over to the tender mercies of some man who calls himself a blacksmith, who either pricks him with a nail, pares down the hoof and the frog lo the quick, and then because the poor animal cringes, holds back or perhaps stum- bles, beats him for it. Such are a few of the more common of the cruelties inflicted, and which may be seen day by day by any who will notice. A man cannot pass along the streets in any large city, on any da}^, without seeing some of these things. The observing man need not travel far in the country to see some such picture as we present of the farmer who believes in letting his stock shift for themselves when not at work, and is careful not to over-feed when they struggle with the plow or wagon. III. A Picture from Life. But, say some readers, the picture on page 146 is a fancy sketch. Not at all. It is drawn from life. The superannuated, rat-tailed horse, with one ear gone, blind, spavined, ill kept and ill fed ; the mule, still more rat-tailed than the horse, intact only as to his ears, the broken-down fence, the edge of the marshy pond, serving as a wallowing place for hogs, and as a watering place for the family and stock ; the dilapidated stable ; the log cabin — all are true to life. There is but one redeeming feature in the whole scene : the \vife begging that a little land may be left in front of the house unplowed. Will it be granted? Not so. The ragged edged plow will cut as close to the corner of the cabin as possible, and then bear off in a circle in the near distance beyond. Land is too valuable to spare any next the house, but the weeds and dilapidated fence tell a tale of plenty of land beyond. If the traveler chose he might learn the cause of all this. A history made in the corner grocery of the village, over the broken bridge. C(jntrast this with the companion picture we give on page 147 , an* which tells a very different tale. IV. The Other Side. It is of the farmer who is well-to-do by his own tact and energy. His team is trained to almost human intelligence. Strong, able horses, whose dams were kindly worked and carefully fed. When foals they were early taught to take their oats. In Winter they were carefully housed, their training commencing within a few days of their birth ; broken in at two THE HORSE, KIND TREATMENT. 149 years old, worked gently, and at three past given full liberty again until four. They are now six j^ears old, trained to go without Jines, a gray and a bay; well bred; weighing 1250 each; capable of going a mile in four minutes to the farm wagon. How much think you they are worth? Let us whisper it ; $800 has been refused. A foolish farmer is he not, to keep so much money in ^ farm team? Perhaps not. He asks $1200, and he will get it. He has fulfilled the conditions we have given as to breeding, feeding, watering, care, shelter, breaking and training. They have lacked for nothing he could give them, and in turn refuse nothing they maj be able to do for him. V. A Good Farmer's Surroundings. The surroundings of a man in any condition in life, whether he be rich or poor, are an index to his character. The animus of all men is to make money, bui some possess in connection, a love of the beautiful. Without method in labor no man can be successful. The farmer who has method, and an eye for the beautiful, and only comfortably \, ell off, perhaps, will show his barn yards and surroundings something like the following illus- tration ; THE BARN OF THE PROVIDENT WASTER, His Darns are tight and ample, and filled to the ridge-pole with fodder His yards are protected with shelter-belts and wind-breaks, his pastures and meadows ample and luxuriant, and his crops well tilled and heavy. Inside his barns will be found a place for everything and everything in its place. VI. Farmer Unthrift's Barn. On the other hand we give a view of the barn of the improvident master. His well, simply a hole in the ground where the drainage of the yard may enter, the roof of the hovel rent and torn, the delapidated doors propped 10 150 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. up with rails, the weather-boards fallen or falling off, and the whole thing shaky, like the master's mind. Fine stock, fat, and well groomed, have come out of hovels of barns ; they . were made warm and comfortable. It is not the most expensive structures that always contain the best stock, but in the end the better barn will be built. We have never seen good stock issue from such a barn as we have shown, and it only needs to show the house the farmer lives in, with its brush heap, its line of ragged clothes, the ragged, dirty children, and generally dilapidated appearance, to complete the pictorial storj' r>f general unthrift FAKMER UNIURIFT'S BARN. Vn. Farmer Unthrift's Home. FARMER UNTHRIFT'S HOME. Such a man will raise his colts from spavined and broken down mares , tney will shift for themselves upon scanty pasture in Summer, and in the brush in Winter. He believes in hardening his stock, and he does it ; hardens them into "runts," not worth a month's keeping. They are literally broken to work, broken in body and temper with cruel blows ; they are halter-broken too, the halter is a rope knotted about the neck, like the poor old horse shown on next page, tied outside the barn for the benefit of the fresh air it may get ; a starved out skeleton horse, contem- plating the skeleton of a barn. Even in such a barn there are capabilities that may be utilized for comfort. It may be reshingled, and new clap- boarded, and the doors hung on their hinges. It may even be patched vj) so as not to leak, and be banked up to keep out the cold. But will it THE HORSE, HOW TO SHELTER. 151 be? Hardly ! The picture of the old house, the wreck of a horse, the old rope around the neck, the rotten barn, all tell of more money spent at the dram-shop than for the maintenance and comfort of the family or the well-being of the stock. THE BARM OF THE CRUEL MASTER. A MODEL HALTER ON A MODEL COLT- VIII. The Careful Man's Theory. As an accompaniment to this we give an illustration of a well-kept colt in a model halter for unbroken horses. By slipping both ends of the chin strap through the ring of the tying rope, it is a halter for a well broken horse. The man who possesses such stock and fixtures may Aiot be rich ; probably is not, but he is a careful, thinking, reading, method- ical man, who believes in doing everji^hing well. He uses no cruel bridles, gives his colts no excuse for getting cast in their halters. His harness seldom galls the team, and when it does, it is remedied at the first indication. However dirty his team goes into the stable, it always comes out clean and blooming ; not only this, such a master never finally leaves his team for the night, after a hard day's labor, until it is dry, well groomed, well littered down, and in every way comfortable- for the night. In the morning his team are always ready for the field or road ; and however eager or spirited they may be, will travel along together, either ahead of or behind the master, and looking like the picture that we here give on following page — a lordly team, that only could belong to a kind and considerate master. They are not too many. The cruel, or shiftless, or drunken mastjery are plenty enough. The farm stock of many get barely enough to eat, and that in an irregular and improvident kind of way. They never pull very heavy loads, the master has not many to haul, and he believv s in 152 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. skim plowing. When he comes home, he "runs them into the barn,'' such as it is ; or they take the yard for it, and in the morning very closely resemble the picture on the left * TEAM OP THE KIND MASTER. TEAM OF THE CRUEL MASTER. A "humped up," hungiy, thirsty pair of servants to a cruel, because improvident master. Such a man may not be cruel in the sense of beating. He may be really a kind-hearted man, a good neighbor, "thoroughly honest, as the world goes," he may even be a good Christian man, or thinh so at least. He is cruel nevertheless. More cruel perhaps than the brute who belabors his beasts and then repents. Cruel in his improvidence, in his Geo;lect of his farm and his stock. HIS DOOR-YARD GATE. UIS FIELD-GATE Is it any wonder that in the morning the team should be found in the yard, waiting for their breakfast. The wonder is that there should be anything, either in the house or out for either man or beast to brealcfast on. If to neglect we add a cruel or brutal disposition, the animals of the farm are to be pitied, and the household likewise pitied, and prayed for. This chapter is pictorial, and not particularly given to practical infor- mation on the care of horses, it is a chapter of contrasts, and given deliberately, as indicating far more eloquently than mere words can, the difference between careful and kind treatment of stock, and cruel or THE HORSE, KIND TREATMENT. 153 neglectful treatment. It is, in fact, the story of thrift and unthrift. We expect few whom it might benefit will see it. The unthrifty man whom we have depicted, seldom sees books, and we might almost say, never buys one. Those however who do, may perform good missionary work among the class we have represented, by showing them how quickly thrift will follow good intentions, religiously kept, backed up by honest industry, guided by careful judgment, and accompanied by a will to perform. It will repair houses and barns, build gates and fences, culti- vate smiling fields, rear and train good stock, lift the mortgage off the farm , educate the growing family, and bring comfort and happiness to a once cheerless and suffering family. IX. Using the Means We Have. In the foregoing, it is not to be understood that expensive appearances are necessary for training a horse, neither is it to be understood that costly buildings are necessary. We have stated more than once that any farm animal may be kept in the most comfortable manner, in a structure made of poles and hay, and we will add, kept in as good health as in ex- pensive stables. The reason is that the master who uses care in making a simple structure warm and comfortable has humanity to start with, and generally gives his own personal care and supervision, while in costly stables the animals are usually left to the care of men hired for the pur- pose. The owner, often, from the pressure of other business pursuits, being unable to do more than to drive a favorite animal or team. In perhaps a majorit}^ of cases he knows little or nothing of how a horse should be cared for, and of course nothing as to the fitness of those whom he pays for doing the work. The object of this work is to present in a condensed form the best prac- tices, founded upon common sense, and the experience of superior stockmen in the care of animals. A study of these pages will enable any person to acquire a good idea of the simplest and best means for arriving at a correct knowledge of how animals should be bred, raised, fed, trained, and cared for. He may thus understand how to do the work himself, or, in case he be a man of business, or wealth and leisure, he may quickly know whether the help he relies on are doing their duty, not only in feed- ing and cleaning, in exercising and the general care of the animals under them, but also know at a glance, whether the animals are treated with the kindness and consideration that dumb brutes, but faithful servants, deserve from man. The closest and most constant attention to these points wilj abundantly pay every farmer, and every wise farmer will be certain to bestow such care. 154 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. X. An Infallible Bnile. We have known a brutal stable-man to flog a horse in the most terrible manner, simply to get rid of his own ugliness, as he expressed it, while at ordinary times he petted and made much of the animal. Such an am_ mal will be frantic at the sight of a whip held in a threatening manner. Animals that are in the habit of being struck with the pitchfork, or being kicked and cuffed, will watch carefully the stable-man, and show by their nervousness in the stable what they are expecting, while of the master they will show no sign of fear. Stable-men are often cunning creatures ; they will have soothing words to quiet the animal in the presence of the master. We have always held that, the horse should be spoken to firmly but quietly, and always have an inherent suspicion that a team exhibiting signs of fear at times, where we always hear the keeper speaking to them in soothing tones, are abused in secret. No sane man Avould practice such treatment to his own stock, and no man who is obliged to leave valuable animals in the care of servants should fail to know that they are doing their duty. It is not enough that the stable-men feed the regular rations, that they clean and exercise prop- erly. It should be made important that in all their intercourse with the animals under their care, they be not unduly punished, nor in any other respect abused. CHAPTER X. HOW TO BUY. HOW TO GET CORRECT INFORMATION. II. THE BUYER MUST KNOW WHAT HE WANTS. III. PROPORTIONS OF THE HORSE. IV. THE CLEVELAND BAY FOR PROFIT. V. THE LIGHT HARNESS HORSE. VI. SADDLE HORSES OF ALL GAITS. VII. THE HIGII- BRKD HUNTING HORSE. VIII. RACING HORSES. IX. WHAT THE RACER SHOULD lii:. X. TO AVOID VICES AND DEFCCTS— HOW TO DETECT. XI. OTHER FAULTS AND IMPERFECTIONS. I. How to Get Correct Information. Every horse owner sooner or later becomes a judge of what he is buy- ing. If he depends entirely upon the lessons learned through cheats that are practiced upon him by sharp jockeys, life is too short for him'ever to become an adept in distinguishing vice, unsoundness, "dosed up" and used up horses as among the various tricks and swindles practiced upon the ignorant and unwary. Generally after being cheated, or absolutely swindled a few times, the breeder goes to the only correct source of information, concisely written and carefully illustrated books. He is thus enabled not only to s'tudy, but subsequently to carry in his mind what he has read and seen ; he comes to compare critically the living animal with the illustrations and descriptions, and thus becomes an expert himself, and in a hundredth part of the time by which he could acquire correct information in any other way. This is precisely the means used by any professional man in the acquisition of true knowledge in the pursuit of his profession, whether it be in a learned profession or in the education to practical art. Thereafter practice makes perfect. II. The Buyer Must Know What he Wants. Suppose he is looking for stock from which to breed trotting horses. He must then consider the type of horse he wishes to breed ; whether for ]55 156 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. .peed alone, or for style and speed. That is, first class road horses o^ large, strong able horses, combn.ing in as great a degree as may be hrl ro^-I.,rf of f ,r "'•''''• ".'f *° '''«'' "'^'^ '™'«"g stallions, we give what suc^ ho r\ ff'"'^ ?-d ^"-gh for sires, and as model! of what such horses should be. The first showing eminent breeding, with THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 15^ style enough : rather straight on his fetlocks, according to the idea of many good horsemen, but with length enough, from our standpoint, to give flexibility. A horse compact and smooth, with excellent flat and smewy limbs, good feet, ample chest, good lungs, fine eye, broad fore- head, and strong jaws. The head not the ideal of modern "blood horsemen," but nevertheless showing docility and intelligence in a high degree. Showing also high breeding in every part. 158 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. The cut on page 157 is of a horse of great style aild endurance, fine all over. A horse that will go with his head well ud : limbs exceedingly fine, mane rather light, but with plenty of tail, as a horsp should have ; evidently showing Morgan blood, dashed with Bell Founder and other thorough blood. Between the two, for real and intrinsic merit, the first should be taken. There is plenty of style about him, and strength. There is also a body of fine character on limbs of great power. Such will be found accept- able and sought after always by gentlemen wanting a single horse, or a pair for driving on the road, or for driving in the city park-ways in the THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 159 afternoon. Either of the two will make capital and stylish saddle horses, if well trained, such as no gentleman of ordinary weight or any lady need be ashamed of when taking the afternoon trot or canter on the fashionable boulevards or park-drives of our large cities, or on the streets or roadings of cities having no parks. The first the best horse, the sec- ond the most stylish. The third cut we give is that of a horse of larije size and stron. parison betw^een that of Bertrand and Floride. *J}o8ton's ancestors. fl^crby and St. Leger winners. 216 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR On the Union Course, New York, the fastest four-mile heats were as follows : Fashion, 5 years, 111 lbs., and Boston, 9 years, 126 lbs., 7.32 1-!^ —7.45, Tally-ho, 4 years, 104 lbs., and Bostona, 5 years. 111 lbs., 7.33 — 7.43. Fashion, aged, 123 lbs., and Peytona, 5 years, 117 lbs., 7.39—7.45. Eclipse, 9 years, 12^" lbs., and Henry, 4 years, 108 lbs., 7.37 1-2 —7.49. Red-Eye, 8 years, 126 lbs., and One-Eyed Joe, 6 years, 117 lbs., 7.52 —7.39. Lady Clifden, 4 years, 101 lbs., and Picton, 3 years, 90 lbs., Picton winning first heat, 7.44—7.43 1-2—7.56 1-2. Principles of Breeding. In relation to the principles and practice of breeding for the turl and for general purposes, Stonehenge on British Rural Sports, than whom none could be more competent to advise, and although written from an English stand-jioint is applicable to any country or conditions The author, in an essay holds the following : THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF BREEDING FOR THE TURF AND FOl; GENERAL PURPOSES. Before proceeding to enlarge upon the practical management of th« breeding stud, it will be well to ascertain what are the known laws of generation in the higher animals. The union of the sexes is, in all the higher animals, necessary foi reproduction ; the male and female each taking their respective share. The office of the male is to secrete the semen in the testes, and emit it into the uterus of the female, where it comes in contact with the ovum of the female — which remains sterile without it. The female forms the ovum in the ovary, and at regular times, varying in different animals, this descends into the uterus for the purpose of fructification, on receiving the stimulus and addition of the sperm-cell of the semen. The semen consists of two portions — the spermatozoa, which have an automatic power of moving from place to place, by which quality it is believed that the semen is carried to the ovum ; and the sperm-cells, which are intended to co-operate with the germ-cell of the ovum in form- ing the embryo. The ovum consists of the germ-cell, intended to form part of the embryo, — and the yolk, which nourishes both, until the vessels of the mother take upon themselves the task ; or, in oviparous animals, till hatching takes place, and external food is to be obtained. The ovum is RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 217 carried down by the contractile power of the fallopian tubes from the ovary to the uterus, and hence it does not require automatic particles hke the semen. The embryo, or young animal, is the result of the contact of the semen with the ovum, inunediately after which the s'Jjerm-cell of the former is absorbed into the germ-cell of the latter. Upon this a ten- dency to increase or "grow" is established, and supported at first, by the nutriment contained in the yolk of the ovum, until the embryo has attached itself to the walls of the uterus, from which it afterwards ab- »iorbs its nourishment by the intervention of the placenta. As the male and female each furnish their quota to the formation of the embryo, it is reasonable to expect that each shall be represented in At, which is found to be the case in nature ; but as the food of the embryo entirely depends upon the mother, it may be expected that the health of the offspring and its constitutional poAvers will be more in accordance with her state than with that of the father ; yet since the sire furnishes one-half of the original germ, it is not surprising that in externals and general character there is retained 'A facsimile, to a certain extent of him. The ovum of mammalia differs from that of birds chiefly in the greater size of the yolk of the latter, because in them this body is intended to support the growth of the embryo from the time of the full formation of the egg until the period of hatching. On the other hand, in mam- malia the placenta conveys nourishment from the internal surface of the uterus to the embryo during the whole time which elapses between the entrance of the ovum into the uterus and its birth. This period embraces nearly the whole of the interval between conception and birth, and is called utero-gestation. In all the mammalia there is a periodical " heat," marked by certain discharges in the female, and sometimes by other remarkal)le symptoms in the male. In the former it is accompanied in all healthy subjects by the descent of an ovum or ova into the uterus ; and in both there is a strong desire for sexual intercourse, which never takes place at other times in them. The semen retains its fructifying power for some days, if it be con- tained within the walls of the uterus or vagina, but soon ceases to be fruitful if kept in any other vessel. Hence, although the latter part of the time of heat is the best for the union of the sexes, because then the ovum is ready for the contact with the semen, yet if the semen reaches the uterus first, it will still cause a fruitful impregnation, because it remains there uninjured until the descent of the ovum. The influence of the male upon the embryo is partly dependent upon the fact that he furnishes a portion of its substance in the shape of the 218 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. sperm-cell, but also in great measure upon the effect exerted upon the nervous system of the mother by him. Hence the preponderance of one or other of the parents will, in great measure, depend upon the* greater or less strength of nervous system in each. No general law is known by which* this can be measured, nor is anything known of the laws which regulate the temperament, bodily or mental power, color or conformation of the resulting offspring. Acquired qualities are transmitted, whether they belong to the sire or dam, and also both bodily and mental. As bad qualities are quite as easily transmitted as good ones, if not more so, it is necessary to take care that in selecting a male to improve the stock he be free from bad points, as well as furnished with good ones. It is known by experience that the good or bad points of the progenitors of the sire or dam are almost as likely to appear again in the offspring, as those of the imme- diate parents in whom they are dormant. Hence, in breeding the rule is, that like produces like, or the likeness of some ancestoi\ The purer or less mixed the breed, the more likely it is to be trans- mitted unaltered to the offspring. Hence, whichever parent is of the purest blood will be generally more represented in the offspring ; but as the male is usually more carefully selected, and of purer blood than the female, it generally follows that he exerts more influence than she does ; the reverse being the case when she is of more unmixed blood than the sire. Breeding "in-and-in" is injurious to mankind, and has always been forbidden by the Divine law, as well as by most human lawgivers. On the other hand, it prevails extensively in a state of nature with all grega- rious animals, among whom the strongest male letains his daughters and granddaughters until deprived of his harem Jby younger and stronger rivals. Hence, in those of our domestic animals which are naturally gre- garious, it is reasonable to conclude that breeding "in-and-in" is not prejudicial, because it is in conformity with their natural instincts, if not carried farther by art, than nature teaches by her example. Now, in nature we find about two consecutive crosses of the same blood is the usual extent to which it is carried, as the life of the animal is the limit ; and it is a remarkable fact that in practice a conclusion has been arrived at, which exactly coincides with these natural laws. "Once in and once out," is the rule for breeding given by Mr. Smith in his work on the breeding for the turf ; but twicS in will be found to be more in accord- ance with the practice of our most successful breeders. The influence of the first impregnation seems to extend to the subse- quent ones ; this has been proved by several experiments, and is espe- cially marked in the equine genus. In the series of examples preserved RACING. OR TURF HORSES. 219 ni the Museum of the College of Surgeons, the markings of the male quagga, when united with the ordinary mare, are continued clearly for ^ three generations beyond the one in which the quagga Avas the actual sire ; and they are so clear as to leave the question settled without a doubt. When some of the elements, of which an individual sire is composed are in accordance with others making up those of the dam, they coalesce in such a kindred way as to make what is called "a hit." On the other hand, when they are too incongruous, an animal is the result wholly nutitted for the task he is intended to perform. IN-AND-IN BREEDING. By a careful examination of the pedigrees of our most remarkable horses, it will be seen that in all cases there is some in-breeding ; and in the greater part of the most successful a very considerable infusion of it. It is ditficult to say what is not to be considered such, or when to make it commence, for in all cases there is more or less relationship between the sire and dam of every thoroughbred horse ; at least, I cannot find a single exception — and again, for instance, examining the pedigree of Harkawav, which is the result of one of the most direct crosses in the Stud-book, M'e find that his sire and dam are both descended from Eclipse and Herod through three or four strains on each side, as will be seen by referring to page 215. The same will apply to Alarm, who also is the result of as direct a cross as is often seen ; and, in fact, whatever jiedigree is ana- lyzed, the result will be that the bulk of it in the fifth or sixth remove is made up of Eclipse, Herod, and Matchem, or Regulus blood. It is not that a horse goes back to one of these stallions in one line onlv, but through six or seven, and sometimes through nearly all his progenitors. Hence, it may be fairly assumed that all the horses of the present day are related, either closely or distantly ; but when we speak of in-and-in breeding, we mean a nearer relationship than this, such as a first cousin, or, at the most, one in the second or third degree. But I believe it will be found that even this amount of relationship is desirable, if not carried too far, and that a vast number of our best modern horses have been bred in this way. OUT-CROSSTNG. By crossing the blood, we understand the selection of a sire composed of w^holly different blood from that of the dam, or as different as can be obtained of such quality as is suitable to the particular purpose in view. Thus, in breeding race-horses it is found that contiiming in the same strain beyond two stages deteriorates the constitutional health, diminishes the bone, and lowers the height : hence, it is important to avoid this evil, and another strain must be selected which shall lead to 220 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. the same results as were previously in existence, without the above dete rioration ; and this is called out-crossing, or more commonly, crossing: The great difficulty is to obtain this object without destroying that harmon}- of proportions, and due subordination of one part to another which is necessary for the race, horse, and without which he seldom attains high speed. Almost every individual breed has peculiar cliaracteristics, andj so long as the sire and dam are both in possession of them they will continue to reappear in the produce ; but if a dam possessing them is put to a horse of different character, the result is often that the produce is not a medium between the two, but is in its anterior parts like its dam, and in its posterior resembling its sire, or vice versa, than which no more unfortunate result can occur. Thus, we will suppose that a very strong muscular horse is put to a very light racing mare ; instead of the produce being moderately stout all over, he will often be very stout and strong behind, and very light and weak before, and as a consequence his hind- quarters will tire his fore limbs, by giving them more to do than they have the power of accomplishing. This is well seen in Crucifix, who was a very wiry and fast, but light mare, with a fore-quarter hardly capable of doing the work of her own hind-quarter. Now, she has several times been put to Touchstone — a horse remarkable for getting bad-shouldered stock, but with strong muscular propellers — and, with the solitary exception of Surplice; these have been a series of failures. Surplice was also defective in the same way, but still he managed to get along in an awkward style, but somehow or other at a great pace. Cowl, on the other hand, was a better galloper, because there was a greater harmony of parts ; but he was somewhat deficient in the stout qualities which Touchstone was intended to supply ; yet he will prove, I fancy, a better stallion than Surplice, because he is more truly made, and by consequence more likely to perpetuate his own likeness. COMPARISON or IN-BRED AND CROSSED STALLIONS. The following list of thirty of the most immediately successful stallions of late years shows the proportion of in-bred to crossed horses of this class to be equal. I have omitted such as only became celebrated through their daughters as brood-mares, for instance, Defence, etc. IN-BRED STALLIONS. 1. Priam. 2. Bay Middleton. 3. Melbourne. 4. Cotherstone. 5. Pyrrhus I. 6. The Baron. T.Orlando. 8. Ithuriel. 9. Cowl. 10. The Saddler. 11. Sweetmeat. 12. Chatham. 13. Flying Dutchman. 14. Sir Tatton Sykes. 15. Chanticleer. RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 221 CROSSED STALLIONS. 1. Partisan. 2. Eniilius. 3. Touchstone. 4. Birdcatcher. 5. Sir Hercules. 6. Voltaire. 7. Plenipotentiary. 8. Pantaloon. 9. Lan- ercost. 10. Venison. 11. Alarm. 12. Ion. 13. Harkaway, 14. Velocipede. 15. Hetman Platoff. SELECTION OF BROOD MARE. In choosing the brood mare, four things must be considered — first, her blood ; secondly, her frame ; thirdly, her state of health ; and fourthly, her temper. Her blood or breeding will mainly depend upon the views of the breeder — that is to say, what particular class of colts he wishes to obtain, and according to his decision he will look out for mares of the particular kind he desires to reproduce, on the principle that "like begets like," but subject to the various considerations partly alluded to in the last chapter, and partly in this and subsequent ones. In frame, the mare should be so formed as to be capable of carrying and well nourishing her offspring; that is, she should be what is called "roomy." There is a formation of the hips which is particularly unfit for breeding purposes, and yet which is sometimes carefully selected, be- cause it is considered elegant ; this is the level and straight hip, in Avhich the tail is set on very high, and the end of the haunch-bone is ncarlv on a level with the projection of the hip-bone. The opposite form is repre- sented in the skeleton given with the article "Horse," which is that of a thoroughbred mare, well formed for this breeding purpose, but in other' respects rather too slight. By examining her pelvis, it will be seen that the haunch-bone forms a considerable angle with the sacrum, and that, as a consequence, there is plenty of room, not only for carrying the foal, but for allowing it to pass into the world. Both of these points are important, the former evidentlj^ so, and the latter no less so on consider- ation, because if the foal is injured in the birth, either of necessity, or from ignorance or carelessness, it will often fail to recover its powers, and will remain permanently injured. The pelvis, then, should be wide and deep — that is to say, it should be large and roomy ; and there should also be a little more than the average length from the hip to "the shoul- der, so as to give plenty of bed for the foal ; as well as a good depth of back-ribs, which are necessary in order to support this increased length. This gives the whole framework of the trunk of a larger proportion than is always desirable in the race-horse, which may be easily overtopped ; and hence many good runners have failed as brood mares, whilst a great number of bad runners have been dams of good race-horses. Beyond this roomy frame, necessary as the egg shell of the foal, the mare only 222 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. requires such a shape and make as is well adapted for the particuhir pur. pose she is intended for ; or if not possessing it herself, she should belong to a family having it. If one can be obtained with these requisites in her own person, so much the more likely will she be to produce race- horses ; but if not all, then it is better that she should add as many as possible to the needful framework, without which her office can hardly be well carried out. But with this suitable frame, if she belongs to a family w^iich, as a rule, possesses all the attributes of a race-horse, she may be relied on Avith some degree of certainty, even though she herself should fail in some of them. Thus, there are many fine roomy mares which have been useless as race-horses from being deficient in the power of some one quarter, either behind or before, or perhaps a little too slack in the h)in for their length. Such animals, if of good runnhig fam- ilies, should not be despised ; and many such have stood their owners in good stead. On the other hand, some good-looking animals have never thrown good stock, because they were only exceptional cases, and their families were of bad running blood on all or most sides. No mare could •look much more unlike producing strong stock than Pocahontas, but be- ing of a family which numbers Selim, Bacchante, Tramp, Web, Orville, Eleanor, and Marmion among its eight members in the third remove, it can scarcely occasion suprprise that she should respond to the call of the Baron by producing a Stockwell and a Rataplan. In health, the brood mare should be as near jDcrfection as the artificial state of this animal will allow ; at all events, it is the most important point of all, and in every case the mare should be very carefully exam- ined, with a view to discover what deviations from a natural state have been entailed upon her by her own labors, and what she has inherited from her ancestors. Independently of the c(msequence of accidents, all deviations from a state of health in the mare may be considered as more or less transmitted to her, because in a thoroughly sound constitution, no ordinary treatment such as training consists of will produce disease, and it is only hereditary predispositions which, under this process, entails its appearance. Still there are positive, comparative, and superlative de- grees of objectionable diseases incidental to the brood mare, which should be accepted or refused accordingly. All accidental defect, such as bro- ken knees, dislocated hii>s, or even "breaks down," may be passed over; the latter, however, only when the stock from which the mare is de- scended are famous for standing their work without this frailty of sinew and ligament. Spavins, ring-bones, large splints, side-bones, and, in fact, all bony enlargements, are constitutional defects, and will be almost sure to be perpetuated, more or less, according to the degree in which RACING, OR TURF ITORSEP. 22.^ they exist in the particular case. Curby hocks are also hereditary, and should be avoided ; though many a one much bent at the junction of the OS calcis with the astragalus is not at all liable to curbs. It is the defect- ive condition of the ligaments there, not the angular junction, which leads to curbs ; and the breeder should carefully investigate the individ- ual case before accepting or rejecting a mare with suspicious hocks. Bad feet, whether from contraction or from too flat and thin a sole, should also be avoided ; but when they have obviously arisen from bad shoeing, the defect may be passed over. Such are the chief varieties of unsoundness in the legs which require circumspection ; the good points w^hich, on the other hand, are to be look- ed for, are those considered desirable in all horses that are subjected to the shocks of the gallop. Calf knees are generally bad in the race horse, and are very apt to be transmitted, whilst the opposite form is also per- petuated, l)ut is not nearly so disadvantageous. Such are the general considerations bearing upon soundness of limb. That of the wind is no less important. Broken-winded mares seldom breed, and they are therefore out of the question, if for no other reason ; but no one would risk the recurrence of this disease, even if he could get such a mare stinted. Roaring is a much-vexed question, which is by no means theoretically settled among our chief veterinary authorities, nor practically by our breeders. Every year, however, it becomes more frequent and important, and the risk of reproduction is too great for any person wilfully to run by breeding from a roarer. As far as I can learn, it appears to be much more hereditary on the side of the mare than on that of the horse ; and not even the offer of a Virago should tempt me to use her as a brood mare. There are so many different conditions which produce what is called "roaring," that it is difficult to form any opinion which shall apply to all cases. In some instances, where it has arisen from neglected strangles, or from a simple inflammation of the larynx, the result of cold, it will probably never reappear ; but when the genuine ideopathic roaring has made its appearance, apparently depending upon a disease of the nerves of the larynx, it is ten to one that the produce will suffer in the same way. Blindness, again, may or may not be hereditary ; but in all cases it should be viewed with suspicion as great as that due to roaring. Simple cataract without inflammation undoubtedly runs in families ; and when a horse or mare has both eyes suffering from this disease, witliout any other derangement of the eye, I should eschew them carefully. When blind- ness is the result of violent inflammation brought on by bad management or by influenza, or any other similar cause, the eye itself is more or less 22-4 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. disoro-anized ; and though this itself is objectionable, as showing a weak- ness of the organ, it is not so bad as the regular cataract. Such are the chief absolute defects, or deviations from health in the mare ; to which may be added a general delicacy of constitution, wiiich can only be guessed from the amount of flesh which she carries while sucklino- or on poor "keep," or from her appearance on examination by an experienced hand, using his eyes as well. The firm, full muscle, the brio-ht and lively eye, the healthy-looking coat at all seasons, rough thouo-h it may be in wduter, proclaim the hardiness of constitution which is wanted, but which often coexists with infirm legs and feet. Indeed, sometimes the very best-topped animals have the vv^orst legs and feet, chiefly owing to the extra weight they and their ancestors also have had to carry. Crib-biting is sometimes a habit acquired from idleness, as also is wind-sucking ; but if not caused by indigestion, it often leads to it, and is very commonly caught by the offspring. It is true that it may be prevented by a strap ; but it is nor a desirable accomplishment in the mare, though of less importance than those to w^hich I have already allu- ded, if not accompanied by absolute loss of health, as indicated by ema- ciation, or the state of the skin. Lastly, the temper is of the utmost importance, by which must be un- derstood not that gentleness at grass which may lead the breeder's fam- ily to pet the mare, but such a temper as will serve for the purposes of her rider, and will answer to the stimulus of the voice, whip or spur. A craven or a rogue is not to be thought of as the "mother of a family ;" and if a mare belongs to a breed which is remarkable for refusing to an- swer the call of the rider, she should be consigned to any task rather than the stud-farm. Neither should a mare be used for this purpose which had been too irritable to train, unless she happened to be an excep- tional case ; but if of an irritable family, she would be worse even than a roarer, or a blind one. These are defects which are apparent in the colt or-filly, but the irritability which interferes with training often leads to the expenditure of large sums on the faith of private trials, which are lost from the failure in public, owing to this defect of nervous system. CHOICE OF STALLION. Like the brood mare, the stallion requires several essentials — com- mencing also like her, first, with his blood ; secondly, his individual shape ; thirdly, his health ; and, fourthl}^ his temper. But there is this difficulty in selecting the stallion, that he must not only be suitable joer.se, but he must also be adapted to the particular mare which he is to " serve." Thus, it will be manifest that the task is more difficult than the fixing upon a brood mare, because (leaving out of considerations all other RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 225 points but blood) in the one case, a mare only has to be chosen which is of good blood for racing purposes, while in the other there must be the same attention paid to this particular, and also to the stallion's suitability to the mare, or to *' hit "with her blood. Hence, all the various theories connected wdth generation must be investigated, in order to do justice to the subject ; and the breeder must make up his mind whether in-and-in- breeding, as a rule, is desirable or otherwise ; and if so, whether it is adapted to the particuUir case he is considering. Most men make up their minds one way or the other on this subject, and act accordingly, in which decision much depends upon the prevailing fashion. The rock upon which most men sj^lit is a bigoted favoritism for some particular horse ; thus, one man puts all his mares to Orlando ; another, to Surplice or the Flying Dutchman ; although they may every one be different in blood and form to the others. Now, this cannot possibly be right if there is any principle whatever in breeding ; and however good a horse may be, he cannot be suited to all mares. Some, again, will say that any horse will do, and that all is a lottery ; but I think I shall be able to show that there is some science required to enable the breeder to draw many prizes. That the system generally followed of late is a bad one, I am satisfied, and with constant crossing and re-crossing it is almost a lottery ; but upon proper principles, and wdth careful management, I am tempted to believe that there would be fewer blanks than at present. I have already given my own theoretical views upon the case, illustrated by numerous examples on both sides of the question. It will now^ be my object to apply these views practically by selecting particular instances. In choosing the particular blood which will suit any given mare, my impression alwaj^s would be, that it is desirable to fix upon the best strain in her pedigree, if not already twice bred in-and-in, and then to put to her the best stallion available of that blood. In some cases, of course, it will happen that the second best strain will answer better, because there happens to be a better horse of that blood to be had than of the superior strain, which would otherwise be preferred. If, on the other hand, the mare has already been in-bred to the extent of two degrees, then a cross will be advisable ; but I am much inclined to believe, from the success of certain well-known cases, that even then a cross into blood already existing in the mare, but not recently in-bred nor used more than once, will sometimes answer. Upon these principles I should, therefore, look for success. It is surprising to me that this very common occurrence of in-breeding among our best modern horses has so generally escaped observation, and the only way in which I can explain it is by supposing, that having frequently been through the grandam on either 226 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. side it has been lost sight of, because the knowledge of the sire's anvl grandsire's blood is generally the extent to which the inquiry goes. Thus, we find the most recent writer on the subject, who assumes the name of "Craven," asserting, at page 121 of "The Horse" — "There is no proximity of relationship in the genealogy of the Flying Dutchman, Touchstone, Melbourne, Epirus, Alarm, Bay Middleton, Hero, Orlando, Irish Birdcatcher, Cossack, Harkaway, Tearaway, Lothario, or others of celebrity." Now, of these the Flying Dutchman is the produce of second cousins ; Bay Middleton, his sire, being also in-bred to William- son's Ditto and Walton, own brothers; and Orlando, containing in his pedigree Selim twice over, and Castrel, his brother, in addition. Mel- bourne also is the produce of third cousins, both his sire and dam being descended from Highflyer. But if to these four, which he has specially named, be added the numerous "others of celebrity" to which I have drawn attention, besides a host of lesser stars too numerous to mention, it will be admitted that he assumes for granted the exact opposite of what is really the case. The choice of particular stallions, as dependent upon their formation, is not less difficult than that of the mare, and it must be guided by nearly the same principles, except that there is no occasion for any framework especially calculated for nourishing and containing the foetus, as in her case. As far as possible, the horse should be the counterpart of what is desired in the produce, though sometimes it may be necessary to select an animal of a breed slightly exaggerating the peculiarity which is sought for, especially when that is not connected with the preponderance of fore or hind-quarters. Thus, if the mare is very leggy, a more than usually short-legged horse may be selected, or if her neck is too short or too long, an animal with this organ particularly long, or the reverse as the case may be, should be sought out. But in all cases it is dangerous to attempt too sudden alteration with regard to size, as the effort will gen- erally end in a colt without a due proportion of parts, and therefore more or less awkward and unwieldly. In constitution and general health, the same remarks exactly apply to the horse as the mare. All hereditary diseases are to be avoided as far as possible, though few horses are to be met with entirely free from all kinds of unsoundness, some the effects of severe training, and others resulting from actual disease, occurring from other causes. With regard to fatness, there is an extraordinary desire for horses absolutely loaded with fat, just as there formerly was for overfed oxen at Christmas. It is quite true that the presence of a moderate quantity of fat is a sign of a good constitution, but, like all other good qualities, it may be carried to excess, so as to produce disease ; and just as there often is hypertro- "RvcrNo. on turf ho"R5;es. * 227 phy, or excess of nourishment of the heart, or any bony parts, so is there often a like superabundance of fat causing obstruction to the due performance of the animal functions, and often ending in premature death. This is in great measure owing to want of exercise, but also to over-stimulating food ; and the breeder who wishes his horse to last, and also to get good stock, should take especial care that he has enough of the one and not too much of the other. In temper, also, there is no more to be added to what I have said relating to the mare, except that there are more bad-tempered stallions to be met with than mares, independently of their running, and this is caused by the constant state of unnatural excitement in which they are kept. This kind of vice is, however, not of so much importance, as it does not affect the running of the stock, and solely interferes with their stable management. BEST AGE TO BREED FROM. It is commonly supposed that one or other of the j^arents should be of mature age, and that if both are very young, or very old, the produce wi)l be decrepit or w^eakly. A great many of our best horses have been out of old mares, or by old horses — as, for instance, Priam out of Cressida, at twenty ; Crucifix, out of Octaviana, at twenty-two ; and Lottery and Brutandorf , out of Mandane, at twenty and twenty-one ; Voltaire got Voltigeur at twenty-one ; Bay Middieton w^as the sire of Andover at eighteen, and Touchstone got Newrainster at seventeen. On the other hand, many young stallions and mares have succeeded well, and in numberless instances the first foal of a mare has been the best she ever produced. In the olden times, Mark Antony and Conductor w^ere the first foals of their dams ; and more recently, Shuttle Pope, Filho da Puta, Sultan, Pericles, Oiseau, Doctor Syntax, Manfred and Pantaloon, have all been first-born. Still these are exceptions, and the great bulk of superior horses are produced later in the series. The youngest dam which I ever heard of was Monstrosity, foaled in 1838, who produced Ugl}'^ Buck at three years old, having been put to Venison when only two years of age. Her dam, also, was only one year older when she was foaled ; and Venison himself Avas quite a young stallion, being only seven years old when he got Ugly Buck ; so that, altogether, the last mentioned horse was a remarkable instance of successful breeding; from young parents. As in most cases of the kind, howeyer, his early promises were not carried out, and he showed far better as a two-year-old, and early in the following year, than in his maturity. Such is often the case, and, I believe, is a very general rule in breeding all animals, whether horses, dogs, or cattle. The general practice in breeding is to use young stal- 228 ' ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOK. lions with old mares, and to put young mares to old stallions ; and such appears to be the best plan, judging from theory as well as practice. BEST TIME FOR BREEDING. For all racing purposes, an early foal is important, because the age takes date from the 1st of January. The mare, therefore, should be put to the horse in February, so as to foal as soon after January 1st as possible. As, however, many mares foal a little before the end of the eleventh month, it is not safe to send her to the horse before the middle of the second month in the year. For further particulars, see "Thoughts on Breeding," and the " Stud-Farm," in which the general management of the mare and foal is fully detailed. It will be interesting that the reader have a pretty complete record of the best time at various distances in racing. Such a record has been care- fully compiled for Turf, Field and Farm up to the close of the sea- son of 1879 ; and which we append : Fastest and Best Time, and Most Creditable Performances on Record, at all Distances, to end of Year 1879. HALF A MILE. Olitipa, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 25, 1874, 0:47 3-4. Pomeroy, by Planet, Louisville, Ky., May 23, 1877, 0:49 1-4. Harold, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 23, 1878, :49 1-4. Idalia, by imp. Glenelg, Jerome Park, June 8, 1876, :49 1-2. Leona, by War Dance, Lexington, Ky., May 12, 1874, :49 1-2. Blue Lodge, by Fellowcraft, Lexington, Ky., May 10, 1879, :49 1-2. Duke of Magenta, by Lexington, Saratoga, July 24, 1877, 0:49 1-2. Idalia, by imp. Glenelg, Long Branch, July 4, 1876, :49 3-4. Sensation, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 22, 1879, 0:49:3-4. Kimball, by imp. Buckden, Louisville, Ky., May 21, 1879, 0:49 3-4. Observanda, by Tom Bowling, Louisville, Ky., May 21, 1879, :49 3-4. Grenada, by King Alfonso, Long Branch, July 5, 1879, :49 3-4. FIVE-EIGHTHS OF A MILE. Bonnie Wood, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Saratoga, July 20, 1878, I :02 3-4. Grenada, by King Alfonso, Saratoga, Aug. 10, 1879, 1 :03 1-2. Harold, by imp. Leamington, Long Branch, July 4, 1878, 1 :03 1-2. Rachel, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Long Branch, July 6, 1878, 1 :03 1-2. Palmetto, by Narragansett, Saratoga, Aug. 10, 1876, 1 :03 1-2. Khadamanthus, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 2.5, 1876, 1 :03 1-2. Egypt (aged), by Planet, Saratoga, July 19, 1879, 1 :04. EACING, OR TURF HORSES, 220 Aristides, by imp. Leamington, Jerome Park, Oct. 7, 1874, 1 :04 1-2. Volturno, by imp. Billet, Saratoga, Aug. 21, 1878, 1 :04 3-4. THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE. First Chance, by Baywood, Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 17, 1876, 1 :15. Lady Middleton, by imp. Hurrah, Saratoga, Aug. 1, 1879. 1:17, 1 :15 1-4. First was dead heat with Checkmate. Bill Bruce, by Enquirer, Lexington, Ky., May 12, 1876, 1 :15 1-2. Connor, by Norfolk, Carson, Nev., Oct. 19, 1879, 1 :15 1-2. Rhadamanthus, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 19, 1877, 1 :15 1-2. Florence B., by Tom Bowling, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 20, 1879. 1:15 3-4. Madge, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 21, 1874, 1 :15 3-4. Alarm, by imp. Eclipse, Saratoga, July 15, 1872, 1 :16.^ Belle of the Meade, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 9,1876,1:16. Enquiress, by Enquirer, Detroit, July 5, 1879. 1 :16. Egypt (aged), by Planet, Louisville, Ky., May 26, 1877. 1:1 7. Milan, by Melbourne, Jr., Louisville, Ky., May 26, 1877, 1:16. Girofle, by imp. Leamington, Prospect Park, Sept. 13, 1879, 1 :16 1-4. Spendthrift, by Australian, Nashville, Oct. 8, 1878,1.16 1-2. Checkmate, by imp. Glen Athol, Saratoga, Aug. 15, 1879, 1 :16 1-4. Kimball, by imp. Buckden, St. Louis, June 13, 1879, 1:16 1-2. Mistake, by Waverly, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 23, 1879, 1 :16 1-2. Madge, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, N. Y., Aug. 15, 1876, 1 :16 1-2. Glendalia", by imp. Glenelg, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 24, 1879, 1 :16 1-2. Pigne, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 27, 1877, 1 :16 3-4. Tom Bowling, by Lexington, Long Branch, 1872, 1:16 3-4. Bowling Green, by Tom Bowling, Louisville, Sept. 24, 1879, 1 :16 3-4 Duke of Magenta, by Denington, Saratoga, Aug. 16, 1877, 1 :16 3-4 Spartan, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 16, 1877, 1 :16 3-4. Sly Dance, by War Dance, Louisville^ Sept. 22, 1879, 1 :16 3-4. Bye and Bye, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Louisville, Sept. 22, 1879, 1:16 3-4. McWhirter, by Enquirer, Louisville, Ky., May 15, 1879, 1 :17. Wallenstein, by Waverly, Lexington, Ky., May 15, 1879, 1 :17. Countess, by Kentucky, Saratoga, 1873, 1 :17 1-2. Beatrice, by Kentucky, Long Branch, 1:17 1-2. Luke Blackburn, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Prospect Park, Sept. 6, 1879, 1:17 1-2. Oden, by Vauxhall, Saratoga, Aug. 7, 1879, 1 :17 3-4. Idalia, by imp. Glenelg, Saratoga, Aug. 5, 1878, 1 :18. 15 - 230 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Spartan, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 22, 1877, 1:19. ONE MILE. Ten Broeck, by imp. Phaeton, Louisville, Ky., May 24, 1877, 1 :39 3-4. Leauder (Searcher), by Enquirer, Lexington, Ky., May 13, 1875, 1 :41 3-4. Redman, by War Dance, Lexington, Ky., May 13, 1876, 1 :42 1-4. Danger, by Alarm, Baltimore, May 23, 1878, 1 :42 1-2. Mahlstick, by Lever, Lexington, Ky., Sept. 20, 1877, 1 :42 1-2. Chas. Gorham, by Blarneystone, Lexington, Ky., Sep. 20, 1877, 1:42 1-2. Dead heat. Grey Planet, by Planet, Saratoga, Aug. 13, 1874, 1 :42 1-2. Dan K., by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Louisville, Ky., May 29, 1877, 1 :42 -1-2. Goodnight, by Enquirer, Louisville, Ky., Sep. 23, 1879, 1 :42 1-2 Katie Pease, by Planet, Buffalo, N. Y., Sep. 8, 1874, 1 :42 3-4. Alarm, by imp. Eclipse, Saratoga, July 17, 1872, 1 :42 3-4. Glenmore, by imp. Glen Athol, Detroit, July 4, 1879, 1 :42 3-4. Virginus, by Virgil, Saratoga, Aug. 4, 1877, 1 :42 3-4. Cammie T., by imp. Glenelg, Louisville, Sept. 20, 1879, 1:43. Mistake, by Waverly, Louisville, Sept. 26, 1879, 1 :43 1-2. Edinburg, by Longfellow, Lexington, May 11, 1878, 1 :43 1-2. Belle of the Meade, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Louisville, Sept. 25, 1876, 1:44 1-2. Belle of the Meade, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Louisville, Sept. 27, 1876, 1:44 1-4. Spendthrift, by imp. Australian, Nashville, Oct. 12, 1878, 1 :44 1-4. Clara D., by imp. Glenelg, Sacramento, Sept. 27, 1877, 1:44 1-2. Astral, by Asteroid, Lexington, Ky., Sept. 12, 1873, 1 :44 3-4. Parole, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 10, 1875, 1 :44 3-4. Aristides, by imp. Leamington, Baltimore, Oct. 22, 1874, 1 :44 3-4. Susquehanna, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 8, 1876, 1 :45. Charley Howard, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 17, 1876, 1:45. Firework, by Lexington, Baltimore, Oct., 1874, 1:45. Hamburg, by Lexington, Cincinnati, 1869, 1:45. Battle Axe, by Monday, Saratoga, 1873, 1:45 1-2. Spendthrift, (aged) by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Jerome Park, June 6, 1876, 1:46 1-2. Tom Bowling, by Lexington, Long Branch, Aug. 8, 1872, 1 :47. MILE HEATS. Kadi, by Lexington, Hartford, Conn, Sept. 2, 1875, fastest second RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 231 heat, rind fastest two heats ever run, 1 -4:2 1-2, 1 :41 1-4. L' Argentine, by War Dance, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 27, 1879. Beati- tude won lirst heat, 1 :42 1-4, 1 :42 1-2, 1 :45 1-2. Mark D., by Monday, Sacramento, Sept. 19, 1878, 1:43, 1 :42 3-4. Himyar, by Alarm, St. Louis, June 4, 1878, 1 :42 1-2, 1 :43 1-2. Camargo, by Jack Malone, Louisville, Ky., May 20, 1875, 1:42 3-4, 1 :43 1-4. Una, by War Dance, Prospect Park, June 25, 1879, 1 :42 1-4, 1 :45. Tom Bowling, by Lexington, ran mile heats at Lexington. Ky., May, 1873, in 1 :43 1-2, 1 :43 1-2. Thornhill, by Woodburn, ran first two heats in 1 :43, 1 :43 ; Thad Ste- vens (aged), by Langford, won the third, fourth and fifth in 1 :43 1-2, 1:46 1-2, 1:45. Clara D., by imp. Glenelg, San Francisco, Sept. 13, 1878, 1 :43, 1 :43 1-2. Brademante, b}^ War Dance, Saratoga, Aug. 9, 1877, 1 :43 1-2, 1 :43 1-2. Bramble, by imp, Bonnie Scotland, Nashville, Oct. 7, 1878, 1 :43, 1 :44. Lena Dunbar, by Leinster, Sacramento, Sept. 17, 1878: 1 :44 1-4, 1 :42 3-4. Springbok, by imp. Australian, Utica, N. Y., June 25, 1874, 1 :45, I :42 3-4. ONE MILE AND ONE-EIGHTH. Bob Woolley, by imp. Leamington, Lexington, Ky., Sept. (3, 1875, 1 :54. Janet Murray, by Panic, Brighton Beach, July 13, 1879, 1 :54 3-4. Blue Eyes, by Enquirer, Louisville, Ky., May 28, 1879, 1 :55 1-4. Warfield, by War Dance, Louisville, Ky., Oct. 1, 1878, 1 ;56. Jack Hardy, by imp. Phaeton, St. Louis, June 4, 1878, 1 :56. Fadladeen, (aged) by War Dance, Saratoga, Aug. 19, 1874, 1 :56. Picolo, Concord, Saratoga, Aug. 15, 1874, 1:56. Himyar, by Alarm, Louisville, Sept. 20, 1879, 1 :56. Jils Johnson, by Longfellow, Lexington, Sept. 11, 1879, 1 :56 1-2. Fannie Ludlow, by imp. Eclipse, Saratoga, Aug. 10, 1879, 1 :56 1-2. Round Dance, by War Dance, Louisville, Sept. 27, 1879, 1:56 1-2. Konrad, by Rebel Morgan, New Orleans, April 26, 1878, 1 :56 1-2. Ben Hill, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Louisville, Sept. 25, 1879, dead heat, 1 :56 3-4. Mollie McGinley, by imp. Glen Athol, Brighton Beach, Sept. 10, 1879,1:57. Una, by War Dance, Prospect Park, Sept. 11, 1879, 1 :57. Susquehanna, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 24, 1877, 1 :57 1-4. Experience Oaks, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 20, 1872, 1 :57 1-4. 232 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Bramble, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Saratoga, Aug. 17, 1878, 1:58. Bramble," " " " " " 9,1879,1:58. Kennesaw, by imp. Glengany, Louisville, May 28, 1878, 1 :58 1-2. Essillah, by Lever, Nashville, Apr. 29, 1879, 1 :58 1-2. Gabriel, by Alarm, Brighton Beach, Sept. 27 1879, 1 :59. Edinburg, by Longfellow, Louisville, Sept. 25, 1878, 1 :59. Diamond, by imp. Leamington, Ogdensburg, N. Y., Sept. 10, 1878, 1:59. Lancewood, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 13, 1879, 1 :59. Belle, by Dickens, Saratoga, July 23, 1878, 1 :59. Khadamanthus, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 15, 1876, 1 :59 3-4. Spendthrift (aged), by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Jerome Park, June 10, 1876,2:00 Phyllis, by imp. Phaeton, Louisville, Sept. 27, 1876, 2:01. Spendthrift, (aged), by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Jerome Park, June 12, 1875, 2 :03 1-4 ONE MILE AND A QUARTER. Charley Gorham, by Blarney stone, I^exington, May 18, 1877, 2: 8 1-2. Falsetto, by Enquirer, Lexington, May 10, 1879, 2:08 3-4. Grimstead, by Gilroy, Saratoga, July 24, 1875, 2 :08 3-4. Frogtown, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Lexington, Ky., May 1872, 2 :09 1-2. Monitor, by imp. Glenelg, Prospect Park, Sept. 9, 1879, 2 :10. Parole, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 20, 1878, 2 :10 1-2. Mate, by imp. Australian, Jerome Park, Oct. 3, 1874, 2:11 3-4. Preakness, by Lexington, Jerome Park, June 13, 1874, 2 :12. ONE MILE AND THREE-EIGHTHS. Spendthrift, by imp. Australian, Jerome Park, June 10, 1879, 2 :25 3-4. Gov. Hampton, by Planet, Prospect Park, June 21, 1879, 2 :26 1-2. Bramble, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Long Branch, July 10, 1879, 2 :27. ONE AND A HALF MILES. Tom Bowling,* by Lexington, May 12, 1874, 2:34 3-4. Parole, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 14, 1877, 2:36 3-4. Lord Murphy, by Pat Maloy, Louisville, May 20, 1879, 2 :37. Day Star, by Star Davis, Louisville, May 21, 1878, 2 :37 1-2. Aristides, by imp. Leamington, Louisville, Ky., May 7, 1875, 2:37 3-4. Glenelg, by Citadel, Long Branch, Aug. 2, 1870, 2 :37 3-4. Shylock, by Lexington, Jerome Park, Oct. 31, 1874, 2 :38. Baden Baden, by imp. Australian, Louisville, May 22, 1877, 2:38. RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 233 Vagrant, by Virgil, Louisville, May 14, 1877, 2:38 1-4. Peru, by imp. Glengarry, Lexington, Ky., Sept. 11, 1871), 2:38 3-4. Belle of Nelson, by Hunter's Lexington, Louisville, May 23, 1878, 2 :39. Imp. Saxon,by Beadsman, Belmont stakes, Jerome Park, June 13, 1874, 2:39 1-2. Tom Ochiltree, by Lexington, Jerome Park, Oct. 14, 1877, 2:43. Zoo Zoo, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 21, 1877, 2:43 1-4. Duke of Magenta, by Lexington, Jerome Park, June 8, 1878, 2 :43 1-2. *Toni Bowling was permitted to extend the run to two miles. He ran the first mile in 1 :41 3-4 ; mile and a half in 2 :34 3-4 ; one and three- quarters miles in 3:00 3-4 ; and two miles in 3:27 3-4. The last two unofficial. ONE MILE AND FIVE-EIGHTHS. Ten Broek, by imp, Phaeton, Lexington, Ky., Sept. 9, 1875, 2 :49 1.4. Monitor, by imp. Glenelg, Prospect Park, Sept. 13, 1879, 2:50 1-2. Springbok, by imp. Australian, Jerome Park, June 20, 1874, 2:53. Brademante, by War Dance, Lexington, May 17, 1877, 2 :53 3-4. Harry Bassett, by Lexington, Belmonte stakes, Jerome Park, June 10, 1871,2:56. Mintzer, by imp. Glenelg, Saratoga, July 23, 1879, 2:58. Katie Pease, by Plant, Ladies' stake, Jerome Park, June 11, 1873, 2 :58 1-4. ONE AND THREE-QUARTER MILES. One Dime, by Wanderer, Lexington. Sept. 12, 1879, 3:05 1-4. Irish King, by Longfellow, Sept. 25, 1879, -3 ;05 1-4. Courier, by Star Davis, Louisville, May 23, 1877, 3 :05 1-4. Reform, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 20, 1874, 3:05 3-4. Mate, by imp. Australian, Long Branch, July 15, 1875, 3 :06 1-4. D'Artagnan, by Lightning, Saratoga, July 24, 1875, 3 ;06 1-2. Gen. Phillips, by imp. Glenelg, Saratoga, Aug. 5, 1879, 3:06 1-2. Emma C, by Planet, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 23, 1875, 3 :06 3-4. Frogtown, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Lexington, Ky., May 26, 1872, 3:07. Danicheff, by Glenelg. Saratoga, Aug. 9, 1879, 3-07. Gov. Hampton, by Planet, Prospect Park, Sept. 9, 1879, 3:07 1-2. Kenny, by Curies, Prospect Park, June 25, 1879, 3:07 1-2. Leveler. by Lever, Lexington, Sept. 9, 1878, 3:07 1-2. Neecy Hale, l)y Lexington, Lexington. Ky., Sept. 14, 1876, 3:07 3-4 Catesb3^ by imp. Eclipse, Saratoga, Aug. 15, 1874. 3 :07 3-4. Parole, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 11. 1877, 3:08. Kennesaw, by imp. Glengarry, St. Louis, June 5, 1878, 3 :08. 234 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Duke of Magenta, by Lexington, Saratoga, July 20, 1878, 3 :08. Joe Daniels, by imp. Australian, Travers' Stake, Saratoga, July 13, 1872,3:08 1-4. Preakness, by Lexington, Baltimore, Oct. 21, 1864,3:08 1-2. Viceroy, by Gilroy, Saratoga, Aug. 9, 1877, 3 :08 1-2. Volturno, by imp. Billet, Brighton Beach, Sept. 16, 1879, 3 :08 1-2. Atilla, by imp. Australian, Travers's Stake, Saratoga, July 25, 1874, 3 :09 1-2, 3 :08 3-4. The first was a dead heat with Acrobat. Mintzer, by imp. Glenelg, Saratoga, July 28, 1879, 3 :09 1-4. Falsetto, by Enquirer, Saratoga, July 19, 1879, 3 :09 1-4. Zoo Zoo, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 2, 1877, 3 ;10. TWO MILES. Ten Broeck, by imp. Phseton, against time, Louisville, May 29, 1877, 3:27 1-2. McWhirter, by Enquirer, Louisville, May 28, 1877, 3:30 1-2. Courier, by Star Davis, Louisville, May 28, 1877, 3:31 3-4. Katie Pease,* by Planet, Buffalo, Sept. 9, 1874, 3 :32 1-2. True Blue, by Lexington, Saratoga, July 30, 1873, 3 :32 1-2. Jack Frost, by Jack Malone, Cleveland, O., July 31, 1874, 3 :33 1-2. Glenmore, by imp. Glen Acuol, Detroit, July 5, 1879, 3 :83 1-2. Lizzie Lucas, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 21, 1874, 3 :33 3-4. Creedmoor by Asteroid, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 20, 1876, 3:34. Geo. Graham, by Rogers ; first heat ; Louisville, Ky., Sept. 25. 1875, 3 :34. Lord Murphy, by Pat Malloy, Louisville, Sept. 22, 1879, 3 :34. King Alfonso, by imp. Phseton, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 20, 1875, 3 :34 1-2. Hegira, by imp. Ambassador, New Orleans, La., Nov. 23, 1850, 3 :34 1-2. Littleton, by imp. Leamington, Lexington, Ky., May 23, 1871, 3 :34 1-2. Monitor, by imp. Glenelg, Baltimore, Oct. 21, 1879, 3 :34 3-4. Wilful, by imp. Australian, Prospect Park, June 24, 1879, 3:34 3-4. Charlie Howard, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 10, 1876, 3:35. Vandalite, by Vandal, Breckinridge Stake, Baltimore, Oct. 23, 1874, 3:35. Himyar, by Alarm, Louisville, Sept. 25, 1879, 3:35. Falsetto, by Enquirer, Saratoga, Aug. 14, 1879, 3:35 1-4. Volturno, by imp. Billet, Baltimore, Oct. 25, 1879, 3:35 1-4. Vandalite, by Vandal, Dixie Stake, Baltimore, Oct. 20, 1874, 3:35 1-2. Harry Basset, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 16, 1871, 3:35 1-4. Vigil, by Virgil, Baltimore, Oct. 28, 1876,^3:37 1-4. *Katie Pease came in first, but was disqualified, and race given to Lizzie Lucas. RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 23o TWO MILE HEATS. ♦Brademante, by War Dance, Jackson, Miss., Nov. 17,1877 (?) 3:32 1-4, 3:29.?. Willie D., by Revolver, Prospect Park, Sept. 11, 1879, 3:34 1-2, 3:35. Lottery, by Monday, Sacramento, Cal, Sept. 21, 1878, 3:36, 3:35 1-2. Arizona, by Lexington, Louisville, Ky., May 18, 1875, 3:37 1-4, 3:351-2. Aureola, by War Dance, Lexington, Sept. 18, 1872, 3 :37 3-4, 3 :35 1-2. London, by Lightning, NashviUe, Oct. 5, 1872, 3:36 3-4, 3:37 1-4. Bushwhacker, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Baltimore, Oct. 22, 1878, 3:36, 3. -36 1-2, 3:38 1-2. Princeton won second heat by head. Bushwhacker second ; best aver- age three heats. Belle of Nelson, by Hunter's Lexington, Cincinnati, June 1, 1878, 3:37 1-4, 3:36 1-4. MoUie Jones, by Roxbury, Galesburg, 111., July 4, 1874; Rocket won first heat, 3 :36, 3 :40, 3 :37 1-4. Eolus, by imp. Leamington, Baltimore, May 28, 1874 ; the fastest third heat, 3:40, 3:39 1-4, 3:36 3-4. Lancaster, by Lexington, Lexington, K"., Sept. 12, 1867, 3:35 1-4, 3 :38 1-4. Jack Sheppard, by Jack Malone, Nashville, Oct. 12, 1876, 3:35 3-4, 3:42 1-2. Irish King, by Longfellow, Baltimore, Oct. 21, 1879, 3 :37 3-4, 3 :37 3-4. Harkaway, by Enquirer, St. Louis, June 7, 1878, 3:39, 3:35 1-4. *Brademante's time very doubtful. TWO MILES AND ONE-EIGHTH. Aristides, by imp. Leamington, Lexington, Ky., May 10, 1876, 3 :45 1-2. Mate, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, July 31, 1875, 3 :46 3-4. Monmouth, by War Dance, Louisville, May 19, 1875, 3 :48 1-4. Big Fellow, by War Dance, May 15, 1874, 3 :50. Dave Moore, by Longfellow, Lexington, May 16, 1879, 3:50 1-2. Ferida, by imp. Glenelg, Prospect Park, Sept. 5, 1879, 3 :54. Springbok, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 3, 1874, 3 :56. Sultana, by Lexington, Jerome Park, Oct. 7, 1876, 3 ;56 3-4. TWO MILES AND A QUARTER. Preakness, by Lexington; Springbok, by imp. Australian, dead heat, 3:56 1-4. Harry Bassett, by Lexington, Saratoga, July. 16, 1872, 3 :59. Wanderer, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 13, 1874, 4 :00 1-2. Kentucky, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug., 1865, 4:01 1-2. Fortuna, by Enquirer, Louisville, May 23, 1879, 4:01 1-2. 236 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Bramble, by imp. Bomiie Scotland, Baltimore, May 24, 1879, 4:02. Mollie McCarty, by Monday or Eclipse, Chicago, June 25, 1879, 4:02. Muggins, by Jack Malone, Saratoga, Aug., 1867, 4:03. TWO AND A HALF MILES. Aristides, by imp. Leamington, Lexington, Ky.,May 13, 1876, 4 :27 1-2. , Katie Pease, by Planet, Buffalo, Sept. 10, 1874, 4:28 1-2. Ballankeel, by Asteroid, Baltimore, Oct. 22, 1874, 4:31 3-4. Helmbold, by imp. Australian, Long Branch, July 30, 4:32 1-2- Tom Ochiltree, by Lexington, Jerome Park, June 18, 1877, 4:36 1-2. Edinburgh, by Longfellow, Cincinnati, June 7, 1879, 4:36 1-2. TWO MILES AND FIVE-EIGHTHS. Ten Broeck, by imp. Phaeton, Lexington, Ky., 1876, 4:58 1-2. , TWO MILES AND THREE-QUARTERS. Hubbard, by Planet, Saratoga, 1873, 4:58 3-4. Kentucky, by Lexington, Jerome Park, Oct. 3, 1866, 5 :04. Tom Ochiltree, by Lexington, Jerome Park, June 17, 1876, 5:09 1-4. THREE MILES. Ten Broeck, by imp. Phseton, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 23, 1876, 5 :26 1-2. Monarchist, by Lexington, at Jerome Park, 1872 ; first mile, 1 :45 ; 5:34 1-2. Tom Ochiltree, by Lexington, Long Branch, July 6, 1876, 5:35 3-4. THREE MILE HEATS. Brown Dick, by imp. Margrave, New Orleans, April 10, 1865 ; the best second heat on record, and second best three mile heat race, 5:30 3-4; 5:28. Mollie Jackson, by Vandal, Louisville, Ky., May 25, 1861; Sherrod won the second heat. The last two miles of the first heat were run in 3 :35 ; the last two of the second heat in 3 :36 3-4 : the ninth mil© in 1 :48 1-4. This is the best three heats and the best third heat on record, 5 :35 1-2 ; 5 ;54 3-4 ; 5 :28 3-4. Norfolk, by Lexington, Sacramento, Cal., Sept. 23, 1875; best avei^ age two heats, 5 :27 1-2 ; 5 :29 1-2. Vandal, by imp. Glencoe, Lexington, May 26, 1855, 5 :36 1-2 ; 5 :33. Whisper by Planet, St. Louis, June, 8, 1878, 5:39-; 5:35 1-2. FOUR MILES. Ten Broeck, by imp. Phseton, vs. Fellowcraft's time, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 7, 1876, 7:14 3-4. Fellowcraft, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 20, 1874, 7 :19 1-2. RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 237 Lexington, by Boston, vs. time, New Orleans-, La., April 2, 1855, 7:17 3-4. Lexington, by Boston, beating Lecomte, New Orleans, April 14, 1855, 7 :23 3-4. Janet, by Lightning, Louisville, Sept. 27, 1879, 7 :29. Wildidle, by imp. Australian, San Francisco, Oct. 28, 1875, 7 :25 1-2. Idlewild, by Lexington, over Centreville Course, L. I., June 25, 1863, 7 :26 1-4. Thad. Stevens, by Langford,- best second heat, California, Oct. 18, 1873, 7:30. Kentucky, by Lexington, Saratoga, 1866, 7:31 1-2. Silent Friend, by imp. Australian, New Orleans, April 21 , 1873, 7 :30 1-2. Kentucky, by Lexington, vs. time at Jerome Park, 1867 ; first two miles, 3 :36 ; first three 5 :29 ; 7 :31 3-4. Abd-el-Kader, by Australian, Saratoga, 1869, 7:31 3-4. Abd-el-Koree, by imp. Australian, Jerome Park, Fall 1871 ; best time for a three-year-old, 7 :33. Monarchist, by Lexington, Jerome Park, 1872 ; first two miles, 3 :39 3-4 ; first three, 5 :36 ; 7 :33 1-2. Tom Ochiltree, by Lexington, Jerome Park, Oct. 12, 1876, 7 :36. FOUR MILE HEATS. Lecompte, by Boston, at New Orleans, April 8, 1854, beating Lexing- ton and Reube, 7 : 26, 7 : 38 1-4. Rupee, by Voucher, April 10, 1858, 7 :39, 7 :35. Miss Foot, by imp. Consol, at New Orleans, March 26, 1842, 8:02, 7:35. Fashion, by imp. Trustee, over Union Course, L. I., May 10, 1842, beating Boston match, 7 :32 1-2, 7 :45. Morgan Scout, by John Morgan, at Lexington, Ky., 1870, best race ever run in Kentucky, 7 :32 1-2, 7 :43 1-2. George Martin, by Garrison Zinganzee, beating Hannah Harris and Reel, March 29, 1843. Reel broke down in first heat, 7 :33, 7 :43. Bushwhacker, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Baltimore, Oct. 26, 1878. Princeton won second heat, 7 :31, 7 :36 1-4, 8 :29. Glenmore, by imp. Glen Athol, Baltimore, two and three heats, best third heat, 7 :29 1-2, 7 :30 1-4 7 :31. Tally-ho, by Boston, at Union Course, L. I., Oct. 8, 1849 ; Free Trade won the first heat, Boston the third, and Tally-ho second and fourth, 7 :33 1-2, 7 :43 1-2, 7 :52, 8 :10 1-2. HURDLE RACES. Joe Rodes, by Virgil, mile heats, over four hurdles, St. Louis, June 4, 1878, 1 :50 3-4, 1 :50 1-4. 238 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Judith, by imp. Gleiielg, mile heats, over four hurdles, Prospect Park, Sept. 11, 1879, 1:52, 1:52. Lobelia, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, mile heats, over four hurdles. Fash- ion Course, L. I., Sept. 11, 1869, 1 :51 3-4, 1 :53 1-4. Waller, by imp. Hurrah, one and a quarter miles, over five hurdles, Saratoga, Aug. 14, 1878, 2:21 1-2. Disturbance, by Chillicothe, one and a quarter miles, over 5 hurdles, Saratoga. Aug. 22, 1878, 2:21 3-4. Problem, by Pimlico, one and a half miles over 6 hurdles, Long Branch, July 5, 1879, 2:50. Derby, by Eugene, one and a half miles, over six hurdles. Long Branch, July 2, 1878, 2:52. Judith, by imp. Glenelg, one and three-quarter miles, over seven nur- dles. Long Branch, Aug.''28, 1879, 3:36 1-2. Tom Leathers, by Camps Whale, two miles, over eight hurdles. New Orleans, April 16, 1875, 3:47 1-2. Redman, by War Dance, two miles, over eight hurdles, Louisville, Ky., May 19, 1876, 3:48 1-2. Captain Hutchinson, by Voucher, two miles, over eight hurdles, Co- lumbus, O., July 3, 1875, 3:50. Jonesboro, by Lexington, two miles, over eight hurdles, welter weights : New Orleans, April 11^ 1868, 3:51 1-2. Milesian, by imp. Mickey Free, two miles, over eight hurdles, welter weights ; Long Branch, Aug. 3, 1872, 3:52 1-2. Cariboo, by Lexington, Iavo and a quarter miles, over nine hurdles, Long Branch, 1875, 4:33. STEEPLE CHASES. Dead Head, by Julius, about two and three-quarter miles, thirty-six leaps, Saratoga, Aug. 26, 1878, 5:33 1-2 Trouble, by Ulverston, about two and three-quarter miles, thirty-six leaps, Saratoga, Aug. 19, 1876, 5 : 34 3-4. Duffey, by Hunter's Lexington, about two and three-quarter miles, thirty-six leaps, Saratoga, Aug. 5, 1873, 5 :48 3-4. FASTEST TROTTING TO WAGON. One mile, Judge Fullerton, San Francisco, Nov., 1874, time 2:20 1-2. Two miles, Gen. Butler and Dexter, each a heat, Long Island, 1863, time 4:56 1-4. Three miles, Kemble Jackson, June, 1853, time 8:03. Four miles, Longfellow, Dec. 31, 1869, tune 10:34 1-2. Five miles, Little Mack, Long Island, Oct. 29, 1863, time 13:43 1-2. Twenty miles, John Stewart, Long Island, Sept. 22, 1868, time 59 :23. RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 230 TRAINING TO TROTTING. The idea of the average horse owner is that training means pampering the horse. Nothing could be further from the mark. It truly means the very best and most intelligent care, feeding and exercise for the work to to be performed, and this exercise must be in proportion to the distance. The artificial care given the horse in confinement renders blankets necessary for all fast working horses. Doubly so for turf horses, whose pace is of the most exhausting kind. To get rid of suijerfluous fl«sh sweating and exercise is necessary. The superfluous flesh and undue moisture of the body having been properly reduced, then the pace of the horse should correspond to that expected in the final trial. That is for mile heats a faster pace will be required than for longer heats, but the horse must be carefully worked up to the point, the improvement being cjirefuUy and intelligently watched, that as the day of trial approaches he may have a real trial of speed for the distance to be trotted. There is, however, no rule that can be laid down as to the amount of work to be done before this trial takes place. It will depend upon his condition while at work and the manner in which he accomplishes his brushes, as spurts of speed are called for short distances. These are among the most important parts of training, since they tend not only to extend the stride of the horse and improvement in speed, but the manner of coming out of them will indicate the condition of the animal. High-strung, eager, generous horses must be handled in a very differ- ent manner from sterner tempered ones. In any case, the horse must come to place implicit confidence in his driver. The first must be re- strained ; the second urged. The first named seldom have the power to accomplish all they would. The second must be made to know that it is speed and distance that is required, and that they must go the pace if it is in them. Feeding is essentially important. Some horses crave much hay. Such nmst be restrained ; some gluttons will eat their bedding. If so, they must be muzzled when not feeding, and always so at night. If a horse is so light a feeder that he will not eat twelve quarts of oats a day, he may have a little Indian corn, but this only in exceptional cases. Sound, heavy oats, thoroughly cleaned and sifted, should constitute the feed of the trotting horse, or any horse of fast work. The light feeder must be carefully watched in his work. Some horses will eat fourteen to sixteen quarts of oats a day. Such should have corresponding exercise ; for in no event must fat be allowed to accumulate. We should prefer to limit any horse, however large and powerful, to fourteen quarts of oats per 240 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. day, or rather to that number of pounds. As a rule twelve quarts or pounds should suffice for the average horse. Hiram Woodruff, than whom there is no better authority, in his work on "The Trotting Horse of America," in relation to the preparation which precedes the first trial, says : During the preparation which precedes the first trial, it will be. neces- sary to give the horse one or two sweats. Whether it ought to be one or two must be indicated by the condition and nature of the animal, the races in which he is engaged, and resolved by the judgment of the trainer. The amount of clothes in which he shall be sweated must be determined by the same considerations. Some may require a blanket and hood, and a wrapper round the neck to start the perspiration out of them : while there are others that will sweat freely with but little clothes, and scrape well when more have been thrown on at the end of the jog. One thing may certainly be said, that a sweat obtained without the use of heavy clothing is more satisfactory and better than one with it, provided the latter method does not include a good deal more work to get the sweat. Only a moderate quantity of clothing and little work while the horse is going are the best for a sweat, if a good scrape can thus be obtained. When the horse comes from the drive, and is taken out of the wagon, he will soon be ready to scrape. That done, he must be blanketed up again, and walked about out of the draft. A favorable day for the sweat ought to be taken advantage of, as' a matter of course. Another light scrape may jDrobably be had after some little time spent in walking in the blankets ; but, if the perspiration does not continue so as to give this second scrape, it is not to be forced by more work in the clothes. To be of use in itself, and as a satisfactory indication that the condition of the horse is advanced it must come of itself. During the time this scraping process is in course of operation, the trainer having the conduct of it should not be in a hurry. The same things that are said to cure a man's cold — patience and a little water-gruel — will often do wonders in procuring a good sweat. Commonly, however, it is easy enough to get the sweat and scrape, but more difficult to cool the horse out properly. In order to do this well, he is to be clothed again, and led very gently about for a considerable period, so that he may become cool gradually, and the per- spiration may dry away by degrees. This walking is to be out of all draft as much as possible ; and it will not do to hurry it over, and go to the stable, until the horse has cooled off well and gradually. When the proper state has been reached, the horse is to be taken into the stable and his body is to be well dressed. This done, he is to be re-clothed, and again led into the air. A few sups of gruel, made of Indian meal or fine shorts, from half a RACING, OH TDRF HORSES. 241 })int to a pint of the meal stirred into a bucket of water may now be given to the horse, or water with the chill taken off it may be used as a substitute for the gruel. When taken into the stable again, which will be after a little more walking about in the air, the legs arc to be put in tubs of warm water, the body clothing being kept on. The legs are then to be well washed with the water and castile soap, and Avhcn dried off to be bandaged. These bandages should be of light flannel, and it is imma- terial whether it is red or white. They are not to be put on tight. The legs of a horse ought never to be bandaged tight, for such a course im- pedes the circulation into the feet, where there is a great necessity for it ; but losing sight of this, the 1)andagcs are sometimes pulled so that it looks as if they were intended to serve as a tourniquet, and stoj) the cir- culation of the blood altogether. Neither can it serve any useful purpose, that I can see, to bind the suspensory ligament up to the bone of the leg. Nature intended that in the horse it should stand out from it, as we see in the fine flat legs of the best runners and trotters. Whatever support is required may be obtained with only a moderate degree of tightness ; and I have sometimes thought that an elastic stocking, such as our best surgeons use in cases of bad strain to the nerves and muscles of the human foot and ankle, would be a very useful article in a training-stable. DRIVING. The average farmer's boy supposes he can drive a trotting horse. Has he not seen the pictures of drivers sitting back, apparently holding to the reins Avith a grasp, as though the stronger the horse was pulled the faster he could go? Such driving never got speed out of ahorse. The best drivers simply allow the horse to pull on the bit with suflicient force to steady himself, and this pulling force must be graduated according to circumstances. It is true many fast horses are hard pullers, and gener- ally so from defects in training. The bit and reins are intended simply as the medium of communication between the horse and the driver, and the more intelligently the horse is trained to their use, the more will be got out of him. The horse should be taught to take a firm hold of the bit, not for the purpose of pulling upon, but that the driver may give the horse needed support and steadiness, and that intelligent action may be established between the driver and the horse. The object of keeping the horse well in command during fast work, on the road as well as on the track, is that he may instantly respond to the wish of the driver through the medium of the reins. Thus he may be pressed from day to day in his speed, until he at last comes to the full measure of his powers. Although trotting sjDeed does not come to the horse until some years 242 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. after he is fully developed in growth, the history of trotting shows that this increase of speed continues to develop until the horse is from ten to twelve years old. Hence there should be no hurry to develop the animal while young. He should be driven from the time he is three years ^Id, sufficient to cause him to lengthen his stride as much as possible. He should be taught to listen quickly, never to frighten or shy at any ob- ject, and this by familiarizing him with whatever may be near. In his brushes, either on the road or the track, however sharp they may be, they should never be extended until the animal shows signs of distress. When he is being regularly trained for some public trial of speed, it will be time enough to find out if he can go the desired pace. DRIVING ON THE ROAD. Road driving, like driving or riding a race, is a fine art. In road driving the object is not only to get good speed out of the animal driven, but he must also be made to go in fine style. With a horse of naturally fine action, this, if the driver understands his business, is not difficult. If not a horse of naturally fine style and action, he may be spoiled. For road work the hovse should have been better flexed than when he is to be used for trotting a race. He must be able to turn out quickly and handsomely in passing or meeting other teams. When being driven slowly, he must carry himself handsomely. Thus something must be sacrificed to this end. Every horse should have a perfect fitting bit. It should be of the proper size and length for the mouth, and this can only be decided by trial. Keep trying different bits until you find one in which the horse works comfortably. Above all, in handling a young horse do not injure the mouth with a cruel or rough bit. Above all, never be so cruel as k) jerk his mouth with the reins. The bit is the medium of communication between the driver and the horse. If there is any speed in the horse, it is to be gotten out of him by means of the bit, and hence the more sens- itive you can keep the mouth, the more likely you are to succeed. If you render the mouth numb or callous through pulling, twitching, saw- ing or other smart tricks of drivers, you do so to the permanent injury of the horse. Therefore first acquire a nice touch yourself, and there will be no difficulty in imparting it to the horse. Never lose your temper with the horse. If a horse does so that is no reason why you should. Never strike a horse with the whip for any fault, and then jerk him back with the reins. If necessary to punish him, first assure yourself that you have him sufficiently well in hand, so he cannot "jump out of the harness." Have a definite object in view, for every use of rein or whip. Above all avoid a steady, rigid pull on tJie horse. Some horses will not trot without being pulled hard. It is EACING, OR TURF HORSES. 243 usually from defect in training. The perfect horse is trained to pull just sufficient to steady himself in harness. How Hiram Woodruff drove, he tells in his " Trotting-Horse of America." No one, during his life, or since his death, was better authority in such matters. Hence, we cannot do better than to give it to our readers in his exact words. In order that a fast horse should be under circumstances to do his best, he should be as much at his ease in his harness and general rig as possible. If he is not, he is placed at almost as much disadvantage as if sore or stiff, or suffering from some bodily ailment. You may see horses brought out of the stable to trot with a very tight check to keep their heads up, and a tight martingale to keep them down. Such a horse is in irons ; and "when to this is added a dead drag at the reins, and no movement of the bit from end to end, I cannot sec how he could do his best. People talk about a steady, bracing pull ; but, in my opinion, that is not the right way to drive a trotter. There is a great difference between letting go of your horse's head, and keeping up one dull, deadening pull all the time. The race-horse riders practice what is called i\ bracing pull ; and, a great many times, I have seen their horses tire under it without ever running their best. The steady pull checked them. The pull should be sufficient to feel the mouth, and give some support and assistance, so as to give the horse confidence to get up his stride. More than that is mischievous. To keep the mouth alive, the bit must be shifted a little occasionally. A mere half-turn of the waist, or less than half a turn, by which the thumb is elevated and the little finger lowered, is sufficient to shift the bit, keep the mouth sensitive, and rouse the horse. The reins are to be held steadily with both hands while this play Avith the wrist is made ; and it is, of course, only done with one wrist at a time. The hands should be well down ; and the driver ought not to sit all of a heap, with his head forward. Neither should he lean back, with his bod- ily weight on the reins, which, in that case, are made a sort of staj^ f(>r him. He should be upright; and what pulling he must do should be done by the muscular force of the arms. The head and the arms are what a good driver uses ; but some hold their arms straight out, and pull by means of putting the dead weight of their bodies on the reins. If, instead of lying back, and putting their bodily weight on the reins, with which latter they take a turn round their hands, drivers would depend upon their muscular strength, they could let up on the pull, graduate it, and so ease the horse from time to time instantaneously. The driver who depends upon the arms has command of the horse : he who substitutes bodily weight with the reins strapped round his hands, has not half com- mand of the horse, or of himself either; and, if the horse is a puller, he will soon take command of the driver. The reason of it is, that there 244 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR, is no intermission of the exertion, no let up, either for man or horse. Besides, in that way of driving, it is impossible to give those movements to the bit which seem to refresh and stimulate the horse so much. When a horse has been taught the significance of this movement of .the bit, the shift by the turn of the wrist, he will never fail to answer it, even though he should seem to be at the top of his speed. The moment he feels this little move of the bit in his sensitive mouth, he will collect him- self, and make another spurt ; and the value of this way of driving is, that the horse is not likely to break when thus called upon, while a high- strung, generous horse, if called upon for a final effort with a whip, is as likely to break the moment it falls on him as not. I have won many a very close heat by practising this movement, and therefore I have no hes- itation in recommending it. It is not difiicult to acqun-e, and the horse soon comes to know what it means. Let us come now to the way of takmg nola ot the reins. A wrap around the hand, such as running-horse riders take, is clumsy and bad. I do not know whether many people take hold of the reins as I do, or not. Perhaps not. Sim. Hoagland is the only one who takes hold pre- cisely as I do, so far as I have observed. When we have been jogging horses together at early morning, we have often talked over these mat- ters ; and, whether our way was the best way or not, we could never see any other that suited us half so well. I will try to explain how I hold the reins : I could show it in two sec- onds. Take, first, the right-hand rein. This, coming from the bit, passes between the little finger and the third finger, over the little finger, then under the other three fingers, and up over the thumb. The left- hand rein is held in the left hand exactly in the same Avay ; but the bight of the slack of the rein is also held between the thuml) and forefinger of the left hand. This gives some substance in that hand ; but, if it is found inconvenient to have it there by those who have small hands, it may be dropped altogether. A firm grasp on each rein, with the backs of the hands up, and without any wrap, is thus obtained. It is a great point in driving to be able to shift the reach — that is. the length of the hold you take — without for an instant letting go of the horse's head. With this way of holding the reins, it is easily done. If I want to shorten the hold on the left hand rein (the near one), I take hold of that rein just l)ehind the left hand with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, and steady it. This is very easily done ; and it does not interfere at all with the command of the off rein with the right hand. The near rein being thus steadied behind the left hand, I slide that hand forward on the rein, which is kept over the little finger, under the other three fingers, and over the thumb all the time, and then shut the grasp again on the new reach. EACING, OR TURF HORSES. 245- A shift with the right hand is made just in the same way, by taking hold and steadying the rein behind that hand with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. " I have often oljserved, that, with other methods of holding the reins, there was great difficulty in shifting the reach. The driver tries to do it ; but, for an instant, he has let go of the horse's head on one side alto- gether, and l)roken his stride. When this is found to be the case, tlie dead pull all the time is adopted ; and this spoils the freedom and elas- ticity of the horse's stride, and chokes off his wind. I do not intend this to be taken as instruction for professional drivers. Every driver has a way of his own ; and some of them have very good ways, for, as I have taken occasion to state before, they drive well. But what I have set down above may be of service to gentlemen who drive their own horses, and to those young men who, having as yet no settled method of their own, may think it well enough to try that which I have found t<) answer. Another* word about bits. I am opposed to the use of severe; bits, and complicated things of that sort. Some of the inventors of sucM things say I am prejudiced; but I don't think I am. If a man has u horse that cannot be driven with a bar-bit or a snaffle, he may as well sell him, exce^Dt it is a very exceptional case. Where are these kinds of severe complicated bits most in use? Why, in England ; five hundred or a thousand of them are used there to one that is used here : and where do the horses trot the best? These bits are mostly invented by men who have had no practical experience whatever as to what sort of driving u fast trotter requires to keep his gait square and bold, and induce him tr, do his best when it is called for. When a horse has a good mouth — and a bad one is almost always the fault of bad breaking and driving — the easier the bit you use, the better he will act for you, and the more speed he will show you." Trotting Horses. It has often been said of Northern and Eastern men, that they do not take kindly to the saddle. In a sense this is true, especially in the North. In England the passion for riding in the saddle grew up at a time when there were, so to speak, no roads. In the earlier settlement of America, throughout the then vast timber region, the same state of things existed ; but a people who settle a new country have somethuig else to think of than riding to hounds or other pleasure ridins:. So the country became settled ; the level or gently undulating nature of the country rendered good roads passable at light cost, and the absence of preserves of game, a landed aristocracy, and the improvement in vehicles for pleasure and use, tended to force public taste in the dii"ection of driv- IG 246 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOK, mg Hence the early app.eciation of the trotting horse and tl,P „n derfu development in speed in this direction. ° ' ' " ""- In the South, racing stock held its own, and does even to this dnv a nobly have they contested the paln. „f victory, and :::::^'ZlX haid fought fields of racing blood in England and onr own country At the North, however, the trotting horse now rei<.ns supreme T w ,t n.tent,on here to present something of the wondef'rease ta speed' «.d endurance of the trotting horse of America, with infor,:" o o7 he RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 247 most celebrated horses that early gave fashion to this style of going, and a full list of animals and performances, that the reader may see at a glance the growth of this passion for trotting horses. EARLY TROTTERS. Until 1823 we have but little authentic information that regular trot- ting courses were established, and not until 1830 were fast trotting courses established. According to Porter's Spirit of the Times, the first public trotting in America for a stake was a match against time for $1,000. In 1824, A, M. Giles trotted his horse 28 miles in one hour and fifty- seven seconds. The same year Topgallant and Betsey Baker were matched to trot three miles in harness for $1,000 a side. The race was Avon by Topgallant by 40 yards, in 8 minutes, 42 seconds. Topgallant also trotted 12 miles on the road in 39 minutes. The "Albany pony" did a mile in 2 minutes, 40 seconds. The Treadwell mare did one mile in 2 :34 ; and Boston Blue trotted 18 miles within the hour. Boston Blue is reported to have been the first horse that trotted a mile in three minutes ; it having been done in 1818. So that it will be seen that the Treadwell mare in 1824 had reduced the time to 2 :34. Yet for many years after a 2 :40 horse was considered extraordinary, as also was any horse capable of going on the road in 3 minutes. In 1827, on the Hunting Park Association of Philadelphia, Screwdriver won two heats at two miles, beating Betsey Baker in 8 :02 and 8 :10, the three best time on record. Dutchman afterwards accomplished the same distance in 7 :32 1-2, and Lady Suffolk in 7 :40 1-2. In 1840, on the Long Island course, Jerry beat Whalebone in a three mile trotting race, in 8 :23 the first heat, and 8 :15 the second. The best time for 2 mile heats that year was 5 :22; 5 :21 ; for 3 miles, 8 :26, 8 :27, 8:41, 8:56. On long distances Sweetbrier accomplished six miles in 18:52. In 1834 Edwin Forrest, as yet an unentered horse, trotted his mile in 2 :31 1-2, beating Sally Miller. The course was 1 mile and 10 yards in length. In 1835 Dutchman made four miles, under the saddle, in 11 :19 and 10 :51, and Dolly, by Messenger, out of a thoroughbred mare, five miles to w^agon, carrying two men, weighing 310 pounds, in 16 :45 ; and imme- diately was started again to do 10 miles more, which she accomplished in 34:07. The same year the horse Daniel D. Xhompkins, under the sad- dle, trotted three mile heats in 7 :59 and 8 :10. In 1842 Ripton beat Lady Suffolk, at 3 miles in harness, in 5 :07 and 5:17. In 1843 Lady Suffolk made mile heats in 2:28 1-2, 2:28, •2:2^, 2:29 248 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. and 2 :32, which was not again equaled until 1854, when this record wn. covered by Tacouy. In 1844 Cayuga Chief made the first half mile in a race in 1 :15, the fastest yet made in public ; and Fanny Jenks accomplished 100 miles, in harness, in 9 hours 38 minutes 34 seconds. The slowest mile was done in 6 :25 and the fastest in 4 :47. At the end of the race this mare was' driven an extra mile in 4 :23. In 1849 Lady Suffolk trotted 19 times and won 12, beating Grey Eagle and Mac twice, Pelham five times. Lady Sutton twice, Trustee four times : also beat Black Hawk, Gray Trouble, Plumbay and other horses. This year a Canadian mare, Fly, is said to have been driven from Cornwall to Montreal, ninety miles, in 8 hours and 15 minutes. Fanny Jenks made 100 miles in 9 hours 38 minutes and 34 seconds. Fanny Murray trotted one hundred miles in 9 hours 41 minutes 23 seconds. In 1852 Tacony won 12 races, beating all the best horses of the day , making a single mile in 2 :26 ; two miles in 5 :02, and was beaten only twice. As a 3 year Ethan Allen trotted this year in 3 :20. Flora Tem- ple this year won her first purse, on the regular turf, in 2 :41. In 1853 the entire sporting interest was centered in Flora Temple and Tacony. Flora this year beat all the best horses of the day, winning seventeen times. Her best time at mile heats was 2:27, 2:28, and at '( mile heats 5 :01 1-2, 4 :59. This year Tacony trotted a mile in 2 :25 1-2. In 1856 the contest lay principally between Flora Tempte and Lancet. Flora made 11 races, winning nine, beating Lancet four times in harness, and Tacony three times in harness, Tacony going under the saddle. This year Flora Temple lowered the one mile record to 2 :24 1-2. That the trotting horse of America owes his great powers to the infu- sion of thorough blood, we have -before stated. To Imported Messen- ger is this due in the greatest degree. Messenger's sire was Mambrino, his second sire Engineer, and his third sire Samson. Thence to Blaze, Flying Childers and the Darley Arabian. Samson is reported to have been coarse and homely, and Engineer rough and coarse, but both of these horses were of extraordinary substance. Another great trotting sire of America was imported Bellfounder. There has been much controversy over his breeding, first and last, but that he was a staunch trotter, and a getter of admirable horses, there is no doubt, giving splendid action to his get. Still, it must be admitted that, admirable as was Beflfounder himself, his get was not equal to the descendants of Messenger in all that constitutes speed, endurance and action. Durac also became a valuable factor in our trotting blood. His strain of blood appears in the Medley's, Durac Messenger's, Mambrino Chief's «.nd Gold Dust's. o n WEK 2. ■B ' . mh RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 249 One of the sub-families of Messenger's blood, Hambletonian, who united the blood of Messenger and Bellfounder, has raised the trotting horse of America to the highest point of perfection. He was not a handsome horse from a thoroughbred standpoint, if indeed he was thoroughbred, which has been doubted. It has been given as follows : Hambletonian was by Abdallah ; he by Mambrina, a son of Messenger. The dam of Abdallah, the mare Amazonia. The dam of Hambletonian by imported Bellfounder ; second dam by Hambletonian ; third dam, Silvertail, said to have been by imported Messenger. In all that constitutes stoutness and ability to perform, in freedom from tendency to disability, his stock has been wonderful. Noted for 'mmense and strong joints, length and strength of bone, magnificent muscular development, prominent, square, massive build, mighty hips and excellent barrel, all knit together to form a most admirable frame, united to a nervous constitution, that reproduced itself in his descendants, in a most wonderful degree. One of the finest specimens of the Hambletonian stock is shown on the preceding plate. This fine horse was by Rysdyk's Hambletonian, by Abdallah, by Mambrino, by Imp. Messenger. Dam Kitt, by Long Island Black Hawk, by Andrew Jackson, by Young Bashaw, by Imported Bashaw. Is half-brother to Dexter, time 2.17^; Nettie, 2.18 ; Jay Gould, 2.211 . Gazelle, 2.21 ; George Wilkes, 2.22 ; Volunteer ( who has eight trotters below 2.25); Edsall's Ham- bletonian (Sire of Goldsmith Maid, 2.14); Edward Everett (Sire of Judge Fullerton, 2.18 ) ; Bruno and Brunette, that trotted double in 2.25J. Foaled 1868; bright golden bay; two' white feet; star and small stripe on face; black logs, mane and tail ; 15| hands high. A horse of fine finish, and shows his high breeding; remarkably strong and well-backed; thick through the heart; game head; beautiful, strong eyes, set wide apart; clean, sinewy limbs, and sound feet ; perfectly sound, excellent constitution, good temper, and very intelligent; a natural trotter, with the big, open, fast, easy, stride of the Hambletonians. Of Goldsmith Maid, one of the truly great descendants of this blood, Mr. H. T. Helm, of Chicago, in 1876, wrote as follows: GOLDSMITH MAID, "The Queen of the Trotting Turf, Avas foaled in 1857, and is now nmeteen years old. She was bred by John D. Decker, of Sussex county, N. J. Her dam was one of those yellow-bay mares so common in the produce of old Abdallah. She was undersized, fretful, and of a nervous temperament, and up to the age of six years had performed no work of any kind, except to run occasional races about and on the farm, for the amusement of the boys. In 1863 she was sold by Mr. Decker for $260 ; the purchaser selling her again, on the same day, to Mr. Tompkins, for $360 ; and she was soon afterward bought by Mr. Alden Goldsmith, for $600. The eye of the practical horseman discovered that she was worth 250 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. the handling. He discovered her ability, and soon brought the world to a knowledge of her value. Under his careful and patient management, and the skillful drivers employed by him, she soon displayed such speed and extraordinary qualities of game and endurance, that he was able to sell her, at about the age of eleven years, for the sum of $20,000. The purchasers were B. Jackman and Mr. Budd Doble, and, under the guid- , nee of the latter, she has steadily advanced in a career of fume that is RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 251 without a parallel in the history of the trotting turf. She was subse- quently sold, by the two gentlemen last named, to H. N. Smith, for the sum of $.37,000, and yet remains his property. She has been matched against all the great trotters of her period ; and, while she has occasion- ally lost a race, she has ultimately vanquished all competitors, and stead- ily lowered the record for trotting performances, and at the age of eighteen, marked the marvelous, and thus far unapproachable, record of a mile in 2 :14. "Twice during the year 1876 she trotted in a race in 2 :15, anon his being brouglit to a sweat by exercise ; but that which is contracted while the horse is in general ill condition is apt to become confirmed, and, unless timely atten- tion is bestowed, may settle on the lungs and cause serious trouble. How to know it. — No symptoms precede an attack of surfeit by whicli its approach may be known. The pimples or lumps, in quick surfeit, suddenly appear, and almost as quickly subside. When a case of con- firmed surfeit has set in, the skin is hard, dry, and feverish ; and pimples appear, sometimes confined to the neck, but more frequently spread over the sides, back, loins, and quarters. Occasionally, these are attended with oreat itching, while aoain thev seein to cause no annovance. When they have remained a few daj^s, they discharge, in small quantities, a thin, whitish, oily matter. Small, scabby excrescences, formed by the dis- charging sores, cover the parts. These come off, taking the hair with them, and leaving a small scaly spot — sometimes, though rarely, a sore. Surfeit is sometimes mistaken for button-farcy ; but it may be distin- guished from this by the shape of the pimples : in surfeit these are THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 271 elevated in the center ; whereas, in farcy the lumps are rather flat on top and have thick edges, like a button in the skin. Farcy buds generally A HoRSK Affected with Surfeit. appear on the inside of the thighs and fore legs, while surfeit pimples are seldom found in these places. If not promptly and properly attended to, surfeit is likely to degen- erate into mange, which it is sometimes taken to be, even in its early stages ; but it may be known from mange by trying the short hairs at the roots of the mane : if it is mange, they will be loose and come out , but if surfeit, they will show their natural condition. What to do. — If the general condition of the horse is good, and the affection has evidently arisen from sudden exposure or some other imprudence on the part of the person having him in charge, little treatment ^nll be necessary. Prevent costiveness and keep down fever b}^ cooling food, such as bran mashes, roots, and other moist provender. Give arsenical drink once a day, a pint at a time, to act on the skin, until cure is eifected, being careful, meanwhile, if the weather is cool, to keep the horse comfortably warm — blanketing him if necessary; and a half hour's walkino; exercise should be iriven him daily. The arsenical drink consists of these ingredients in the proportions named : No. 10. 1 Fluid oz. arsenicalis, or Fowler's solution, 1 ^A Fluid oz. tincture of muriate of iron, 1 Quart water. If the disease has sprung from a thick and impure state of the blood, disordered digestive organs, and general ill condition, take from the. 272 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. neck vein from three to five quarts of blood, according to strength, extent of eruption and degree of fever. Keep him from becoming costive by cooling and laxative food, as previously directed ; see that he is comfortably stabled, if the weather is at all inclement, and givG, on several successive nights, the following alterative : No. 11. 2 Drachms levigated (finely ground) antimony, 3 Drachms niter, 4 Drachms sulphur. The food should be good — if possible, gi'een and succulent; and it will be found advantageous to take the chill from water given him, if the weather is at all cold. If the appetite is bad, place gruel in the manger, so that he may use it instead of Avater till stronger food is relished. If it is Summer, or Spring is sufficiently advanced to be mild, he may be turned to pasture ; but in any event, he should be allowed to rest during treatment. In the more confirmed cases a speedy cure is not to be expected ; but good food, not of a nature to induce costiveness and inflammation, and proper care as to warmth and cleanliness, together with a proper use of No. 11, will bring the patient round in time. In very obstinate cases, occasionally anoint those parts where the lumps appear with a mixture of sulphur and lard, in equal proportions. VII. Mange. Causes. — This is sometimes brought about by the same causes as surfeit ; or rather, it is indeed but an advanced or chronic stage of that disease ; though in some cases of the same kind, it is of a much more serious character in itself, and highly contagious. When not a mere secondary stage of neglected surfeit, its immediate cause is a parasite — the acarus — bred in the skin of the animal when subjected to dirt and filth, and debilitated by hard living and ill usage, or by total neglect and lack of food. The acarus produces mange in the horse in the same manner as the human parasite produces itch in man ; but it is of a different species, and frequently so large as to be visible to the naked eye. Neglect, starvation, and accumulated filth having induced a depraved state of the digestive apparatus, with which the skin sympathises, and the insect once having obtained a lodgment, the horse, unless promptly taken in hand, soon becomes a loathsome object, and dies. The disease once contracted in this way, may be communicated to even sound animals, in good condition ; in fact, the great majority of cases are thus contracted, as comparatively few animals are so utterly neglected THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 273 or eXj^osed U filth}^ influences as to become in themselves the generators of these maivge-breeding insects. It is regarded as one of the most contagious diseases to wliich the horse is subject, and may be imparted not only to other horses, but to cattle, hogs, and dogs, though it is asserted by good authority that none of these can in turn communicate it to the horse. The curry-comb, brush, collar, or blanket Avhich has been used on a mangy horse will produce the infection in another ; and to lie in the same stall or to rub where a mangy horse has rubbed himself is almost certain to communicate it unless the animal so exposed is exceedingly healthful and in active condition of body. How to Know It. — The skin is at first scal)by, the hair comes off, and the outer skin becomes broken into little scale-like pieces. These fall off, or are rubbed off, and leave the parts raw and sore. The general appearance of the skin where the raw spots are not too numerous is a dirty brown, and it is loose, flabby and puckered. The horse is impelled by itching to rub himself frequently and violently, and he thus leaves his scurf, dandruff, and in the more advanced stage, his parasites, at every place. Usually, where the disease is engendered in the animal itself, it appears first on the side of the neck, just at the edges of the mane, and on the inside of the quarters near the root of the tail. From these parts the eruption extends along the back and down the sides, seldom involving the extremities, except in the very worst cases. Sometimes, though rarely the ears and eye-brows are attacked and left bare. When it is the result of contagion, the horse may at first be in health ; but the constant irritation makes him feverish, the hair falls off as in thf> first case described, leaving the skin in those places almost bare ; and little red pimples appear here and there. Each of these contains a parasite, and the pimples are connected by furrows along which the parasites have worked their way. In time they increase in number and size, and from them exudes a matter which hardens into a scab. Under these scabs the parasites may be found, upon removing them and care- fully examining in the sunlight. In the early stage of the disease, where it may be suspected, but is not vet fully manifest, it may be detected by placing the fingers among the roots of the mane and tickling the skin with the nails. The horse is so sensitive to titillation when in this condition that he will thereupon stretch out his neck and evince the most unmistakable pleasure as long as the tickling continues. What to do. — The most effectual preventive, it will be readily inferred 274 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. from the preceding statement of causes, is cleanliness. In no case should a healthy animal be allowed to occupy a stable where a mangy one has been kept until it shall have previously been washed with water strongly impregnated with sulphur and chloride of lime — say half a pound of powdered sulphur and one pint of chloride of lime to each gallon of water. If the stable is thoroughly cleansed of loose litter and dirt, and all parts that may have been rulibed against by a mangy horse ))erfectly saturated with this solution two or three times, on as many consecutive days, there ciui be no danger in using it. Clothing, curry- comb, brush, etc., that may have come in contact with such animal, should be burned up. If starvation, weakness, and general ill condition have caused the mange, a patent means for its removal will be found in giving him clean quarters and good nourishing food ; which, however, should not be at first of a heating nature. Generous pasturage, unless the weather is damp, will be sufficient; otherwise, a full supply of oats and chop food should be given. It cannot be too much insisted upon that especially while treating a horse for disease his stable should be dry, well ventilated and properly supplied with litter. In cases of full habit of body, where the disease is the result of contact, and the presence of high fever is noted, bleed once, taking from the neck vein from three to five quarts, according to the condition of the animal and the degree of fever ; but if it is the result of poverty and debility, do not bleed at all. Next, have him as thoroughly cleansed of scab and dirt as possible, with a wisp of hay, and by softly and lightly using a curry-comb. Then l)repare a liniment of the following ingredients and in the proportions here given for greater or less quantities ; No. 12. 1 Quart animal glycerine, 1 Gill creosote. >^ Pint turpentine, 1 Gill oil of juniper. Mix all together and shake well ; and with this saturate the whole skin, as nearly as possible, rubbing in well with a soft cloth. Care must be taken to rub it in thoroughly. A little well rubbed in is better than much merely smeared on. Leave him in this condition two days ; then wash him well with warm water and soft soap ; stand him in the sunshine if the weather admits, and rub with a wisp of hay or with suitable cloths until he is dry ; after which, anoint him pretty well all over with the mixture described. No. 12, and i-ub it in. This course should be pursued until a cure is effected. THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 275 Two to four applications will generally be found sufficient, even in obstinate cases, if care is taken as to food and drink. The following alterative will be found beneficial : No. 13. 1 Oz. tartarized antimony, 2 Drs. niuriato of quick .silver, 3 Oz. poAvdered yinger. 3 Oz. powdered anise seeds. Mix with mucilage so as to form a consistent mass ; divide into six balls, and give one every morning till the eruption disappears. Care must be taken that the patient is not exposed to rain or heavy dews while under this course of treatment. Vm. Ringworm. Causes. — ^There are two kinds of ringworm ; one simple, of sponta- neous origin, and non-contagious. The other contagious. The first is usually the result of indigestion or confinement in close and foul apartments, as in filthy and ill-aired stables, railroad cars or ship holds. The latter, or contagous kind, is found on horses of good condition^ as well as on diseased and neglected ones, and is produced by vegetable parasites in the hairs and hair-glands. How to know it — it is especially common in Winter and Spring, and appears on the face, neck, shoulders, sides, and sometimes elsewhere. When non-contagious, it may usually be known by its appearing as an eruption of small blisters, about the size of a wheat grain, on inflamed patches of skin. These assume a circular form ; and if not seasonably attended to, the circle enlarges and covers fresh portions of skin. The contag-ious t^^DC appears in round, bald spots, covered with white scales, and surrounded hy a ring of bristly, broken, or split hairs, with scabs around the roots, and some eruption on the skin. These broken hairs soon drop out, and a wider ring is formed. The most marked characteristic of the contagious or parasitical ringworm is the splitting of the hairs in the ring, and the perfect baldness of the central part. Occasionally the patches, in either form of the disease, assume an irregular rather than a really circular form. Any attack of this sort is usually marked also by the horse's rubbing and scratching himself against the sides of his stable, or convenient objects outside ; but this is not to be depended upon as a marked S3^mp- tom, since it likeA\ase indicates surfeit and mange. What to do — If a simple, non-contagious case, shave the hairs as closely as possible from the affected part, and paint with tincture of iodine ; or, if scratches or little ulcers have appeared on the patch, rub it with the following stimulating and healing ointment : 18 276 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. No. 14. 10 Grains nitrate of silver, 1 Oz. lard. If it is a case of the contagious or scaly variety, wash the patches thoroughly with soft water and soft soap, and then rub every day with the following ointment : No. 15. K Drachm iodine, 1 Drachm iodide of potash, 1 Oz. cosmoliue. If throuo;h neoflect and long standing it has ulcerated, use lihis ointment twice daily : No. 16. 6 Oz. pyroligneous acid, 5 Oz. linseed oil, 2 Oz. spirits of camphor. If it has become obstinate — not yielding to the foregoing treatment — apply a blister directly over the patch, and then treat as for a common sore, using some simple ointment. If there are signs of constipation and fever, care must be taken to keep the bowels open and regular, and to avoid stinmlating grain food. A seasonable supply of cut grass and sliced potatoes, or of carrots, if they can be obtained, should be allowed. If in Spring and Summer, and the horse is not in active use, put him to pasture for a few days. When the horse shows a tendency to weakness, as is sometimes the case with young animals, and with those suffering from neglect, give good nutritious food, and tonic medicine in moderation. To prevent spreading the contagious form, clean the stable where a horse so afflicted has stood, and white-wash its interior thoroughly. Wash the harness, collars, and whatever elsev may have covered the ring- worm, with strong soap and water, and rub them over with a solution of corrosive sublimate, (one drachm to a pint of water.) If the horse has been blanketed while suffering with the disease, the blanket should be well boiled. IX. Hide-bound. Causes — Strictly speaking, this is not of itself a disease, though the skin is in a peculiarly abnormal condition, but the result of a diseased condition of the general system or of derangement of some specific vital function. With respect to the causes from which it arises, it is some- what similar to mange ; l)ut, unlike mange, it is neither eruptive nor contagious. Poverty and cruel usage — the food being deficient in quantity or THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 277 O.vE OF THE Causes of Hide-bound in Horses. quality, and the lubor onerous — ^bring on impaired digestion ; the blood becomes thick, dark, and feverish, because the secretive processes are sluggishly performed ; the skin sympathizes with these internal disorders, and the lubricating fluid through the pores is suspended ; and then, instead of remaining soft and pliant, it becomes dry and adheres to the body. A disordered state of the stomach, bowels, and urinary and respiratory organs may be considered as having produced it when no specific form of disease can be discovered as existing ; but it is an almost invariable accompaniment, in a greater or less degree of intensity, of big head, glanders, grease, farcy, founder, distemper, bad cases of swinney, big shoulder, lock-jaw, consumption, and chronic dysentery. The fevei" in these dries up the watery secretions and shrinks the hide. Formerly it was supposed to be caused by worms in the stomach and alimentary canal ; but this is erroneous. Worms may of course exist while the horse is in this state, but they are rather a consequence than a cause — ^the result of imperfect digestion and excretion. The skin, as has been elscAvhere stated, sympathizes readily with the vital internal organs, and in all obscure cases hide-bound should be considered a symptom of disorder in these, and treated accordingly. How to know it — The skin is dry and hard, and the hair is rough and rusty. Both are evidenth' destitute of tli^it oil by which in health they are kept in soft, pliant, and glossy condition. Adhering almost immov- ably to the ribs, legs, neck — almost every part of the l)ody — the skm fannot be caught up in folds with the hand. At times it appears scurfy, and the exhalants, (having the quality of giving out or evaporating), pour 278 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. forth unusual quantities of matter, the more solid portions of whicli form scales and give the horse a filthy appearance. The excrement or dung is dry, hard, and black. What to do — Especial pains must be taken to discover, if possible, Avhat specific disease has given rise to this state of the skin. If the cause is obscure, direct the treatment to restoring a healthy condition of the digestive organs. Begin by bettering his treatment in every wa}^ Instead of hard labor, he should have only gentle exercise, and instead of being left exposed to the rain, snow, and merciless winds, in barren pas- ture land or filthy barnyard, he should be well sheltered, and, in Winter, blanketed — using for this purpose two blankets joined along his back by tapes so that a space of an inch or two may be left for the escape of insensible perspiration. Instead of allowing the skin to grow clogged, torpid, and dead for want of cleanliness and friction, he should have regular daily currying and brisk rubbing with good brush or coarse cloth, which will materially aid in restoring healthy action of the skin. If it is pasture season, give him a run at good grass during the day ; but stable at night in a clean stable, furnished with dry litter, and give him a generous feed of bran and oats, or moistened bran and chopped hay. Mix with the food night and morning, the following alterative : No. IT 3 Oz. powdered sasafras bark, 3 Oz. sulphur, 3 Oz. salt, 2 Oz. bloodroot, 2 Oz. balmony, 1 Lb. oatmeal. Mix, and divide into twelve doses. If he appears in the beginning of the treatment to be filthy, feverish, and stiff, bleed him — taking from the neck vein three quarts. If the stiffness continues, bleed again after seven days, taking a like quantity. If the appetite is bad, mix with No. 17, (the alterative above described), a spoonful of ground ginger; but in general you should avoid cordials, tonics, and aromatics, (that is, warm and pungent medicines). They may arouse fever that would otherwise fail to develop itself, and thus defeat the object for which the mild laxatives and temperate alteratives })rescribed have been given. Cordials may indeed arouse the vital functions to sudden action; but even if no lasting fever is created, the action soon subsides, rendering it necessary to continue the cordial or forego whatever seeming advantage may have l^een derived from it. If excitment is continued by this means, the powers of nature are impaired •md lasting injury done. A good and sufficient tonic may be furnished, of which the horse will THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 279 partake as much as the system requires, by placing a poplar pole in the stable, upon which he can conveniently gnaw. If the time is Winter, it will generally be found necessary to begin the course of treatment by giving a jDurgative, say two ounces of Epsom salts, which may be repeated within seven hours if it fails to produce the desired action ; and to feed him on laxative food until constipation is overcome and a healthful action of the bowels restored. Remember that one of the very first objects is to establish regular action of the bowels ; and then generous diet, (let it be green and succu- lent if possible, but at any rate nutritious without being inflammatory), with cleanliness and regukr friction of the hide, will do more than medicine. Do not expect to effect a speedy cure ; in any event, the very existence of hide-bound indicates chronic disorder, and all chronic dis- eases require time. If it is known to be the result of a well-defined disease, as big-head, farcy, etc., the treatment must of course be directed to the removal of that, according to directions elsewhere given in this work ; and the hide- bound will disappear as its immediate cause is removed. X. Saddle Galls, or Sit-fasts. Causes — These are swellings, sores, and tumors, caused by ill-fitting saddle or harness. Different names are applied to them according to their appearance and character. When a mere heated swelling on the horse's back or shoulders is unattended to, Avhile he is kept in . constant use, it sometimes assumes the appearance of a dead patch of skin, and is then called a icarhle ; when these ulcerate and discharge pus, and a leather-like piece of skin is firmly fixed upon the top of it, the name sit-fast is applied ; and when, by the use of saddle or harness before a warble or sitfast is thoroughly healed, a hard, callous lump is formed, it is called a navel gall — said to be so called because it is generally on that part of the back opposite the navel. How to know it — These swellings, sores, and tumors require no further description than has already been given. What to do — The first and most essential thing is, that the animal shall be allowed to rest ; or at any rate be subjected to such labor only as will not require the same chafing, abrading saddle or harness which has produced the trouble. Then, if it is merely a gall or scald — a heated, tender swelling, without either suppuration or hardness — bathe with cold salt and water two or three times daily. When the heat and tenderness are sensibly reduced, anoint occasionally, until the lump has entirely disappeared, with a mixture of tar and olive oil, equal parts. 280 ILLUSTKATED STOCK DOCTOR. If it lias assumed the character of a sitfast, do not use the knife, xiut try to tear the dry skin away, but bathe with warm soft water, and then apply a poultice. This must l)e repeated, if necessary, until the callous skin is easily removed, and then anoint frequently, until the sore is healed, with the following : No. 18. 1 Dr. iodide of potash, 6 Drs. simple ointment, 2 Drs. glycerine. When it has reached the stage of navel gall — hard, grisly, almost horny — apply daily the camphorated, corrosi^sie sublimate, No. 2. Shake the bottle well before pouring it out ; use a mop with Avhich to put it on ; then, when it is thoroughly saturated with this liniment, use a hot iron with which to dry it in. When one hnds his horse suffering in this way under saddle or harness, his own interests,. as well as the promptings of humanity, demand that he shall at once remove the cause, if possible ; but it is sometimes the case that this cannot be done — absence on a journey, military necessity, press of farm or road work, requiring regular service. Under these circumstances the saddle or harness should receive immediate attention and subsequent watchfulness on the part of the rider or driver. The padding must be taken out of the saddle or collar so as to obviate pressure on the part affected ; or, as for the saddle, the blanket may be so arranged as to lift it from the spot. The sore place must be bathed well with salt and water as soon as possible after it is discovered ; and then covered with a piece of adhesive plaster, heated, of course, until it sticks readily. If matter has formed, a hole should be cut in the middle of the plaster to allow it to escape. Treated in this way, the horse may be ridden from day to day, and recover while in use. Greasing collars and other parts of harness will frequently prevent that chafing which results in sores and callous tumors. If the horse, through constitutional tenderness, is subject to these swellings and sores, it is well to put the saddle on half an hour before using him ; and leave it on, having slightly loosened the girths, for a half hour or an hour afterward, thus preventing sudden change in the temper- ature of the skin. XI. Fungous Collar Tumor. Causes — This in its nature is essentially the same as that descrilied in the preceding section as saddle gall, or sitfast — differing, however, in location and specific cause. It is an inflammation and swelling beneath THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 281 the large flat muscle that covers the front of the shoulder, and is caused by the chaling of the collar. How to know it — it is scarcely necessary to undertake farther descrip- tion of a well-l?no\vn, visible affection. It is usually found near the point of the shoulder ; and the character of the tumor as to simplicitv or severity can be readily determined by examination. If of consideraljle standing, it will be found so hard as to render it almost impossible to detect any fluctuation that would indicate the presence of matter. Where there is much swelling, however, there is almost invariably matter, and no cure can be effected until this is removed. In cases less marked there will be a small, hard or indurated lump without matter. Under similar conditions as those mentioned in the preceding section, it may form a leathery patch in the center and become a real sitfast. What to do — The tumor must, if possible, be so treated as to leave no scar or lump, as this would be easily irritated by the collar upon subse- quent use, and prove a source of constant trouble. The first thinij in order will be to take the horse from work, if at all practicable. If not, use a breast-strap, so as to i^revent all further chafing. If the swellino- is recent, apply cold Avater often, or cover the part with a Avet ras; huns; over the shoulders in such a wa}^ as to remain in contact with the swellino^. This must be kept constantly wet. But if the tumor is large, and of long standing — already hardened and containing matter deejily hidden, open with a knife — making a smooth, vertical cut, and of sufficient depth to thoroughly evacuate the pus. Syringe the opening well every day with the following solution : No. 19. 30 Grains chloride of zinc, 1 Quart water. If the wound seems inclined to heal and leave a hard lump in doing so, discontinue the injection, and rul) frequently Avith the following liniment to promote the absorption of the callous or gristly formation : Ko. 20. 1 Oz. iodine, 12 Oz. soap liniment. XII. Warts. Causes — it is difficult to point out anything that may be imi^licitly received as the cause of these excrescences. Generally accompanying a plethoric condition, they may ho. considered as owing their origin prima- rily to high feeding and insufficient exercise. This, hoAvever, must not be taken as conclusiA^e, since they not unfrequently appear upon active animals, of meagre habit. 282 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. The manner of their formation seems to be this : Knots in the true skin are gradually developed, being surrounded with a covering of the scarf- skin, something thickened and matted together ; and this outer covering o-enerally dries and splits into libers towards the top, while blood, in o-reater quantities than usual, is sent to the inner or vascular parts ; and more nutriment is thus diverted to it than to the surrounding flesh, s<; that an upward or outward growth is promoted. Seed warts usually make their appearance on the eyelids, the nose, the sheath and adjoining parts of the belly ; the encysted or sac warts, on the pasterns, hock-joints, and knee-joints, and sometimes upon the sheath and neighboring parts. Unless warts appear upon the penis they are not injurious to health, and at first occasion little inconvenience unless upon the shoulder or some part where harness or saddle touches constantly ; but they should be removed, nevertheless — particularly the sac wart and those seed warts which manifest a tendency to enlargement. If the encysted or blood wart is allowed to remain it will almost invariably enlarge and spread. How to know it — There are two kinds of these formations, one of which is fibrous, white, and gristly or cartilaginous, but somewhat spongy lump, contained in a sac or cell w^hich has taken its rise from the outer or scarf-skin ; and the other is a somewhat cartilaginous substance, not inclosed, but adhering firmly to the skin — a hard excrescence, — the " seed wart," — which is too well known to require particular description. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish the blood wart, as the former is sometimes called, from the seed wart ; but it generally presents a more rounded, smooth appearance, and sometimes hangs as by a little stem, in which last case it is readily known. What to do. — If there is doubt as to the character of the wart, the matter may be speedily determined by running a sharp-knife through it ; when, if a blood or sac wart, the contents will come out, accompanied by more or less copious bleeding; whereas, the seed wart will in this ease be merely divided by the incision, each part retaining its firmness or consistency. When the blood w^art is thus opened, nothing more will be necessary than to touch the part with a solution of chloride of zinc, one grain to the ounce of water, or lunar caustic. When these warts are attached to the skin by narrow bases, or small stems, they may be clipped off with knife or scissors, and the part slightly burned over with caustic as pre- viously directed. If the growth is of the fixed kind, or seed wart, remove by means of »<^issors or knife when standing singly ; but if the stem or base is large, THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 2b'^ or if the warts grow in bundles, too numerous and too close together to be cut away, pick off or otherwise chafe the rough outer surface so as to make it bleed ; then with a stiff brush rub in yellow orpiment wetted with a little water, and in a few days they will come away, or may be rubbed off, and leave a healthy sore, which soon heals. If the entire wart does not come off by reason of one application, repeat. When the penis is wholly covered with warts, the best plan is to have it amputated, as the warts cannot easily be removed without destroying as much of it as it would be necessary to remove entirely in order to be rid of them. XIII. Vermin. Causes — Vermin are both a cause and a consequent of skin disease ; and being also bred in the hairy covering, perhaps in the very skin itself, they are properly treated in this connection. Every species of animal is more or less troubled with his own peculiar insect tormentor ; and while no well-defined cause can be assigned as to their origin, they are almost always found associated with filth and squalor. They sometimes, however, trouble animals of fair condition, and accus- tomed to reasonable care ; but in this case they are caught by contact. Poor, ill-cared-for, mangy horses, colts in the Spring of the year, with long, uncurried coats, and old and feeble horses with like rouah and shaggy covering, most probably breed them ; and on these they are most frequently and plentifully found. The itching torment to which they subject diseased animals doubtless intensifies whatever disorder may exist ; and the very earliest opportunity should be taken to eradicate them from the sufferer. When horses stand in proximity to a hen-house, they are often seriously annoyed Avith hen-lice, which are even more tormenting than those peculiar to the horse himself. How to know it — The horse infested with vermin will usually mani- fest his uneasiness by biting and rubbing himself ; but their presence may be unmistakably detected by a more or less careful examination of his coat. What to do. — If the horse is suffering from some skin disease requir- ing treatment, the means adopted for this will almost invariably sufiice of themselves to remove the vermin ; but where no such disease exists, and it is a simple case of lousiness, anoint him mth the following salve : 284 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. No. 21. 1 Dr. carbolic acid crystals, 1 Quart fresh lard. Rub it upon every part of the body thoroughly ; wash with warm soap suds next day ; repeat if necessary — at last washing and drying. Attention to his general health will also be demanded ; and to this end he should be upon good pasture, or a liberal supply of nourishing but not heating food should be given. If it is a case of hen-lice, the first thing to be done is to remove the horse from the jjlace infested with these, and then to anoint and wash as before directed. XIV. Larva in the Skin. Causes. — The larva, which infests chiefly the back — ^that part of the horse upon which saddle or harness must press — is not only a source of trouble to the animal, but of great inconvenience to the master, as the acute painfulness of a tumor raised by one of these grubs often pre- vents use. The larva is the offspring of a fly which deposits its eggs upon the back and sides of the horse while he is out at pasture or roaming at large upon the common. This fly does not frequent the barn-yard and stable, so that horses which are confined to these when not in use are never annoyed with the larva. The eggs are hatched by the warmth of the animal ; and the creature burrows into the skin, where it remains and grows till Spring, raising meanwhile, by its irritating presence, a small lump, which is eventually developed into a painful tumor, upon the pus of which the insect pro- longs a life that it began upon the natural juices of the skin and cellu- lar tissue. How to know it — The most unmistakable sign of the trouble, when it is not plainly discernible with the eye, is the restlessness manifested by the horse Avhen subjected to the saddle. When he does this, and no well-defined occasion for his displeasure and his pranks is readily per- ceptible, examination will reveal a tumor or abscess if the larva is present ; for the horse will hardly grow restive at first, when there is a mere lump in the skin. Upon the top of this abscess a black spot will be found, which is the point of entrance, and the oj^ening through which the insect obtains the little air that it needs. What to do. — The best thing to do, because both quickest and safest, is to open the top of the tumor slightly with a lancet, and then to squeeze out the larva. The wound should then be dressed a time or two THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 285 with a solution of one grain of chloride of zinc to one gill of water ; and the trouble will soon be over. XV. Tetter. Causes. — This seems to arise from some constitutional cause, which it is difficult to point out. It appears on horses of different conditions or habit of bodj. On some it breaks out periodically, Summer after Summer. It is not contagious, unless neglected until it assumes the epizootic form, which it sometimes does, after which it is communicable to both man and horse. There are said by some to be two or three forms of tetter, but in reality whatever different forms it may assume, when not complicated with other affections, they are indications of different degrees of severity. How to know it._The attack is usually sudden, and the animal is observed to rub himself severely, as suifering from intense itchiness. The neck, shoulders, back, and thighs are the points ordinarily affected. Upon examination, the skin will be found red. with inflammation, some- times torn or scratched by rubbing ; and the blisters or pimples will be seen on those parts of the inflamed spot not so torn or scratched. These blisters break, and a watery fluid is discharged, which keeps the surface moist. In its more advanced stage it may be taken for mange ; but it may be distinguished from mange l)y its manifesting less tendency to spread and invade all parts of the skin ; and by the absence of parasites under the scabby portions. What to do. — First, see that the horse's bowels are jout in good condi- tion. If there is any tendency to plethora, (too gi'eat fulness), to constipation, or general feverishness, give him a purgative dose ; and in any event let his food be of such character as to prevent costiveness. Give, once a day, an ounce of Fowler's solution of arsenic. Eub the affected parts well with sweet oil, and let it remain thereon for a few hours ; then wash with warm soapsuds so as to remove the scabs or scales. Then cover the diseased surface and some jDortion of the healthy skin all round with the following ointment ; No. -22. K Lb. flour of sulphur, }i Lb. carbonate of potash, 1 Oz. carbolic acid, 2 Lbs. lard, 2 Lbs. olive oil. 28(5 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Mix well with a gentle heat. Allow it to remain on the skin for two or three days, and then wash off with strong soap and water. Tar ointment, (equal quantities of tar and lard well mixed with gentle heat), is an excellent external application, and may be used when No. 22 is difficult to procure. XVI. Eat Tails. Causes Simple tetter, as also mallenders and sallenders, is sometimes allowed through neglect to become obstinate ; the skin thickens ; ugly cracks are formed, from which flows in abundance a sort of purulent half -watery fluid ; upon the thickened portion of the skin the scabs increase, growing up into somewhat perpendicular layers, and the hairs growing from these are glued together by the exuding matter. Such bunches of matted hair are called, by reason of their appearance, "rat tails." The disease seems occasionally to be produced outright, without the supervention of any other known disorder, by much exposure to wet ground of a chalky or loamy nature, or to sticky mud. How to know it. — It appears chiefly upon the legs, one or all of which may be affected at the same time ; but the hairs of the tail, especially near the root of the tail, are often found in the condition described, and for a like reason. Tetter, ringworm, or some other dis- mder produces itching ; the horse rubs the part till it becomes raw ; matter exudes at length, and the hair is matted in bunches along the upper portion of the tail bone, as shown in the figure exhibiting external manifestations of disease. If resulting from either neglected tetter, no matter what its position, or from mallenders and sallenders, it is accompanied by itchiness ; but this is generally less severe than is the case with these disorders in their simple form. When the disease is fully developed, the appearance of the bunches of hair upon the parts is a sufficient indication. What to do. — As in simple tetter, attention must be directed to estab- lishing a good condition of the bowels ; and to this end a purgative may be given — especially if there is any indication of constipation and general feverishness. The food must be regulated by the necessity of keeping down all inflammatory symptoms. Make a tonic powder as follows : Jio. 23. 12 Oz. sulpliur, 1 Dr. arsenic, 1 Oz. bruised coriander seed. Divide into twelve parts and give one in the food night and morning. THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 287 Dress the sores three times a day with the following lotion, ai)plyiug with a soft rag : No. 24. 1 Fluid oz. laudanum, 1 Fluid oz. glycerine, Vx Oz. carbonate of soda, 1 Quart water. XVII. Mallenders and Sallenders. Causes.— By these terms are denoted oozy, scurfy patches upon the knee and hock — those which appear back of the knee being called (for what reason nobody seems to know) mallenders ; and those which appear in front of the hock, sallenders. They spring from idleness and neglect — an impure state of the blood having been brought on by heating and unsuitable diet, and disorders of the bowels, liver, or kidneys. Though of no serious importance as diseases, they are unsightly, and, if neglected, they result in troublesome sores. How to know it. — They first begin as a moist tetter, apt to escape observation until they appear in a roughened state of hair about the parts mentioned, under which the skin is scurfy, feverish and somewhat tender. Itching of such severity sometimes attends them as to render the horse restive and hard to keep under restraint. What to do — In the first place attend to the cleanliness of the horse and put him upon a regular course of moderate exercise. Give him t^vice daily, night and morning, a pint of the excellent alterative and tonic drink : No. 25. 1 Fluid oz. liquor arsenicftlis, IK Oz. tincture muriate of iron, 1 Qt. water. Kub the parts affected two or three times a day -with an ointment made as follows : No. 26. 1 Oz. animal glycerine, 2 Drs. mercurial ointment, 2 Drs. powdered ointment, 1 Oz. spermacetti. If the scurfy places have developed into suppurating sores, use, instead of the ointment, the following lotion, saturating them well twice a day : No. 27. K Pint animal glycerine, }i Oz. chloride of zinc, 6 Quarts water. " • Be careful that his food is such as to keep him from constipation and fever. 288 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. XVIII. Poll-evil. Causes Poll-evil is the name given to a deep abscess having its se&l of primary inflanmiation between the ligament of the neck and the first fjone which lies beneath without being attached to it ; and it is serious in its nature by reason of this depth and of the difficulty with which the matter formed finds its way to the surface through the strong fibrous membrane that envelopes it. If not attended to in its early stages, the surface of the first bone from the head, or that of the joint between the first two bones, becomes inflamed, and the joint or joints involved. The disease may be said to owe its origin almost wholly to violence of some kind. A blow upon the poll by a brutal driver may very readily produce it ; and much slighter causes, often repeated, result in this affection; as, the forcing on of a tight collar day after day; hanging back and so bruising the poll with bridle or halter ; and excessive rul>bing of that part because of itch produced by dirt accumulated about the ears and upper point of the neck and not carried away by brush or currycomb. Strikino- the head against low ceilings and the beams of low doorways is doubtless responsible for very many cases of this dangerous and disa- greeable disorder. How to know it — A certain restlessness, a throwing back of the head and then returning ; again, a drooping tendency, turning the head from one side to the other ; a dull appearance about the eyes ; a sluggishness of movement — all these are sometimes observed before any symptoms of the disease may be discovered about the head. Sometimes no notice is taken of its existence until considerable swelling and even an unwholesome discharge have set in ; but more frequently an oval tumor is discovered, — hot, tender, situated directly in the region of the nape of the neck, but generatly inclining to one side. In the milder form this tumor is evidently superficial ; and the horse moves his head with comparative ease and freedom ; whereas, in the more advanced stage he carries it stiffly, and every movement of it or the neck causes great pain. Sometimes the disorder is so deeply- seated that the tumor is not developed sufBciently to make much outward show„ It is much likelier to discover itself plainly as a vrell-developed swelling when the hurt is superficial. In any case, it must be examined with the fingers to deter- mine this point. Place the fingers gently upon it, and give the animal time to re- cover from the little scare into which this touchino; of a sore at first jrives him : Poll-evil during tue First Stage. THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 28J> then gradually press upon the part. If the hurt is near the surface, he will flinch quickly ; if deeply seated, he will be correspondingly slow in show- ing evidences of pain. If suppura- tion has already set in, it can readily he known when near the surface by a sort of fluctuatino- f eelino: ; but this fluctuation can scarcely be felt at all if the matter is deep seated. Poll-evil ix its Second Stag What to do. — If discovered w^ien there is nothing more than a swelling, no matter having yet been found, remove all tendency to general fever- ishness by giving purgative medicine according to evident fullness of <'ondition ; allow the horse to rest ; and put him on moderately light diet. Then make the following cooling lotion, and keep the SAvelling constantly moistened w'ith it by having a small rag pad laid over it and saturated with the mixture from time to time : No. 28. 2 Oz. tincture of arnica, 1 Dr. ioLlide of potassium, 1 Qt. vinegar, 1 (.)t. camomile infusion. If this does not reduce the inflammation and remove tiie swelling within a few days, it may be inferred that matter is already forming, though it may have been impossible at first to detect it ; and you must bring it to a head as soon as practicable Ijy poulticing. Use for this pur- pose a mixture of ground flax seed, corn meal, oil of turpentine, and hog's lard. As soon as matter can ]:>e felt, have ready a large and very sharp knife ; cast the animal, and have some one to sit upon his neck to prevent struggling; then open with a quick, steady, and strong. sweep of the blade through the tumor — being careful to have the wound open at the lower point of the tumor, so as to provide for more easily draining it of matter that may hereafter form. Be careful, too, not to cut the tendhious ligament that runs along the neck under the mane. If the matter appears to be on both sides, open the places separately, so as to leave this ligament undivided. It may, if absolutely necessary, be severed between the second l)one and the head, and the support of the head be not materially Aveakened, since the main stress is on the second bone, and the diAaded ligament, if healthy, will soon heal again ; but it is best to avoid all risks ; and if at all convenient, the aid of an exper- ienced veterinary surgeon should l)e had when it becomes necessary to use the knife. 290 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. The wound must now be cleansed by being syringed daily with a stim- ulatino- Avash, (1-2 dr. chloride of zine in 1 quart of water), until a healthy discharge sets in, and evidences of healing begin to manifest themselv^es. Nothing further will then be necessary than to keep the parts clean by daily sponging with warm soapsuds. It sometimes occurs that before remedial measures are resorted to, not alone the fleshy, but the tendinous, ligamentary, and bony structures have become involved, and the disease has assumed a desperate char- acter. If further neglected, the spinal cord is likely to become diseased, and the case hopeless. If, upon opening a tumor, the matter is found to flow in great quantities, resembling melted glue, with something of an oily consistence, it may be knowm that the disease is deep-seated and danp-erous ; and the probe should be employed to find whatever cavities may exist. If any are found, the knife should again be employed, and another cut made, smooth down, and in the same direction as the first, to prevent all rough and hacked walls, till the lowest depths are reached. Then cleanse the wounds with warm soapsuds, using a good gum com- press syringe ; and dress with a mixture of spirits of turpentine, honey, and tincture of myrrh. When a thick, light-colored matter begins to appear, the dressing must be discontinued, and the parts must be kept clean, as previously directed, by sponging with warm soapsuds. It is sometimes necessary to cut away loose pieces of ligament till a healthy aspect is presented on the walls and in the depths of the incision. In the more desperate cases, numerous openings are formed, and these discharae a matter resembling the white of an e^o-, which adheres to the su^TOunding parts, and gives to the animal a most repulsive appearance. In this case the knife should be used so as to take in at one sweep the greatest number of openings, and then the other openings should be con- nected by cuts with this main channel ; after which the wound should be cleansed as previously directed, and dressed Avith the mixture prescribed — spirits of turpentine, honey, and tincture of myrrh. After matter has formed, the knife is the only sure means of saving the horse ; and, in the hands of the skillful man, it is a merciful means. The operation is brief ; and the relief is more speedy than can otherwise be o1)tained. Let no one attempt it, however, who cannot operate as though for the moment divested of feeling, as there must be no hesitation, no awkwardness as to direction, no notching and hacking. A horse that has once had the poll-evil should never afterward have a collar thrust over his head, or be hauled around with a halter or any other head-gear pressing upon the part. The poll will long remain ten- der, and a return of the disorder is likely. If it is necessary to treat during Summer, when the horse is apt to b© I THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 291 annoyed with flies, keep the wound covered with a rag moistened i]i u solution of tar. XIX. Fistula. Causes. — This is sometimes known as fistulous withers^ to distinguish it from listuhi of the parotid duct. It is similar to poll-evil and is gen- erally caused in like manner, by bruises. In the case of fistula, these bruises may be caused by an ill-fitting collar ; by a lady's saddle, partic- ularly if awkwardly ridden; b}^ the jjressing forward of a man's saddle, especially in case of high withers ; by striking the withers against the top of a low door-way ; by rolling and striking the withers against some hard substance ; by the biting of other horses ; and by a blow of the blacksmith's hammer. The points of the spinal processes, (little pro- jections of the spine or back bone,) are hurt, inflammation sets in, and the fistulous tumor is produced. Its site is the spine above the shoulders ; and it is more troublesome than poll-e^^l, because it is more exposed to repeated injuries. How to know it — The first indication will be a swelling on one or both sides of the withers, generally rather broad and flat. Upon exam- ination with the fingers this will be found hot, tender, and apparently deep seated. If observed when first formed, it will be of uniform hardness throughout. If unattended to while in this state, the tumor soon becomes an abscess ; and owing to the difficulty in the way of the matter's escaping, (its natural outlet being at the top of the shoulders), the pus sinks downward ; and the al)scess sometimes becomes enormous before there is any well defined head, and before there is any opening. When it breaks, or is opened, a large quantity of extremely offensive matter flows out. Ordinarily, the tumor will come to a head in from one to two Aveeks. When the discharge has begun, the tumor does not Ijegin to grow healthy and heal, but the walls of the opening thicken, and continue to discharge matter which becomes more and more offensive. The matter burrows between the shoulder blade and spinal points, and everything around seems to be rotting away ; and it is both difficult and dangerous to trace the opening. In process of time several holes will appear along the course of the muscles in contact with the original abscess, and from each issues a foul discharge, till the ulcerating process seems to extend itself to nearly all the muscles of the shoulder. The health of the animal may at first be excellent, and there may be no lameness ; but as the inflammation extends, there is lameness of the shoulder, and he suffers generally — often greatly. He is averse to motion, and will suffer for food and drink rather than undergo the pain 19 292 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. feiilGUT EvLAnCBMENT WHICU jrAY END IN FieruLocs WixiiEits. oi trying to reach and partake of it. In its worst stages the bones extending into the sinus decay. What to do — Be careful to ascertain, in the first place, whether the tumor has newly risen. The matter may form in one, even while it is quite small ; and it is important to know when the knife may be used to advantage. If matter has already formed, it can be detected by the somcAvhat soft and fluctuat- ing feeling of the abscess. If discovered while still a new formation, take the horse from work, if possilile ; if not, take especial pains to protect the in- jured point or points from pressure. A bruise at that point of the ^ith- ers where the collar rests will not unfit a horse for the saddle, unless considerable inflammation and ex- tending soreness has already set in ; nor will a saddle bruise, farther back on the withers, necessarily un- fit him for harness. A recent swelling should be im- mediately treated with fomentations of bitter herbs. Boil wormwood, or muUen stalks, or life-everlasting in soft water, to make a strong decoction ; and apply it with large woolen cloths, as hot as can be borne, to hasten the formation of matter. When the tumor begins to soften and show signs of heading, have a suitable, fine-jDointed, sharp knife. Ascertain the lowest point of the abscess. Then stand close to his side, near the middle, to avoid both hind and fore feet in case of kicking or striking, with the back of the knife to the shoulder ; point upward and outward, stick at the lower edge, and cut open with a free incision. Next, S3a-inge the abscess till it is as thoroughly cleansed as possible with a solution of carbolic acid and water, one part acid to two of water. Then dress with coal oil, ov some convenient salve. After two or three days, the wound should be thoroughly cleansed by syringing with warm soap suds ; then use the carbolic acid water, and lepeat the oil or salve dressing ; and so on till a cure is effected. The patient must m no case be turned to pasture, since the constant motion of the neck and jaws necessary to procuring and masticating his ^ood aggravates every symptom. Stable him comfortably, and feed FisTOLOcs WiTHER=i— Worst Stagk. THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 293 according to his general condition. Let him have water freely ; and give opportunity each day for some exercise by allowing him the run of u small inclosure. When the case has become chronic, and holes in considerable number have appeared, make a cut so as to reach the bones, and to include m its course as many holes as practicable. If there are other openings, (par- ticularly below), cut from them into the main incision. Have an assistant to press back the sides of the greater opening till the matter is cleared out ; and if the spinous processes or points are found to be carious or rotten, nij) oif with a pair of bone forceps till the healthy bone is reached. If any of this decaying bone is left, the wound will inevitably matter and break again, though it may for a time appear to have healed. After thus cleaning out the bulk of the matter and picking away the dead bone, use the syringe and warm soap-suds still further to clean the parts ; then inject the carbolic solution as previously directed. But instead of coal oil, use this ointment once a .day ; No. 29. K Oz. verdigris, }i Oz. copperas, 1 Oz. oil of turpentine, 4 Oz. yellow rosin. The copperas and rosin must be finely powdered — ^then mix all together thoroughly. When a kind of thick whitish discharge is observed to have set in, discontinue the ointment ; but still wash or syringe thoroughly, al intervals, with warm soap-suds. To keep away flies, cover the wound, after each dressing, with a large cloth saturated with diluted tar. Should the horse grow feverish from the effects of blood poisoning, which takes place in a greater or less degree in this chronic stage by reason of absorption, bleed him once, at least, taking from the neck vein from three to six quarts, according to general condition and severity of the inflammation. • When the disease has proceeded to the length of requiring this severe treatment, the recovery is necessarily slow, and the horse is inevitably disfigured. In very desperate cases it is sometimes best, or, indeed, almost indis- pensable, to use the rowel. The pipes, (or sinuses as they are sometimes called), the openings whence the matter exudes, take a dangerous direc~ tion, and tend from the withers to the chest. Use an elastic probe, to ascertain the direction and the depth ; and if it is found that cutting will not answer, use the guarded seton or rowel needle described in the chap- ter on medicines, ointments, etc. Insert it as far as it will go, then give it a firm rap on the handle, so as to force out the cutting edge and drive the point through the flesh. Knot one end of a long, slender tape. 294 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. place the other through the openmg near the pomt of the needle and draw it through. Then tie a knot at the other end, and leave it. In this way, the sinus will have an opening below, and the tape will act as a drain, while tending also by friction to remove the hard lining of the pipe. As soon as a healthy looking matter is seen to be issuing from the lower orifice, remove the seton, but cleanse occasionally with warm soap and water. CHAPTER in. DISEASES OF THE GLANDS AND NASAL MEMBRANES. T GLAA'DERS. U. FARCY. III. DISTEMPER. IV. NASAL GLEET. V. NASAt POLYPUS. I. Glanders. Causes. — This seems to be primarily a disease of the lymphatic and nasal glands, and confined to them : but upon this point authorities dis- agree, and it is contended by some that all the air passages are always affected — that it is a kind of phthisic, or incipient pulmonary disorder — and that whether the ulcers appear on the membrane of the nose prior or subsequent to the formation of tubercles in the lungs does not invalidate the proposition that the earliest external manifestations are but the effects of pulmonary derangement. The most tenable conclusion, how- ever, is plainly this : that inflammation of the membrane of the nose, and contined to that membrane, at last results in ulceration ; that the matter discharged from these is poisonous, and acts upon the glands by means of the absorbents with which it comes in contact, and is also inhaled into the lungs with the air as it passes through the nasal cavities, till at length both the circulatory and the respiratory systems are gen- erally diseased. Whence this poison is derived is not at all clearly defined. The disease is both spontaneous, (bred in the horse), and contagious ; but it is doubt- less due far more frequently to predisposing cause than to contagion. It is found as a prevalent disease where neglect, filth, and foul atmosphere exist; and we may reasonably conclude that poisonous inhalations, acting upon the delicate and easily irritated membrane of the nose, produce that incipient ulceration from which the subsequent general poisoning proceeds. In close stalls, the carbonic acid given off from the lungs, (wliich gas is of a deadly poisonous character), passes again and again 295 296 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. into the lungs, mixed with other impurities of the stall itself ; this, actmg perhaps more readily upon the nasal meml)rane than upon the other linings of the air passages, produces inflammation. This inflammation may long exist, and unsuspected by the ordinary observer, till some intense action is set up, when ulceration takes place. Or it may be produced by anything that injures and weakens the vital energy of this membrane ; as violent catarrh, accompanied by long con- tinued discharge from the nostrils ; a fracture of the bones of the nose ; and the too frequent injection of stimulating and acid substances up the nostrils. Everything that weakens the constitution, may, under peculiar circumstances, produce glanders. Among the hurtful influences that may operate to this end we may enumerate : hardships and an exhausted constitution ; any interference with the due elimination or throwing off of morbid and waste matter from the system ; want of regular exercise ; sudden and violent exercise when the horse has not been previously pre- pared for it ; placing a weak and worn-out horse upon a course of diet that is too nutritious and stimulating ; and hereditar}^ predisposition to certain forms of disease. One i)oint is deserving of special mention : it is sometimes present and contagious in animals apparently in fine l)odily condition ; other horses may contract the disease from such a one and die of it while it is still difficult to discover unmistakable traces of it in the first. There may be inflammation, and minute ulcers so far up the nasal passages as not to be seen ; these little hidden ulcers may discharge so small a quantity of mat- ter as to escape notice, and 3'^et the matter is so poisonous that when it comes in contact "svith any thin and delicate membrane, hy which it may be absorbed, it will produce glanders. Weeks, and even months, may intervene between the first existence of inflamed membrane and the development of the disease. In this case there ma}^ be counteracting tendencies, requiring some violent action or sudden change to determine the issue. It must be observed that its infectious nature is not general, but par- ticular — depending upon inoculation with the matter exuded from glanderous ulcers, or at least from poison received in some way from the glandered animal and communicated directly to a wound or to some del- icate membrane of another horse, an ass, or a human being. How to know It. — As may be inferred from the .preceding, it is not ahvays easy to detect the actual presence of this disease, though it is often a matter of paramount importance that it should be known. Its dangerous character as an infectious disorder makes it essential that it should be known in its very earliest stages, that the proper precautijons may be taken to prevent the infection from spreading. THE HORSE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL, GLANDS, ETC. 297 There are some symptoms that may be observed, even Ixjfore the. appearance of any discharge whatever ; and these ma}^ be described, though they may sometimes prove falhicious, and are found to be but extraordinary indications of some other disease. The first signs are those of heaviness, dulhiess, followed hy fever ; the eyes are red and unhealthy looking, while the light is .seemingly painful to them. The hair is one day dry, the next, perhaps, it resumes its natural appearance, and so alternating until after awhile it l)ecomes staring and unnatural. The flesh wastes away rapidly for a time ; then, and particu- larly if a change of food is introduced, showing some improvement, and so alternating till at length he begins to show signs of permanenlly failing health and of a general debility. These may be regarded as for the most part premonitory signs, and up to tliis time there may be no appearance of tumors and no discharge from the nostrils ; Imt the animal should be subjected to the luost rigid scrutin}', to discover whether there is anything to confirm the impression made by the symptoms enumerated as to the probable existence of glan- dered condition. After these manifestations there may l>c said to be three stages of the disease, the peculiarities of each of which, in so far as they are distinctly defined, are generallv as follows : In the first stao;e the discharge so much resembles that which attends some other nasal affection as some- times to pass unnoticed, but examination vnll disclose a curious fact which has not been accounted for, — it will be found confined to one nostril, and that, in the vast majority of cases, the left. Occasionally it is the right, very seldom both. This, however, must not be regarded as a peculiarity of the first only, as it is common to every stage of tii« disease. The second stage is characterized b}^ an increased flow, and it alsfy becomes more mucous and sticky, while its color changes from an almost transparent clearness to a whitish or yellowish tinge. It often begins now to drip from the nose in stringy clots. Some of the matter in this stage, now more actively poisonous, being taken up by the absorbents, affects the neighboring glands. If both nostrils are discharging, the glands within the under jaw mil be enlarged on both sides ; if from one nostril, only the gland on that side. As other diseases will produce these swelled glands, as catarrh, for instance, it becomes necessary to look for some peculiarity in order to determine certainly as to the exist- ence of glanders. At first the enlargement may be spread over so much surface as not to make any distinctly marked lumps : but this soon changes, and one or two small swellings remain, and these are not in the center of the channel, but adhere close to the jaw on the affected side; 298 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. This may be regarded as an almost conclusive test. The membrane of the nose will now be found of either a dark purplish hue or a leaden color — the latter, unless there is some of the redness of inflammation; and ulcers will probably appear upon the membrane, usually approacliing to a circular form, and deep, >\dth abrupt and prominent edges. When these appear there can be no further doubt, but care must be taken to know that they are not spots of mucous. To this end, try whether they may be brushed away. Notice particularly, too, that the orifice of the duct which connects with the tear glands is just within the nostril, and on the inner side of it; otherwise, this, if foul, may be mistaken for an ulcer. This orifice may be readily distinguished from an ulcer by obser\dng that it is on the continuation of the connnon sldn, while the olanderous ulcers are on the membrane of the nose, o When these ulcers begin to be visible, the general condition of the animal soon shows signs of change ; his coat seems dead and staring, the hair coming off easily ; his appetite is impaired ; he loses flesh ; his belly contracts ; he grows more and more debilitated : there is more or less cough ; the discharge increases in quantity, and its increased poisonous character causes it to remove the hair where it flows, while it seems tinged with blood, and is offensive to the smell. In the third stage the ulcers have become larger and more numerous ; and upon placing the ear to the horse's chest, a grating, choking noise will be heard at every act of breathing. The air passages being obstructed, every" breath is drawn with difiiculty. The skin of the forehead will be found somewhat thickened, swelled, and peculiarly tender ; the membrane lining the frontal openings of the nose will be not onl}^ ulcerated but evidently inflamed ; the discharges are increased and become more sticky and of darker color, though still somewhat flecked Avith blood. The absorbents become more and more involved ; it seems now that general ulceration has set in • and the additional symptoms are henceforth those of farcy. To prevent its being mistaken in its earlier stages for strangles, which is sometimes done, the following directions will suflSce : Strangles is peculiar to young horses, and at the outset resembles cold with some fever and sore throat, accompanied generally by distressing cough and some wheezing. The enlargement which sometimes appears beneath the jaw in strangles is not a single small gland, but a swelling of the whole substance between the jaws, growing harder toward the center, and at length, if the disease runs on, breaking. In strangles the membranes of the nose will be very red, and the discharge from the nostrils profuse and mattery almost from the first. When the tumor has hurst, the fever will abate and the horse will speedily get well. THE HOESE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL GLANDS, ETC. 299 To distinguish it from catarrh, for which also it is sometimes mistaken, observe that fever, loss of appetite, coughing, and sore throat all accompany catarrh, whereas these symptoms are rarel}' if ever found together in glanders. In catarrh, the horse quids his food, (drops it from his mouth partially chewed), and gulps his water. The discharge from the nose is profuse and sometimes mattery ; the glands under the jaw, if swollen, are movable, while there is a thickening around them and they arc hot and tender. What to do — The first thing to do, and in the first stage, will naturally suggest itself to any one who has taken the pains to inform himself of the dreadful nature of the disease. Its contagious character renders it dangerous, as has been said, not only to all of the horse kind. but to man ; and no time should ])e lost in removini»' a olandered animal from the possibility of communicating the disorder to another. If stabled, there should be no connection whatever between his stall and those of other animals, as the discharge from the nostril, (in which lies the danger), maybe communicated through any opening sutficient to allow horses to ])itc or nibble at each other. If placed to pasture, it should be known that no other horse is at all likely either to be turned in with him or to approach the in closure. And this reriioval or separation should take place whenever it is observed that there is that constant discharge from one nostril which has been described, even though it may seem but watery and natural, and the horse be in the ver}^ best apjoarent condition. Remember that a glandered condition may long exist, and minute ulcers, in the hidden recesses of the nose, discharge a sort of limpid or clear fluid, without any of the acti^s'c and violent symptoms being manifest ; but that all this time the horse may be able to communicate the disease to others ; and that these may die of it while he is yet in reasonably fair condition. It can hardly escape the intelligent horse owner that every known cause of the disease should, if possible, be promptly removed. Close, damp, dark stables, reeking with exhalations distilled from mingled dung, urine, and rain water, ought at any rate to begin to receive a little attention after the poor occupant has caught w^hat is more than likely to prove his death ; if he is jaded and exhausted by lal)or, no hope of cure can be entertained unless he is promptly released from his toils and put upon moderate and health-giving exercise only, wdth such generous diet as will restore the wasted tissues ; if, on the contrary, he is pampered and stimulated and grown unwholesomely plethoric for want of labor proportioned to his good keeping, his food should be gradually changed, and a regular course of moderately increasing exercise be instituted and 300 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. persevered in till that point is discovered at which such exercise \a recuperative rather than exhaustive, and then maintained. It may be well, before proceeding farther, to caution the reader against the advice of quacks, and point out what not to do. This may be summed up in the one single injunction, do nothing cruel. All such prac- tices as slitting the nose, scraping the cartilage, searing the glands, tiring the frontal and nasal bones, and injecting mustard, capsicum, vitriol, and corrosive sublimate up the nostrils, are but the hurtful devices of ignor- ance combined with brutality. If the disease is in its tirst stage when the horse is taken in hand for the purpose of employing remedial agencies, place him in a good, dry and airy stable, if in Summer, or in an open pasture where most of his food may be obtained by himself, observing the precautions already laid down. If in Winter, he should still have the dry stable, not too close, and supplied with clean litter, and care should l)e taken to guard him against severe cold and exposure to an}' sudden change. The matter of food may be regulated bj this : it must be nutritious without being inflammatory ; and the condition of the animal as to previous treatment and present condition of flesh must regulate the quantity, as also to somc^ extent the quality. Then prepare and administer the following medicine : No. 30. 1 Drachm powdered sulphate of camphor, 4 Fluid di-achuis Fowler's solution of arsenic. Mix with linseed meal and syrup to form a ball, and give one of lik^ quantity each day for three days ; then omit a day ; then give the balls for three days again, and so on till a change for the better is perceptible or its failure is manifest. Meanwhile, swab out the nose every day with a solution of pyroligenous acid — using warm water, (as warm as the horse can well bear), and putting in suflScient of the acid at first to make the solution of medium strength. It should be a little increased from day to day ; but care must be taken not to make it too strong, as violent acid injections or swabbing solutions are calculated to do harm rather than good. A good mop for this purpose may be made by attaching soft rags, (old cotton cloth is best), to a light stick, two feet in length — so arranging the cloth as to have it project beyond the end of the stick to be inserted, to prevent any roughness that might abrade or scratch the membrane, and fastening very securely, to prevent its slipping off. If this treatment is found not to be efficacious, or if the disease has already developed into the second stage — ^the discharge more mucous, sticky, and stringy, with glands swollen and the membrane of the nose of a dark purple or leaden color — adopt the following treatment, and carry it out energetically and persistently : THE HORSE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL GLAXDS, ET'. 301 Take from the neck vein from three to six quarts of blood, accord- mg as the horse may aj^pear feeble or plethoric. Make a gallon of very strong decoction or tea of tobacco leaves, which keep ready for use. Put enough of this into warm water, (as warm as the horse can well bear), and swab out his nostrils with it, as high up as jDossible, using mop as just directed. Then put a gill of this same strong tobacco tea into a pint of warm water, and drench him with the solution. There must be no uneasiness on account of the dreadful sickness which this ■^vill produce. The tobacco is necessary thoroughly to relax the system and overcome fixed or chronic tendencies, and to counteract the influence of the glanderous poison. Swab out the nose every daj^ for eight or ten da}'s, and drench every third day for from two to four weeks, or until the discharge has ceased and the ulcers are perceptibly healing. So for the first two stages. If all these directions, (those as to food and care as well as for the administering of medicines), are faithfully carried out, a reasonable hope of success may be entertained. If the disease has passed into the third stage, however, no treatment can be confidently recommended. So doubtful is it as to whether an}'- remedial agencies will avail, that most veterinarians in the United States confi- dcntl}' d<5clare that the best thing to do is to kill the sufferer in the quickest and most humane way, and bury him deep in the ground, beyond the possibility of his contaminating the atmosphere with his decaying and poisonous carcass. This is made a matter of legislative enactment in England — severe penalties attaching to the keeping of glandered horses — and it is contended by some that the general safety of both animals and man require like legal enactments in this country ; but, as we have said, until he has passed into the third state, or where he seems to be suffering with both glanders and farcy, a good horse ought not to be sac- rificed. It cannot be too strongly urged, hoAvever, that no effort ought to be spared to prevent the spread of the contagion ; and the man who would expose a horse for sale, known to him to be glandered, but not apparent to a casual observer, ought to be confined in the State prison. A horse affected with tliis disease, in any stage, is dangerous to the man who handles him ; but he is doubly so, perhaps, when he has become a loathsome object in limbs and body as well as in head ; and under ordinary circumstances it is doubtless best to destroy him as quickly as possible. In case treatment is determined upon, nothing better than that prescribed for the second stage can be recommended. The reader's attention ought to be called to this fact: that there have been instances of a spontaneous cure of glanders — that is, of cures having taken place without the agency of remedial means used by man ; 302 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOE. but all such cases may have been apparent rather than real — a mere sus. pension of the active powers of the poison — and they ought to be looked upon with suspicion. These may be resumed at some future time and with fatal result. It remains now but to suggest some precautionary measures to prevent t'ontiigion, in addition to those which have already been given. If a stable is known to have been used by a glandered horse, no other animal should be allowed to occupy it until the trough, the rack, and the walls have been thoroughly scraped and scoured with strong soap and warm Avater. Then take one pint of chloride of lime and dissolve it in two gal- Ions of water, with which thoroughly saturate every part that the horse's nose may have touched. Next, white-wash the walls inside. Then burn bridles, halters, buckets out of which he has drunk — whatever may have been about his head — and if any blanketing has been used have it care- fully cleansed by washing, or burn it up. II. Parcy. Causes — In treating of glanders and farcy there is a great diversity of opmion as to the relations in which they stand to each othetr — w^hich IS the antecedent, which the consequent ; but the most sensible view of the matter, and the one taken by the ablest veterinarians, is this : that the two are but different manifestions of the same disease, and that they might with propriety be so treated. Regarding them separately it is difficult to say which is the more acute form, wdiich the more chronic, as it is now generally conceded that a horse afflicted with what may seem at tirst a well-developed case of glanders may be presently laboring under confirmed farcy — the last state apparently worse than the first ; again, a case of farcy may assume the type to which the name glanders is aj)plied, and in this case also there seems to be a development of the first into a more hopeless disorder. This would be a matter, however, of no special consequence to the intelligent horse owner were it not that the confused notions of men concerning the two affections might chance to brmg him face to face with this difficulty : that, unable to eliminate the truth from the tangled statements of some who, entertaining diverse views, may take it upon themselves to advise, he may find himself halting between two opinions when it is of vital consequence that he should be doing something. Let him be assured that it is wholly unnecessary to trouble himself Avith nice questions as to the priority of either disease or the real difference between them ; the one important point for him is to be able to detect in the incipiency of an attack of either that one of tliem is present. THE HORSE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL GLANDS, ETC. 303 Spealdng now of the farcy as a distinct disease, it is to ])e regarded as a general poisoned condition of the horse — the poison having its imme- diate origin in an ulcerated condition of the lymphatic glands ; and its remote origin in whatever tends to disorder these lymphatics. The remote causes are often found in constitutional or inherited tendencies, but more frequentlj^, no doubt, in neglect and abuse — some of the forms which these take on being overwork and under-feeding ; lack of the curry-comb and brush ; exposure to the foul atmosphere of dark, damp stables, and their accumulations of filth. The glands so affected are more numerous along the ja^vs, neck, and flanks than elsewhere near the skin. Some species of poison is taken into the system of the animal, which manifests itself by an enlargement of some of these glands into the hard, rounded lumps, called farci/-buds, or buttons, which presently secrete and discharge dangerous infectious matter. The absorbents whose office it is to remove useless particles from the body, take up from beneath the skin some of this virus ; they inflame with it and swell ; and by their connection with the veins give the latter a corded, swollen appearance. The poison, of course, finally reaches the veins and is mingled with the blood ; by the blood it is conveyed to every part of the system. Acting upon the valves of the veins — ^those little membranous sacs which assist in o-ivinof the blood a uniform tendency toAvards the heart — the poison creates new knots or buttons, and thus they increase until many portions of the skin are covered with putrid ulcers The first existence of an ulcerous condition may not be upon any \asible portion of the body. Minute poisonous ulcerations may arise in the recesses of the nose, and discharge so slightly as to escape observation until the general system is thoroughl}'^ inoculated with the virus. It is, however, extremely capricious in its manifestations ; probably owing more to the peculiarities of different animals than to any difference as to either immediate or remote causes of the disease itself. It occa- sionally takes on a lingering form, and will continue for months and years ; again it will run its course and kill the horse in an incredibly short time. It is extremely contagious in all its stages, and is communicable not only to other brutes, but to man. How to know it — it is difficult to give in few words such directions as enable the unprofessional and inexperienced reader readily to detect this disease in its inwpiency, and to distinguish, in its somewhat advanced state, between it and some other diseases which have, occasionally similar manifestations. It often perplexes by the different forms it assumes ; but close attention to the following particulars and a wide-awake intierest, 304 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. that leads one to observ^e changes and peculiar conditions will probably suffice : In some cases the horse will droop for many days before the appear- ance of either buds or corded veins ; the appetite is impaired ; the coat is staring, or rough and unpleasant to the sight ; his mouth is hot ; his thirst great and difficult to quench ; the urine is highly colored ; the hair comes off easily ; and he evinces then the symptoms of a generally deranged condition. Sometimes the horse will appear to be perfectly well at night, and next morning one leg, usually the hind leg, will be fearfully swollen, hot with fever, and almost without the power of mo\dng. At other times the head will swell, the muzzle, particularly, will be enlarged, and an offensive discharge proceed from the nose. Again, this tendency to the swelling of the leg is accompanied by cracks at the heels, leading the inexperienced to mistake it for ordinary *' swelled leos" or for "grease." When taken by inoculation, (the poison having been received from another animal or from trough, stable, or curry-comb), it is apt to manifest itself in its earliest stages by shivering, followed by heat of body, a frequent and hard pulse, dullness, accelerated breathing, and rapid elevation of temperature. These attacks may speedily prove fatal. In all these cases, the poison has been worldng, but is not yet outwardly manifest. Generally the first stage of unmistakable local manifestation is a swelling of the lymphatics, a development of the "farcy-bud." A single bud will sometimes appear near the pastern joint and run up in an uneven knotty form. They usually appear, however, along the sides of the neck or iiiside the legs, and are rounded, with an elevated edge, and a pale surface. These presently burst and discharge a watery fluid for some time, when a change takes place and the discharges become more mattery and offensive, and are mixed with blood. They frequently increase in number until the neck, shoulders, and legs are almost entirely covered with them — sometimes almost the whole body becomes a putrid loathsome mass. In this last case there are no longer any buds or knots, as the veins have become so generally injured as not to show special prominences at the valvular points. Occasionally it will be found that the buds will not ulcerate, but become hard and difficult to remove. This indicates that the progress of the disease is suspended ; but the poison is in the systerh, and if steps are not taken at once to eradicate the seeds of the malady, it will in time break out and destroy the horse. When it rises along the spine, as it occasionally does, it is to be considered malignant and very dangerous, particularly to those horses THE HORSE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL GLANDS ETC. 305 that are fat and full-blooded — the disease in this case being most probably the result of infection. To enable one to distinguish it from those diseases for which it is sometimes mistaken, the following directions, if closely observed, will be sufficient : It differs from surfeit in this : that the buds are generally higher than the surfeit tumors, more knotty, not so broad, and are found principally on the inside of the limb and not on the outside. The sudden swellings of the legs, head, or chest are characterized by heat and tenderness that do not accompany other enlargements ; and the farcy may be distinguished from grease or swelled legs by this : that in grease there is usually a peculiar tightness, glossiness, and redness of the skin, with scurfiness, discharging cracks, and a singular spasmodic catch- ing up of the leg. In farcy the swelling is more sudden — the leg that is apparentl}'^ sound at night is found in the morning swollen to an enormous size. It is owing to a sinmltaneous inflammation of all the a]^sorl)ents of the liml) ; but instead of the redness and glossiness of sur- feit there will be l)urning heat without outward manifestation, and the leg will be peculiarly tender, while the body will be generally feverish. It may be known from that local dropsy of the cellular membrane pro- ducing an enlargement l)eneath the thorax called water-farcy, by simply observing that in water-farcy there is general weakness unaccompanied l)y inflammation . What to do — The treatment must of course be directed primaril}^ to the removal of the blood poison and to the restoring of the assimilative powers of the digestive and circulating organs. It must be both general and local ; as the vital functions are to be restored to their normal condi- tion at the same time as the outward manifestations of the poison are removed. The buds must be dispersed and the ulcers healed b}^ active external applications, since the powerful internal remedies must be more or less inoperative while these receptacles of poisonous matter furnish a constant supply to the absorbents, to be carried by the various organs of circulation to all parts of the body. The first and most necessary thing to do is to exercise a wise discrim- ination as to the stage of the disease. If found to be in its incipiency — few buds having appeared, and being slow to spread ; no foul discharo-e from the nose ; no sudden swellings and violent heat — ^the followino- treatment may be adopted with every hope of success : Pay particular attention to feeding, and to keeping the stable, (if nec- essary to have the animal confined), clean, dry, and comfortable. The food should be easy of digestion, but nourishing, and especially of such 206 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. a character as to keep the bowels regular. Bran, oats, long forage, (green if possible), are good ; and an occasional mash of boiled carrots or turnips mixed with bran or shorts, to which a table-spoonful of salt is added, will be found beneficial. He should have moderate daily exercise ; and as much good pure water as he will take should be given him. If the food given does not have the effect of keeping the bowels open, give an occasional mild purgative compounded as follows : No. 31. 3 Dniclims finely powdered aloes, 1 Drachm ground ginger. Stir these ingredients thoroughly together ; then use sufficient soft soap to make a paste that can be rolled into a ball. Wrap this in thin paper, and give by elevating his head and thrusting it into his throat. Give the following tonic, to stinmlate the digestive and secretive functions : No. 32. 6 Oz. powdered sulphate of iron, 6 Oz. rosin, 3 Oz. gentian, 3 Oz. ground ginger. Mix thoroughly, divide into twelve powders, and give one night and morning. When these powders are exhausted, make up the same mixture, with the exception of the rosin, which, by too long continuance is apt to affect the kidneys unduly, and give as before, night and morning. To remove the buttons and ulcers, take a large stick or pencil of lunar caustic or of caustic potash, and with it burn out the central portion of each bud, and cauterize each ulcer. When convenient to obtain what is called a farrier's "budding iron," the work may be more expeditiously done by heating the iron to redness, and, after rubbing it on something to clear off the scales, inserting the point hito every bud and ulcer — remembering that it must be done moderately, and not so as to destroy the tissues. When these burnt places begin to slough out, and look pale, foul, and spongy, with thin matter, wash them frequently with a solution of 1 drachm of corrosive sublimate in 1 oz. rectified spirits. When the wounds begin to look red, and the bottom of them is even and firm, while they discharge a thick white or yellow matter, use some simple ointment. If the disease is plainly in an advanced stage — ^the buttons and ulcers numerous and widely spread over the body ; the thirst great and hard to satisfy ; signs of glanderous ulcers on the mucous membrane of the nose ; the hair, where the sores have not invaded the skin, staring and sasy tw THE HOUSE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL GLANDS, ETC. 307 'ome oif ; the general appearance filthy and loathsome — the following severe treatment should be adopted and perseveringly carried out : In the first place, observe all the p\recautions as to diet and the state of the bowels previously recommended, being careful to guard against (extensive purging, for this Avill tend rather to reduce the disease to a lower stage, and to retard recovery. Bleed at once, taking from two to four quarts of blood from the neck vein, according as the body is more or less inflamed. Take a gill of very strong solution of tobacco and pour it into a pint of warm water, and drench with it. Repeat this dose every third day until a change for the better has evidently taken place. If the feverish state continues he should be bled again, taking a like quantity as at first, within a week or ten days. The practice of bleeding, as insisted upon by some veterinarians, cannot be recommended ; but there are cases in which it may be employed with the greatest advantage. In farcy, it cannot be said to remove the poison to any great extent, though it does in some measure have this effect ; but the vitiated condition of the fluid seems to render it turgid and slow, and to produce an unnatural disten- isiou of the veins and capillaries, which bleeding partially relieves — possibly by both diminishing the quantity a little and by a reaction which follows the shock given to the organs of circulation by the act of blood- letting. The tobacco drench is a powerful medicine in counteracting the poison in the system ; and while the dose recommended will make the horse very sick, from its well-known nauseating properties, its effects are not to be feared. On those days which intervene between the doses of tol)acco tea, the tonic powder. No. 32, may be given as directed for tne milder stage of farcy, omitting the rosin. When the poison has been long at work without betraying its presence, till all at once the horse becomes lame, his legs swell, violent general lieat sets in, large and vicious looking buds appear suddenly and presently ])reak, while a stinking discharge takes place from the nose — corded veins and buttons appearing in some instances along the sijine — the case mav well be looked upon as hopeless ; jlnd if there are other animals that are in danger of taking the affection from him, it is doubtless best, as is generally recommended by English veterinarians, for even much milder forms, to kill the horse and bury him beyond the reach of all danger to others. In this stage of the disease he is dangerous to man, and no one ought to be required to take the risk of handling him. Lastly, every precaution should be taken to guard against the spread of the contagion. When a horse is known to be affected 'svith farcy, no 20 308 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. time should be lost in cleansing the stable where he has been confined — washing the trough, rack and walls thoroughly, — saturating them aftei that with a strong solution of chloride of lime, (one pint of chloride to two gallons of Avater), and then white-washing the walls inside. Curry- comb, blanket — whatever may have the poison adhering to it— had better be burned. III. Distemper Causes. — This is an epidemic disease, occurring in young horses, gen- erally, and when it once breaks out all the animals in the stable are likely to be infected with it, unless they have already had it. Colts and young horses will take it from older ones more easily than older ones from the young. If it is not actually generated by filth and uncleanness in the stables, the disease is certainly aggravated by causes producing miasma and bad air in the stables. Therefore cleanliness is essential not only as a means of preventing the disease, but in rendering it of a mild type when it breaks out Horses will contract the disease from others when at a considerable distance. It is supposed to be communicated both by actual contact and also from germs proceeding from the breath. Hence when once it breaks out, at the first symptoms, isolate the sick animal or animals, fumigate the stable thoroughly and daily. To do this fill the stable with tobacco smoke, both the stable from whence the sick horses have been taken, and the place where they are confined during treatment. Let the smoke be so thick as to become quite inconvenient. Make all the animals inhale as much as possible. Wash every part of the stable, and especially the feeding places and hay racks, with a strong decoction of tobacco stems, using for the purpose cheap, rank tobacco. Keep powdered tobacco leaves in the mangers of all the horses. This being, early attended to its spread may be generally arrested. How to know it. — The disease has three stages. In the early stage of the disease there is a dry, hacking cough, and there will be noticed a discharge from the nose, first of a thin, watery fluid succeeded by a thicker, jDurulent discharge of a whitish color. The next stajje of the disease shows itself in a swellins: of the throat. The salivary glands, which at first were inflamed, are now closed, and pus is being formed. At length an abscess is formed. The third stage is the suppurative stage, in which the abscess breaks ; THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 309 sometimes there are two. From this time on, the. animal is in a fair way to mend, and every means should be taken to promote the discharge. In bad cases the suppuration may continue for weeks, and in extreme cases it may continue for months. From first to last there is a fever. The pulse is quickened and hard. The appetite fails, both from the fever and inability to swallow. As the fever increases the eyes become dull and glassy : the hair is dry, will not lie close, looks dead ; and the animal stands with its head drooped, and the whole appearance is stupid. What to do. — In some cases, bleeding will be indicated. This, how- ever, should not be allowed except under the advice of a competent veterinary surgeon or physician. If the animal is fat, or if there are in- dications of blood poisoning, from a quart to three pints of blood may be taken from the neck vein. The animal must be warmly clothed and kept in a thoroughly well ventilated but comfortable stable. Let the food be light, but nourishing. Mashes made of oat-meal and bran ; also boiled oats ; oat-meal gruel, and hay-tea should be given for drink. Give the following : No. 33. 1 table-spoonful pulverized gum myrrh, 1 table-spoonful gun powder, 1 table-spoonful lard, 1 table-spoonful soft-soap, 2 table-spoonfuls tar. Mix, and put a spoonful of this mixture on a long, narrow paddle down the throat twice a day, so it will lodge about the glands of the throat. Let all drink and food have the chill taken off before giving it. If there is considerable fever and the tongue is coated, give a little cream of tartar in the drink. If the limbs are cold, bandage them and hand rub to promote circulation. Give once a day in the food the following : No. 34. 2 or three ounces flower of sulphur, 1 ounce resin. To be mixed in the food if it will eat, or in the drink. Give also three ounces of sulphur per day, if the animal will take it. Wash the neck two or three times a day witli a decoction of tobacco as hot as the animal will bear it. If these remedies are taken in time and faithfully applied, they will often prevent any tumor from forming. If the tumor forms, then every means must be employed to cause it to suppurate. It will then be dangerous to scatter it. If the bowels are obstructed, remove the contents of the rectum by the following injection : 310 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Ho, 35, 4 Drachms powdered aloes. 1 Drachm common salt, 2 Drachms hot water. Mix, and inject when blood-warm. Use every possible means to promote the formation of pus and its dis- charge. Common distemper and strangles are similar in some of thei^ symptoms, and one may run in the other. Stimulate the swelling with the following : No. 36. Two parts spirits of turpentine, One part laudanum, One part spirits of camphor. Apply this three times a day with a brush until soreness is produced. Af- ter each application keep the parts warm with folds of flannel, kept in EIGHT-TAILED BANDAGE. placc with au cight-tailcd bandage, a piece of flannel having three slits cut in the ends for tying, and long enough to go round the throat and tie over the top of the head. If this does not cause the tumor to form, prepare a jDoultice as follows : No. 37. 1 Part powdered slippery elm, 1 Part poplar bark, 1 Part ground flax seed. Moisten with vinegar and water equal parts, quilt between two folds of cloth and apply to as large a surface as possible. When the tumor has formed pus and is nearly ripe, which may be known by a soft place where it is working its Avay to the surface, open it with a knife with a round- pointed blade, and if necessary increase the opening with a button-pointed bistoury, to allow free exit of matter. It will give almost immediate re- lief. Then apply to the swollen glands night and morning, the following : No. 38, 4 Ounces spirits of camphor, 3 Ounces pyroligneous acid, 1 Pint neat's foot oil. Mix. If the acid is not to be easily obtained use strong cider vinegar. Prepare the following powders : No. 39. 2 Ounces powdered gentian, 1 Ounce powdered golden seal, 1 Ounce powdered pleurisy root, 1 Pound powdered liquorice root. Mix, and divide into six powders, to be given in the food night and morning. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 311 IV. Nasal Gleet. Causes, —This affliction sometimes follows distemper and stranorles and is one of the attendants on glanders, sometimes running into it. It is sometimes caused by a chronic affection of the schneiderian surfaces. It is caused sometimes by the relaxing and enlarging of the ducts commu- nicating between the cavities of the liiouth and nose by disease, allowino- the semi-liquid food and its juices to pass into the nostrils. This is true chronic gleet, and the discharge is tinged with what the animal eats. It is in one of its forms a suppuration of the mucus membrane lining in the facial sinuses, producing distortion and a terribly offensive discharge, which may have been produced by a blow on the face. In bad cases the cheapest way is to end the animal's misery by killing. How to know it. — Discharge is not always present, neither is it uniform. Sometimes during fair weather it will be discontinued. The discharge is a thick yelloAV mucus tinged with green, if the food be grass, or with the color of the food. If it becomes purulent, that is pus, matter, and tinged with blood, it may end in ulceration of the cartilages of the nose, and in glanders. If the discharge is confined to the left nostril, is tena- cious, elastic, accumulates around the edges of the nose, if there is enlargement of the lymphatic submaxillary gland, under and on the side of the jaw, it is cheaper to kill the horse, or else call in a surgeon, since for the proper treatment of the disease the trephine should be used, by which a circular piece of the bone may be taken out to facilitate treatment. How to Cure. — In mild cases look for decayed molar (grinding) teeth ; if found, remove them. Look for swelling of the frontal bone, produced by bruises. Put the horse where he may be comfortable, let his diet be light, but soft ; fresh grass in Summer, with good food. Inject the nasal passages thoroughly with the following : No. 40. 1 Ounce bayberry bark, 1 Pint boiling water. When cool strain through a close linen or white flannel cloth, and inject daily. Prepare the following : No. 41. 1 Part Grains of Paradise, 1 Part white mustard seed, 1 Part powdered sulphur, 1 Part powdered charcoal. Mix, and give one ounce daily in the food. 312 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Give occasionally in gruel the following : No. 42. i^ Ounce balsam copaiba, 2 Drachms sweet spirits of niter. This with warm clothing and nutritious food will suffice for mild cases, Where the trephine is not to be used, treatment must be persisted in until the animal is cured. V. Nasal Polypus. Polypus may form upon any of the cavities of the body which com- municate with the air, being peculiar to the mucous membrane. These grown to such size as seriously to impair breathing, are accompanied some- times by discharge of mucus which is pure. That is, it is thrown out as soon as formed, and therefore it is not fetid. What to do. — If the polypus which is generally pear-shaped and at tached to the membrane of the nose, by a small neck, can be made visible by causing the horse to cough, it may be removed by a ligature or a pair of polypus scissors by any physician, if no veterinary surgeon is at hand. When the polypus is entirely concealed from view, tracheotomy may have to be employed before an examination can be made, since the poly- pus may have gone so far as to oppress the breathing. Thus in all cases of polypus, unless it be so low that a ligature can be employed to strang- ulate it at the neck, it is altogether better to call in the aid of a veter- inary surgeon. CHAPTER IV. DROPSICAL AFFECTIONS. «. DROPSY OF THE HEART. II. DROPSY OP THE BRAIN. III. DROPSY OF THE CHEST. IV. DROPSY OF THE SKI!( OF THE CHEST. V. DROPSY OF THE SCROTUM. VI. DROPSY OF THE ABDOMEN. I. Dropsy of the Heart; Causes. — The pericardium or membranous covering of the heart is subject to inflammation ; by this inflammation and consequent obstructed circulation in the minute vessels that supply it an effusion takes place, and either thickens the walls of the pericardium itself, and thus contracts or compresses the heart, or it is deposited in the cavity of the pericardium in quantities varying from a pint to a gallon. This diseased condition is generally found in connection with dropsy of the chest or abdomen. How to know it. — In the early stages of the disease there is a ijuickened and irreo-ular respiration, with a bounding action of the heart. As the fluid increases the action of this organ becomes feeble and fluttering. There is a peculiar expression of anxiety and alarm on the countenance of the animal. If he does not die of the disease before the pericardium is filled, violent palpitations and throbbings characterize the advanced stao-e. The breathinir becomes difficult, and when the head is raised there is a tendency to faint. I What to do. — If it is observed while there is yet a painful state of the pericardium by reason of inflammation — profuse effusion not havmg taken place — the first thing is to reduce the inflammation a;id allay the pain, and thus forestall the further accumulation of the fluid. For this purpose relieve constipation, which is usually found as an accompaniment, by moderate doses of salts, or of oil. Then give the following draught : 313 314 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. No. 43. 1 Oz. nitrate of potasli, 15 Drops tincture of aconite, 1 Pint of water. The animal must be kept comfortable, according to tbe season, and have a plentiful supply of fresh air and cold water. If there are no indications of relief within four hours, give the following draught : Ko. 44. 4 Oz. solution of acetate of ammonia, 10 Drops tincture of aconite, 12 Oz of water. Repeat this after eight hours, and then leave off the aconite, but con- tinue to give, at intervals, the acetate of ammonia in water. If the disease has reached an advanced stage, and the cavity of the pericardium is largely filled with water, it is scarcely to be hoped that the animal may be saved ; but even in that case the course here prescribed should be adopted, unless there is some more general disorder under such treatment as will render it unnecessary or objectionable, II. Dropsy of the Brain. Causes. — The remote cause of this disease (known also as hydrocepha- lus), is some constitutional disorder of the brain, or of its membranous covering — chiefly, as is believed, a scrofulous tendency. The immediate causes, or the excitants to its development, are various, as castration, foot puncture, staggers, acute diseases of the stomach, defective nutrition, etc. How to know it. — At first an unnatural sleepiness will aiDpear, with ap- parent unconsciousness and a tendency to reel when moving on foot. The pupil of the eye is perceptibly dilated ; the animal breathes in a hard and grunting way ; he tosses his head about and throws it upward or backward, as though in much pain. When down, with neck lying prone, as is often the case, he will sometimes raise his head, then drop it spasmodicalh^, beating it upon the ground. If unrelieved, convulsions finally set in, and death ensues. V/hat to do. — If the head is hot with fever, denoting an acute attack, sponge frequently with cold water, and see that the bowels are kept mod- erately open. If there is decided constipation, as is sometimes the case, use an injection of soap-suds at intervals, until the bowels are moved. Then give the following in doses of 2 ounces, morning and evening; No. 45. 4 Oz. fluid extract of buchu, 2 Oz. iodide of potassium, 6 Oz. water. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 315 Continue this, keeping the horse from labor and as quiet as possible, until all, symptoms of feverishness disappear from about the head, and the unnatural torpor no longer manifests itself. III. Dropsy of the Chest. Causes. — This disease, (called also hydrothorax ) , is frequently .the eequel of pleurisy, and is the result of the inflamed condition of the large surfaces of the covering of the heart and lungs. The absorbents are in- adequate to the taking up of the abundant effusion, so that the chest is tilled, the lungs are pressed upon and death by suffocation follows. How to know it. — The impaired appetite and chilliness of the ears and legs which characterize the last stage of pleurisy, change when it is about to assume a dropsical form, and the horse becomes more lively, his appe- tite returns, his legs and ears become warm, the eyes look more cheerful, and his manner is every way more encouraging. A few hours after this first apparent improvement, however, the breathing becomes labored, the muscles quiver and twitch, and the nostrils flap. The animal stands with the legs wide apart, head low, or resting upon something, neck stretched out, eyes staring, and the motion of the flanks increased, even brought into forcible heaving action. The pulse is more frequent, but small, irregular and fluttering ; and the nose, ears and legs become cold again. His weakness rapidly increases, and if not relieved the animal dies, sometimes within a week, though he may linger much longer. The disease may be detected in its early stage, or immediately after the horse has shown signs of relief from pleurisy, by placing the ear to the chest, near the breast bone. If the dropsical effusion has set in, the ear will detect no sound, nor will any be detected until the ear is placed high up the shoulder or flank, past the middle of the ribs. Holding it here, at the point where the breathing is first audible, and directing a slap to be made on the other side with the open hand, the examiner will hear a dull, splashing noise as though of disturbed water : and there need be no longer any doubt as to the nature of the case. What to do. — In the first place adopt the use of diuretics and laxatives, that the various organs may be assisted in carrying off the accumulated fluid. For the first day give every six or eight hours, the following: No. 46. 4 Drachms powdered nitrate of potash, 1 Fluid ounce tincture of cardamoms, 10 Oz. water. Mix the potash and water, and when a clear solution is formed add the tincture, and give from the bottle twice or thrice in the twenty-four hours. 316 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. On the second day, two or three times a day give : No. 47. 2 Fluid ounces solution of acetate of ammonia, 1 Oz. nitrous ether. Mix with water and administer from the bottle. If this treatment does not seem to be giving relief at the end of threo to five days, draw off the liquid by tapping the chest. It is a simple and safe operation and will give relief unless treatment has been too long de- layed, so that there is an accumulation of substances that will obstruct the mouth of the canula and prevent the flow of the liquid. The instru- ment to be used, the trocar, armed with a stylet, must not be large, as drawing off the water too suddenly would prove fatal. The smallest of those made for human practice is large enough, but it must be of greater length. Having the instrument, and that in good condition, select a place behind and about on a level with the elbow, and take a small portion of skin, between the eighth and ninth ribs, which must be pulled forward. Then make a narrow slit with a sharp knife upon the place which the skin originally covered. Still holding the skin gathered forward, insert the armed trocar into this opening and press it with such force as suffices to push it gradually onward until resistance ceases. It is then within the cavity of the thorax, and the stilet must be withdrawn, whereupon the water usually begins to flow out. Take all the water you can get if the horse will suffer so much to be withdrawn ; but if at any time during the operation he shows signs of faintness, withdraw the trocar and let the skin fly back. It is necessary always to have the skin drawn forward so that on returning it may cover the wound lest the air may enter the chest from the outside, which would prove quickly fatal. In an hour or two after the first attempt a second may be made but the trocar must be in- serted in a new place, as the first wound might be irritated by an effort to re-insert the instrument. . There is sometimes apprehension lest this operation may injure an artery by apjoroaching too near the posterior border of a rib, but this is groundless, as the artery is protected by the groove through which it travels. If the trocar is properly inserted, and no water flows, the case may be regarded as well nigh hopeless. A whalebone may be inserted to break away the pus or whatever substance may line the thorax, but this is not known to have ever resulted in any good. If there is fluid on both sides, it should be drawn off on both sides at the same time, to prevent pressure upon the delicate divisions of the chest. The fluid is generally confined, however, to one side. The operator should stay by the animal during the slow abstraction of THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 317 the water, so that ui^on any sign of faintness he may withdraw the trocar and prevent death through sudden colkipse. After the water is pretty thoroughly drawn off, be careful to give the patient as much nourishing and carefully prepared food as he will con- sume ; and the following tonic ball should be administered night and morning for several times on alternate days : No. 48. 1 Drachm iodide of irou, >i Gr.iin strychnia, >i Drachm sulphate of zinc. 4 Drachms extract of gentian. IV. Dropsy of the Skin of the Chest. Causes. — This is an effusion of fluid underneath the skin of the chest ; and it is a sequel to various diseases — beginning generally to manifest itself only after the animal is reduced to a debilitated state. It is most likely to occur in the Spring and in the Fall of the year, at the time of changing the coat. How to Know it. — A swelling appears on the chest and somewhat between the forelegs.; and its dropsical character may be known by its yielding to pressure of the fingers with a fluctuating feeling. What to do. — If it is the accompaniment of any more general disorder the first thing, of course, is to remove that primary disease. Meanwhile if the fluid accumulates in any considerable quantity, draw it off with the trocar ; and if there is not too much soreness, subject the part to regular and moderately vigorous friction occasionally for some days. Diuretics are always good in these dropsical complaints. No. 45 is good. It is important that the bowels be kept regular, and that good nutritious food, as boiled oats or boiled barley, with wheat bran, be given regularly, and in sufiicient quantity to nourish well. Give 4 drs. of gentian eveiy other day for a week or two. It must be remembered that these medicines are to be given only in case there is no treatment in j)rogress for a more general disorder, V. Dropsy of the Scrotum. Causes. — This is usually found in connection with dropsy of the abdo- men, and arises from either local injury and consequent inflammation, followed by effusion, or by sympathy from that cause which has produced the general abdominal trouble. How to Know it. — It is readily known by a chronic distension of tho part, except when mistaken for scrotal hernia or rupture, from which it 318 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. may be distinguished by its not passing back with a sudden movement, when pressed with the fingers, but with a steady current and gradual diminution. What to do. — If it is associated with dropsy of the abdomen treat that first, and until it is relieved, without which being done it is unnecessary to attempt the cure of the more local and dependent disorder. In any event, find out, if possible, and remove the primary cause. Next see to it that the bowels of the patient are kept moderately active ; and as in the case of dropsy of the abdomen, give sufficient of diuretic No. 45, to act freely upon the kidneys. If the fluid has accumulated in any considerable quantity, so as to render the scrotum painful by distension, draw it off with a fine armed trocar, or a hypodermic syringe, and support the parts 'vvith an elastic bandage. VI. Dropsy of the Abdomen. Causes. — This is a collection of water in the abdomen which is gener- ally the result of chronic inflammation of the peritoneum, a tough, white membrane which lines the abdomen and embraces tiie bowels in its folds. When this inflammation has assumed a chronic condition, the peritoneum secretes a watery fluid, because of long obstructed circulation, which fills the cavity, and unless attended to will finally cause death. Frequently it follows injuries of the abdominal walls, when the perito- neum has been subjected to violence, and is associated with local inflam- mation of the muscular tissues, from which effusion is directed inward. Sometimes it arises from obstructed circulation caused by diseases of the liver, lungs or heart, and again from a poor, watery state of the blood, superinduced by exhaustion or by scanty and innutritions food. It is more frequently found in old than in young and vigorous animals. How to know it. — Generally, a low state of health precedes the more unmistakable manifestations ; there is thirst and loss of appetite ; the pulse is hard and small ; the membrane of the nose is pale ; the mouth is dry ; the head droops ; there is a condition of weakness and languor ; and there are some signs of heart and liver diseases ; pressure upon the abdomen is so painful as to cause a groan. Sometimes there is local dropsy of the sheath, legs and breast, as well as of the belly. The bowels are apt to be constipated, but are sometimes irregular ; and the coat is loose and staring. When the water has beguft to fill the cavity, the horse manifests a de- sire to lie down and remain long in one position ; there is a gradual enlargement of the abdomen, and as the fluid increases there is increased THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 319 difficulty in breathing. In tlie chronic stages of the disease, the progress is slow ; but the belly becomes more and more baggy ; and in some in- stances the hair of the tail comes away easily or drops out, showing that the skin and capillary glands of that part of the body are affected. The presence of water, when it has collected in any considerable quan- tity, may be detected hy placing the ear to the abdomen and having some one slap the horse on the opposite side with the open palm. In mares, this enlargement of the belly is sometimes mistaken for a pregnant condition ; but it may be readily distinguished by a fluctuating feeling which follows a pressure upon the parts with the fingers, a sort of €uid motion, as of Avater forcibly displaced. What to do. — If it is known to proceed from local injuries, or from diseases of the vital organs, it is scarcely necessary to adopt any course of treatment, unless, indeed, the iDrimary disease can itself be removed; l:>ut when it depends upon inflammation of the peritoneum, or w^hen it results from bad or deficient food and unwholesome surroundings, place the horse in a good, dry and well-ventilated stall, feed him generously, and give him the folloAving tonic ball, night and morning : Ko. 49. 1 Oz. powdered digitalis, a Oz. hulphate of iron. Mix with rnucilage and a spoonful of linseed meal to form a ball of sufficient firmness for handling. It is important that the kidnej's should be kept active, and the follow- 'ng diuretic must be used for that purpose : No. 50. 2 Pounds so«.p, 2 Pounds nitrate ofpotash, 3 Pounds rosin, 2 Pounds Venice turpentine, }i Pint oil of turpentine. Melt the soap and rosin slowly together, and stir in the other ingredi- ents while the former mixture is cooling. Make it into 2-ounce balls with linseed meal, and give one at a time as often as necessary to keep up a somewhat copious action of the kidneys. If at any time the water accumulates in a great quantity, draw it off by means af a fine trocar, plunged into the most dependent or lowest part of the distended abdomen. CHAPTER V. DISEASES OP THE THROAT, CHEST AND LUNGS. I. CHEST-FOUNDER. II. BRONCHITIS. III. PNEUMONIA, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS. IV. CONSUMPTION. V. PLEURISY. VI. COLDS. VII. ENLARGED GLANDS. VIII. SWELLED THROAT, OR LARYNGITIS. IX. CHRONIC COUGH. X. MALIGNANT EPIDEMIC, XI. DIFFICULTY OF BREATHING. r- XII. BROKEN WIND, — BELLOWS, — HEAVES. XIII. INFLUENZA. XIV. PINK EYE. XV. BLEEDING FROM THE NOSE. XVI. STRANGLES. XVII, SPASMODIC ACTION OF THE GLOTTIS AND EPIGLOTTIS. I. Chest-Pounder. This when it is not soreness of the muscles from hard work, is rheu- matism in its acute form. Sometimes it is caused by lesion, or straining of the muscles or the tendons connected with them. Causes- — It may be brought on by suddenly allowing the horse to become chilled after heating, giving large drafts of cold water when warm, or driving him into cold water up to his belly when heated. How to know it. — The horse is dull ; his coat may be staring ; he is stiff, and moves unwillingly. Sometimes the soreness extends to the limbs ; usually does from sympathy. There is fever in the parts affected and accelerated pulse, the latter from 70 to 80 beats in a minute. Also, sometimes profuse sweating and heaving at the flanks, but the legs will remain warm. The parts affected may be more or less swollen, but always tender to the touch. What to do. — Clothe the horse warmly, and put him where he may be kept so. If the animal is fat, and full of blood ; if there is evident determination of blood, bleed moderately, say a pint from the neck vein. 320 THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 321 We never, however, advise bleeding, except by a veterinary surgeon or physician who knows his business. Wash the throat in warm salt and water. Relieve the bowels as soon as possible by an injection of soap suds, if the rectum be impacted. Give as a laxative 4 drachms Barba- does aloes. Pulverize and mix into a ball with molasses and linseed meal to form a mass or give the following : No. 51. >i Oz. ground ginger, 1 Drachm tartar emetic, 1 riut salt and water. Mix and give as warm as the horse can swallow it. As a rule the horse being thoroughly physicked will get better ; if not, apply a mild blister. No. 52. 1 Oz. powdered cantharides, 8 Oz. lard oil. Heat to blood heat and mix thoroughly. Shave the hair from the breast, wash with warm vinegar and apply the mixture rubbing it well in. When the blisters rise dress with a plaster of mutton tallow. A FIT SUBJECT FOR FOUNDER OR BRONCHITIS. II. Bronchitis. Causes. — Exposure of a heated and steaming horse to chill, or over exertion, and leaving the horse in the stable, when the system is quite relaxed. Riding to town and leaving a horse in the cold and wind while the owner is making himself comfortable. There is first a cold, enlarged glands and swelled throat. The inflammation extends down from the 322 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. larynx through the trachea into the bronchial tubes and air passages of the lungs, and ends sometimes in confirmed and incurable bronchitis. How to know it. — In the acute stage there is difficulty and rapidity of breathing, from the filling of the membranes with blood and the con- sequent diminishing of the size of the tube. After a time mucus is formed and increases the difficulty of breathing and causes a cough. The pulse will be 60 or 70 beats per minute ; the cough will become hard and dry, and the sound in the throat will be rattling, and after the secretion of mucus a gurgling sound will be given similar to that made in blowing soap bubbles. In extreme cases the breathing becomes extremely labori- ous, the cough is constant and distressing, the legs are extended, and at length the animal dies of suffocation. A H0R3B DRESSED FOR BRONCHITIS. What to do. — The first step is to find the extent of the inflammation. Never bleed. Clothe the animal warmly and give an injection of warm water to relieve the bowels. Avoid all strong purgatives. In fact, give none unless the bowels are decidedly bound up. Let the food be soft and laxative, green grass in Summer, or mashes and gruels in Winter. For the throat, scalded soft hay, fastened by means of the eight tailed bandages, will be orood. Wash the neck and chest with a weak decoction of tobacco as hot as it can be borne. When dry, shave the hair from the chest and apply a blister of better strength than that advised for chest founderc The following will be good : No. 53. 1 Ounce powdered cantharides, 1 Cimce powdered resin, i Ounces lard oil. ?vlelt the resin and lard together, with just sufficient heat to melt the THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 323 resin. Add the cautbiiridcs und stir until it sets together. Apply to the chest and throat if the case is desperate. If only irritation is desired the following will be good : « No. 54. 4 Ounces lard oil, 1 Ounce turpentine, 6 Drachms powdered cantharides. Shave the hair and apply by rubbing in. For the body prepare a strong cloth as shown on preceding page. Get two pieces of flannel three yards long and the full width of the fabric, also four pieces half a yard long and a foot wide. Saturate one of the pieces with cold water, fold, and apply near the top of the back, equally on each side. Two of the smaller pieces are to be saturated wnth water and laid along the sides of the chest, fasten the jacket at the back so as to hold all snug. When the flannels are warm remove them and replace immediately wdth others. So continue for two or three hours as the case may be, and then allow them to remain until the animal is pretty well recovered. In very aggravated cases of congestion give every half liour until the pulse regains its tone, and then at longer intervals, reduced at last to once a day, the following : No. 55. 1 Ounce sulphuric ether, 1 Ounce laudanum, 1 Pint water. At the third dose discontinue if the effect required is not produced and give the following: No. 56. }i Ounce of aconite, >a Drachm of extract of belladonna. Rub down the belladonna wdtli an ounce of water. Mix. Give this every hour until the pulse is better, then withdraw the aconite and half the hiudanum, and add half a drachm of belladonna to the drink first rec- ommended. (No. 55.) Let the food be thick gruel of oatmeal, boiled potatoes, and oatmeal and bran mashes. Give no dry, and especially no dirty food. When the animal begins to recover so as to eat whole grain, gi'ass and hay, let them be especially freed from dust, and let them be given moistened, until the horse be perfectly recovered. If the disease is to terminate fatally, the ^^ulse will grow c^uick and tremulous. In drawing the breath the body WiiJ. quiver, showing increas- ing difficulty and pain. The membrane of the nose becomes of a bluish tint with frothy blood and purulent matter about the nostrils. The 21 324 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. respiration, will become more and more difficult, and the cough most distressing, and continuing until a quantity of fluid matter is ejected from the nostrils, only again and again to be resumed. Thus the animal suffers and dies, or else slowly recovers, remaining through life with the cough of incurable bronchitis. A COUGH OF INCURABLE BROKCHITIS. III. Pneumonia, or Inflammation of the Lungs. This may follow acute congestion of the lungs, this being really its tirst stage, though often not noticed, by the ordinary observer, as such. But congestion may occur in its sudden and fatal form from overtaxing a fat horse, or one otherwise out of condition. Suppose from hard ■ driving or hard riding he hangs heavily on the bit ; droops and staggers : A CASE OP CONGESTION. if not pulled up he may fall ; or getting to the stable he stands with dilated nostrils, extended head, quick, convulsive or labored breathing, eyes staring and bloodshot, his nasal membrane deep red or blue, and THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 32.1 pulse rapid and weak ; if in putting the ear to the chest there is a loud respiratory murmur with crepitation (a peculiar slight cracking sound) ; if the heart, as felt behind the left elbow, is beating tumultuously ; if the limbs are cold, with perspiration breaking out on different parts of the body, there is no time to lose. In extreme cases bleed at once from the neck vein. The blood will be turbid, dark, almost jelly-like in very bad cases. Remove everything from the animal that may impede l>reathing, ani Pint linseed oil. This will often prove effective ; if not, repeat the dose in a few hours. For an ox, give double this dose. If the symptoms increase, apply a strong mustard poultice to the side of the chest, or a blister. No. 53 may be applied to the chest. The bowels should be kept mod-erately open. If effusion of water takes place, give 6 drachms of acetate of potassa once or twdce a day in a pail of water. The following will be found excellent in place of the last named remedy, if there is weakness and a rapid pulse (70 to 80), and scanty urine : No. 59. }i. Ounce tincture of chloride of iron, M pail water. Give as a drink twice dq,i]y. The effusion of water not yielding, the chest may be tapped with a trochar. Divide the skin with a lancet, between the eighth and ninth rib and near the lower end. Be careful the air does not enter. Draw off only a part of the water if it produces a shock. In this, one should have the advice of a veterinarian. Repeat in 24 to 48 hours. The ani- mal should be kept up with sulphate of iron, two drachms, twice a day, in water, with stimulants and easily digestible and nutritious food. It is absolutely necessary, after effusion of water has taken place, that the urine should be passed freely to assist absorption. To this end the following will be indicated : 330 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. No. 60. 1 Drachm iodide of potassium, 1 Drachm carbonate of ammonia, y^ Ounce powdered gentian. Give twice a day as a drench in a quart of water, or as a ball mixed with linseed meal and molasses. VI. Colds. Colds in horses, as in the human family, are usually the result of im- proper care or undue exposure. Taking a horse from a hot, illy ventil- ated stable, and allowing him after driving to become cold, is one prolific cause of colds. There are so many means of causing this disability that it would be impossible to enumerate them. If the attack is light, all that will be necessary will be to clothe the animal warmly and relax the bowels with a warm mash, and give rest for a few daj^s. Sometimes, however, the attack is prolonged and severe. The appetite ceases, the coat rough- ens, parts of the body arc hot and others cold, the membrane of the nose at first dry and pale, with the facial sinuses clogged, at length termi- nates in a discharge more or less great, but with- out improving the health of the horse. What to do. — Keep the animal warmly clothed, in ample box stall, Tvith plenty of bedding. If A HORSK's HEAD WITH COLD, the coM docs uot give way in a few days after the first attack, and the symptoms are as we have indicated, or if the membranes of the nose are dry, make a sack of coarse gunny cloth, large enough so it may fit the nose properly, but en- laro-ino- to the bottom, and two feet or more lono-, with a slit covered with a flap in the side, half way down. Put into the bag half a peck or more of coarse pine sawdust with which half an ounce of spirits of turpentine has been thoroughly mixed. Place the bag on the nose as shown in the cut on next page. Turn two gallons of hot water in the slit, and every twenty minutes repeat, allowing the bag to remain on an hour each time, use this six times a day until the discharge begins. When water runs freely from the nose, three times daily will be enough. Let the food be good scalded oats or other like food, with mashes if the bowels are constipated. An animal with this kind of a cold should not be put to steady work until entirely recovered. The result of protracted cold is great weakness, and work before recovery often leads to disease of the air passages and lungs. If there is much fever give the following : THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 331 No. 61. 2 Drachms spirits of ammonia, 2 Drachms ether. Mix and give in a little gruel, (say 1-2 pint, ) twice a day. If the throat is involved poultice it with linseed meal in which a little mustard has been mixed. When the symptoms give way and improvement begins, or if the appetite is not good prepare the following : No. 62. 2 Ounces powdered gentian, 2 Ounces carbonate of ammonia. Foi-m this into a mass, with linseed oil and molasses, divided into eight parts and give one twice each day. If the cold becomes chronic it ends in catarrh. When there are catarrhal symptoms and sore throat give the following No. 63. 1 Drachm extract of belladonna, 2 Drachms ipecac, 2 Drachms powdered camphor, 4 Drachms nitre. ./-^'T-i Mix into a ball with linseed oil, and give one every three or four hours. In inveterate or chron- ic cold there is discharge, and swelling of the Ivm- phatic gland. We have already shown how glan- ders may be known. We give a cut show- ing the enlargement of the lymphatic gland in chronic cold. In case the horse gets cold it is better that he be ex- amined by a competent veterinary surgeon, (jiot by a quack,) in order to be sure the disease is not glanders HEAD WITH LYMPHATIC GLAND OP THE THROAT SWOLLEN. 1— The enlarged lymphatic within the jaw. NOSK BAG FOR STEAMING UORSE WITH COLD, VII. Enlarged Glands— Goitre. There are various glands in the throat that are subject to enlargement from disease, and which remain permanent after the disease is passed. This result is generally more unsightly as a blemish than as a real disa- bility. Goitre, however, is a disease peculiar to some limestone regions, producing in animals as in man a swelling of the thyroid gland. In some portions of the East it is quite prevalent, producing extensive enlarge- 332 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOE. nients in liimbs. It also attacks cattle and swine. In solid-hoofed anl- nials, as in the horse,.'there may be a swelling on either side ; in others it is in the center just below the roots of the jaws. For all enlargements of the glands, tincture of iodine will disperse the swelling if it may be possible. In l3ronchocele or goitre, rainwater only should be given to drink ; iodine in doses of ten grains daily may be given on an empty stomach, and the swelling may be painted with the tincture. This to l)e persisted in for months. Another remedy that has been successful, is the following ; No. 64. >i Draelim iodide of potassium, 1 Drachm liquor potassae, >a Pint rainwater. Mix, and give as a dose night and morning, using the tincture of iodine on the goitre. VIII. Swelled Throat, or Laryngitis. Causes. — Foul stables or any cause producing colds, catarrhs, etc. It is sometimes divided professionally into laryngitis and pharyngitis, but practically they are one — inflammation of the air and food passages of the neck, generally accompanied with cough, difficulty in swallowing and fever. How to Know it. — The animal is dull. The head is carried in a]3eculiar manner, as though the neck were stiff. There is a short, frequent cough, the breath is hurried, the pulse full and throbbing, and the mem- branes of the nasal passages are high, colored, almost scarlet. There will be a hoarse sound, approaching to a grunt, at each breath taken, if the- ears are held against the animal's wind-pipe. Externally there is more or less enlargement over the region of the larynx, the enlargement of the windpipe next the throat. Handling the throat seems to produce extreme pain. What to do. — Reduce the pulse at once by doses of tincture of aconite in a wine glass full of water, repeated every half hour. Place the steaming-bag on the nose, as recommended for colds. Keep it em- ployed almost constantly, for there may be danger of strangulation. If the steamhig seems to distress the animal, omit it, or use it only occa- sionally, and soak soft ha}^ in boiling water and apply to the throat as hot as can be borne. Bandage and fasten with the eight-tailed bandage previously described. Or, ferment the throat with cloths wrung out of hot mustard water. If there is difficulty in swallowing, put a tea- syoonf ul of the following well back on the tongue several times a day : THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 333 No. 65. 1 Ounce powdered guaiacum, 4 Ounces powdered chlorate of potash, }i Pint of inohisses. Do not in administering iinvthing, force the jiiws wide apart. Act as gently as possible. If the animal is feverish and the throat hot and dry, give three times a day, in a pint of cold linseed tea, the following : No. 66. 1 Drachm powdered ipecac, 1 Ounce soUuion of acetate of ammonia. In case the disease becomes chronic, the following excitant to the throat will be indicated : No. 67. 1 Part oil of turpentine, 1 Part solution of ammonia, 1 Part olive oil. Mix, shake the bottle before using, and rub well in on the throat every iJay. If this does not relieve, apply the following blister : No. QS. 1 Drachm croton oil, 1 Dracbm sulphuric ether, 10 Drachms alcohol. Mix, and apply by rubbing with considerable friction. A HORSE WITH THE TIIltOAT BLISTERED. A SETON IX THE TIIKOAT OF A HORSE. When the symptoms become more favorable, by the membranes of the nose becoming pale or more natural in color; by the cough becoming more free, or louder, easier and with less violent breathing, and by the appearance of a white and thick discharge from the nostrils, put a seton in the throat, (see cut,) and allow nothing but moist and succulent food. Move the seton daily until healthy pus (matter) is formed. Then cut one of the knots and withdraw it, and as the horse recovers allow drier food — hay and grain — but that entirely free from dust. See that no stones or grit are in the oats, and soak for five or six hours before feed- iho-. In this, as in diseases where the throat is more or less sore, the horse may quid his food. This is not a symptom of laryngitis as is some- 334 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. A IIOIl^E QUIDDING. times supposed, but known to all diseases where there is obstruction in swallowing. IX. Chronic Cough. There are many cases of long standing or chronic cough. Cough is an attendant upon so many disorders of the air passages, from the most trivial difficulty in teething to glan- ders, that a cough should not be overlooked in the diagnose of diseases. And so many diseases leave the patient with chronic cough, that its symptomatic stages should be care- fully observed. Coughing tends generally to a thickening of the membranes. When the membrane covering the larynx becomes thickened, and consequently morbidly sensitive, the cough becomes fixed or what is termed chronic. The sense of smell in the nose is peculiarly acute, and the membranes of the nose and throat, as a matter of course, are fully as sensitive. We have said, "the limbs and feet are half the horse : the lungs the test of his endurance." Yet nine in ten of the stables in which horses are kept are offensive to man and irritate the air passages when first entered. Yet the sense of smell in man is not very acute, except in a few directions. A stable therefore, offensive to man is not a fit place for horses to be kept, where the lungs constitute one of the principal excellencies of the animal. THE ACT OF COUGHING. The cough which accompanies the several diseases of which this vol- ume treats, will be described in the treatment of the diseases themselves. In this article chronic cough will be treated, the cough that is always p^-esent in eating, drinking and inhalins: a cold draught of air, or from THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 335 any cause of excitement, requiring long and careful nursing for their cure. The chronic cough, resulting from colds, is hard and metallic. For this, the following will be good, to be rubbed on the throat and urouud the windpipe, once in ten days : No. 69. 15 Drops croton oil, 1 Ounce glycerine, Give twice a day, for a week, the following : No. TO. 40 Drops diluted prussic acid, 1 Ounce niter, 1 Ounce bicarbonate of soda, 1 Quart water. If this does not give relief, the following, valuable for irritable chronic cough, the result of influenza or sore throat, may be used : No. 71. 1 Ounce Fowler's solution of arsenic, 1 Ounce chlorate of potash, 1 Drachm belladoua. Give once a day in water or gruel and note results, ceasing after a week or ten days, if no improvement ensues. For cough and sore throat, when first discovered, take : No. 72. 1 Drachm powdered camphor, 1 Drachm extract belladona, 2 Ounces sweet spirits niter. Give in a pint of cold gruel three times a day. Tar-water is well known to be valuable in obstinate coughs. Give every morning as a drink, the following : No. 73. 1 Drachm powdered squills, % Pint tar-water, }i Pint lime-water. If the cough is violent, use as a sedative, the following : No. 74. 1 Drachm dilute prussic acid, 2 Drachms powdered opium, 4 Drachms niter. Mix in a pint of linseed tea and give from five to six table-spoonfula three times a day. Expectorants, calculated to loosen the cough and restore the secretions to their natural conditions, do not act so kindly as could be wished on farm animals. For a long standing cough, trv the following: 336 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. No. 75. 1 Drachm aloes, 1 Drachm squills, '2 Drachms gum ammoniacum. Mix into a ball with meal and give once a day in the morning. If the cough is irritable and easily excited, and the bowels natural, omit the aloes and substitute for it one drachm of opium. For a cold settled in the chest, with cough, give every morning the following : No. 76. 1 Drachm ipecac, 1 Drachm liquorice powder, >i Ounce nitrate of ammonia. Add tar, the size of a hazel-nut and mix with molasses to form a ball. All coughs resulting from indigestion or worms, and some of those resulting from irritation of the passages of the throat, are often cured by turning the horse out in Summer where he may have free range on the prairie, where resin weed grows plentifully. A long standing cough, however, requires time, and the operator must use judgment in adminis- tering medicine. If he be a veterinary surgeon he will make up his mind from various sj^mptoms. The farmer should endeavor carefully to do the same. X. Malignant Epidemic. Under this head the older veterinarians were accustomed to term several diseases that sweeping over a country became unusually prevalent or fatal. Thus Dr. Layard and Ohmer long ago wrote of malignant epidemic, probably a severe form of catarrhal fever, or epidemic catarrh, and also known as influenza distemper, malignant epidemic, murrain, pest, etc. Youatt describes a malignant disease occurring in 1714 in England, imported from the continent and destroying in the course of a few months 70,000 horses and cattle. Professor Bruquon, of Turin, says of this disease, that it commenced with loss of appetite, staring coat, a wild and wanderino; look, and a staofoering from the very commencement. The horse would continually lie down .and get up again, as if tormented by colic ; and he gazed alternately at both flanks. In moments of compar- ative ease there were universal twitchings of the skin and spasms of the limbs. The temperature of the ears and feet was variable. If there happened to be about the animal any old wound or scar from setoning or firing, it opened afresh and discharged a quantity of thick and black blood. Very shortly afterward the flanks, which were quiet before, began to heave, the nostrils were dilated, the head extended for breath. The THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 337 horse had, by this time become so weak that, if he hiy, or fell down, he could rise no more ; or, if he was up, he would stand trembling, stagger- ing, and threatening to fall eveiy moment. The mouth was drj^, the tongue white and the breath fetid ; a discharge of yellow or fetid matter proceeded from the nose and fetid matter from the anus. The duration of the disease did not exceed twelve or twenty-four hours ; or if the animal linjrered on swellinjis of the head and throat and sheath and scrotum followed, and he died exhausted, or in convulsions. Black spots — extravasation — were found in cellular membrane, in the tissue of all the membranes, and on the coats of the stomach. The mesenteric and lymphatic glands were engorged, black and gangrenous. The membrane of the nose and pharynx were highly injected, the lungs were filled with black and frothy blood, or with black and livid spots. The brain and its meninges were unaltered. XI. DifLLCulty of Breathing. From whatever source this may arise, whether from some disorgan- ization, or change in the lungs, or obstruction in the air passages ; what- ever the obstruction be, it must first be traced to its cause before good can be done. This is sometimes not easy to do ; the owner must act with judgment. Thick wind often follows pneumonia, and is caused by closing or obliteration (hepatization) of a portion of the lungs. If it does not pass away after the disease which preceded it is entirely cured, it may be mitigated by feeding the animal on sound oats, entirel}' freed from dust, giving but little hay, that moistened, and avoiding any food that is dusty. Mashes and carrots in Winter sufScient to keep the bowels prop- erly open, and turning on prairie pasture in Summer will be indicated. Roaring has rendered nearly useless many valual^le horses in England ; in the United States horses are not subject to it. It is said to be pro-: duced by obstruction in some part of the respiratory canal, most often in the larynx and next in the trachea. Thus chronic cough sometimes ter- minates in roaring. In this country heaves is the most usual termination. XII. Broken Wind ; Bellows ; Heaves. Causes. — Broken wind is the result both of disease of the lungs and violent exertions. Feeding on dusty hay and grain are prolific sources of the disease. Where no clover hay is used, the disease is rare. It is mainly confined to horses that have arrived at maturity. A horse fed for days and weeks on dusty hay, and then driven hard, will exhibit heaves, unless his lungs and digestion are extraordinar3^ This disease is usually known in the South under the name of bellows, and in the !Ni irth as heaves, either of them expressive of the disease. 338 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. How to know it. — Broken wind is nearly allied to asthma in man, but is more continuous in its action and less liable to occur in paroxysms. At each breath there will be a two-fold motion of the flank, caused by a fallino" in of the abdominal walls, causing the flank to lift, then after a perceptible interval a rising of the back part of the belly assists in freeing the luno-s of air. There is a short, dry cough, sometimes almost inaudi- ble, followed by whirring. When the horse is moved suddenly, or driven hard, when a draught of cold water is given, or the animal is suddenly brought into the cold air, the spells will occur. Indigestion is almost always present, and as a consequence of flatulency of the bowels. The appetite is ravenous and unnatural ; eating the litter given for bedding, is one of the many exhibitions of it. What to do. — There is no permanent cure for this disability. The symptoms and distress may be alleviated by giving only sound grain and bright, hard stalked hay, free from dust. Prairie hay with plenty of resin leaf in it is the best ; next, clean cured corn-stalks. But little water should be allowed at a time, and not more than 6 to 8 pounds of hay, daily, and this given at night, the provender being confined as much as possible to grain and grass in Summer, and grain, bran-mashes and car- rots or potatoes in Winter. This will enable many broken-winded horses to do a fair amount ol work with comparative comfort. In any event, a horse inclined to be thick- winded in any degree, should never be tightly checked up, nor above all, be driven by pulling in the head, causing undue bearing either of the curb or snafile on the jaw. The animal should be allowed to hold its head in the easiest position, since its work must be nec- essarily slow. One of the most usual palliative means of the animal appearing for a time sound, is to give 10 to 15 grains of arsenic a day for a week or ten days. A better preparation to give relief — afterwards, the animal to be turned out on clean, short grass, is the following: BIT BEAKING UPON JAW. No. 77. 1 Ounce Fowler's solution of arsenic, 1 Di'achm extract of belladonna, >i Drachm tincture of ginger. Give once a day, in the morning, in one pint of water, and continue foi four to eight weeks, as circumstances may dictate. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. XIII. Influenza. 339 This epizootic, which first iind hist has "been prevalent in nearly all countries where the horse is used, is, as to its origin, but little under- stood. Its symptoms, however, are well known, but these may be complicated by inflammatory symptoms of all the air passages ; also by rheumatic swellings, paralysis, delirium and inflammation of the eyes. How to know it. — The attack may be sudden. There will be stupor and weakness, the head will be held low, the eyes dull and half closed, the gait will be weak, with cracking of the joints sometimes. There will be no appetite, and fever ; the mouth hot and clammy, the bowels costive, v;ith scanty urine ; the pulse quick and weak, but sometimes hard ; the membrane of the nose may be pink, or a deep leaden hue ; the cough will be deep and harGli ; the coat rough and staring ; the skin tender and sometimes trembling, and the ears and limbs alternately hot and cold. Upon applying the car to the lungs crepitation w^ill be heard, or some- times a harsh blowing sound. As the disease progresses, and the nos'^ discharges a w^hite, yellowish or greenish water, the animal may get bet- ter ; but when the lungs are seriously involved, the symptoms will in- crease. As a rule there is constipation, although purging is sometimes present. CONFIRMED INFLUENZA. What to do. — Place the animal in a well littered stall, free from drafts of air. Do not depend upon strong physic. The cure must be effected by watching the symptoms and combating them. If there is costiveness keep the bowels open by injections of two wine glasses full of linseed oil. Relief must be had by means of stimulants And tonics. Good VvMsing must be constant, with clothing enough to keep the animal warm. A good tonic and stimulant is : . 22 340 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. No. 78 2 Oz of gentian, 2 Oz. carbonate ammonia. Form in eight doses and give one night and morning. If the cough is distressing prepare the following : No. 79. li Oz. extract Ijelladonna, 2 DracLms powdered opium, 3 Drachms camphor, 2 Oz. liquorice, ii Pint molasses. Mix thoroughly and spread a table-spoonful on the tongue twice a day. Jf , ^vith the cough, there is sore throat and catarrh, prepare the following : No. 80. ■ 20 Grains iodine, 1 Drachm iodide of potassium, 2 Ounces sweet spirits of niter, 1 Pint water gruel. Give this as a dose twice a day. If the animal should begin to improve it will be about the fifth day. Sometimes recovery is complicated by various disabilities. If there is dropsy or swelling of the legs or sheath, prepare the following : No. 81. 1 Oz. iodide of potassium, 1 Oz. carbonate of ammonia, 1 Oz. powdered gentian. Form into eight balls and give one mornins; and evening:. If a spasmodic cough folloAvs the attack the following will be indicated : No. 82. 1 Drachm extract of belladonna, 1 Drachm chloroform, 10 Drachms alcohol. Mix in a pint of gruel and let it trickle slowly down the throat, in order to produce a full local effect. As recovery ensues, the food should be nourishing and easily digested. The animal should be induced to take food during the disease, especially in the form of nourishing gruel. When the pulse changes, and especially when it loses its wiry character ; when the discharge from the nose becomes steady and copious, a pint of ale occasionally is a good stimu- lant. In any event, good, easily digested food should be given, and the animal must be nursed until entirely recovered. XV. Pink Eye.* This epidemic has been prevailing throughout the United States. It is a dis- * From M. W. Birch, V. S., President of the Pennsylvania Colles;e of Veterinary Surgeons. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 341 case which confines itself to no particular organ or organs of the animal economy. The cause is some malignant miasmatic influence. Symptoms. — The mucous surface of the eyelid assumes a yellow cast; in- creased redness of the membrane of the nose; oozing of tears and sometimes mucus from the corners of the eyes; snorting, in some cases cough, and sore throat, with or without febrile disorder. I shall divide my subject into four classes: Simple, when void of fever; febrile, when attended by fever; chronic, when of long and tedious duration ; influenzal, when attacking many at one time, and accompanied with prostration of strength and loss of condition. The symptoms of simple are some slight hurried blush of the membrane of the nose; oozing of tears from the corners of the eyes, with globules of mucus observable in them; occasional snorting, perhaps coughing as well, with or without slight soreness of the throat, but without depression of spirit or loss of appetite. Febrile stage may be either slight or severe. When slight it is nothing more than the simple form accompanied with swelling in one or all the legs, and with dullness and fastidiousness of appetite and some little fever, preceded per- haps by shivering. This is the ordinary form. The severe form is that in which the depression is greater, the appetite nearly or quite lost, the fever compai'atively high, membranes more injected. The duration of an attack of Pink Eye is ordinarily from one week to three. Should it not appear to be on the decline about the third week, we may infer the disease is becoming chronic, in which form it may degenerate into nasal gleet or glanders. Treatment. — The treatment is a very simple affair. First. Take the horse out of his warm (perhaps foul) stable, or frpm any cold or wet situation in which he may happen to be, and turn him loose into a box of the temperature of 55 degrees. Take care that he may have an ample bed, clean and dry, and free from all impurities. In cokl weather clothe him warmly, and, if re- quired, flannel bandage his legs ; give him nothing to eat but sloppy bran- mashes; and, as he probably evinces signs of sore throat, let him have linseed tea or gruel, or chilled water to drink, a pailful of either beverage being hung up M'ithin his box, so that he may partake of it at pleasure. Inject by the mouth once a day as follows : Chlorate of Potash, one ounce; AVarm water, a half gallon. Let the throat be rubbed with the following linimentj Water of Ammonia ; Oil of Turpentine; Oil of Lard ; two ounces of each. Apply the above once a day for three days. Should the excrement prove hard, let an injection of soap and tepid, water be given and repeated daily, 342 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. until, through it or a mash diet, the bowels become regular. Administer in- ternally F. Ext. Belladonna in 80-drop doses every three hours. If the animal be attacked with fever, discontinue Belladonna and substitute Tr. Aconite in 10- drop doses every hour until eight doses have been given. If the animal be- comes debilitated, a stimulant should be given in the form of whisky. Give au ordinary whisky glass full as a dose. If the breathing becomes labored or increased, apply the liniment which is to be used on the throat to b^^th sides of the chest. This should be doue but once. Follow this with careful nursing and moderate exercise. XVI. Bleeding from the Nose. This often occurs from various injuries to the mucus membrane of the nostrils, from hard pulling up hill, too tight a collar, and from OLuer causes, especially if the animal be full of blood. In these cases, the bleeding is from one nostril and in drops, accompanied by sneezing. If the bleeding conies from the lungs, it will be bright red and frothy, and there will be a cough. If from the stomach, it will be black, clotted, sour and accompanied by retching. What to do. — In simple cases tie the head up as high as possible, blow strong alum water from a tube into the nostril at each inspiration, and if obstinate, plug the nostril with pledgets of tow. Give internally one scruple of acetate of lead, to be followed in half an hour with another if necessary. In the case of an ox, two scruples may be given at a dose, If both nostrils are involved, and the flow is continuous, onl}^ one nos^ tril must be stopped at a time, unless tracheotomy is performed, sinct the horse cannot breathe through the mouth. The ox, however, can dt so, and both nostrils may be plugged if necessary. See Tracheotomy, page 488. XVII. Strangles. This is a disease but little known in America. Our distemper takes its place. It is thus described in English works : It usually occurs in young horses, highly-bred horses being more subject to it than cold blooded ones. "When the animal is "breeding strangles," there is a gen- eral though slight indisposition. After a few days the neck becomes stiff, the throat swells, the tumor being hard, hot and tender. A d>- charge from the nose takes place, the throat becomes sore, the breathing oppressed, the hair is staring, the appetite is gone, and the animal stands with half-closed eyes. At length the tumor becomes ripe enough and is opened, as is usual in distemper. It is more than probable that the dis- ease is really the same, and that strangles and distemper are one and the same thing, only modified by conditions and climate. THE HOUSE, ITS DISEASES. 313 The general treatment is the same as for distemper. See on pages 308-310. OPENING THE ABSCESS OF STltAKGLES. XVIII. Spasmodic Action of the Glottis and Epiglottis- This may be occasioned rarely by food sticking in the sesophagus. It is sometimes attendant upon cutting the teeth, in which case the gums should be cut. It generally appears in colts, calves, and lambs. How to know it. — The first S3aTiptoms are like those of sore throat. There will be a dr}^ whirring breathing and a hard metallic couo;h. Sometimes it will be heard only when spasm of the larynx comes on. As the disease progresses the fever increases, the temperature of the bod}^ running to 107 degrees, and the pulse from ninety to over one hundred. White films or pellicles (albuminous false membranes) form in the throat, which come away from time to time, or if not, the animal dies of suffocation. What to do. — Place the animal where it may have free air but no drafts, and where the temperature may be kept comfoi-table. Allow sufficient clothing. Give as a laxative twelve ounces Glauber salts dissolved in a quart of warm water. As an antispasmodic give two or three drachm doses of laudanum every hour in a decoction of marsh mallow. In the early stage of the disease warm fomentations persistently applied may scatter the disease. If later, use the following : No. 82. 1 Part oil of turpentine, 1 Part lard oil, 1 Part solution of ammonia. Hub well on the affected parts of the. throat. If the membrane in the throat do not give way, and there is increased difficulty in breathing, swab the tliroat with a solution of: 10 gr, nitrate of silver in 1 oz. of rainwater. CHAPTER VI. DISEASES. OP THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. I. SOUR STOMACH. 11. COLIC. III. THE BOT. IV. INFLAMMATION AND RUPTURE OF THE COLON. V. INFLAMMATION AND BLEEDING OF THE KEC TUM. VI. SPONTANEOUS SALIVATION. VII. INFLAMMATION OF THE STOM ACH. VIII. SORENESS AND ITCHING OF THE ANUS. IX. CHRONIC GASTRITIS. X. SPASMS OF THE DIAPHRAGM. XI. RUPTURE OF THE STOMACH. XII. INFLAMMATION OF THE PERITONEUM. XIII. STRANGULATION OF THE INTESTINES. XIV. FUNCTIONAL DISEASES OP THE LIVER. XV. PARASITES WHICH AFFECT THE LIVER. XVI. DIARRHEA. I. Sour Stomach. Animals living upon vegetable food, where the mastication or the grinding down of the substances taken into the mouth is imperfectly accomplished, or where a greedy animal is allowed to overload the stomach with food, since it thus is imperfectly moistened with saliva, are subject to acidity of the stomach, fermentation of the food, and the diseases attendant thereupon. Carbonic acid gas is evolved, and if not checked in time will sometimes cause violent and extreme distension and inflammation of the stomach, the result of decomposition, or spas- modic colic, with paroxysms of extreme agony, and sometimes the most violent rupture of the stomach ending in death. We often see violent distension of the stomach in cattle when turned into a field of flush clover when hungry; the remedy in this case is thrusting a trochar or knife into the stomach to allow the escape of the gases. When in the horse inflammatory action has been set up it may lead to many diseases, each of which must be treated according to the symptoms exhibited. 344 THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 345 In the first stage or that of simple acidity of the stomach, if taken in time, treatment is comparatively easy. It is called sour stomach, acute gastritis, indigestion, tympany, etc. CauseS' — Suspended digestion and consequent fermentation from over- loading the stomach with improperly chewed food. This will never occur in slow feeders that fully grind and saturate the food with saliva, since in this case the appetite is fully satisfied before overloading ensues. Colic may occur by giving large draughts of water immediately after feeding, thus washing forward the food beyond the stomach. Sour stomach may also ensue from indigestible and easily fermented food, and inflammation from eating plants that irritate the stomach. How to know it. — The first symptoms are sour stomach, simple colic, or fermentation. There is fullness, causing undue distension; then quickened, deep, but oppressed breathing ; the animal is dull and stupid ; there is increasing pain, and at length, if relief is not obtained, more violent symptoms set in. What to do. — Give immediately one or two ounces of magnesia. Evacuate the bowels by means of injections of warm water. Rub the belly with considerable friction one way, from the forelegs back. If there is griping give the following : No. 85. 15 to 20 Drops oil of peppermint, 1 Ounce ol laudanum. If the w^eather is cold, blanket and walk the horse to assist in giving relief. In the case of the ox, give double the dose mentioned ; sheep one- quarter to one-third the dose for the horse, except of laudanum, of which give the sheep, 2 to 3 drachms. II. Colic. This may be of two kinds, spasmodic, *or flatulent colic. The first is the result of cramps or spasmodic contractions, causing severe pain with tendency to inflammation. The other of distension of the bowels with tendency to inflammation and rupture of the coats. How to know Spasmodic Colic. — There will be spasms of pain, with paw- ing, striking of the belly with the hind foot, looking round at the flanks, lying down and suddenly getting up, rolling, or lying stretched out for an instant ; then suddenly rising, the horse will shake himself as the pain intermits. Again the pain returns and the same performances are gone through. There may be frequent small discharges from the bowels 346 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. and bladder, and during the attacks the pulse and breathmg are accelerated. TUK FIRST STAGS OF SPASMODIC COLIC. What to do. — Relieve the pain by means of an opiate, and cause move- ment of the bowels. To do this in mild cases the foUovnng will be good in connection with injections of warm water : No. 8G. }i to 1 Ounce of laudanum, 4 to 5 Drachms aloes, 1 Pint hot water. SKCOND STAGE OF SPASMODIC COLIC. Pulverize the aloes and dissolve in the hot water. Cool as quickly as possible and add the laudanum, and give as a dose. If there is abund- ant formation of gas, give the following promptly : No 87. X Ounce powdered aloes, 1 Ounce aromatic ammonia, 1 Ounce fc^nlphuric ether, 1 ^ Ounce warm water. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 347 Mix and give at once. Another colic drench in good repute is the f oUowino; : Ko. 88. 4 Drachms aloes, 1 Ounce sulphuric ether, 1 Ounce laudanum. TUIRD STAGE OF SPASJIOUIU COHC. Mix, pulverize the aloes in a pint and a half of hot water ; cool, add the other ingredients and give immediately. If relief is not obtained, give as a second dose the following : No. 89. >^ Ounce sulphuric ether, >iOunce laudanum, yi Ounce spirits camphor, }i Ounce L»»cncu ot peppermint. Mix in a pint of gruel and turn down. The symptoms in cattle are uneasiness, shuffling of the hind legs when standing. When /ying down they will kick with the outer limbs. There will be moaning and twisting of the tail. The same treatment is advised as for the horse, except that one pint of linseed oil should replace the aloes. Give the doses by allowing the liquid to trickle down the throat very slowly. The doses should be double that of the horse. Swine should have castor oil one ounce in place of the linseed oil ; and sheep three-quarters of an ounce. Otherwise the doses should be about one-quarter to one-fifth those ordered for the horse. Flatulent Colic. — This disease is dangerous, and is generally the result of a chronic distension of the bowels, with tendency to inflammation and rupture of the coats. It may be the result of some other disease, or appear as a consec|uence of the spasmodic form ; or, may be produced by the same causes as those assigned to the acute form. 348 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. How to know it. — The expression of pain is constant but not so acute. The pulse is rapid and feeble, with difficult breathing ; the feet and ears are cold : the abdomen is tense and swollen, and it sounds drum-like when struck. The animal is w^eak and sometimes delirious. The intes- tines are painful (sore) as is shown by the cautious manner of lying down : if, indeed, the horse lies down at all. FrU«T STAGE OF FLATULENT COLIC. What to do. — Be careful about giving purgatives. Act by injections of soapsuds and oil of turpentine ; removing the contents of the impacted rectum with the well oiled hand. Give the following injection : No. 90. H Pint oil of turpentine. 1 Quart of soapsuds. HORSE DYING OF FLATULENT COLIC. Repeat in half an hour if necessary. If there is great distension puncture the large intestine, or, where the sound when tapping with the THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 340 knuckles is most drum-like, plunge in u trocliar and allow the gas to escape through the canula. Give the folloAving according to circumstances : No. 91. >3 to 1 Ounce laudanum, 2 to 4 Ounces tincture assafcctitla. Mix in a pint of gruel. If the colic is the result of disease and exhaustion, with much swelling of the belly, try the following : No. 92. >2 Ounce chlorate of potash, % Ounce sulphuric ether, >i Tint water. To be given in a half pint of gruel. Later in this disease when it is required to act moderately on the bowels the following will be found useful : No. 93. >i Ounce chlorinated soda, 2 to 3 Ounces aloes. Powder the aloes and dissolve the whole in a pint of warm water, and give when cool. During recovery, the health of the animal must be attended to. Give easily digested food ; avoid large draughts of water, and over feeding. Give good grooming ; blanket if necessary, and keep the circulation active by hand rubbing of the body and limbs. ni. The Bot. The female bot fly, ^strus-equi^ is too well known to need description. They lay their eggs on the legs, flanks, and other portions of the horse's body easily reached. The animal in licking its body takes the eg^ into its mouth and being swallowed they hatch, and the young fasten them- selves by means of their hooks to the mucous membrane of the stomach. Here they live and grow and the next season become mature and are passed from the animal, and undergo their transformation to the perfect fly in the earth. So long as the animal is in perfect health they do little if any harm. But in case of disease or insufiicient food they become troublesome. Or if they exist in great numbers when nearly or full grown and they are passing from the animal, they sometimes cause severe injury by attaching themselves to the sensitive lining of the bowels. This irritation is not easil}'' distinguished from other forms of indigestion or colic. In the Spring when the animal is hungry, and there is indication of in- testinal difficulty, they may be suspected. If the horse turns up his upper lip, and if the edges of the tongue are red and fiery looking, it 350 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. will be evidence of their existence. At this time physic will hasten them away. A usual remedy is to give once a day for three days, 1 drachm sulphate of copper, to be followed at the end of the time with 4 drachms of Barbadoes aloes, and repeat at the end of a week if necessary. Or the followino; will be found safe and effective : No. 94. 1 ]4, Drachms calomel, 1 }i Dracliius powdered savin, 2 Drachms powdered assafoetida, 30 Drops oil of male shield lern. Make into a ball with molasses and linseed meal, to be given at night and followed next morning with 4 drachms of aloes. In the South, Azedarach (pride of China) is grown around stables for its supposed eificacy in destroying bots by being eaten by horses. If so, it can only be while the bots are quite young. Since, after acquiring some age and becoming fastened to the stomach, they resist alike, strong acids, alkalies, irrespirable gases, narcotics and mineral poisons. Colics, etc., arising from bots, may be treated by anti-spasmodics as given under that head. As a preventive against bots, keep the long hairs of the jaws, breast and fore-limbs trimmed close, and apply a little oil daily ; and brush off any eggs that may be found. Animals kept in sta- bles and well groomed are seldom troubled with bots. tESTRCS HEMORRHOID ALIS. 2.— Eggs magnified. 3.— The Bot. 4.— The Crysalis . 6 . —The male fly. Another bot fly ( (Estrus HemorrhoidaMs) resembles the oestris equi finite closely, and deposits its eggs upon the lips and upon the hairs under the jaw. Dropping into the food, they are swallowed and fasten ^o the stomach in dens'e clusters. The larvae are somewhat longer in pro- portion to their bulk than the species equi. When ready to pass away they sometimes cause irritation of the bowels and anus by sticking there. The same means must be used for rh\s species as for the other. hiteslinal ivorms. — There are various intestinal worms that inhabit the THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 35| horse, at least three species of tape worms and seven of round worms. The ox has two tape worms and seven round worms. The sheep one tape worm and seven round worms. A good vermifuge for tape worm is the following : No. 95. K Ounce powdered aloes, li Ounce powdered assafcetida, 1 Ounce oil cff turpentine, 1 Ounce sulphuric ether. Mix the two first in hot water and when cold add the turpentine and ether, and give in gruel as a drench. If the animal is weak and out of condition, give an ounce of areca nut, and follow with nourishing food. For round worms, if suspected, give 4 drachms of aloes, and if worms are found in the dung, give immediately on an empty stomach the following : No. 96. 1 Drachm oil of male fern, 2 Ounces oil of turpentine, >a Pint linseed oil. Follow this for three days with a dose of 1-2 drachm sulphate of copper. For thread-worms in the rectum give an injection every two days for a week, of the following : No. 97. 2 Drachms oil of turpentine, 1 Tint linseed oil. Inject every day for a week, a purgative dose to precede the first injec- tion. A strong decoction of wormwood is also a o;ood vermifuoe used as an injection. IV. Inflammation and Rupture of the Colon. This disability is usually the result of colic. If through constriction oi one part and expansion of another rupture actually occurs, the animal will die. The colon is the largest division of the intestinal canal. Be- ginning at the coecum, (the commencment of the large intestine) it ascends by the right kidney, passes under the holloAV part of the liver to the spleen, thence descends by the left kidney and passes in the form of an S to the upper part of the 6s sacrum. It thence runs straight to the anus and this part of it is called the rectum. How to know Rupture. — The sides of the flanks will be distended, there will be fever and heat, and the animal will give evidence of its severe suf- fering. The pulse will be hard, wiry and quick, the belly tender, the 352 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. eurs cold ; the pain will be constant, and medicine will increase it. There will be great and rapidly increased weakness. The symptoms are directly opposed to those in colic. What to do. — In the first stages of the disease give the following, in lime water, every hour or two until three or four doses are given : No. 98. * 20 Drops tincture of aconite, ^ Ounce laudanum. m very severe cases a hypodermic injection of 40 grains of chloral hydrate, to be at once followed by one of 3 grains of morphia, to be repeated in an hour ; this, however, must be performed by a competent surgeon. The following may be given by the mouth: No. 99. 10 Grains morphia, 1 Ounce chloral hydrate. Give in sweetened water, and repeat every two hours until three or four doses are given, or until the symptoms abate. Extensive fomentations to the bowels will be beneficial. This may be done bv folding a blanket inside a rubber cloth which is fastened over the back. Keep the blanket soaked with water as warm as can be borne. If the disease be inflammation of the bowels, or enteritis, Avhether it does or does not follow an attack of colic, among the symptoms will be stretching of the lips upward. This may however be done when there * is abdominal irritation of any kind. If the inflammation be severe, so shown by increas- ed heat and fever, an ammoniacal blister may be applied. Dilute strong liquor of ammonia with six times its bulk of cold water, saturate a cloth with it and lay it on several folds of blanket, to be held to the belly by four men NOSE sTUAiNED UPWARD. ^y^Q y^r\\\ ^ot Hilud thc fumes. Tlic mauncr of holding it is shown in the cut on next page. Watch the action of the ammonia. It may blister within ten minutes, or it may take tAvice that time. Do not allow it to eat the skin, else a bad sore will be the result. When the [)roper effect is produced remove it at once. It should really be applied only under the direction of a veterinary surgeon. They are, unfortunately, not always near. In this case, to save life, something must be risked. The worst inflammatory symptoms being stayed, give every two hours until three or four doses are given, or a favorable result is obtained, the following: No. 100. 30 drains calomel, 1 Ounce laudanum. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 353 Mix in half a pint of gruel. As the animal begins to take food it should have bran and oatmeal mashes, mixed with tea of slippery elm bark. Cooked food should be given, and if carrots are at hand, give a mess of them boiled every day. Skimmed milk is excellent if the animal will drink it. APFLICATIUN OF AN AMJIONIACAL BLISTER. V. Inflammation and Bleeding of the Rectum. This is a difficulty that often accompanies or follows inflammation of the bowels. How to know it. — There will be heat and swelling, with or without protrusion and bleeding of the rectum. What to do. — Wash the parts with a weak solution of salt and water, and also use injections of the same as often as may seem necessary. • If this do not give relief add a slight infusion of chlorate of potash and golden seal. VI. Spontaneous Salivation. Causes. — This infirmity is generally the result of or SA^mptom of some other affliction. It is often produced by something the animal has eaten. White clover will produce it. Caries and other diseases of the teeth : dentition, paralysis of the lips, ulcers of the mouth, irritating food; irritation by the bit, and especially from medicaments attached to the bits of horses by ignorant stable men. It occurs as a free discharge of saliva in frothy masses or in stringy filaments, with frequent swallowing, thirst, and generally indigestion. What to do — Remove the cause. If the cause is from alkalies, wash the mouth with weak vinegar. If from acids, use lime water. If from 354 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. caustic salts, use white of egg, or tea of slippery elm bark. If there h inflammation with costiveness, open the bowels with injections of warm water, or soapsuds, and wash the mouth frequently with vinegar and honey. If this do not effect a cure wash the mouth with alum water. If there are ulcers touch them with a feather wet with the following : No. 101. 10 Grains lunar caustic, 1 Ounce distilled water. If there are tumors with pus, lance them. If there is sloughing wash Avith the following : No. 102. 1 Drachm solution of permanganate of potassa, 1 Pint i-ainwater. Give plenty of cool water, so the animal may take it at will, and feed with soft or boiled food, and if there is much swelling, keep the head tied up. VII. Inflammation of the Stomach. Causes. — This disease is not common in horses, and occurs rarely from eating vegetable poisons, and more generally from poisoning by arsenic given in the food by ignorant stable-men, to make the horse carry a shining coat and foam at the bit. It is also produced by the licking of external corrosive applications, thus producing acute gastritis. HOUSE SCFFERING PKOM ACUTE GASTKITIS. The symptoms are various in unison with the causes producing them. These are, refusing food, extreme thirst, redness of the nasal and con- junctival membranes, discharge of ropy saliva, frequent eructations with fetid smell, colic, rolling on the ground, pawing, striking at the abdomen, etc. ; tucked up flanks, heaving, panting, small, quick pulse, viok it THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 355 straining, passing of mucus in large quantities, protrusion' and inflamma- tion of the opening, glances at the abdomen, prostration of strength, con- vulsions, madness and death. What to do. — The first thing, if possible, is to find out what caused the trouble. If this cannot be found, give at once : No. 103. 3 Ounces sulphuric ether, 3 Ounces Jaudanum, 4 Ounces carbonate of magnesia, 1 Quart cold gruel. Mix and give as a dose. If the pulse be low, add to the above one drachm carbonate of ammonia. If the animal is weak, but able to swal- low, take plenty of time, do not use violent means. If there is paralysis of the throat, or the horse is in delirium, the dose must be injected through the nostril, hy means of a pump and pipe, or horse catheter. See article tetanus. As soon as there is evidence of recovery, and in fact whenever the animal will take it, thin starch or gruel of flour should be freely given to sheath the mucus surfaces. VIII. Soreness and Itching of the Anus. This is a disease following inflammation and disease of the rectum, and also produced by other causes. The anus or orifice of the rectum becomes sore. There is a peculiar dryness with scurf, and to relieve the itching the horse sometimes rubs the roots of his tail until the hair is en- tirely worn away. What to do. — Attend to the general health of the horse, to keep the bowels in a natural condition. Mix a little fine salt with lard oil, and keep the parts well oiled, with friction. If the trouble be inside, a little goldenseal well rubbed down with salt butter and passed carefully within the anus, will give relief. If the diflficulty is occasioned by worms, see that article. IX. Chronic Gastritis. Causes. — Anything which impairs the digestive functions may produce this disease. It is, however, in its chronic form, extremely rare. The ordinarv food Mill be refused, and the animal will persist in eatins: for- eign substances — old lime mortar, the wood work of the stable, earth, litter and bedding. How to know it. — There is a dry cough ; the membrane of the mouth and nostrils are dry and pale ; the breath is tainted ; the evacuations 23 356 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. fmell badly ; the eyes are sunk, the coat dry and ragged ; the horse loses condition and becomes pot bellied ; the anus is lax and prominent. What to do. — The cure will take time. Prevent the animal from in- dulging its unnatural appetite. The following made into a ball will be indicated. No, 104. K Grain strychnia, 1 Draclim bichromate of ammonia, >^ Drachm extract of belladonna, 1 Drachm powdered gentian, X Drachm sulphate of zinc. Give this as a ball once a day. If after continuing soveral days there is no improvement, give the f olloAving : No. 105. 14 Ounce liquor arsenicalis, % Ounce tincture ipecac, 1 Ounce niuriated tincture of Iron, >i Ounce laudanum, 1 Pint of water. As the animal gets stronger give an ounce of sulphuric ether daily in a pint of water. If the animal has simply chronic indigestion, that is, the disease does not show in the severe form we have depicted, to improve the general health the following will be indicated : . No. 106. 1 Ounce powdered assafcetida, 1 Ounce powdered golden seal, 2 Ounces powdered ginger, 2 Ounces powdered poplar bark, 5 Drachms powdered sulphate of iron, 1 Drachm powdered red pepper, 1 Pound of oatmeal, Mix, divide into sixteen messes, and give one every night in the food. In addition to this the following will make a good appetizer : No. 107. 1 Quart braudy, 1 Ounce salt. Mix and give a wine glass full night and morning in gruel, just before the food. The food given must be of the very best, and that which is easily digested. Boiled oats, shorts and carrots, with sufficient good hay to distend the stomach. Keep the animal muzzled during the intervals of feeding, to prevenffoul feeding. That is, eating litter or other inju- rious substances. If acidity of the stomach be shown, moisten the hay invon, and sprinkle it freely with magnesia. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 357 X. Spasm of the Diaphragm. Causes. — Hard riding or driving of a liorse constitutionally weak. How to know it. — If the horse is being ridden, there will be a sensa- tion to the rider as though a sudden blow was given inside the horse. This is from spasmodic action of the diaphragm (the midriff or muscle separating the chest from the abdomcjn) in drawing the breath. If the animal is still driven forward it sometimes suddenly falls and dies of suifocation. What to do. — There is no cure. Relief may be given by clothing the animal. Lead him to the nearest stable or shed and give the following : No. 108. 3 Drachms aromatic spirits of ammonia. 3 Drachms tincture of ginger 3 Ounces laudanum, 1>» Ounces ether. Mix in a pint of oil or gruel and give as a drench, or give the followiiig : No. 109. Ja Drachm camphor, 1 Drachm powdered ginger, 1 Drachm carbonate of ammonia. Mix with sufficient linseed meal and hot water to form a ball. Repeal at an interval of three hours if relief is not afforded by the first dose. A horse subject to this affection should have only slow work. The diaphragm may be strengthened by giving for some time a daily dusc of one drachm of powdered sulphate of iron in the food. XI. Rupture of the Stomach. Rupture, when it ensues, ends pretty surely in death. Rupture of the stomach is produced by working or driving a horse until he is very hungr) and then feeding and watering unduly. The only symptoms which show, are violent colic, and the tenseness of the tissue. There are many rup tures where animals die, and the owner does not know what is the diffi culty. If the mischief has proceeded to rupture, the animal may ay weli be killed. One of the positions assumed by a horse suffering from abdominal hijuries, is this : He will persistently sit on his haunches. Animals will assume this position and yet occasionally recover. Another position assumed is, for the animal to kneel and support himself upon his hind 358 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. legs. Such unnatural positions show the intense pain which leads to such attitudes to tjet relief. rNNATURAL ATTITUDR INDICATIVE OF ABDOMIJIiAL INJURY. XIT. Gorged Stomach. VV^hen this occurs from over feeding, the bowels should be immediately relieved by removing the contents by repeated injections of warm water. Let the animal be gently walked about, and warmly clothed in cold weather. The operator must act according to circumstances. If discov-. POSITION ASSUMED BY HORSE SUFFERING FROM ABDOMINAL INJURY. ered early, or before colic sets in, give the folloA\Ting to evacuate the bowels after having relieved them by injections : No. 110. 6 Drachma powderetl aloes, 1 Ounce sirup of buckthorn, 1 Ounce tincture of ginger. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 350 Dissolve the tilocs in a pint of warm water, add the buckthorn and gin- ger, and give as a drench. XIII. Inflammation of the Peritoneum. Inflammation of the lining membrane of the abdomen is likely to occur in all domestic animals. In ruminants the right side is most affected, and the animal Avill stand with its feet well too'ether. Causes. — Injuries either from rupture of the stomach or intestines, or from injuries to the abdominal walls, exposure to chill or cold, or giving an exhausted horse a wet bed to lie on. How to know it. — There may be colic, or steady pain. This will be acute when the affected parts are pressed. There may be chill and fever alternately, and loss of appetite. The pulse will be rapid and hard, and the breath quick and catching, but when effusion takes place the breath- ing will be deep and easier ; the pulse will soften, the belly will be pend- ent, and there will be fluctuations when handled, from the water contained. What to do. — In the early stages, give full doses of laudanum ; 1 to 2 ounces, as may be needed, to allay pain and keep the bowels inactive. Apply mustard poultices to the abdomen, or in extreme cases the ammo- niacal blister as previously described. Frequent injections of thoroughly cooked gruel may be thrown into the rectum, but until the worst symp- toms are past the animal should take nothing into the stomach. As the disease progresses favorably, great care should be exercised in feeding. Oat or rye meal gruel may first be given. If these agree well, give warm soft bran-mashes, with a little oat meal added, and at length hay ^nd sound oats. In case absorption of the effusion of water in the cavity does not take place, which may be known by regular and ample staling, give 6 drachms potassa nitrate, daily, until the kidneys act. If tonics seem to be de- manded, give daily doses of 1-2 drachm oxide of iron. XIV. Strangulation of the Intestines. This is produced by various causes, the result of colic and rupture being the most frequent. Strangulation may be produced by the forma- tion of false membranes, by the involvent of the intestines, by the rupture of the mesentary, or by the rolling on itself of the intestine until it is entirely strangulated. In this as in other abdominal difficulties, the animal will often assume unnatural positions, as shown in the article Kupture of the Stomach. If it be a ruminant, and in good flesh, it is better to kill the animal at once. Some forms of strangulation in cattle 360 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. of sufficient value, may be remedied by a veterinary surgeon. In this case, give laudanum in 2-ounce doses to keep the animal quiet until the doctor arrives. Relief is obtained by cutting into the side and releasing the intestine. For the horse give opium in one or two drachm doses as the nature of the case may seem to require to relieve the pain, and trust to nature to effect a cure by releasing the parts naturally. XV. Functional Diseases of the Liver. The liver of the horse is not particularly subject to disease. It was formerly supposed to be almost entirely exempt, but later researches show it to be an agent, through obstruction, and the principal local seat of various disorders, as diabetes, blood poisoning from imperfect oxygen- ation of the albuminoids, etc. How to know it. — In active congestions of the liver, which is the dis- ease most usually prevalent and this principally in the South, there may be sluggishness, irregular bowels, abundant liquid discharges of deep 3^ellow or orange colored dung. There w^ill be extreme and painful prostration, the eyes will be sunken, the pulse excited, and the limbs will tremble. There may be colicky pains. If the last ribs arc struck with some force, extreme pain will be shown. If the horse faints and there are pal- lid mucus membrane, with quick and weak pulse, it ma}^ be conjectured "'-"T^H^^^^^^^'T^^'i^^^^^^ that rupture of the liver has taken TEST OF HEMouKiiAGK F.ioM TiiK LIVER. pjacc. lu tMs casc, thc cud is dcath . The illustration we give will show the test alike for ruptured liver and spleen. What to do. — In the beginning, that is when the pulse is strong, free bleeding will often check the disease. When the pulse is weak, blood must not be drawn ; or, if the blood does not flow freely, close the orifice at once. Apply mustard poultices to the limbs. Give one pound of sulphate of soda dissolved in a quart of water, to deplete the portal system and liver. Apply ice to the last ribs to check effusion. Apply a blister over the region of the liver. Continue the sulphate of soda in doses of one to four ounces daily. During the attack and recovery the animal must have pure air, and THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 361 soft, easily digested food, and as recovery ensues, daily moderate exer- cise must be given. Inflammation of the liver is rare. If congestion has proceeded to inflammation the region of the last rib will be xoxy tender. There will be quickening of the pulse. The mouth will be hot and clammy ; the bowels may be at first loose, yellow and bilious, but soon become costive. The heat of the body is raised ; patches may appear on the mucous membranes ; and the limbs, especially the hind ones, will swell. What to do — In this case all bleeding should be avoided. Give as a purge a pound of sulphate of soda (glauber salts) aided by injections of warm water. After the bowels are opened, keep them so with small doses of glauber salts, six ounces, or, cream of tartar four ounces daily. If the horse eat anything it must be very light mashes, pulped roots or fresh grass. As the horse improves, give twice a day two ounces of Peruvian bark or two drachms twice a day of gentian. XVI. Parasites which Infest the Intestines. The general symptoms for intestinal worms, in large quantity, are general ill health. The animal will lose condition : the skin will be scurfy, dry and often itching ; the animal will become hide bound and pot bellied : the appetite w^U be irregular but voracious ; there will be fetid breath, diarrhea, passing of mucus with the dung, colicky pains, swelling, itching and puffy anus, and especially the passage of the worms or their eggs will be certain proof. The horse will raise the upper lip and rub it against anything near. Colts will pick and bite the hair from the body and limbs. The annexed cut will give a good general idea of an animal suffer- ing from worms. Besides the bot, alread}^ treated of, which inhabits the stomach, there are those of the intestines proper. These are the tape worm, round headed and flat headed, and five species of round worms. What to do. — Vermifuges are without number, some general in their nature, and others specific for particular classes. When worms are sus- pected, and the owner of the animal is not sure of the reality, it is safe COLT PICKING HAIR FROM ITS LEG, GIVING PROOF OP WORMS. 362 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. to give a purge and watch the droppings. The following is a good vermifuge drench : No. 111. 4 Drachms aloes, 1 Ounce powdered rcale fern, 20 Drops oil of worm seed. Give this in a pint of warm gruel an hour before feeding in the morning. If it be found that there are tape worms, if the horse is weak, give an ounce of areca nut fasting and follow with 4 drachms of aloes. If the animal is strong, give an ounce of oil of turpentine in an ounce of water. In four hours give another dose and follow in an hour with 4 drachms aloes. In the case of common pin worms, {Sderost07num Equinum) and all worms inhabiting the bowels except the tape worm, the following vermifuge will act kindly : No. 112. 1 Drachm tartar emetic, >a Drachm powdered ginger. Mix with enough linseed meal to form a ball, then moisten with hot water and give a dose daily for a week, before feeding. Follow with a dose of one pint of linseed oil, wait another week, and repeat as before. Then give good generous diet, with tonics daily, say 2 drachms sulphate of iron, or 4 drachms gentian in the food. For worms lodging in the gut near the rectum, give an injection of a strong decoction of wormwood or tansey. The prevention of worms is to pay attention to the water the animal drinks, to be careful of dog's drop- pings in the pasture, and to give sound grain and hay as food, since lib- eral feeding and good general care will often extirpate the parasites. For other vermifuges see article 3 of this chapter. XVII. Diarrhea. Diarrhea is a condition of frequent watery discharges from the bowels, and may be produced by so many causes, as irritating and indigestible food, worms, severe purgation by medicines, disorders of the liver, or constitutional tendency, that no general rule can be given. The owner of the animal must find the cause before proceeding intelligently to give relief. The most we can do is to give some general indications. Sometimes diarrhoea is an effort of nature to rid the body of injurious matter ; then the effort should be aided. Early in the effort give the horse a pint of linseed oil, or if an active purge be required, a pint of castor oil. If the diarrhoea does not cease check it with ounce doses of laudanum and follow with tea of slippery elm bark, or linseed. If the THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 363 difficulty refuse to give way, doses of 2 scruples of tannin may be given, or, doses of 3 drachms of catechu every hour until checked. The ox requires double the dose. Follow with tonics, say 4 drachms of gentian daily, or one ounce of peruvian bark, with sound, easily digested food. If <^aused by bad water, throw a handful of charcoal in the water before giving it to drink. The following will be found beneficial in the several cases mentioned. For sour and fetid discharges mix the following ingredients in the food *wice or thrice daily. No. 113. 1 Ounce powdered chalk, 1 Ounce bisulpbate of soda. For sour discharges with griping, take : No. 114. 1 Drachm powdered opium, 1 Drachm powdered chalk, 20 Drops carbolic acid. Form into a ball with linseed meal and molasses. If the bowels are simply in an irritable, relaxed condition, use the following : No. 115. 1 Ounce powdered chalk, 1 Ounce catechu, 1 Ounce ginger, 1 Drachm opium. Make .into a ball with linseed meal and molasses. When the diarrhcea is the result of violent medical purging, try the following : No. 116. 2 Ounces laudanum, 2 Ounces powdered chalk. Mix, and give in a quart of thin starch, or flour gruel. For excessive and continued purging, give at one dose the following : No. 117. 1 Ounce laudanum, 1 Ounce sulphuric ether, 20 Grains tannic acid. Mix in a pint of flax-seed tea. Astringent injections may be given as follows : No. 118. 2 Ounces laudanum, 2 Drachms acetate of lead, 1 Quart starch water. 364 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Inject half of this and follow with the remainder in three hours, if nec- essary, or give at one injection the following : No. 119. 4 Drachms tannic acid, 1 Pint starch water. In case of cattle the same quantities may be used, but when given by he mouth it must be made to trickle slowly down the throat. <^-H AFTER VII. DISEASES OP THE LIVER, URINARY ORGANS, ETC. JAUNDICE. II. ENLARGEMENT OF THE SPLEEN. III. INFLAMMATION OF THE KID- NEYS. IV. PROFUSE STALING, OR DIABETES. V. BLOODY URINE, OR H.EMATURIA. VI. THICK AND ALBUMINOUS URINE. VII. WHITE, OR LIME URINE. VIII. GRAVEL, OR STONE IN THE BLADDER. IX. SUPPRESSION OF URINE. X. INFLAMMA- TION OF THE BLADDER. XI. FOUL SHEATH. XII. RUPTURE OF THE BLADDER. XIII. SPASM OF THE URETHRA. XIV. INFLAMMATION OF THE ORGANS OF GENERATION. I. Jaundice. Tlie horse is subject to but few diseases of the liver. Jaundice or the }'ol!ows, is a condition in wbicli the visible mucous membranes, the skin (if it be natural!}' white) the urine and the tissues are stained yellow, not by non-secretion of the bile from the blood, but by the re-absorption of bile already secreted. Causes. — Obstruction of the bile duct from any cause. Obstruction of the bowels hindering the proper discharge of the bile. Diminished fullness of the capillary vessels of the liver from obstruction of the hepatic artery or aorta. And from undue secretion of the bile in cases of congestion of the liver. In solid hoofed animals the blood is easily dissolved. In flesh-eating animals it is not so. Hence, although there is often a jaundiced appear- ance of the membranes in horses, it is comparatively harmless. How to know it. — ^There will be a general coloration of the tissues. The mucous membrane will be yellow. The urine will be A^ellow. In obstruction of the bile duct the dung will be fetid, and of a clay color from being devoid of bile. '6''6b 366 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. What to do. — No general rule can be laid down. The following is u good remedy for torpidity of the liver, when there is general dullness and biliousness. 120. 1 Pound Epsom salts, 1 Pound Glauber salts, 1 Pound common salt, 1 Ounce essence of ginger, 1 Gallon warm water. Mix and give a pint from one to three times a day until a gentle but full purgation is produced. Follow this up with daily doses of one scruple of podophyllin. This remedy wdll also be indicated for cattle, except that they should have the following formula as a purge instead of No. 120 ; No. 121. y^ Pound sulphate of magnesia, >2 Pound common salt, 2 Ounces powdered ginger. Give this dose in two quarts of water once a day until a free evac- uation of the bowels is produced, giving also daily one scruple of podophyllin. Saline purges do not always act kindly on horses. If so the following will be indicated if there is considerable congestion : No. 122. 30 Grains calomel, 1 Drachm aloes,* 2 Drachms soap, 4 Drachms powdered rhubarb. Mix with molasses into a ball and give twice a day until a moderate operation of the bowels is had. If the disease occurs in the Spring, turning upon succulent grass, especially where dandelion is plenty, will generally effect a cure. II. Enlirgement of the Spleen. The pancreas and the spleen are subject to a variety of diseases, very difficult to determine. The pancreas is a gland which secretes the j^an- creatic juice, by which emulsion takes place with the fatty aliments by means of a duct leading into the intestines. The presence of fatty matter in the dung will imply a suppression of these juices. If there are sharp, colicky pains without fever, obstruction of the duct by calculi may be suspected. If there is general fever, with pain and tenderness behind the last rib on the right side, inflammation may be suspected. For calculi use fomentations of hot water over the parts affected, and THE HOKSE, ITS DISEASES. 367 give anti-spasmodics, chloral hydrate in half ounce doses daily, or hyos- cyamus extract two drachm doses, or belladonna two drachm doses, as the case may be. If there is inflammation give laxative medicines, one and a half ounces dandelion ; blister the right side, and confine the animal to light diet. For suppressed secretion give one ounce doses of sulphuric ether. So far as affections of the spleen are concerned, it is an in vol vent in diseases of the liver and other glands. In highly fed animals enlarge- ment ensues ; in badly fed ones degeneration or wasting. Obstructed circulation through the liver will engorge the spleen almost to rupture sometimes. In tuberculosis, cancer, glanders and blood poisoning it is affected. Anthrax and other fevers tend to enlargement of the spleen, sometimes to rupture. So little is really known of the spleen and its true functions, that but little can be done except by giving general atten- tion to the health and by means of tonics and good nursing to build up the health. III. Inflammation of the Kidneys. SYMPTOMS ATTENDING DISEASES OP THE URINARY OKGANS. Causes. — Inflammation of the kidneys. Nephritis, is produced by a variety of causes. Blows on, or sprains in the region of the loins, cal- culi, the excessive use of diuretics to w^hich some stablemen are prone, musty fodder, or that which contains irritant plants, etc. How to know it. — There Avill be more or less fever, sometimes a high fever : colicky pains ; looking at the abdomen ; the horse will lie down with extreme caution ; frequent passages of urine in small quantity, but 368 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. very high colored, sometimes containing blood and even pus ; the legs swell uniformly from the hoofs up ; the pulse is rapid, the bowels costive and the breathing excited ; the horse straddles in his gait ; this, however, is a general characteristic of all diseases of the urinary organs, but in severe inflammation it amounts almost to helplessness. There is, however, one test that is constant : there is extreme tender- ness of the bony processes about six inches from the spine in the loins, pressure over the kidnej^s will show the terrible pain from the crouching attitude the horse assumes. TEST FOR INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS. If the urine is examined under a microscope, the fibrinous casts of the kidney tubes will be found. In chronic cases, stocking of the legs, casts in the urine, more or less tenderness upon pressure of the loins, and general ill health, may be all that will be observed. What to do. — In acute cases, if there is a strong pulse and the animal is full of blood, bleeding may assist a cure. It is not always safe, except under the advice of a veterinarian of modern practice. Bleeding should never be practiced except in the earliest symptoms. Give an active cathartic. No. 123. 1 Drachm calomel, 4 Drachms powdered aloes, Make into a ball with linseed meal and molasses. Wrap the loins in woolen blankets and foment thoroughly with an in- fusion of a handful of digitalis leaves in a pail of boiling water, putting it on as warm as the hand will bear it ; or wring a sheep skin out of hot water and apply the flesh side, changing as often as may be necessary. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 369 To assist the evacuation and ease the pain give injections of linseed tea, one quart, to whicli an ounce of hiudanum is added. Get up a good sweat if possible. This will relieve the kidneys. Keep the bowels gently open with laxatives and relieve the pains with anodynes, and as the animal im- proves, give bitter tonics, 3 ounces of Peruvian bark daily in three doses ; or an ounce of gentian in two drachm doses three times a day. IV. Profuse Staling, or Diabetes. This disease, called by various names, as diuresis, diabetes insipidus, poluria, etc., is simply an excessive secretion of urine, causing loss of flesh, weakness, and at lengih terminating in exhaustion and a general breaking down of the system. Causes. — The most common cause is dosing with quack medicines, a favorite pastime of ignorant stablemen, especially for "the water." It is also produced by musty hay and grain, new oats, distiller}^ sIojds, acid diuretic plants, or any cause irritating the stomach and at the same time stimulating the kidneys. How to know it. — There is excessive thirst, profuse and frequent staling, of pale colored urine, thin, and with little odor ; loss of condition and spirits ; the appetite fails ; the skin is hard and dry ; the hair harsh .- the pulse will be weak, whether fast or slow ; depraved appetite for lick- ing noxious substances. What to do. — Change the food at once, w^ell seasoned hay and grain, with linseed tea given freely in the drink. The horse must not suffer from thirst, but inordinate drinking should not be allowed. Iodine is one of the chief specifics in this disease. The following will be a good formula, to be given three times a day in water : No. 124. 20 Grains iodine, 1 Drachm iodide of potassium, 4 Draclims carbonate of soda. Mix, and give in water. Or, give daily the following : No 126. 2 Drachms phosphate of iron, 2 Drachms iodide of potassium, 4 Drachms Peruvian bark. Mix, and give once a day in water. If this does not soon show a disposition to check the disease, add 15 to 20 grains of creosote daily. Another good formula, to be given once a day, or in bad cases twice daily, is the following : 370 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. No. 126. 30 Grains iodine, 2 Drachms sulphate of iron, ^ Ounce powdered gentian. Give as a ball, made with molasses and linseed meal. If four or five doses do not show decided effect discontinue. Six or seven days should effect a cure. V. Bloody Urine, or Hsemafuria. Causes. — Sprains or bruising of the loins, stone in the kidneys, urinary passages or bladder ; blood poisoning. HORSE SUFFERIXG FROM BLOODY URINE. How to Determine the Condition. — If fiom local irritation, the blood being in a healthy state, there will be clots of blood passed, and fibricious casts of the urinary tubes entangling blood globules. These may be seen with a good lens. If there is gravel more or less gritty matter will be passed. If from blood poisoning, the tests must be made by a vete- rinary surgeon, from the urine, who can then prescribe the proper treatment. Wliat to do. — The general practice is to give sound food, good shelter, mucilaginous drinks, as linseed or slippery elm tea, or marsh mallow tea. Also acid astringents, vinegar, buttermilk, a weak decoction of white oak bark. If the passages are profuse apply cold water to the loins. If there is inflammation foment with warm water (cloths saturated with hot water) and follow with a mustard plaster. If the bowels are inactive, give the following; : No. 127. 4 Drachms aloes, 1 Ounce cream tartar. Mix in one and a half pints of warm water and give when cool, aiding the operation by an injection of one quart of soap suds and four ounces oil of turpentine. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 371 VI. Thick and Albuminous Urine. This disability in horses, characterized by a thick, ropy, albuminous discharge of urine, is quite common in its milder forms, being an attend- ant on extensive inflammation of important organs, on rheumatism, fevers, and some conditions of blood poisoning. It is especially attend- ant on inflammation of the kidneys, both acute and chronic, attended with degeneration and shedding of the epithelium (the layers of cells) lining the kidney tubes. POSITION ASSUMED BY HORSE HAVING ALBUMINOUS URINE. How to know it. — There are two special positions assumed by horses suffering from severe secretion of albuminous urine. One is the stretched out position. In the other the back will be roached, as seen in the cut. In its mild stages the urine is thick, ropy, mucilaginous ; when it first begins to flow, of a reddish-brown color, but changing to a more natural condition, ending with a whitish, milky fluid ; sometimes the reverse ; commencing white. When the disease is farther advanced the urine is thicker, more deeply tinged, and sometimes offensive to the sense of smell. It may degenerate into a number of forms, and finally terminate in Bright' s disease of the kidneys. What to do. — Place the animal where it may be comfortable ; clothe warmly. If there is inflammation of the kidneys, foment with a sheep .>kin wrung out of hot water ; or better, with an infusion of a handful of digitalis (Foxglove) in a pail of scalding water, and use other measures recommended in this article. If it be thought necessary to liquify the irine, not always beneficial, prepare the recipe given on the following page, aud exercise great care in the attendant treatment as there prescribed. 24 372 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. No. 128. 1 Ounce powdered assafcetida, 2 Ounces powdered juniper berries, 8 Ounces powdered poplar bark. Mix, divide into eight parts, and give one night and morning in the food. The real animus should be to remove the cause, which, as we have stated, is various. Attend to the general health of the animal, keep the bowels open by a free use of bran mashes and other food of an opening nature. Give a laxative if necessary — say, 5 ounces salts, and Peru- vian bark 1 to 2 ounces daily at two or three doses. VII. White, or Lime Urine.- The urine is one of the agents used by nature to pass away the excess of calcareous or other stony matter from the body. So long as the con- ditions are normal, even when limy secretions are excessive, it may be nature's means of removing this excess. When the urine becomes albu- minous, the calciferous matter unites with the albumen, and the result is calculi. How to know it. — A white matter will be passed at the end of each urination, or the urine may become decidedly limey. What to do. — Attend to the general health of the horse, give none but sound oats and Indian corn, and sweet clean hay from upland meadows. Sand-like Deposit in the Bladder. — Sometimes a sand-like deposit, or soft maorraa is made in the bladder, and to such an extent that the urine flows involuntarily and constantly by drops. The remedy is by means of a stomach pump and catheter, to fill the bladder with water. Shake up the contents with the hand introduced through the rectum, and allow the water to flow through the catheter. So proceed to again pump full and empty until all the deposit is cleaned. When an animal is inclined to this disability, 1 drachm of caustic soda oriven daily in the water will correct the secretion. & VIII. Gravel, or Stone in the Bladder. The existence of urinary calculi, whenever found, is due to the de- posit of mineral matter around some body as a nucleus. This may consist of mucus, fibrine, blood-clot, or even of a crystal deposited from over- saturated urine. Causes. — They are so various that it would be useless to enumerate them. Impaired breathing, whether from weak or diseased lungs, imper- fect action of the liver, or impaired functions generally, are among the THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 87;j prominent causes. Any cause favoring concentration of urine might bring about the formation of calculi. How to know It. — Cistus calculus, or stone in the bladder, occurs in all domestic animals, producing straining in the effort to pass the urine. It will escape in .driblets, often drop by drop, or not at all. Blood will often be passed in clots, and crystals of microscopic calculi will be passed. By introducing the oiled hand into the rectum up to the bladder the stone may be felt. Sometimes there are a number of them. What to do. — 111 the case of a female the stone may be broken with a lithatrite. In the case of a male the operation is called lithotomy. The male is operated on standing, or else throAvn on the right side. The operation must in any event be performed by a competent surgeon, since it involves cutting and the use of instruments that may not be attempted by the novice. Preventive Measures- — The seed of Jamestown weed, or thorn apple {Datura stramonium) has been given with good effect in preventing the formation of large calculi. Give an ounce of the powdered seed in the feed every other day until six doses are given. In connection with this give the following : No. 129. 1 Ounce oil of juniper, 1 Ounce oil of sassafras, 4 Ounces sweet spirits of niter. Form into four doses and give one morning and night for two days. Animals predisposed to gravel should be fed on sound hay from old meadows, sound grain, and watered only with soft water. IX. Suppression of Urine. Causes. — Retention or suppression of urine is due to so many causes, especially in old horses, as paralysis of the bladder, meningitis, lockjaw, severe colic or other acute disease, or from irritating drugs given by ignorant stablemen, that the operator must be informed as to the nature of the case. What to do — If it be caused by paralysis the urine must be drawn off several times a day with a catheter. The following will be indicated to V)e jriven intern all v : No. 130. Ji Drachm extract nux vomica, 1 Pint water. Give as a drench twice a dav. 374 ILliUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Another remedy, if one has a hypodermic syringe, would be No. 131. 4 Drops sulphuric acid, 2 Grains stryclinine, Vt Ounce alcohol. Throw one-half of one grain twice daily under the skin.' If the difficulty is due to general weakness of the bladder, give the following stimulant : No. 132. 20 Grains powdered cantharides, 1 Drachm powdered digitalis. • Make into a ball with soap. If there is an accumulation of hard fseces in the rectum it must be removed by full injections of strong soap suds, and if necessary removal of the partially softeued dung with the oiled hand. If there is inflammation of the neck of the bladder, as shown by heat, swelling, tenderness, give injections of one drachm extract of belladonna in a quart of warm water, thrown repeatedly into the rectum of horses and into the vagina of mares. To relieve pain give from one-half to two drachms of opium as may be needed. X. Inflammation of the Bladder. Causes. — A disease very rare in animals, and when occurring the effect of violent external injury, or the result of irritating medicines, as croton .oil, cantharides, administered by the ignorant. It is quite rare, and may be known by the frequent passing of urine, with great pain and difficulty. As a sure test grasp the horse by the mane half way between the head and shoulder with the left hand ; place the right hand under the flank when all nervousness is passed, press more or less strongly on the abdo- men. If inflammation be present the animal evinces intense pain. If the muscles be tense and hard there is no inflammation. What to do. — Give full doses of opium, two drachms, to relieve pain. Give linseed tea, milk, and white of eggs beaten up with water as drinks. As a laxative to relieve the bowels give one to two pints of olive oil as may be needed. Inject into the bladder the following if you have an instrument : No. 133. 1 Drachm opium, 1 Drachm gum arabic, 1 Pint blood warm water. In severe cases the ammoniacal blister may be applied, as given on the next page, if there is paralysis of the parts, with or without THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 37o fomentations. The acute symptoms havinj^ subsided, give small doses of copaiva, one to two drachms, or buchu, two to three drachms, as may seem to be needed. Give soft or sloppy diet, with linseed tea, slippery elm, gum arable, or other mucilaginous drinks. XI. Foul Sheath. A horse w^itli a foul sheath is unfortunate in his master, unless the difficulty occurred before purchase. What to do. — Clean the sheath of all foul matter with warm soap suds, removing all lumps. To wash the sheath, take hold of the yard when protruded, and without undue violence hold it with gentle pulling until there be no resistance when it may be pulled out its entire length. When Avashed, oil thoroughl}^ with lard and salt, three parts of lard to one of salt. Every other day or every three days wash again and oil until a cure is effected. XII. Rupture of the Bladder. This difficulty occurs only in the female, the result of difficult parturi- tion. The animal strains violently, and on examination a red, tumid, rounded mass is shown between the lips of the vulva. What to do. — Wash the parts carefully with tepid water, in ^vhich an ounce of laudanum has been mixed with each quart. Then return care- fully, bv pressing the center of the mass inwards to correct the eversion. . The difficulty will be in returning it through the neck of the bladder. There will be more or less inflammation and softening, therefore care, judgment and time must be used, not to tear the tissues. If there is renewed straining, place a truss or compress over the vagina. XIII. Stricture of the Urethra. Stricture of the urethra is the result of local irritation, the results of gravel, or of strong astringent injections. The symptoms are difficult urination, watli great pain and frequent erections. The cure must be effected by the use of catheters, gradually increasing them in size until the normal condition is regained. XIV. Inflammation of the Organs of Generation. a. — In stallions, there is occasionally inflammation of the testicles, caused by external injury and other causes. It may be known b}'^ the 376 ' ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. swelling of the parts, a straddling gait, with drawing up and again let ting down of the testicles. What to do. — Give a purgative, 4 drachms aloes in 1 1-2 pints water. Foment the parts twice a day with warm water. Then dry and apply ex- tract of belladonna or laudanum. If pus (matter) should form, known by fluctuation of the parts, open at the soft part. If the gland is involved, and there is threatened destruction of the part, castration had better be performed. b. — Inflammation of the Womh. Causes. — Bruises or other injuries at the time of giving birth, or in getting rid of the afterbirth ; retained afterbirth, or exposure to wet or cold after parturition. How to know it. — Two, three or four days after parturition, there will be an attack of shivering: pains, with looking at the flanks, similar to those in colic ; shifting of the hind feet ; the loins and abdomen tender, with aching of the loins ; the vulva red and swollen ; there is frequent, straining with fetid discharge. The oiled hand being introduced into the womb, the neck and body will be found filled with fluid ; the belly will be tense and swollen ; the respiration and pulse will be increased, and the temperature of the body hot. There will be grinding of the teeth, great thirst and loss of power in the limbs. What to do. — After having drawn out the contents of the womb with a catheter, fill it again with tepid water, introduced through the tube, and wash out thoroughly. Then inject one drachm permanganate of potassa in a pint of lukewarm water, adding four ounces of glycerine and half an ounce of laudanum. Give a purgative dose to move the bowels freely, 4 drachms Barbadoes aloes for a mare ; (for a cow, 1 pound of glauber salts). Follow this with 20 drops tincture of aconite four times a day for the mare; (for a cow, 30 drops). Give also once a day 5 drachms nitrate of potassa, and also once a day 1 to 2 drachms chlorate of potassa. Apply a blister of mustard to the right flank of the mare, or for a cow, mustard and oil of turpentine. If there is a weak pulse, prostration and stupor, use stimulants ; quinine in 15 to 20 grain doses, camphor and whisky : also antiseptics, chlorate of potassa, 1-drachm doses, or carbolic acid 1-2 drachm doses in a pint of water. c. — Leucorrhoea, Catarrh of the Womh or Vagina. The same general treatment is to be observed as in the foregoing. It may be known by a whitish discharge from the vulva if caused by re- tained afterbirth. Repeat the injection recommended for inflammation Qf the womb, daily, and keep up the system with tonics s-nd good food. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. o77 The following will form a good tonic, appropriate in any enfeebled condition ot the mare, but especially so in the forms of disease just treated. ^^' ^^* 2 Drachms sulphate of iron. 1 Drachm black pepper, }i Ounce ginger, >i Ounce gentian. Divide into three doses for each day. CHAPTER VIII. DISEASES OP THE TEETH AND MOUTH. I. TEETHING, OR DENTITION. II. SHEDDING TEETH. III. BLIND TEETH. IV. DECAY OF THE TEETH. V. SCUKVY. VI. STUMP SUCKING, OR CRIB BITING. VII. LAM- PAS. VIII. INFLAMMATION IN AND AROUND THK MOUTH. IX. SLAVERING. X. INFLAMMATION OF THE TONGUE. XI. SHARP AND PROJECTING TEETH. XII. SCALD MOUTH. XIII. APTHA. XIV. INFLAMMATION OP THE PAROTID GLAND. XV. FIS- TULA OF THE PAROTID DUCT, I. Teething, or Dentition. Dentition in the horse has already been wi'itten of and illustrated in the map given in this work. In teething, all animals suffer more or less from irritation and fever of the parts, probably as much so as the human family. In puppies and in kittens it often causes convulsions between the third and sixth month. Cattle are principally troubled between the second and third year, and horses from the third to the fourth year, since in the third year the}^ cut four front teeth and eight back ones, and in the fourth year four front back teeth, eight back teeth and the four tushes Hence the reason why it is advised that at this period of their lives they be not hard worked. In both cattle and horses the rising teeth are sometimes entang^led with the teeth that are being shed. There will be redness, swelling, tenderness of the gums, and the inflammation sometimes extends to the throat, causing coughing and general fever. What to do. — ^If there is slavering ; if the animal seems to chew hard food with pain, or bolts soft food with haste, examine the mouth. Ex- tract the loose teeth ; lance the gums to allow easy dentition ; wash the gums with tincture of myrrh : relieve the bowels if necessary with gentle 378 THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 370 laxatives, and give as much rest and soft food as possible. Swine from the sixth to the twelfth month usually cut thirty-six teeth, and sometimes require attention. II. Shedding Teeth. In the shedding of the teeth the mouth should be examined frequently for loosened teeth, to find if the new teeth are growing properly. If they are likely to become crowded, causing twisting, they should be straightened, and if necessary one of them extracted to allow them to grow pVoperly. Sometimes there will be disease of the membranes sur- rounding the roots of the teeth, causing loosening, deviation from the proper course, suppuration, and even shedding of the teeth with much pain, even to inflammation and other diseases of the gum. Relief is to be given by careful examination, keeping the bowels open with soft food, such manipulation as may be necessary, sponging the gums with tincture of myrrh, lancing the gums, and extraction of the loose teeth when necessary. m. Blind Teeth. Supernumerary teeth may occur among the nippers and grinders. When so they should be extracted. Blind, or wolf teeth, are not super- numerary, but natural as they are insignificant, and would not be necessary to notice here w^ere it not from the fact that ignorant pretenders have given the impression that they are the cause of blindness, big head, and even apoplexy or staggers. These teeth are certainly useless, and occur in horses (not in mares) immediately in front of the grinders and may be extracted without difficulty or injury, care being taken that they be not broken and thus irritate the gums. IV. Decay of the Teeth. The teeth of horses under an artificial system of management, are quite subject to decay. Usually this is found in the grinders, although it sometimes, but rarely, occurs in the nippers. Causes. — Anything that will destroy the enamel or corrode the teeth, strong mineral medicines, fermentation in the stomach, breaking of the teeth by biting hard substances, or natural causes from increasing age. How to know it. — The horse will suddenly drop the food from the mouth ; slavering and exhibition of pain. This means toothache in its acute form. The general symptoms are imperfect chewing of the food. 380 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. and consequent finding of whole grain in the dung ; indigestion, un thrifty state of the hair and skin, irritability, loss of condition, generally with swelling of the legs ; swelling of the jaw-bone about the carious tooth, quidding of the partially chewed hay, accumulation of food around the tooth, and between it and the cheek. What to do. — Put a balling iron in the horse's mouth, and examine the jaws for bro- ken or decayed teeth. If suspected, tap it gentl3^ If there is inflammation, lavice the A HORSE WITH TOOTHACHE. affcctcd puTts, aud spougc with tincture of myrrh. If the tooth is ulcerated, it is better to extract it at once ; if not, it may be cleaned and the cavity filled with gutta-percha. If tender from exposure of the nerve, it must be relieved or deadened with crystalized carbolic acid and powdered opium, before filling. As a rule, in extensive caries, the tooth may be extracted. If so, the opposing tooth must be occasionally rasped down. The extract- ing of teeth, however, should only be undertaken by a veterinary surgeon, except in the case of loose teeth, which may be extracted with a large pair of forceps. V. Scurvy of the Teeth. Old horses are subject to deposit of calcareous matter, by which the teeth become ridged with a white scurf, extending down upon the gums, inflaming them and keeping them sore. This is generally confined to the front teeth. Young horses also sometimes suffer from this disability. Causes. — Imperfect digestion and sour stomach, evolving gases, or any cause injuring the enamel of the teeth. What to do. — First, find if his system is in good condition, or put it so. Put a twitch on the animal's nose and with proper instruments remove the incrustations. Files, scrapers and fine emery paper are the means to be used, the teeth afterwards to be oiled. In ordinary cases, a stiff brush and a mixture of tartaric acid and salt will do it ; rubbing afterwards with clean, hard wood ashes. Keep hard wood ashes and salt where the horse may take it at will. VI. Stump Sucking, or Crib Biting. Stump sucking is when a horse rests its teeth against any projection, arches its neck with spasmodic action of the throat, chest and flanks. Crib-biting is when the horse seizes the crib or other hard substance be- THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 381 tween the teeth and pulls, with or without spasmodic action. Wind sucking is when the horse suddenly seizes any hard, firm substance with its teeth, pulls back, sucking in the air, sometimes with so loud a spas- modic action, noise and groans that it may be heard for a long distance, with swallowing and eructation. What to do It is probably more generally connected with disease of the teeth than is generally suspected, and these should be immediately examined for cause. At length it becomes a confirmed vice. Relieve aiiy disabilities from the teeth. The remedy is to allow no surface uncov- ered with sheet-iron where the horse may reach it. Smearing the front of the manger with aloes has been recommended. A muzzle with two iron bars projecting from the lower jaw over the mouth and extending over and between the nostrils, will prevent the vice. If the disease be pure wind-sucking, a strap fastened tightly about the upper part of the neck will prevent the effort, but there is danger of the horse becoming a roarer. VII. Lampas. Lampas is congestion of the palate ; a redness and swollen condition of the bars of the mouth behind the upper front teeth, caused by denti- tion in young animals, and in old ones from indigestion, causing pain in chewing from the protrusion of the tender parts. What to do. — If in young horses, the means advised in dentition, with slight cutting (scarifying) of the roof of the mouth, with a sharp knife or lancet will suffice. In old horses, scarification, with a general atten- tion to the health of the animal will be indicated. In scarifjdng, cut only about an inch back of the teeth, and never deep. Just behind the third bar an artery lies near the surface, difficult to manage if cut throuo-h. Hence the care required in bleeding in the roof of the mouth. Should, by ac- cident the artery be severed, put a strong cord around the upper front teeth close to the gums, and strain it as tightly as possible. This will generally close the orifice and stop the bleeding. As a wash for the gums, the following will be good : ^uRj^i^a for lampas. No. 135. 1 Oz. chlorate of potash, 2 Ozs. soft water. Never burn the bars of the mouth for lampas. It is as senseless as it 382 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. is brutal and cruel. Never use caustics. The bars of the mouth ar*) useful to the horse, as the palate is to man, and may not be tampered with with impunity. VIII. Inflammation in and Around the Mouth. Causes. — Irritation from wounds, bruises, acrid or poisonous plants, savage bits, injuries from the bit, twitch or rope around the under jaw and tongue, medical irritants, bites or stings of reptiles or insects, the use of calomel and other salivating drugs, fungus growths, specific fevers, etc. How to know it. — There will be difficulty in feeding and drinking, sla- vering with or without fetid saliva, swelling and rigidity of the lips, cheeks or between the bones of the lower jaw, blisters or sores within the mouth, swelling of the glands, etc. What to do — Find the cause, whether from mechanical injury, irritating food or irritant drugs. If injured by alkalies wash with vinegar and water, equal parts ; if by acids use lime water or a weak solution of bicarbonate of soda ; if caused by caustic salts use mucilage of slippery elm, or white of egg ; if from venomous bites apply ammonia and give one-half ounce of liquid ammonia internally to the horse, and one-half to one ounce to the ox. For bite of venomous snakes, tarantula, etc., cauterize the wound in addition and give whisky in full doses. If there is simple inflammation, open the bowels with a gentle laxative, two ounce doses of magnesia, and wash with vinegar and honey. Give plenty of cool water and soft food. If there are ulcers, touch them with a feather dipped in No. 136. 10 Grains lunar caustic, 1 Ounce rain water. If there is much swelling keep the head tied up. If tumors resolving into matter (pus) appear, open with a lancet or knife. If there is slough- ing of the parts (separation of dead flesh) wash with the following; No. 137. 1 Drachm permanganate of potassa, 1 Pint of water. IX. Slavering. Causes. — The result of mercurial salivation, symptoms of various affections, as apthous fevers, epilepsy, cutting teeth, ulcers of the mouth, irritating food, alkalies, acids, bad fodder, etc. White clover will often cause undue secretion of saliva by the glands. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 383 It may be known by the free discharge of saliva, great thirst and often indigestion. What to do. — Find the cause and remove it. Give cold water to drink, and sound grain, grass and hay. Use as washes for the mouth, vinegar and water or vinegar and honey. If the saliva is offensive, use water slightly tinctured with carbolic acid as a wash, and attend to the general health of the animal. ErFKCT OF CRUEL USE OF THE BIT. X. Inflammation of the Tongue. How to know it. — There will be ditficulty in eating and drinking. The tonoue will be swollen and inflamed, sometimes hano:ini Drachm powdered mix vomica, 1 Drachm extract of belladonna. Form into a ball with liquorice powder and molasses, and give. II. Scrofula. The horse is not subject to scrofula, as is man, and the lower farm animals. Swine are essentially scrofulous ; sheep are often so ; cattle more rarely, and horses least of all. Yet that this noble animal has the germs of this dread disease in his system, would seem to be indicated by ulcers on the liver, tumors in the glands, and tubercles of the lungs. Thus it may be found in connection with other diseases, or show itself in eruptive skin, or of the organs. What to do. — Stramonium, known to farmers as Jamestown or Jimsoii weed, is a specific. Give every other day half an ounce of the dried seed, bruised, or 20 to 30 grains of the stramonium of the druggists, daily. The ox may have from 1-2 to 1 drachm ; sheep 5 to 10 grains, and swine 4 to . 6 grains daily, the state of the bowels being carefully attended to by giving laxative food if costive, or if necessity occur, med- icine, Glauber salts in light doses. III. Fever, or General Inflammation. When from any cause injury is done to any part of the frame, or in- flammatory action is set up either in the tissues, membranes, or any of the organs of the body, heat is produced, and this is fever. This often becomes general from sympathy, thus in a measure relieving the pressure on the more closely affected parts. Fever is not the disease itself, but the result of disorganization, a symptom of disease, or internal disorder. In fact, a symptom of disease arising from sympathy of the system with disease of the animal economy. Remove the cause and the fever will cease. We may do something to alleviate it in connection with the treat- ment of the disease itself, but we must not lose sight of the latter. In intermittent fevers there is a cold stage, a hot stage and a sw^eating stage. These ma}^ vary in succession and degree, but the real difficulty is in a morbid state of the viscera, but particularly of the liver and organs employed in the formation of bile, and of the mcsenterv. lii fevers the tongue is coated. Yet no quack is so ignorant as to suppose ,390 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. the fever can be cured by scraping the tongue, and yet this is fully hh sensible as to suppose fever to be the disease itself when it is an effect of disease. In the horse fevers often manifest themselves through inflammation of the mucous or serous membranes, producing catarrh or influenza. When it affects the mucous surface of the stomach and bowels it produces extreme languor and debility. In pleurisy there is inflammation of the serous membranes within the thorax. The fever is the manifestation of tlie disease. In typhoid fever there is inflammation of the brain and viscera and especially of the stomach, intestines and peyers gland. The fever is the attendant simply upon the cause of the inflammation. Fever in horses has been described by the author of Hippopathology to be 1st. Common fever — a general diffuse inflammation. 2d. Idiopathic — arising without any apparent local injury. 3d. Symptomatic — arising from some local cause or irritation. The late Dr. Dadd, V.S., very truly says : "A rational system of veterinary medicine contemplates, in the treat ment of febrile symptoms, nothing more than a kind of expectancy. I ' the patient be in the cold stage, administer warm diffusible stimulant s and diaphoretics, aided by warmth and moisture externally; friction oi-. the extremities, and, if necessary, stimulating applications to the chest and the extremities. In the hot stage, and when the superficial heat of th'i body is great, cooling drinks are indicated : water acidulated with cream of tartar, makes a good febrifuge. The patient may be occasionally sponged with weak saleratus water. The alkali has a beneficial eifect on the cutaneous vessels, while the water lessens the temperature of th<; bod3^ No treatment, however, can be of any rational use, unless it contemplates a restoration of the healthy equilibrium of the whole system. Let the doctor treat the disease, and a good, attentive groom can manage the fever." In treating general fever or inflammation, therefore, we nmst first find the cause, and treat, giving such agents as have been indicated throughout this work, for the febrile symptoms as they occur. As a rule we do not advocate bleeding, but in the horse in the early stages of acute inflamma- tion, especially of the brain, and all that class of diseases which involve the general system, and when the blood is thick and dark, sometimes almost brown, bleeding may be practiced with success. It is never well however to bleed blindly. In apoplexy and that class of diseases, bleed. It is a case of life or death. For fevers in general there can be no specific. In diseases of the blood, accompanied hy fever, alteratives will be indicated both as a preventive and corrective of the diseased functions. Sometimes the condition of the absorbents are so inactive that alteratives THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 391 cannot act. Here bleeding would seem to be indicated. Yet it is better unless in the case of life or death, that it be not resorted to, except under the advice of 'a competent veterinarian or physician. IV. Enlargement of the Heart. Hypertrophy or enlargement of the heart is an increase of its muscular substance and may be confined to one side or one ventricle. Sometimes disease of the valves leads to enlargement much beyond its usual size. Enlargement of the heart also accompanies broken wind and other im- pediments to the free action of the lungs and breathing tubes. Causes. — Long contifnued hard work ; chronic indigestion, or some obstruction to the circulation. How to know it. — There is palpitation, the beats forcible and prolonged, the intervals of silence shortened. The first sound is low, muflied and l>rolonged, the second loud, and if only one ventricle is affected some- times repeated. The pulse is as a rule regular, except under excitement of the animal, and, the excitement removed, soon returns to its usual state. The breathing is often hurried, and exertion increases the general sjanptoms in a marked manner. What to do. — Simple hypertrophy is seldom the cause of imminent danger. It is not unusual for horses with an enlargement of the heart' to do steady, slow, moderate work, and live to be old. If there is dilatation, weakness, blowing murmurs with the first heart sound, spells of oppressed and difficult breathing, if the nasal and other visible mucous membranes are livid, there is danger of sudden death at any time. Keep the animal quiet, and at only slow, moderate labor ; never over- load or put him to speed. Let the diet be of good, easil}^ digested food ; never allow the stomach to become overloaded. Give twice a day from 20 to 30 drops tincture of aconite root as the case may need. If there is broken wind or other serious impediment to breathing, 3 to 4 grains of arsenic in the food has been found useful. If the case, however, be of long standing, or due to permanent obstruction, treatment must be simply alleviation. The case will eventually end in death. V. Fatty Degeneration of the Heart. This disease is occasioned by a change of the muscular substance of the heart to a fatty state, by w^hich the organ is weakened, at length lead- ing to rupture of its tissues. It is not uncommon in high-bred stock, including; cattle and swine. 392 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Causes. — High feeding, inactivity, want of exercise, and the result of such diseases as purpura scarlet fever, and diseases the result of pro- found alteration of the blood. How to know it. — Debility in the circulation, irregularity and weak- ness in the pulse, lessening of the heart sounds, swelling of the legs and sometimes a general dropsical condition, dilatation, a want of correspond- ence between the heart beats and the stroke of the pulse, appetite irreg- ular and capricious, and the membranes of the mouth and nose a rusty red color. What to do. — Humor the appetite with sound, easily digestible food. There is no remedy. Attention to the general health, and an ounce of chlorate of potash twice a day in the food may mitigate symptoms when more violent than usual. In all heart or arterial diseases give rest, and in fattening stock, do so as quickly as possible. VI. Enlargement of the Arteries. Dilatation of the arteries (Aneurism), is rarely found. It is a thinning and weakening of the coats of the vessels, sometimes to bursting, causing a pulsating tumor containing blood. Causes. — Severe strains in the vicinity of an artery, blows, kicks, 'stabs, or weakening from overstretching, as in fatty degeneration. In the mesenteric arteries of horses, they are common from immature worms (^Sderostomum equiiium) in the circulation. How to know it. — There is a soft, fluctuating, visible tumor if near the surface, which may be reduced by pressure, but which instantly reappears. What to do. — Treatment is not successful except when near the sur- face. Then steady pressure by a pad if taken early will sometimes cause its disappearance. An animal with enlargement of the arteries is un- sound and should never be bought. The same rule applies to all diseases of the heart. VII. Inflamed Jugular Vein. Causes. — This is due, for the most part, to bleeding, and the treatment to which the horse is subjected, or rather lack of treatment immediately after blood-letting. It is not to be attributed to any particular manner of bleeding, or to any awkwardness in its execution and in the closing of the wound. Some horses have a constitutional predisposition to inflam- mation upon any occasion of punctured veins, and the most skillful phlebotomist cannot avoid throwing theuj into this state unless care is taken THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 393 after the operation to see that there is as little excitiiij^ cause as possible. Inflamniation may, indeed, result from bruising the vein in the act of bleeding, but this must be of so rare occurrence as to be scarcely worthy of notice. The same may be said of a large and ragged wound made by a bungling operator. The motion of the animal after bleeding, and rubbing so as to displace the pin and tow by which the wound is usually closed, may be set down as the ijreat sources of dano^er. If the horse is turned loose and allowed to graze about, hanging down his head and keeping it down at will, with his jaws in almost constant motion, inflammation of the vein is apt to result. So, if he is allowed access to food in a trough or stable. When allowed his freedom he is apt to rub the wound whenever itching sensa- tions supervene, as they are apt to, and the trouble is thus easily induced. If put to the saddle immediately after blood-letting from the neck, the bridle reins may rub the wound, and especially irritate it by disturbing its fastenings ; and if put to harness the collar may press the blood too violently and constantly against the orifice, and so bring on inflammation. How to know it. — The earliest indication is a slight opening of the lips of the wound, whence exudes in small quantity a thin, watery discharge. A slight swelling appears ; this is followed by a hard, cord-like enlarge- ment of the vein, which feels hot ; and there is some visible swelling at the angle of the jaw. The swelling takes place above the orifice, and the inflammation tends almost wholly in that direction. If neglected, the second stage of the disorder soon sets in. Abscesses form along the vein, and these flnally burst and dischai-ge a thin but filthy pus. These tumors are united at their bases by sinuses in the interior of the vessel. It may be reckoned as a third stage of the disease when the vein feels hard under the skin, and the abscesses discharge a dark, impure and stinking pus, resembling rotten blood. At this stage the horse gro^^■s dull and stupid ; then at last the inflammation extends to the brain, and a madness similar in violence and fatal effects to the rabies may supervene. What to do.— In the first place, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and whenever it is necessary to bleed an animal, let it j})e done in as neat, skillful and expeditious manner as possible; then close the wound with care, leaving no part of the fastening pin to project over the suture or winding of tow or cord by which the lips are drawn close ; and at once tie up the horse in a stall. If the stall is contracted in width, it is all the better, as he will be less likely to stir unnecessarily. Tie the halter above and something back from the manger, so that he cannot rub his neck against the trough nor anything pertaining to that part of his stall. Give him no food that will necessitate chewing^ 394 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. nothing but a sufficiency of thin, cool gruel, having in it no inflammatoij- ingredients, to prevent the absolute gnawings of hunger. Water may be given in as great quantities as he will take. Allow him to remain in this position twenty-four hours. Even then, do not turn him into a field, as the traveling to and fro, with the head often pendent and the jaws in motion as he grazes may yet cause inflam- mation. He may now, however, be allowed a more roomy stable ; but the food should be for another day only such as will necessitate no con- siderable chewing. This precaution will in all probability wholl}^ prevent inflammation, even in those cases where the animal has a strong consti- tutional tendency to it. These directions, however, are not to be understood as applicable to every case. When a horse is bled to relieve some sudden or acute local trouble, there is really but little danger of inflammation of the jugular, especially if the acute trouble is attended with marked local fever. When inflammation has actually set in, from whatever cause, the cure is easy and speedy, if steps be prom^Dtly taken to this end. If begun while in its simplest stage, place the horse at once in a stall, as previously indicated, and tie his head up during the day — giving him food. and drink b}^ raising a bucket within easy reach for the time. Then sponge the in- flamed part very frequently with the following lotion, as cool as it can easily be made : No. 141. 3 Ounces tincture of arnica, 2 Ounces muriate of ammonia, 4 Ounces methylated spirits of wine, 3 Pints water. It will be more effectual if some soft padding is confined along the vhole extent of the inflammation, and this kept constantly saturated vvith the cold lotion. After the inflammation has subsided, mix biniodide of mercury and lard in the proportion of 4 drachms biniodide to 4 ounces lard, and rub the vein well with this, if it remains enlarged, every night until the new deposit has been absorbed, which will be known by its having produced a free Avatery discharge. The treatment thus laid down is intended to apply strictly to the first stage of the disease. When the second stage has set in before treatment is begun — that is, discharging abscesses along the vein — begin by remov- ing the pin and suture, if not already done, and then blister along the whole extent of the inflamed and tumorous surface by rubbing in effect- ually the oil of ca-tharides, or liquid blister. One blister must succeed another till every sign of the disorder has disappeared. If the case seems U) be violent and to yield slowly, one blister must not wholly cease to THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 395 act until another coating of the oil has been applied — though this is not iiecessar^i except in very obstinate cases. If the liquid is to be applied over an old one, still raw, use a line brush with which to lay it on, and then cover over with an application of some unctuous oil to soothe the severe smart that presently sets in. Be careful always to have the blis- ter cover every spot where there is indication of inflammation. If the disease has progressed to that stage in which there is a foul and black discharge, the abscesses must all be joined by slitting up tlie inter- vening sinuses. Cut the whole extent of the hardened vessel except a l.ttle at each end, which must be left to prevent copious bleeding. Em- ploy a small, suitable probe, carefully and patientl}^ and cut along the track hidicated, from abscess to abscess. Then apply the liquid blister as directed, regardless of sores or cuts, and continue to do so until the part is but one blister sore and not a lot of discharging tumors. The vein Avill of course be destroyed. Whenever the corded and suppurating state sets in this is inevitable, as no human agency can restore its functions ; but this will not seriously interfere with the circu- lation, since the smaller vessels that ramify every part of the neck (as, indeed, of the whole system) soon accommodate themselves to the new order of things, and the life-current flows regularly on. It requires much time, however, to bring him to that condition in which he will not need more than ordinary attention. Throughout the day his head must l>e tied up to the rack, while at night he may be loosened so as to permit him to lie down. The floor should be covered with tan, as he would chew straw, and thus render cure more difiicult by that motion of the jaws which is to be guarded against. He should be kept this wav for from four to seven weeks, according to progress of recovery. Meanwhile his food should be hay tea, sloppy mashes, and cooling gruel moderately thick. No solid food sliould be allowed — no corn nor oats. Potatoes, carrots, turnips, boiled, reduced to pulp, moistened and mixed with bran form the besc diet. At the close of the time designated begin regular daily exercise — very little at first, but gradually increasing it, which may be continued for two or three months, during which time he should not wear a collar, or be in any way subjected to pressure about the neck. After three months he may be restored by degrees to the use of solid food ; but much care should be observed during a whole year, after which he may be considered measurably sound. Inflammation may follow bleeding from leg veins, and those elsewhere, but it is most common in the jugular and most troublesome. The treat- ment were prescribed is of course applicable in its general principles to other veins. 396 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. VIII. Inflammation of the Absorbents. Inflammation of the absorbents (Lymphangitis), has a variety of names, among which are Weed, and Shot of Grease, and may be a con- stitutional case, or a mere local affection. In its constitutional form, it is found in heavy lymphatic, fleshy-legged horses that, hard worked on heavy feed, are left in the stable for days together. In its local form it is the result of wounds, bruises, injuries of various kinds, putrefying matter in and around the stable. It may occur from the specific poison of glanders, farcy, etc., and in the constitutional form may go on to abscess, sloughing and unhealthy sores, and death ; or the horse may be left with the limb permanently thickened. In the local form there may be abscess, diffuse suppuration, induration of the glands, and even the vessels and surrounding parts. How to know Constitutional Lymphangitis — There will be more or less shivering ; in bad cases severe, quickened breathing ; rapid, hard pulse ; a general feverish state, and fever in one or both hind limbs. Enlarge- ments may be detected high up in the groin, by the side of the sheath in the horse or udder in the mare, and great tenderness of the inguinal glands. The shivering fits will be succeeded by fever with burning sweats, swelled limbs, exudation and filling, sometimes to the body. What to do. — In mild cases, give moderate and daily exercise, pay at- tention to diet, ventilation, and cleanliness. If the case is more severe, give from 4 to G drachms of aloes, apply warm fomentations continually to the limb, with walking exercise The bowels having been thoroughly moved, give diuretics, an ounce of saltpeter in a gallon of water two or three times daily ; or 10 grains of iodine. In very bad cases, when the subject is plethoric, bleed from the jugular vein until the pulse softens, and proceed as before directed. For "thick leg," a chronic thickening of the limb, bandage from the foot up when the animal is in the stable, and apply tincture of iodine for four days, giving daily exercise ; or rub the limb with iodine ointment, and give the following once a day ; No. 142. ^ Ounce powdered resin, 14 Ounce niter, 10 Drops oil of juniper. Mix into a ball with liquorice powder and molasses. If abscesses form, open them with a sharp knife, and dress with the following : No. 143. 1 Ounce carbolic acid, 1 Pint distilled water. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 397 In the local form there will be slight swelling of the cords, and redness in white skins. The lymphatic glands will be enlarged along their course, and become nodular or knotty. There will be pasty swellings of the parts, and even erysipelas. What to do. — Give rest, and a purge of aloes as recommended for the chronic state. Wash the diseased limb with the following ; No. 144. % Dracbm opium, 1 Drachm acetate of lead, 1 Drachm carbolic acid, 1 Quart rainwater. In case of excessive inflammation, poultice with flax seed or bread and milk to hasten suppuration. Open the suppurating parts to let out the matter, and dress with the carbolic solution as in the other form of the disease. IX. Scarlatina. Causes. — This disease, called also scarlet fever, is not considered contagious in its milder forms, but in a malignant stage it would doubt- less be as much so as the same disease in the human family. It is sometimes regarded as but a mild form of acute anasarca, and not entitled to be treated as a distinct affection ; but we cannot dwell upon the niceties of classification, and where the necessities of the case (the knowledge requisite for treating certain manifestations of disease success- fully) are met, it is not important that Ave should. It generally follows influenza and other affections of the respiratory organs ; and may be justly said to have its origin in colds, and in some cases, perhaps, in the breathing of vitiated air in close, dark, ill-ventilated stables. How to know it. — The patient exhibits great thirst, with a failing appetite, and evident w^eakness. He is more or less unsteady in his gait ; his breath is hot and stinking, and all the limbs are swollen. But the most unmistakable signs are elevated blotches on the skin about the neck and fore limbs, and scarlet spots, of variable size, oil the membranes within the nostrils. What to do. — First, remove the animal from its felloAvs, for fear the disease may develop into that putrid form which is found so contagious among children, and prove infectious. Give an occasional watery bran mash to keep the bowels open and allay fever. If this is not found sufiiciently laxative, give a dose of Epsom salts, or linseed oil. Guard against too active and violent purgatives. Mix three ounces liquor acetate 398 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. of ammonia with three ounces of coid water, and drench with this oncfl or twice a day, according to the violence of the fever, for three days. Meanwhile, sponge the elevated spots on the skin with a tincture of muriate of iron mixed with warm water ; or, if found more convenient, put two ounces of hartshorn (aqua ammonia) into a quart of soft water, and use that. There is a tendency in this disease to dropsical effusions, and the limbs become very much swollen, even during the treatment prescribed ; and by the third or fourth day a whitish mucus will begin to run slightly from both nostrils ; the scarlet spots will have spread and become redder. Give now, night and morning, one-half fluid ounce sweet spirits of niter, for four or five days. Discontinue to sponge the elevated spots, but rub the limbs closely and often ; and blanket the animal if necessary to keep him comfortable. The niter acts as a diuretic, and the dose and length of time it is given must be regulated by the effect upon the kidneys. If urine is voided too often and too freely, lessen the dose, or discontinue it alto- gether. Follow this up with a daily dose of twenty grains of sulphate of quinine for from three to six days, and continue to rub the limbs. When there are signs of returnmg appetite, give him, in addition to the bran mashes, a few oats and a daily small allowance of hay ; and j)lace him in a small inclosure, where he may have such moderate exercise as he may be prompted to take. Do not fail to supply him from the first with all the pure water that he will drink. CHAPTER X. DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. •t. HYDROPHOBIA, OR RABIES. II. MAD STAGGERS, OR PHRENITI-^. III. BLIND STAG GERS, MEGRIMS, OR VERTIGO. IV. APOPLEXY, OR SLEEPY STAGGERS. V. ABCESs WITHIN THE BRAIN. I. Hydrophobia, or Rabies. Causes. — This is the name given to a madness which generally arises from the bite of a dog, though wolves, foxes and cats are also subject to it by a spontaneous generation, and this bite is as fatal to another animal and to man as that of the dog. It is believed by some authorities that in rare cases hydropho'.ia arises spontaneously in the horse ; but of thit< there is no proof; arJ since it may have been communicated by some- thing of the dog or cat kind, even in those cases where all the outward signs arc lacking, it is safe to say that the horse takes it only by inocula- tion. He need not be absolutely bitten. The licking of bridle-bit sores at the corner of his mouth by a mad dog is sufficient to introduce the poison hy absorption ; and if the horse by any means chances to take into his mouth and stomach, with his food, the saliva or spittle of a mad ani- mal, he v.'ill very probably be attacked, and especially if the animal so dropping the spittle is suffering with the disease in its violent stage. The poison is known to reside in both the spittle and the blood of its victim . When once the virus has been generated in or communicated to any animal, hot weather, abuse, want of water, want of good food, will pro- duce that feverish state which is so favorable to its development ; and the greater or less time in which it manifests itself decidedly in horses after inoculation, is probably due to these conditions or the absence of such. The poison remains in the system, without producing the positive symp- 399 400 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. toms, from three to eight weeks. Some declare that a longer period than even eight weeks sometimes intervenes between inoculation and positive madness ; but such cases, if there are such, must be extBemely rare. They form the exception, and contradict the great mass of testimony on this subject. The remote cause — that which produces it in animals of the dog and cat kinds — we need not attempt to discuss, as it can have little if any practical bearing on the subject in hand. It may be well to observe, however, that most of tlie lower animals contract the disease when bitten by dogs that are violently mad, whereas among men it is widely different. Statistics seem to show that less than fifty per cent, of the latter take, the disease. It has been offered in explanation, that the bite is generally through clothing, that serves in many instances to cleanse the teeth of the virus before the skin is cousTEXANCEOF AiioRsKwiTHUABiEs. rcachcd. lu tlic casc of horses, the bite is generally on the lip — a sensitive and vascular part, where the absorbents are readily reached. How to know it. — Blood on the lips, or elsewhere, with marks of violence, are of course to be regarded as symptoms of dog bite, if any known occasion for such a thing has existed ; an*.^ for a few days these will be the only indications. If the horse is high 13d and full of blood, and the weather is hot, the poison may begin ;0 produce outward effects in from five to ten days by a swelling of the bitten parts, and by a diffi- culty manifested in swallowing. In from twelve to fifteen days there is perceptibly increased pulsation ; inflamed throat, with thickening of the membrane that lines it; from the fifteenth to the twentieth day the stomach inflames, and perhaps rejects food, — but nothing certainly can be stated as to this point, since here the symptoms vary greatly with different animals : in some cases the appetite is voracious, and so morbid that the sufferer will devour his own excrement and urine. Sometimes he will exhibit burning thirst and drink freely. Mobile again water will cause spasmodic movements and be avoided with.hori'or. But in general, the appetite is destroyed, and that dread of water which characterizes the disease in man is present in the horse. In a very short time the indications increase, and usually (as v/e have said, with full blooded, feverishly disposed horses, at a time of high temperature) before the twentieth day, absolute madness sets in. He THE HOUSE, ITS DISEASES. 401 nvw rubs the bitten part against anything convenient with increased violence ; sonietinies instead of rubbing he will bite and tear the wound ; the eyes assume a wilder and more unnatural appearance ; some patients neigh squeakingly, shove out the tongue, or gnash the teeth. The progress of the disease is 'now very rapid ; generally there is profuse sweating ; there is suppression of the urine, and inflammation of the parts of generation ; his countenance changes from a look of anxiety to one of cunning and a sort of grinning ferocity, and there is an irrepressible desire to bite man or animal — whatever living thing may be within reach ; he gazes sometimes at an imaginary object and springs and snaps madly at vacancy ; his propensity to destroy grows with his pain, and at last he wreaks his fury upon inanimate objects — the manger, or trough, the rack, whatever is seizeable in his stall is torn to pieces with his teeth or smashed with his feet ; if not confined he darts ferociously at whatever object of attack may present itself ; plunges about like a demon of destruction, snorts, foams, sometimes uttering a kind of crying neigh, and perhaps beats himself to death before the last and comparatively belpless stage comes on. • DESTRUCTIVE IMPULSE OF HYDROPHOBIA. If not destroyed before the disease has run its course, paralysis, usually confined to the loins and the binder extremities, sets in, and involves with it all those organs which depend for their nervous influence upon the posterior portion of the spinal cord. Unable to stand upon the hind legs, the animal will sit on his haunches, and strike and paw with his fore feet. The suffering is sometimes rendered more terrible by tenesmus or retching of the bowels, which seem dreadfully oppressed but have lost the power to act, while the kidneys are fevered and torpid and the urine cannot be voided. 402 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. It sometimes happens that the disease is developed by exertion anq heat, when no previous indications have been manifest, and shows itself in a peculiar manner. The horse stops all at once in his work, heaves, paws nervously, trembles, staggers and falls. In a moment he will be up, and may, if put to it, proceed for a few moments, %vhen he will stop, stare about, and lie down again. This stage is sometimes mistaken for blind staggers, but it may be distinguished by observing that in blind staggers the horse loses his senses, while in hydrophobia he is always conscious, often acutely intelligent and observing. What to do — This is a disorder of so dreadful and dangerous a charac- ter that some of the ablest veterinarians do not hesitate to advise the instant killing of the sufferer ; and they refuse to give any directions for attempting a cure. When the furious stage has come on there seems to be a sort of demoniac maliciousness and treachery, with a watchful cun- ning, that makes it hazardous for friend or stranger to trust himself any- where within reach. It is extremely doubtful, too, whether recovery ever takes place after the madness is developed. Yet, it is not improbable that much'^nay be done in the way of preven- tion after the bite has been inflicted. Tlie first step is to check the flow of blood from the part, if possible, to prevent the rapid spread of the poison over the system. If a limb has been bitten, this may be done by tying a handkerchief around it, above the wound, and twisting with a stick until a sufficient degree of compression is had. Then cauterize the wound thoroughly, making sure that the very deepest recesses of every tooth print or lacerated place is reached. Lunar caustic is best, because most easily and surely handled ; but if impossible to get a stick of this, any convenient caustic may be applied, as oil of vitriol, nitric acid, caus- tic potash, butter of antimony, etc. : or, a small iron, not too sharp, heated to a white heat and cleaned of scales, M'ill answer if the animal can be kept still enough to apply without danger of injuring him other- wise. The handkerchief should be left on tight until the cauterization is effected. Cauterizing thoroughly, even two or three days after the injury, may result in saving the animal, as the absorption does not always speedily take place. If the wound is upon a part that forbids the use of the handkerchief, it may be cut open to its depth, and a freer flow encouraged, both by the larger opening and by squeezing and wringing — soaking, meanwhile, with warm water. Then use the lunar caustic wherever a sign of tooth mark can be seen. But when unobserved till the virulent stage has come on, it is not even known to science that anything can be done to save ; and the best, the THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 403 most merciful thing to do is to shoot at once. When there are strong symptoms of madness, but still some doubt, put him by himself in a sta- ble, bare of everything destructible except food and water, which must l)e placed where he can get it, and barricade the door. Leave a window open for observation, and keep him here until the symptoms disappear or hydrophobia is unmistakable — then act accordingly. II. Mad Staggers. Causes. — This disease is sometimes known by the more learned term of phrenitis (the delirium of fever ; frenzy, raving) ; but it will be by prac- ticjil men most readily recognized when treated of under its old and fa- miliar name. It is an inflamed condition of the brain and its covering, with effusion of the small cavities and the spaces between the membrane and the brain itself. Sometimes both the brain and its membranous covering are in- volved in this inflammation, sometimes but one, and that most frequently the membrane. It n:ay be caused by concussion of the brain by reason of bloAvs upon the head. The brutality of a driver, which flnds its gratification in usinsT the butt of his whip upon the head of the horse, may result in a frac- tured skull, to be followed by slight pressure upon the brain, a speedy fever and the consequent determination of too much blood to the head, which, combined with the burning inflammation, brings on this madness, perhaps death. Among the causes other than violence we may name the following ; The slugging of the vessels of the brain with clots formed elsewhere in the system by some abnormal action ; the growth of tumors upon the brain or upon its covering, from some remote and probably hidden cause ; sudden and great changes of temperature in the body brought about- by instantaneous exposure to extreme heat or cold ; over-exertion in pletho- ric or full-blooded animals, especially in hot weather ; congestion from close collar, short-drawn check, or tight throat-latch ; congestion from internal compression, as by over-loading stomach and bowels ; feeding on ])arasitic grasses or smut, of which rye grass may be noted as the most hurtful ; infection of the blood by poisonous animal matter or fluids ; imprudent over-feeding and insufficient exercise. How to know It. — The symptoms often differ but little from apoplexy, comparing the^Vs^ stage of each, but they may generally be distinguished by this : that in mad staggers the horse is not so comatose, or sleepy and insensible, as in apoplexy. Light affects his eye a little, and he is sensi- tive to the whip, whereas the horse laboring under a genuine attack of 26 404 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. apoplexy seems blind, deaf, and without bodily feeling. In som^ instances in mad staggers, it is true, the animal may sleep till he drops, but on recovering himself he will manifest the sensitiveness above described. Occasionally, tlie brain alone is involved, in which case he is stupid, dull, and awkward of motion, the nerves of sensation and of motion being both affected ; and during this stage he will sometimes bore his head against some object ; at others he will rest his haunches upon his trough or anything else convenient. When the membranes covering the brain are inflamed, which is most general!}^ the case, there is restlessness rather than stujDor ; the horse trembles ; his general temperature is elevated, while there is great heat about the upper part of the head ; his pulse is excited, his breathing quick ; his eyes glare ; his movements are irregular ; he paws, stamps, champs his teeth ; an interval of stupor may occur, but even when just aroused from this condition of repose he is extremely excitable and trembles ^'iolently. HOnSG DURING THE MAD STAGE OF STAGGERS. When the worst symptoms are rapidly developing themselves he begins suddenly to heave at the flanks ; his eyes brighten and his nostrils expand ; the pupil of the eye dilates to the utmost, and stares wildly and vacantly ; his breathing becomes shorter and quicker ; sometimes he will neigh uneasily ; his ears are erect and bent forward ; the membrane of the eye reddens and contrasts strangely Avith the clearness of the cornea or ball ; be becomes more and more excitable, and trembles at every sound, and THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 405 dfelirium sets ill. He now dashes himself about with fury; his motions are sudden and violent, but without any disposition to mischief, as he is evidently unconscious. He sometimes becomes ferocious, and dangerous to all who may come within reach ; he then bites and strikes at those who come near him ; he plunges, rears upon his hind legs, whirls round and round and falls with dreadful force. He will now lie awhile exhausted, and his pulse and breathing are sloAver. At length the mighty anguish returns, and he becomes again a terrify- ing and dangerous animal. The second paroxysm is worse than the first ; he darts furiously at everything within reach ; sometimes bites and tears himself; and this continues until his former stupor returns, or until he ha*5 worn himself out and death puts an end to his sufferings. Each succeeding attack increases in intensity, and brings on increased weakness, so that his periods of stupor become longer and longer till at last he dies. In those cases where at first only the brain is involved the premonitory symptoms may continue a day or two, when the membranous coverings may become suddenl}^ inflamed and delirium speedily set it. Whenever the membranes are attacked the disease reaches its crisis in a few hours — there must be speedy relief or death will quickly follow. This disease may sometimes be mistaken for colic or for hydrophobia; but to distinguish from the former, notice that in the colic the horse rises and falls with less violence, and that though he sometimes plunges, he more frequently rblls about. He looks frequently at his flanks with an expression of pain, and he is all the time conscious. To distinguish it from hydrophobia, observe that while there is violence in the latter, and generally an inclination to do mischief, there is always consciousness. What to do — If the earlier symptoms — stupidity, sleepiness, awkward, staggery motions — are observed, apply ice cold w^ater to the head, both l)y pouring and bj- means of a sponge or rags secured betAveen the ears and along the forehead ; and bleed severe!}^ — not enough, however, to render the horse faint. Then give an active purge, as the bowels will almost invariably be found to be torpid and constipated. Use at first : No. 145. 7 Drachms aloes, 4 Drachms castile soap, 6 Drops oil of caraways. Mix with mucilage or syrup to form a ball, and give this quantity for one dose. If this is found, after four hours, not to have produced the desired effect, give one scruple of croton meal in water, if he will dnnk it ; if not, he must be drenched. This is a powerful medicine ; but it is of the utmost consequence that his bowels be free, and no effort must be spared to effect that object. If the croton cannot be bad, resort to the clyster (of warm soap suds), or to back-raking. 406 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. The bowels having been opened, give two or three times a day, the fol- lowing compound, the effect of which is to decrease the action of the heart and prevent the tendency of the blood to the head, as also to pro- mote the activity of the urinary organs : No. 146. 1 Drachm digitalis, 1 }i Drachm tartar emetic, 3 Drachms niter. Keep him in a cool, airy stall, and feed with the greatest moderation, o-ivin"- such o-reen and moist food as has a laxative tendency, and such quantity only, for a few days, as will'prevent gnawing hunger. But if the paroxysm has already come on when remedial means are to be adopted, seize the first opportunity, during an interval of stupor, or of comparative stillness, to bleed him till he falls, or, if down, till he grows faint and weak. Open the vein on both sides of the neck, if pos- sible, as the quickness with which the blood is drawn away from the brain is of almost as much consequence as the quantity. The operator must observe great caution, as the fury may return suddenly and with much danger to himself. If successful in bleeding, the next step to take is to purge in the least possible time. To affect this, use half a draclwi of croton meal. Some- times the horse will drink readily and freely, in which case the meal can be well stirred in water and given in that way ; but if jiecessary, pour it down him according to directions for drenching. If the meal of croton cannot be had instantly, give an ounce of aloes dissolved in hot water. If this does not act within four hours, give a quarter of an ounce more, and so continue till purging is produced. The next step is to give as a seda- tive the digitalis or powdered foxglove, etc., as previously directed. It may be necessary to back-rake and then give a clyster of warm soap-suds. All this will of course leave the creature in a dreadfully depleted and weak condition ; but the only hope of saving him lies in the use of power- ful means, especially when delirium has already set in. It may not be possible in every case to bring him back to fullness of life and usefulness, even with the best of care. At all events, he must be treated gently thereafter, and guarded from excitement, as the attack is otherwise likely to recur. in. Blind Staggers. Causes. — This disorder, by some called megrims, by others vertigo, and still by others dizziness, is not well understood ; and there is a diffi- culty in determining whether some of the forms it assumes ought not to be set down as separate diseases. The causes, however, that will produce THE HORSE, ITS DISE^VSES. 407 certain manifestations in one horse will produce different ones in another, so that it may he readily inferred that the van'^ing symptoms do not mark different types of diseas^e hut mere difference of degrees ; and that the same general causes act throughout. The immediate cause is clearly pressure on the brain, resulting from unusual flow of hlood to the head. This is doubtless in some instances the result of a constitutional tendency — a predisposition to ejiilepsv — . that is brought to manifest itself on occasion of excitement, over-exertion, or general ill condition of the digestive apparatus. In others it is most probably a watery suffusion of the brain — the blood being subjected to some sort of decomposition in its passage through the head and leavino- the serum or water}' portion to collect there. The brain requires a proportionateh^ far greater amount of blood than any other organ : but a\ hile ample means are provided for supplvinir it, nature guards against doing this with that velocity which would eiidanjier it by overloading and rupturing. The arteries make their way throuoh the head in a peculiarly circuitous manner, and they enter throuofh minute bony holes that will not admit of much distension. When the horse is overheated, however, or when the return of the blood is impeded, this fullness takes place. In great heat the arterial passages are enlaro\vdere(.l mandrake, 3 Drachms powdered aloes. Form into a ball with honey, and give as a dose. To reduce the inflammation, make a curd, by beating three eo-gs thor- oughly and then stirring tlmux with a quart of filtered rainwater mitil mixed ; let it come to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add half an ounce of sulphate of zinc, and continue the boiling for a few minutes. Bind the curd over the eyes, by placing a portion between layers of tliin muslin. The clear water strained through several thicknesses of fine linen is excel- lent for sore or inflamed eyes of any kind. Wet the lids three or four times a day. In aggravated cases that will not yield to treatment, and that remain raw and exude matter, the edges should be carefully touched with mer- curial ointment, the utmost care being taken that it does not come in con- tact Avith the eye. During the whole treatment the horse must be tied up by two lines to the rear posts of the stall, so he cannot rub the eyes, and must be fed from a nose-bag. m. Moon Eyes. This is ophthalmy, recurring at periodic times, or at intervals of three weeks, a month or more, and not, as is often supposed, at the full moon. Causes. — Hereditarj^ predisposition ; from malarial causes ; herding in low, damp situations ; rheumatic affections ; irritation consequent on 428 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. teething, and, in fact, where predisposition occurs, from any cause tend- in0 Sweeny has been placed among the diseases of the bones because it sometimes proceeds from injury to the bones and joints. The difficulty itself, however, is conlined to the muscles. IV. Bone Spavin. The definition of bone spavin may be given as an inflammation, ulcer- ation and bony deposit of the small flat bones in the lower and inner part of the hock joint ; or of both the outer and inner, ones, or from inflam- mation of the cuniform and metatarsal bones, terminating in anchylosis (a bony union of the parts) rendering the joint stiff. Foot, incapalileof being raiseil from Natural position of the Vp ililiy foot when raisea grounilby reasoa oi' spavin. fi'om the gmund iluniig au easy tiot. Causes. — Injury to the joint by concussion, sprains of the ligaments, Mie use of shoes with high heels or calks. Hereditary predisposition to spavin is common from w^eakness of the joints, bones and ligaments. Consequently weak limbed horses or mares, or those with spavins, or other diseases of the bones should never be bred from. Bone spavin is really one of the most formidable diseases with which the horseman has to deal, and the attack is sometimes so .slow and blind that jockeys are often enabled to put off a spavined horse on the unwary, the horse afterwards going dead lame. Nevertheless it will show itself if the horse is allowed to cool, or is ridden into the water and allowed to stand awhile, for a horse with spavin coming on as he becomes warmed the ligaments become freer in their action, and an animal lame at first, will go well enough afterwards ; yet, in the end the horse becomes per- manently lame, until the deposit about the bone, called anchylosis, becomes solidified, when the joint is stiff and the lameness ceases. Causes. — The causes producing spavin may be various. Hereditary weakness of the limbs is undoubtedly one of the principal causes. Thus a blow% a sprain, or any injury producing inflammation will cause spavin in such an animal, when in a strong muscled and fine boned animal it 440 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. would yield readily to treatment. The reason is, a feverish and unhealthy condition of the membrane secreting the synovial fluid is produced, and the firm membrane affording no outlet, it settles into the spongy bone, and a diseased condition ensues, which the weight and motion of the animal intensifies until confirmed spavin is the result. When only the splint bone is affected there is chance for recovery, but when the cube bone is affected there is but little chance for relief until the disease has run its course, and ended in a joint more or less stiff. How to know it. — Sprains do not invariably cause la-meness. There may be little or no local swelling as in occult spavin, as ulceration is called, in the center of the joint between the flat bones. The swelling, when it does exist, is in front and on the inside and on the lower part of the joint, and may best be seen by standing about midway of the body so as to get a side view of the front of the hock. When the swelling is in front of the hock it is most to be feared. It is hard and is to be dis- tinguished from the tense but elastic swelling caused by sprain of the flexor tendon, or from the flexible and fluctuating swelling of bog spavin. The swelling of bone spavin may be more to the front or farther back on the inside of the hock, or even shown principally on the outside, and in case it extends to the true hock joint, it may end in bony formation, to such a degree as to close the articulation (play of the parts) and produce a stiff joint. The animal if turned from side to side in the stall will move stiff and on the toe. This same stiffness is also seen when the animal first starts off, but which may nearly or quite disappear when the animal becomes warm. The horse will sometimes jerk up the limb as though he had string-halt. By turning him quickly in a small circle he will carry the limb more or less stiff, or rest on the toe only. What to do. — In any case rest and a high heeled shoe should be allowed. In the acute stage or early in the development of the disease, place the horse in slings if possible. Foment thoroughly with hot water in which an ounce of laudanum is mixed to each two quarts of water. Give four drachms of aloes if the bowels are costive, and give half an ounce to an ounce of saltpeter in the water, morning and night, until a free flow of urine is had. When the inflammation has subsided blister. The follow- ing will be effectual : No. 179. 1 Part corrosive sublimate. 12 Parts oil of turpentine, Mix thoroughly and rub in. Firing with a white hot iron is still more effectual, yet the iron and the corrosive liniment are apt to leave a blemish. A i:iilder preparation is : THE HOKSK, ITS DISEASES. 441 No. 180. 2 Drachms oil of rosemary, >i Ounce powdered cantharides, 4 Ounces mercurial ointment. Grind thoroughly together and rub on heating it in with a warm iron. If there is simply swelling, in old cases, thorough and frequent rubbing with oleate of mercury will dissipate what swelling has not actually be- come bone. Setons are also most valuable in spavin. The needle should be passed for a considerable space under the skin, over the seat of spavin. Anoint the tape with the following : No. 181. 1 Part powdered white hellebore, 8 Parts lard, Mix with yentlc heat. Before the application of either blister or seton we would advise thrusting a narrow-pointed bistoury under the sprain and scarifying the parts. In no event, however, should resort be had to cutting away the bony parts which have formed, with mallet and chisel, as we have seen them. It is barbarous, inhuman, and can do no good whatever. Some cases will absolutely resist all and any means foi cure ; others again will yield kindly in from one to three months. In young horses if treatment be given in time, a cure may generally be effected. With old horses the cure is difficult. v. Enlargement of the Hock. Nature has protected the hocks in a most ample manner, to prevent injury under ordinary circumstances, and in fact, under exceptional cir- cumstances, except those of an accidental or violent nature. From vari- ous bruises or strains, inflammation and lameness ma}^ ensue. Rest and fomentations will generally set this right if taken early. Sometimes, however, the enlargement will continue to grow in spite of all efforts to the contrary, and until the entire joint is involved. How to know it. — There are two forms of this disease. In one, the tendons and cartilages only are affected. This will generally yield to fomentations and a few applications of oleate of mercury. If not, blister, using the prescription No. 180. Another form is more serious. From a severe blow or other cause, there is a bruise of the bone, by which the investing membrane, called the periosteum, is either severely strained or torn loose, giving rise to inflammation and formation and deposit of bony matter on the surface of the bone, sometimes to such a degree that the parts are of excessive size, and the leg so lame that it is only with great difficulty the animal can walk. The animal may, indeed, as in the case 442 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. of bad spavin, be capable of doing farm work even with a stiff leg, but iis totally unfit for driving on the road. What to do.— Precisely the same treatment must be pursued as in the case of bone spavin. Fomentations, while in the stage of fever or in- rtanimation, and blistering, firing and setons to assist absorption. It must be remembered, however, that either in spavin, or any other disease of the bones, joints, cartilages, or muscular tissues, that straining of the parts is likely to ensue again, and consequently care must be taken about overworking or injuring by fast driving, especially on rough ground. VI. King-bone. This is a deposit of bony matter above and below the coronet of the foot, just where the hair begins above the hoof, or of the bone of the hoof, as the coffin bone is called, or bony growth on the pasterns. Causes. — It is caused by heavy work, hard pulling by draft horses, bruises of the bone by pounding of the feet on hard roads and pavements, generally beginning as inflammation of the membranes covering the bones, and at these points giving attachments to the ligaments at the side of the lower- or small pastern bone, or of the loAver end of the upper or laro"e pastern. Sometimes the bony formation proceeds to such an ex- tent, involving and covering the whole surface, as to produce a kind of club foot. How to know it. — There may be lameness or not, except on hard ground, or upon binding the limb, in old-seated ring-bones. During the beginning of the evil, or.Avhile there is inflammation, and a tender, elas- tic swelling, and a more or less doughy state (engorgement) of the soft parts. In the course of the disease this matter becomes hard, from being turned into a soft or spongy bony formation. The swelling may be scarcely seen and confined to the sides of the pastern bone, or there may be great enlargement of the whole surface. If the trouble occurs in a fore-leg, the heel is put down first ; if the ring-bone is in the hind-foot, and in the sides or back part of the pastern, the toe will be put down first. What to do. — ^For the fore-foot, put on a thin-heeled bar shoe. If ir. the hind-foot, a high-heeled shoe. That is, if the animal walks on the toe, use a high-heeled shoe ; if on the heel, a thin-heeled shoe. If there is inflammation, known by heat and tenderness, use fomentations of hot water, perseveringly applied until it is reduced. Then blister severely with the folio wins;: THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 443 No. 182. 10 Drops muriatic acid, 20 Grains corrosive sublimate, 20 Grains camphor, 1 Ounce oil of turpentine. Mix, and apply until a sufficient blister is formed : then wash off to prevent blemish and keep the blister running as long as possible, hy cov- ering Avith a rag well smeared with mutton talloAv. Blister again if neces- sary. Or, use the means pursued in spavin, oleate of mercury, if the case is not difficult. If the ring-bone has been of long standing, the only relief will be th*e growth of bony matter over the joint. There will be more or less stiff- ness in the joint, but the horse may do slow work. Old horses are more difficult to cure than young ones, and in any case to avoid blemish, the case must be taken at the first indication. Then thorough fomentations, slight blistering, a proper shoe and rest Avill accomplish a cure. If there is simply a hardening of the integuments, oleate of mercury, in developed ring-bone or spavin, will reduce so much of it as is not already bonv growth. VII. Stifle. Any difficulty of the stifle joint, by which the animal is more or less disabled from the use of the limb, is by the generality of horsemen termed stifling, it being supposed to be a dislocation of the stifle bone, corresponding to the knee-pan in man. Dislocation, however, is ex- tremely rare. The displacement of the whirlbone of the stifle joint when it occurs, will cause the animal to throw the limb straight out behind. This form often becomes chronic ; that is, occure, and the habit is fixed from apparently slight causes, or any cause that shall compel the animal to throAv the leg back farther than is usual in going at a slow gait. It is often produced in the first place by catching the hind leg or hoof in some- thing which forcibly holds it. How to know it. — The horse will hold the leg extended out behind „ the head will be raised and the animal will go on three legs ; there is every evidence of extreme pain, but no heat nor SAvelling. Upon exam- ining the stifle bone, the patella, corresponding to the knee pan in man, will be found outside those against which it should fit. When tlie dislocation is inward, the limb will be draAvn upward. What to do. — Get the animal into a close place ; have him held firmly by the head ; pass a rope about the fetlock and over any projection, so the limb may be drawn forward. Bring the limb forward and upAvard, and standing behind and against the hip, press the bone toAvard and into 444 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. its place. Hold it there firmly until the muscles regain their original contractibility in some measure, and use an infusion of bayberry or oak bark, cold, freely, for some days. In addition to this it is better that the horse be made to stand on the injured limb. To do this it is usual to tie a cord tightly about the other hind leg. This is apt to make a blemish. Tie the other foot so it cannot be thrown back. In nine cases out of ten when the owner supposes his horse to be stifled t^e difficulty will be found to be from injury to some other part of the limb, as sprain of any of the ligaments of the leg, of the fetlock, a prick of the hoof, etc., causing the animal to hold the limb in such a way as to cause the stifle bone to seem displaced. Horses often injure the parts around the stifle joint by running, leaping, or from bruises or other hurts. In this case the treatment is to be the same as in any other sprain or bruise. In mild cases the following will be found good to bathe the sprain or bruise with : Ko. 183. 1 Ounce tincture of arnica, 1 Pint rain water. Bathe the affected part freely with this from time to time. If the difficulty is severe, fomentations of hot water must be perse veringly used until the inflammation subsides, and then resort may be had to blistering if necessary, or a seton may be placed under the affected part to get up counter irritation. In severe cases the cure is slow and the animal must have absolute rest. In any difficulty in or about the stifle joint, it is well to examine care- fully for wounds or bruises. A wound of the parts will often cause intense pain, and to the unin- itiated, apparently all the symptoms of dislocation. The veterinarian is never deceived, and no one need be if he brings common sense and a careful examination to bear upon any wound, bruise, strain or other injury. There will be blood, matter, swelling or heat in the part af- fected. This found, use the remedies prescribed in such cases. VIII. Splint. Causes. — The name is given to a peculiar enlargement generally found on the outside of the small bones of the fore leg, and inside the leg. The causes are not well defined. Splint may be caused by violent blows or other injuries, but it seems to be more a consequence of weight and strain. The inner splint bone, or small bone of the leg, is placed nearer the center of the body than the other, and there is at almost all times greater weight upon it, while on certain occasions it may also be subjected THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 445 to more violent strain, whence inflammation may set in, and a bony deposit result. Raising the outer heel of the shoe more than ordinarily, contributes in some degree to produce an unnatural strain upon this bone. The term splint is applied also to those bony tumors that sometimes ap- pear on the outer shank bone. These are more readily accounted for, as this part of the leg is peculiarly liable to blows and other injuries. How to know it. — In the first stage of the disease, while the splint is forming, there is inflammation of the periosteum or bone-covering mem- l)rane ; there is lameness : and though no swelling may yet be visible, you can discover it by passing the open hand down the side of the leg, with the thumb on the small bone, or rather in the groove formed by the two small bones. A small, hard swelling will be found, which, being pressed upon, will cause the animal to flinch. When the tumor is well-developed and plain to the sight, it is not gen- erally attended Avith lameness, from the fact that the periosteum has ac- commodated itself to the new formation, and the inflammation, with consequent soreness, has subsided. Then it happens that a very little splint will often cause more lameness than one which is so large as to be easily seen at a distance. In cases of much inflammation and extreme soreness, the horse stands resting the toe upon the ground, with the leg slightly bent; and this great heat may extend itself by sympathy to the soft parts of the leg nearest the splint, but this is seldom the case. Sometimes the animal is apparently free from all trouble when merely put to a walk, but will discover extreme lameness in trotting — the extra concussion producing much pain, and examination, as previously directed, will disclose the seat of the trouble. What to do. — If the protuberance is small, and there is no lameness, do nothing, unless the horse is valuable and the tumor is unsightly. It will disappear by natural absorption as the animal increases in years, provided there is no directly exciting cause constantly at work. An unskillful attempt to cure will sometimes lead to lameness and an increase of the splint. If it is a recent formation, and treatment is thought necessary, observe whether the irritation is such as to have produced extreme tenderness of the part, and swelling of the soft parts of the leg. If so, lessen the inflammation, and thus also the soreness,, by cool, softening poultices, or frequent application of cold salt and water. Then shave the hair off from over and around the protuberance, and rub in, at eNiening, the fol- lowing mercurial ointment : No. 184. 1 Drachm biniodide of mercury, 1 Ounce lard. 446 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Continue this until a free watery discharge is produced from the sur- face. As a genera] rule this is sufficient, for even though it may not directly disappear, it will gradually do so from this time, unless the tumor interferes materially with the ligaments or tendons. If it is large, or near the joint, or extends so as to destroy the motion that naturally exists between the two small bones, cast the horse, and secure him from violent struggling — then scarify the periosteum or membrane covering the bone, over the splint. For this purpose, have a small, probe-like knife, shaped like a scimiter, with the cutting edge on the convex side. Make a small opening about an inch below the splint, turn the little probe knife flat and insert it into this opening and urge it forward until the point has passed over the protuberance. Now turn the cutting edge down, and scarify the periosteum well, making several cuts across the splint, and with such force as to reach the naked bone every time. Withdraw the knife and insert a seton needle, with tape tixed as usual ; pass the point up past the splint, send it through tiie skin, and draw the tape through. Slightly enlarge the upper end of the tape, so that it cannot come out below, and the work is done. Suppuration will ensue in from seven to fourteen days ; absorption will follow, and the splint will almost invariably disappear. During treatment the horse should be kept from work, as any consider- able exercise, particularly any straining in harness, or concussion by rapid motion, will increase lameness and render cure more tedious and difficult. IX. Sore Shins— Inflammation of the Metacarpal Bones. This is an inflammation of the membrane covering the shank bones, and is not confined to any particular classes of horses, though racing or other fast worked horses are more subject to the affection than are draft horses, the difficulty generally occurring before the animal becomes mature. Causes. — The cause is undoubtedly over-working and abuse before the bones and integuments become fully developed. How to know it. — The lameness resembles that of splint. There is swelling over the shin bone, which is tense as though stretched, elastic, and doughy to the touch. There is heat and tenderness, and sometimes the swelling becomes excessive, and breaks, but always preserves its elas- tic feeling. Or the swelling may not be extensive, but gradually hardens through the formation of bony matter, until at length the pain disappears. In these slight cases, the matter thrown out between the bone and membrane, is generally converted into a bony formation and the skin re- mains permanently thickened. In severe cases the throwing out of THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 447 matter (lymph) may separate the membrane and the bone, and eventuate in necrosis, or death of the bone. What to do. — If the diificulty is not severe, cold water faithfully ap- plied during the inflammatory stage, and later, blisters, will be all that will be necessary. In fact, treat it precisely as is recommended for splint. In very severe cases, where there is great tenderness, and decided doughy swelling, make a series of incisions with a bistoury or narrow- bladed knife, carrying the blade a short way beneath the skin, and then cutting down to the bone. This is done to let the contents escape. Use as a fomentation hot water containing half an ounce to an ounce of laud- anum to a pint, and afterwards with cold water. If the healing is not prompt, apply a blister. In a majority of cases it should yield by apply- ing the following astringent lotion : No. 185. 60 Drops carbolic acid, >i Ounce sugar of lead, 2 Quarts rainwater. It may be necessary, in fact it will be better, to give a purgative, 4 or 5 drachms of aloes, to be followed by 20 drops tincture of aconite, three or four times a day. The animal should have perfect rest and be kept on sound hay and bran mashes. X. Rotten Bone. This is called necrosis when it attacks the shaft or body of the horse, and caries when it is confined to the ends at its joints. Causes. — Death and decay of the bone, from inflammation. It is lia- ble to occur in poll-evil, founder, from cracked or broken bones, and inflammation of the membranes. How to know it. — There will be severe inflammation, followed by one or more abscesses, which break and discharge. They do not heal, but form fistulas (pipes). The discharge at first may be thin and without smell, but after a time there is a peculiar and fetid odor, characteristic of decayed bone. What to do. — The proper thing to do is to cut down at once to the decayed bone, scrape it clean, remove all loose portions, wash the wound with chloride of zinc lotion, made as follows : No. 186. 40 Grains chlonde of zinc, 1 Ounce distilled water. The wound made in cutting is to be treated as is any wound. If the 448 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. ruttino" be extensive enough to warrant it close with stitches, cover with lint steeped in oil to which a little carbolic acid is added. If healing do not progress satisfactorily, that is if the granulations at the edges do not contract fast enough, stimulate by washing with tincture of aloes and myrrh. So far as this cutting and scarifying is concerned it should be done by a surgeon. If this cannot be done, open the fistulas clear to the bottom and wash out once a day with the following • No. 187. % Ounce sulplmto of zinc, ^ Ounce bulpliiite of copper, 1 Ounce solution of sub-acetate of lead, 6 Ounces pyroligeous aciil, (or better, white wine vinegar;. To one part of this use ten parts of water, and inject with force from a syringe once a day for two weeks if necessary. XI. Inflammation of the Knee-joint- Inflammation of the knee or other joints may occur in all stages, from the most simple form to those most violent, with ulceration, and the formation of destructive abscesses. Causes. — Jarring on hard roads ; various injuries, such as bruises, strains, etc. How to know it. — In light cases the horse in starting forward will do so from the knee and with pain. There will be excessive flinching if the knee is extended by force. The animal stands square on his feet, and without inclination to raise the heel. In walking he takes a fair step, but carries the knee joint as much without bending as possible, and in putting down his foot exerts the greatest pressure on the heel. What to do. — :Take off the shoes. Treat the inflammation as directed in other cases ; first by hot water embrocations perseveringly applied, using laudanum as directed if necessary to relieve pain. There must be perfect rest, and if the animal will use the limb put him in slings, and apply splints and bandages to the knee. The inflammation having been cured, blister the parts, to promote absorption of the fluids. When the animal is better let him have the run of a quiet ]nisture until entirely sound, or keep him m the stable with gentle walking exercise every day, XII. Caries of the Lower-jaw. Causes. — Caries, or ulceration of the lower jaw bone, between the tushes and grinders, is caused almost wholly by the barbarous use of bits and curb-chains. Injury is also sometimes inflicted upon the bony plate of the roof of the mouth l)y pressure of the curb, when a tight nose THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 449 band keeps the mouth shut down. The gums of the lower jaw are very often hurt, and not infrequently the bone itself is so bruised as to result in this ulceration. When this is the case, the gum, unless forcibly opened, must slough, so that the injured portion of the bone can be cast off. Thus a stinking sore is made, and one of long continuance, as the scaling of the bone and the escape of the loosened particles is a tedious process, and attended no little suffering. How to know it. — Examination of the gums is necessary to disclose the trouble when it exists simply as a bruise. The spot will appear of a color different from the adjacent parts, and pressure upon it will cause the animal to wince with pain. Even if neglected till there is a discharg- ing sore, it is not always detected at once, as the discharge is, in the beginning, of a watery character, and is lost in the saliva, though con- stantly going on. On contact with the bit, however, there is a mixture of blood and watery matter, and some of this escapes constantly while the horse is in use. This ought to attract the attention of the master, if nothing else has, and lead to thorough examination. There will be found, in that case, a depression in the gum, and, fixed to the bottom of the cavity, a mass of proud flesh. The discharge will be characterized by a very offensive stench. What to do. — If the bruised place on the gum, accompanied with sens- itiveness to pressure, is discovered before there is any break or exudation of matter, have a strong, keen knife, and cut to the bone. The incision made ought to correspond with the extent of the bruised bone. The grating of the knife upon this sore portion will cause the horse to strug- gle with more or less violence, owing to the exceeding soreness and ten- derness of the injured part ; and this may in some sort furnish a guide as to the amount of incision necessary. If the opening is too small for the scaled bone to be easily cast out, it will be necessary to employ the bone forceps with which to grasp and withdraw it. Upon cutting it, a thin, watery fluid will flow out. Care must now be taken to see that the incision is not allowed to close over and retain the injured bone, as this would ultimately result in a foul and troublesome ulcer. When the discharge has somewhat thickened, and is peculiarly of- fensive to the smell, showing that the bone is decaying and that nature is making an eifort to cast off the injured portion, wash it out with the syringe, several times a day, Avith the following solution : No. 188. 1 Scruple cliloride of zinc, 4 Dmchins essence of ani^e seed, 1 Pint water. 450 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. If treatment is deferred, however, till there is an open, ulcerous gum, with the existence of proud flesh, push a stick of lunar caustic deep into the unhealthy granulation in the cavity, so as to destroy it. Then keep down the fungous growth by the use of the caustic, day after day, until the stinkinjr discharo-e has ceased. This will not be until the bone has ceased to scale away ; and the wound may now be safely left to heal. A cure affected, the next thing to do is to select a bit that shall press upon another part of the mouth, or there may be a repetition of the evil. The snaffle may be used with comparative safety where the curb has in- flicted serious hurt. CHAPTER XIV. DISEASES OF THE FEET. I. ULCERATION OF THE FOOT (NAVICULAR DISEASE). II. CRACKED HOOFS. III. HOOP ROT. IV. CORNS. V. CONTRACTION OF THE HOOF (NARROW HEEL). VI. INJU" RIES TO THE FROG. VII. FOUNDER. VIII. NAIL PRICKING. IX. CANKER X. SAND CRACK. XI. FALSE QUARTER. XII. QUITTOR. XIII. TOE CRACK. XIV. PUMICE FOOT. XV. SEEDY TOE. XVI. OSSIFIED CARTILAGES. XVII. SIDE BONES. XVIII. INCISED AND PUNCTURED WOUNDS OP THE SOLE, I. Ulceration of the Foot— (Navicular Disease). Between the coffin bone and lower pastern there is n small bone which forms the projection of the heel and rests upon the frog of the foot. This bone is called the shuttle or. navicular bone. The inflammation of the surface of this bone is called the navicular disease. It may implicate the sjuiovial sac, the ligaments and the flexor tendon which plays over it. One of the uses of the navicular bone is to give increased strength to the connection between the coffin bone and the joint above. Another use is to enable the flexor tendon, which passes over it and is joined to the coffin bone, to give increased pliability, strength and motion to the foot. In high bred horses, and all those used for fast work, this bone is peculiarly liable to injury and consequently to disease. This disease is inflammation and subsequent ulceration of this highly organized bone. The difficulty may extend to the interior of the bone to the tendon which passes over its surface and even involve the adjacent parts. Causes- — It is thought that a rheumatic constitution predisposes an animal to this disease. Certain it is that highly organized and weak limbed animals most usually suffer from it, probably from the fact that they are not able to withstand an injury that a stronger limbed animal would do, especially when carrying a bad fitting shoe, or subject to violent exertion or over strain of any kind. Other causes than bad shoes 29 451 452 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. and coucustiiou of the bone may exist, injury from nails picked up on th» road, impaired nutrition, by which the bones are not sufficiently nourished acting to assist injury to the bone. How fo know it. — The foot will feel hot, yet particular heat is not always present. The toe will be pointed, in the stable, eight or ten inches before the other, and with the heel slightly raised. This peculiarity may indeed be noticed often for a long time before any particular lameness is noticed. By-and-by the animal Avill be observed to step short, and on the toe, with liability to stumble when first taken out of the stable. This will disappear as the animal gets warm, but will show again when cool- The toe of the shoe will become more worn than other parts. As the disease progresses the hoof will decrease in size, particularly in the quarters and heels. Trying the edges of the hoofs will not make the animal flinch unless there be corns, but by tapping the sole on each side of the body of the frog with a hammer, or upon the walls of the hoof about the quarters, will give pain. By bending the foot back and press- ing with the thumb in the hollow of the heel on either side of the flexo)' tendon, with considerable force, it will cause intense pain. These are all characteristic tests. There may be sweeny of the shoulder from disease of the muscles. This is an effect of the disease and not a disease in itself. What to do. — If the injury is new, the first thing to be done is to re- duce the inflammation. Do this with cold water applications or any of the remedies advised for ring-bone, spavin, or other inflammation. Give in ilaxative dose, 4 drachms of aloes ; have the shoes taken off and let the horse stand during the day time in pure wet clay up to the top of the hoof, and at night poultice the foot. If there is much inflammation, bleed in the arteries above the coronet. The coronet is the lowest part of the pastern, Avhere the hair grows around the hoof. Keep the horse perfectly quiet, and if he has a fast pulse, give an ounce of salt petre in the drinking water night and morning. At the end of two weeks, or sooner if the inflammation is gone, blister the coronet all around. Or. use the following : No. 189. 1 Ounce camphor gum, 1 Ounce corrosive sublimate, 1 Pint oil turpentine Grind the sublimate thoroughly in a mortar, and put into a strong bot- tle ; pour on the turpentine and shake occasionally. It should be fit for use in from 20 to 30 hours. This is to be applied every other day to the heel and bottom of the foot, first paring away all scaly, ragged part.^. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 453 Heat it in with a Iiot iron. This preparation is of great strength and ]jower and must be used canefully. If preferred, a seton may be put in the bottom of the foot at the frog. To do this, lirst pare the scale as thin as possible without reaching the (j[uick ; provide a sharp, short, well-curved needle threaded with tape ; pierce the sole about an inch from the toe, and bring out midway be- tween the two parts of the frog and the hoUow of .the heel ; or enter at the hollow of the heel and bring out the needle at the body of the frog. The utmost care must be had not to pierce deep enough to injure the tendon or bursa which lies close there. Tie the tape, and wet daily with No. 189, or the following: No. 190. 1 Part powdered cantharides, 1 Part oil of turpentine, 8 Parts Canada balsam. Shake the two first well together and add the balsam, shaking occa- sionally for 24 hours, and apply to the seton tape every day, turning it at the same time. The object in this disease is to produce suppurative running of the parts. This done, the cure is only a question of time. If, in spite of all that has been done for relief, the disease proceeds to deofeneration of the bone, resort must be had to cuttino; the nerves lead- ing to the foot, (Neurotomy) which will be described in the proper chapter. n. Cracked Hoofs. Causes. — This is not an unusual occurrence in horses, and arises, as a rule, from weak and brittle hoofs, produced by a dry state of the hoof, whatever niay be the cause, whether fever or other causes of degeneration. The prolific causes are dr^ang of the Avail of the hoof, uneven bearinc; of the shoe, calkina: or other .wounds or injuries of the coronet. This crack may extend down from the coronet according to the time it is allowed to run. CLOSING CEACK IN HOOF. What to do. — If taken early, a bar shoe, having an even bearing all round will generally relieve the difficulty. In connection with this, apply a plaster of pitch over the injury. If the crack becomes determined, as in the cut given, it must be kept 454 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. closed together by clincliing a thin nail on each side of the gap near the bottom and top, or else with thin wire as shown in the cut. Also burn a groove just below the crack about an inch long nearly down to the quick. It is also well to slightly blister the coronet at the top of crack. An efficient and stimulating liniment will be the oil of cantharides, made as follows : No. 191. 1 Ounce powdered cantharides, 8 Ounces olive oil. Mix in a strong bottle and set it in water kept near the boiling heat for three or four hours, and iilter through close linen. Apply once a day with friction until the part is tender. Let the horse have rest, or turn into a pasture until cured. III. Hoof Rot. This difficulty, sometimes called tender feet, arises from diseases of various kinds, spavin, ring bone, chronic founder, navicular disease. There is a dry, feverish state of all the parts, and the hoof, and especially the sole, becomes decayed and sometimes perishes entirely. How to know it. — The bottom of the hoof is dry and chalk-like, so that it may easily be dug away wath the point of a knife, or even easily scraped away. The frog of the foot diminishes in size, and the ankle joints are apt to swell. The horse steps short and goes lame, if in one foot, or if in lK)th, cripples in his gait. The affected foot will be pointed forward to enable the animal to rest on the sound foot, or if both are affected, first one and then the other will be placed forward. Sweeny or wasting of the muscles of the leg and shoulder result simply from disease of the limb. What to do. — Remove the shoe, pare away all unsound portions of the hoof until all the pumiced parts are got rid of ; also the frog and the sides of the hoof. Stimulate the liottom of the hoof hy washing with No. 189 once a day for three days, heating it in with a hot iron. Then omit for two or three davs and commence ao;ain. Durino- the treatment the animal must be kept in the stable and the feet should be kept dry. When hoof rot is due to other diseases, as ulceration of the navicular joints, it will do no good to follow the rule laid down until the cause of the difficulty is removed. IV. Corns. Corns are in very many cases the result of other diseases, tending to weakening of the sole rather than the result of a bruise to a sound hoof. THE HOKSE, ITS DISEASES. 455 Thus a horse with corns should be thoroughly examined for injury to the bones of the hoof, rotten hoof, etc. Causes. — A bruise on the sole below the bars and the wall at the heel, producing a horny tumor or hardening, which presses on the quick. Sometimes there is inflammation, owing to the formation of matter which works out either at the top of the hoof or at the toe, from the formation of a fistula. Then it is Quittor. They may be found on either side of the heel, but usually on the inner or weaker side. How to know it. — There Avill be flinching when the walls of the hoof and sole are seized and strained with the pincers ; thus revealing on which side and the locality of the corn. The toe will be pointed, when at rest, and with the heel slightly raised. In motion the gait will be short and stumbling. If it has proceeded to suppuration, the pain will be so extreme that the horse Avill fear to put the foot to the ground. If there is a horny tumor forming, it may be known upon paring the hoof by the evident appearance of a white, spongy, horny formation, as in sand crack. What to dO' — If the corns proceed from other disease, causing con- traction and other disabilities of the hoof, remove these causes and the corns will disappear. If the corns proceed from a simple and recent bruise, remove the shoe and rasp down the bearing surface of the heels, so there may be no pressure. That is, the heels should be rasped lower than the other bearing surfaces. If there is inflammation, let the hoofs rest in cold water, or keep them moist with a wet cloth and the sole with a soft sponge, or the whole hoof may be enveloped in a large sponge cut to fit. The animal should wear a bar shoe, arranged to avoid pressure on the parts affected. When the foot ceases to be tender, keep the hoof and sole smeared with the following ointment, to render it soft and pro- mote healthy growth : No. 192. yi Ounce tallow, 1 Ounce oil of turpentine, 4 Ounces beeswax. Use the horse at light work until entireh'- recovered. If the difficulty be found to be a suppurating corn (one containing matter), the hoof must be cut down to let all the matter escape; cut awa>^ all the horn that has become separated from the quick, and pare away all the horn around the parts lo a thin edge. Poultice the part with a linseed poultice, renewed until there is no longer tenderness, and the surface is smooth and healthy. Then put on a bar shoe with a leather sole, and fill the space from behind with tar held in place with a 156 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. stuffing of tow. Give entire rest and no j)ressure on the heel until the sole of the foot has grown out naturally. If the corn has become a tumor it should be cut out, and the same treatment pursued as advised for a corn that has formed matter. Old corns sometimes result in disorganization of the parts, or death of a portion of the heel, disease of the bone of the foot, or ulceration of the cartilage. In this case they must be treated as advised for Quittor or for navicular disease. V. Contraction of the Hoof, Narrow Heel. In a healthy condition the hoof of a horse should be nearly round. Whatever shape the hoof may assume, it is not a disease in itself but the result of disease or of some disability. It is generally the result of fever in the feet from injury to bones, ligaments or frog, or the effect of founder, etc. Contraction of the hoof exists in nearly all diseases of the feet, and may occur from standing idle in the stable. So it may result from undue paring of the heels, the bars on the frog, from a shoe remaining on so long that the foot is prevented from taking its natural orowth . O What ta do. — The only thing is to remove the shoes and round the edges of the hoofs to prevent their being broken or split, and keep the affected hoofs standing every day from early in the morning until late at night in puddled clay reaching well up the hoofs. Continue this for two, three, or four Aveeks as the case may be. Then use prescription No. 192 as a hoof ointment until the hoof is brought back to its natural shape as near as may be. In shoeing let the shoe be without bevel on its upper side, and let the bearing be equal on all parts of the wall of the hoof. VI. Injuries of the Frog. The frog of the horse's foot is especially liable to injury from being bruised upon projecting stones, pierced b}^ nails and splinters. It is also liable to inflammation of the secreting membrane, resulting in the forma- tion of matter, and to canker. What to do. — In all bruises with soreness pare away the frog carefully until the difficulty is found. If bruised, treat it by using the liniment No. 189. If pierced Avith some sharp substance extract it and inject tincture of aloes and myrrh. If the difficulty be thrush, caused by expo- sure to wet and filth, bruise of the fros;, hard substance lodged in the cleft, or other cause, there will be soreness of the skin behind the cleft THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 457 of the frog, and a bad smelling discharge from the cleft with more or less lameness. Wash the affected parts thoroughly. Cut away all ragged surfaces and press into the cleft or wound dry calomel, or finely powdered sul- phate of copper. VII. Pounder. Founder, or inflammation of the feet, called by veterinarians laminitis, consists in fever, inflammation of the sensitive parts of the foot, including the laminaB, and of the foot bone, but is most severe in the forward por- tion, where greatest strain occurs when 'standing. Acute inflamination of the foot, or founder, differs but little in its physical manifestations from other inflammatory symptoms, except that it seems more complete and permanent. Acute founder is generally produced by overwork or over- heating and exhaustion and sudden cooling, while the sub-acute form may be the result of diseases of the respiratory organs, suddenly leaving those parts and manifesting itself in the extremities. Causes. — The disease may be brought about directly from hard work on diy, solid roads, and consequent strain on the laminae (scale of the bones), from over-feeding or drinking cold water when warm, especially when the predisposing cause already exists. So it may be brought about by other diseases, as inflammation of the lungs. Heavy, fat horses are especially predisposed to founder, and so are those with small and de- formed or large, flat feet. ACUTE FEVER IN THE FEET. How to know it. — There will be general fever and stiffness, and sore- ness ; there may or may not be shivering. Soon extreme tenderness of the feet follows, generally most severe in the forward part, but soon in the heel ; the pulse is strong, full and rapid ; the breathing quickened. 458 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. with dilated nostrils ; the intensity of the pain will often cause the animai to groan and to break out into a sweat. If pushed backward the horse will elevate the toes and throw his weight on the heels by a peculiar motion. The hoof and frog will be hot and very sensitive to pressure, and the arteries of the pasterns will beat with violence. "When the inflammation is in the hind feet, the fore feet are carried as far under the body as possible to support the weight, while the hind feet are thrown forward to bring the weight upon the heels. In either case, the animal will often lie stretched out for hours to relieve the intense pain of the feet. Founder has sometimes been mistaken for a disease called myositis, an inflammation of the muscles of the limbs, especially of the hind quarters and loins. They should never be so mistaken, as an observation of the several symptoms will show. Founder. — First one foot and then the other is lifted from the ground. Lying down lessens the pain and the fever of the feet. The difficulty usually occurs in the fore feet. Myositis. — Both^ feet are kept on the ground with refusal to move either. The animal will not lie down, and if thrown down the pain is increased. Generally in the hind quarters. In many cases the symptoms are not so aggravated as we have shown, but the symptoms, whether one or more of the feet are affected, are the same, and often, especially when repeated attacks have been suffered, leave the animal with seed}'^ toe, pumiced feet, corrugated and other- wise distorted hoofs, and always more or less liable to recurrence of stiff spells during life. What to do. — In light cases, when discovered early, clothe the animal warmly, give twenty drops of tincture of aconite every two hours, pre^ ceded by a gentle laxative, say No. 193. 2 to 3 Drachms powdered aloes, 1 Ounce bicarbonate of soda. Mix in a pint of water and give as a drench. If there is severe pain give ounce doses of laudanum every hour until an effect is produced. As an application to the feet keep them in large warm poultices of linseed meal and water, or let the feet be placed in water kept as hot as the animal can bear. Put him in slings by all means, if they can be pro- cured. Have the shoes carefully taken off as soon as the sedatives given Avill allow him to bear the pain. As early as possible the animal should be bled in the veins above the coronets of the affected feet. The bleed- ing will be assisted by the feet being placed in hot water, and for this reason, if for no other, the slings should be used as quickly as possible. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 459 If there is much thirst make the drink slightly sour with cream of tartar. If at the end of two days the fever and tenderness does not get better pare down the soles and open them at the toe to let out any watery matter that may exist, for fear the horn may separate from the quick, keeping on the poultices afterwards as before. When the inflammation subsides blister the pasterns and apply the corrosive liniment No. 189 to the soles of the feet, and keep the horse standing on soft clay, or if in Summer time turn him into a moist, soft pasture. As a rule, neither bleeding from the neck or active purging should be allowed in founder. There are, however, cases occasionally in simple founder, from overfeeding when tired, or giving cold water when warm, when a gallon of blood taken from the neck and an active purge of a quart of linseed oil has acted like a charm, the patient recovering almost immediately. In this the operator must be guided by circumstances. If the horse is fat and full of blood it will tend to reduce the inflammation by drawing the blood to another part of the system. If so the blood should be allowed to flow in a full stream. VIII. Nail Pricking. The prick of a nail in shoeing, or from having a nail enter the foot in traveling often leads to the most serious consequences if allowed to pro- ceed, such as ulceration, ending in quittor and other disabilities. An animal being lame without swelling, inflammation or other indication of strain or bruise, the feet should be carefully examined, and the nail or other substance bo cut out, at whatever pains it may take. Then dress the parts with hot pitch, cover with tow and give the animal rest for a few days. IX Canker. This is one of the diseases that may arise from the prick of a nail or bruise. Again it may occur without apparent cause. How to know it. — It is a disease most prevalent in heavy, coarse-boned horses. The frog will become large, spongy, and covered with a fun- gous growth of a cheesy texture, and throwing out an abundant colorless, bad smelling fluid. If cut away it will again quickly spring into growth. The discharge is more offensive than in thrush, and the disease more ob- stinate, often resisting treatment for a long time. What to do. — The horse must be kept in a clean, dry, well-ventilated stable. All distsased portions of the hoof must be carefully pared off so fur as the knife may be able. The cure consists in destroying the fun- 460 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. "•oid fifranulations. Thus in cuttino" do not be alarmed at the sio^ht of blood from the canker. Over the well portion of the hoof spread the following : No. 194. 4 Grains chloride of zinc, 1 Ounce flour. Mix, and apply dry. Cover the diseased parts with the following : No. 195. >a Ounce chloride of zinc, 4 Ounces Hour. Tack on the shoe lightly, pad the parts within the shoe well, and secure good pressure by cross pieces driven firmly within the shoe. The second day after remove the shoe and padding, cut away everything that appears to be ill a sloughing condition ; repeat the dressing every two days until the parts are sound. As soundness begins to appear in portions of the surface, dress these with the following ; that is, when fungoid granula- tions have ceased to sprout : No. 196. 2 Grains chloride of zinc, 1 Ounce flour. As the canker improves, the dressings may be extended to the third or fourth day, and during the whole time of treatment the horse should be liberally fed, and be exercised gently for four hours every day. X. Sand Crack. These are of two kinds, quarter crack, occurring in the inner quarter of the fore foot, and toe crack, occurring in the toe of the hind foot, both being cracks and fissures in the walls of the hoofs, beginning at the coronet and extending downwards. Causes. — Defective quality of the hoof, causing brittleness ; bad shoe- ing, or splitting of the hoofs from hard driving on solid roads. How to know it. — When the horse leans his weight on the hoof, the crack will open ; when the foot is lifted the crack will close. Sand and j dirt work into the parts, causing excessive pain and lameness, often fever and the formation of mattei-. What to do. — In recent cases, before there is much inflammation, all that will be necessary to do will be to remove the shoe, cleanse the crack thoroughly, cutting into it if there is dirt or sand lodged inside, drawing the hoof together closely again, by the means of two thin clinch horse shoe nails, one at top and one at the bottom, and filling, with the follow- ing composition • 1 THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 461 No. 197. K Ounce tallow, 1 Ounce oil of turpentine, .2 Ounces resin, 4 Ounces beeswax. Melt together, and fill the crack with it quite warm, and let it cool. The foot should be protected so no dirt can enter, and the horse turned to pasture until a new hoof is grown, placing a bar shoe on the in- jured hoof. If the crack is an older one, and there is inflammation, the edges must be pared and the fissure sufficiently laid bare so it may be thoroughly cleansed of all grit and dirt. The crack must then be thoroughly fomented to reduce the inflammation, and poulticed until it assumes a healthy appearance. The parts must then be brought firmly together by means of clinch nails ^ covered with ointment, No. 197; a bar shoe put on, and a new hoof allowed to grow. XI. False Quarter. This difficulty differs materially from sand crack, inasmuch as it is a deficiency in the growth of the horn of the hoof extending from the cor- onet to the sole. It is a gap in the Avail of the hoof rather than a crack. Causes. — It is produced from a deficient secretion of the horn making power, owing to previous quittor, frostbite or other injury to the coronet. What to do. — The principal means to be used is careful shoeing with a bar shoe. If the injury has been recent, stimulate the coronet with a mild blister, or if there is a wound, cut the edges with a knife and dress with weak carbolic acid water, to induce a healthy growth of horn. In old cases, all that can be done is to fill the fissure with gutta percha, and protect the weak hoof with a bar shoe. XII, Quittor. Causes. — This fistulous condition of the fibrous cartilage of the foot — inflamed, suppurating, penetrated by canals in various directions, with openings upon the quarters and heels of the coronet — is caused by pricks in shoeing, by threads, by suppurating corns or bruises, by neglected bad tread or over-reach, by neglected thrush, by irritation from sand- crack and false-quarters, by bruised sole that sometimes takes i:)lace when flat-footed horses are ridden over stony ground ; in short, bv any injury which leads to inflammation of the cartilage of the hoof and the forma- tion of pus inside. When the sensitive portion of the foot is pierced by a nail, or when inflammation has followed a bruise, suppuration speedily 462 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. follows, and the accumulating matter presses in every direction, anCt, findino- no ready outlet, the little fleshy plates of the coffin bone are forced from the horny ones of the crust, or it may burrow between the horny and fleshy sole, and far towards the very central portion of the foot. Pipes and sinuses are then made in every direction ; but the outlet is generally by abscess of the coronet, or that portion of the hairy skin running immediately down upon the hoof. How to know it. — A recent wound or ordinary abscess of the coronet may be mistaken by the inexperienced for quittor, especially if any lame- ness attends it ; but a little examination will readily disclose the true nature of the case. From a simple wound, there is not apt to be a fetid discharge of so unwholesome a character as that which oozes from the sinuses of the quittor, and the parts nmst be more or less swollen, and yielding to pressure, whereas, in quittor, the surrounding tissue is hard, though it has taken on a peculiarly unhealthy action, and probing with the flexible probe, or bougie, will discover the presence of a sinus or of sinuses, of more or less depth. There is almost always lameness, which is sometimes excessive, and of a halting character : the coronet is some- what swelled into a ridge around the top of the hoof, and about the center of which one or more small orifices are found, that discharge in small quantities an offensive matter — sometimes rather thin and watery, ao;ain, thick and having a curdled appearance. The probe, as we have said, will disclose sinuses, and these generally tend downward into the foot. The quantity of matter discharged is often very small at first, so much so as to be out of all proportion to the very serious nature of the trouble, and the difficulty attending a cure. Even when the opening or openings will scarcely admit the small bougie, there may be much matter, and this may have penetrated under the cartilages and ligaments, and to the coffin-joint itself. Wherever it has gone, it has formed fistulous pipes, or ulcerations that are difficult to heal. There is usually increased heat, as well as much tenderness of the foot. What to do. — The first step is to discover, if possible, the cause ; and if this is still operating, to make every effort in 3'our power to remove it Sometimes there is such swelling around the hoof, and such excessive tenderness, that the animal cannot bear to have the foot handled except in the gentlest manner. In this case, apply a good softening and cooling poultice, and keep him as still as possible — renewing the poultice as often as it begins to grow dry and hot — ^until the inflammation is some- thing reduced, and the extreme tenderness overcome. Then, remove the shoe and withdraw every nail if it can be done. If the trouble has been caused by a nail, and the nail can be removed, there is already something THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 4G3 of 11 dependent opening made by which the accumulated pus may escape, and this opening may l)e enlarged by farther paring away the hoof, so as to reach the softer [)art, that can be more readily cut with a keen knife. A small probe, or bougie, should be inserted from above, and worked to the lowest depth of the sinus. If this extends far towards the base of the foot, the prime object should be to get an opening from below to meet it, no matter what may have been the cause — whether a prick, a bruise, or irritation caused by other foot diseases. This dependent open- ing established and kept open, the pus will in time be evacuated, and the foot Avill return to its healthy state, unless the joints have been attacked, in which case a cure is scarcely to be hoped for. If the disease is of long standing, the internal surface of the sinus or sinuses has become more or less callous, and a stimulating lotion must be injected w^ith a syringe every day, comjDosed of one drachm chloride of zinc to one pint of water — increasing, the chloride gradually to two drachms. This treatment will suffice. The main trouble, however, is to make the dependent outlet. In case this cannot be done, owing to the shallowness of the sinuses from above, reduce the inflammation by poulticing, as pre- viously directed, and then inject this somewhat caustic solution into each channel or pipe : No. 198. 5 Grains bichloride of mercury, 1 Ounce spirits of wine, 20 Drops muriatic acid. Do this three times the first day, twice the second day, and once a day subsequently. When the discharge has ceased, stop the injection, and simply keep clean by the use of warm soap suds, used as necessary. If it is found impracticable to inject this solution into the openings, adopt this instead: Insert, by means of a wet probe, a lyixture of corrosive sublimate and flour (three parts of flour to one of corrosive sublimate). Persevere until you know that every part of the sinuses has felt the caustic. In two or three days thereafter they will begin to dis- charge a white, curd-like matter. It may be necessary to repeat this, but if thoroughly done, and there is no affection of the joints, a cure may be expected. Sometimes the trouble rises from a gravel having insinuated itself between the shoe and the sole, and creating a bruise or corn. This ma}^ be ascertained by removing the shoe and seeking for a spot unnatural in appearance, hot, and tender on the sole. If found, it ought to be pared down so as to reach the more sensitive part of the foot, and, if possible, to discover and liberate matter. 464 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Ill making examinations preliminaiy to treatrapnt, the greatest care should always be exercised, as the treatment, to be successful, must be specially adapted to the exigencies of the case. It sometimes happens that the trouble is critical, and that only an experienced practitioner ought to be intrusted with it. When the probe indicates that the direction of the sinuses is backward, the chances are in favor of recovery ; but if it shows the direction to be forward, the important and complicated parts of the foot are in danger, and the result of even the best treatment is doubtful. In any event, a complete cure requires much time, and a more than ordinary exercise of patience and care. If the patient, in moving about, strikes the swollen parts above the fore-foot with the toe of the hind-foot, or if he hurts it in lying down, some steps ought to be taken to obviate these additional causes of irrita- tion and pain. If the general health of the animal is scrupuously attended to, it will materially assist in the management of the local disorder. XIII. Toe Crack. A hoof with crack in the toe should be treated precisely as though the difficulty occurred in another portion of the wall of the hoof. The diffi- culty in all cracks of the hoof, is the difficulty in healing, for the reason that w^hen the animal steps, especially on uneven ground, the walls are strained apart. In sand-cracks, the principal care must be to extirpate the grit and dirt, whatever the amount of paring and cutting it may take. If granulations appear, they must be cut out. Then wash with a solution of chloride of zinc, made as follows : No. 199. 1 Grain chloride of zinc, 1 Ounce of water. Whatever the quantity made, let it be in this proportion. Cleanse the whole interior of the crack fully. In cutting away the hoof, it should present an oval shape when finished, the points at top and bottom. Having cleansed the inner portions, if the crack does not extend com- pletely from the coronet to the toe, Avith a firing iron, just hot enough to cause the horn to smoke, the iron not at a red, but at a black heat, soften the crust and continue the cutting until the diseased portion is all ex- posed. If granulations (proud flesh) show, cut it out and let the parts bleed. Then continue the application of the chloride of zinc lotion three times a day until a healthy reaction is produced. The crack may then be stopped with pitch or tar and tow, or gutta percha ; a bar shoe put THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 465 on with two clips in front to hold the parts together, and the animal kept in a clean, soft pasture until a new hoof is grown. An examination of the parts being made from time to time to see that no grit or foreign sub- stance has entered to increase the diiBculty. Saad-cracks, quarter-cracks, and false-quarters, will require time to ensure full recovery, and the time so consumed should not be grudged. XIV. Pumice Foot. Pumice foot, the effect of chronic laminitis, is an excessive growth of soft, spongy horn in place of the healthy hoof, forming rings running together at the toe, causing a bulging at that point and a depression above This growth in front of the laminae of the toe separates the coffin bone from the wall of the hoof, and allows the bone to press upon the sole and even to pierce through it. Thus the sole becomes convex instead of concave, .the animal becoming groggy, and in time quite crip- pled. This state Is almost entirely confined to animals with flat feet and weak limbs, weak and brittle crusts to the feet, with large, prominent frogs. What to do. — In bad cases there can be no cure. Much may be done to alleviate distress, and enable the horse to do slow work, especially on the farm. Put on a thick, broad webbed bar shoe, a dished shoe having the web hollowed out, or beveled toward the inner side on the upper sur- face and thinned down from the toe to the heel. It is better that the shoe be also assisted with a bearing of leather next the sole. The hoof should be smeared daily with equal parts of glycerine and tar. If heated in slightly so much the better. The sole should also have the same application. Apply a mild blister to the coronet from time to time to stimulate action, and turn the horse into a soft, damp pasture. Thus in time a fairly smooth hoof may be grown, but it can never be expected to be entirely sound. XV. Seedy Toe. The wall of the foot is composed of two layers, the outer one darker, harder and thinner than the inside one ; the inner layer thicker, softer and lighter in color than the outer. The outside layer is secreted by the coronet, the inner one from the sensitive laminae. In health these are intimately united, forming the thick, tough, elastic hoof, capable of bearing the shocks of the body in traveling. Causes. — If from any cause, inherent weakness, undue shocks, disin- tegrating the laminae, or other cause, the separation begins at the toe, just as in the human nail the separation begins at the margin — it produ- ces seedy toe. 406 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. How to know it. — If a seedy toe be struck with a hammer it will give a hollow sound, showing that it is disunited. Remove the shoe and a separation will be found between the two coats of the hoof. What to do. — Find the extent of the separation with a thin probe. Cut away such portions of the crust as may be disunited, and to where there is firm adhesion of the parts. If there is a powdery substance clean it out. Keep the cavity filled with warm tar, properly held in place, and shoe so as to give a uniform bearing, and support the weak part with a clip if necessary. This dressing must be repeated from time to time as required, until the cavity is entirely filled with a new and healthy growth. XVI. Ossified Cartilages. Ossification of the cartilages is sometimes called false ring-bone. It is a disease to which many horses are sometimes subject, and often exists in connection with ring-bone and side-bones. Causes. — Jarring, by hard driving over rough roads, or pounding on hard pavements, or any of the causes producing ring-bone or inflammation of the parts. How to know it. — ^When the difficulty is new, there may be fever in the parts. Later there will be more or less enlargement of the back of the coronet and the heel, the parts feeling hard, irregular or lumpy. The horse is not always lame, but if driven over hard roads, the horse will show soreness and travel short after cooling off. What to do. — In old standing cases, but little can be done ; rubbing the parts with oleate of mercury will reduce so much as is not already bony substance. In connection with this put in a seton under the af- fected part. In more recent cases, if there is heat, bleeding from the foot will give relief. Then apply cloths dipped in cold water to every quart of which has been added a half pint of tincture of arnica. The in- flammation being reduced, apply repeated dressings of biniodide of mercury. . This will promote absorption, but a complete cure may not be expected. XVII. Side Bones. Side-bones are ossifications from the heels of the coffin-bone into the lateral cartilages. In heavy horses, side-bones may occur in connection with ring-bones. In fact, ring-bone has its seat in the os suffraginis, and side-bone in the parts about ; the first being in the pastern ; the latter lower, or about the coffin-bone. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 467 How to know it. — The enlargement is just above the coronet and im- mediately below, when ring-bone exists. Side-bone may be found at the back and lateral 2)arts of the coronet. There will be more or less sore- ness and lameness, but after ossification bony formation of the parts has been completed, the joint is either stiff or nearly so. What to do. — The treatment should be precisely identical with that prescribed for ring-bone. XVIII. Incised and Punctured Wounds of the Sole. Incised wounds are those made with a sharp instrument ; punctured ones are those made with a blunt one, as a nail. If the cut be a clean one, all that will be necessary to do will be to pare away the sides to be sure that no foreign substance is lodged there ; wash out with tincture of aloes and myrrh, and keep the wound closed wnth tar and tow, and give rest until healed. If the difficulty be from a nail, care must be taken that it is all ex- tracted. This must be done at W'hatever cost of cutting. Then dress as prescribed for the incised wound. In old cases, where suppuration has taken place, the matter must be let out by enlarging the orifice. Then the same means for cure may be adopted as in quittor or other matu- rated sores. 30 CHAPTER XV. WOUNDS AND INJURIES AND THEIR RESULTS. STRAINS AND SPRAINS. II. OVER-REACH. III. BRUSHING, OR SPEEDY CUT. IV. BROKEN KNEES. V. CAPPED ELBOW. VI. FROST BITE. VII. BURNS AND SCALDS. VIII. RUPTURE. — — IX. CHOKING. X. WOUNDS PENHTRATING THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. XI. CONTUSED WOUNDS. XII. LACERATED WOUNDS. XIII. PUNCTURED WOUNDS. XIV. BROKEN HOCK. XV. DISLOCATIONS. XVI. VARIOUS FRACTURES- XVII. VARIOUS DISTORTIONS. XVill. DISEASES OF THE EAR. I. Strains and Sprains. In the human subject, a strain is simply a wrench, by which a fiber, a ligament or tendon is stretched beyond its proper capacity, and followed by pain, lameness, and inflammation of the parts. A sprain is an incomplete luxation (dislocation) in connection with stretching, with more or less laceration of the ligaments of a joint, and even rupture of the tendon. In veterinary practice the word strain is used. It is far more diificult to handle than in man, and for the reason that it is often difiicult to prevent an animal from using the parts. Replacement of the parts as near as may be, and rest, are the surest means of cure. Therefore in every case the intelligent horseman will use the best means to ensure this ; consequently it will be simply neces- sary to lay down certain rules of guidance to be followed. Straiii of a joint. ^In a joint that is easily flexed, (moved back and forth) the parts should be held firmly by means of a starch bandage, if there has been sufficient stretching to produce loss of continuity. How to make a starch bandage. — Provide a long strip of strong un- bleached muslin, and of a width proportioned to the part injured. Soak this in strong starch, and bind on while wet, making a half turn of the cloth in passing about the limb, so it will form a figure eight. Allow 468 THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 469 this to dry without movement and it will hold the parts firm . If the strain occurs in the fetlock, hock, or knee, this will be indicated. For a lighter strain, a simple cold water bandage will suffice. In all strains, rest must be given, the diet should be light but whole- some, and if the bowels become costive, they must be stimulated to action| hy alterative medicines. Strains of the ligaments or nmscles nmst he met with cold water bandages. In all strains, however, dependence in the early stage must be upon arnica, equal parts of the tincture and rain water. Bathe the parts thoroughly and carefull}^ two or three times a day, and then apply the cold water bandage, keeping it wet. If the strain is in the shoulder or loin, hu' a wet blanket over the part affected, and cover with a dry one, changing as often as may be neces- sary. Sponge the affected parts with the diluted tincture of arnicti^ as before recommended. This, with rest, a light diet, keeping the bowels regular, and an ounce of cream of tartar to the bucket of water, ought to subdue any curable <;ase of strain. II. Over-reach. Causes- — A tired horse, especially when going at a fast pace, sometimes fails to lift the fore feet quick enough. The result is the inner part of the hind foot strikes the outer side of the coronet of the fore foot, or higher, often producing a severely lacerated or contused wound. What to do. — The only remedy is to clip the torn portions aAvay, and keep the parts washed with chloride of zinc, (No. 195), first cleansing the j)arts with water if at all dirty. The healing must take place through the sloughing of the torn parts, and by granulation. If slight, tincture of arnica will be sufficient as a lotion. Treads from calking may receive the same general treatment. III. Brushing, or Speedy Cut. This is a bruise, abrasion of the skin, or contused wound, produced by the shoe of one foot striking the opposite fetlock ankle, or even the knee. It is more owing to weakness than other causes, though a horse striking once is more liable to the same injury thereafter. It is really the foot that is resting on the ground that causes the hurt, from its being put down out of the proper line. What to do. — For horses of slow or moderate driving, the difficulty is confined to striking the ankle and below. The usual remedy is to cause the horse to set his foot in proper line by raising that side of the shoe, thus throwing the inside of the ankle slightly up. Any conmion sense 470 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. blacksmith should know how to do it. For fast horses, the limbs must be further protected by means of pads and other appliances to be found at all saddlery establishments. IV. Broken Knees. This is a common disability of stumbling horses, and of saddle horses kept for riding, leaping, or hunting. A horse with the scars of broken knees should never be used as a saddle horse, unless it can be clearly shown that the hurt was done accidentally in leaping upon a foul landing place. What to do. — The first thing to do is to find the extent of the injury. It n.iay be that it is only a slight bruise with or without abrasion of the skin. In this case, using the tincture of arnica two or three times a day, and a cold water bandage, if there is heat, should ensure recovery. Sometimes, however, there is an ugly, lacerated wound filled with dirt and gravel. In this case the parts must be well washed by repeatedly fillino- u large sponge with clean, warm water, and squeezing it dry against the limb above the hurt. Never, under any circumstances, put it against the hurt. It only soils the sponge and ^Dresses the particles of dirt farther into the wound. If there is a sac below the cut contaiuing dirt it must be carefully probed, and opened from the bottom with a keen, sharp pointed knife. The object is that no grit may remain in the wound to prevent its healing. A seton should be tied so the sac may be emptied of its contents in the process of suppuration. If the granulations become soft and flabby, showing proud flesh, they must be touched with nitrate of silver. In three days after the establishment of suppuration the seton may be withdrawn. The" wounded parts must be kept wet with cold arnica water, the proper proportions being one ounce tincture of arnica to each pint of water used. Copious suppuration having been fairly established, discontinue the use of the arnica, and use instead the lotion made by dissolving in each ounce of water used a grain of chloride of zinc. Use no bandages. Cleanliness of the parts is necessary. These means should carry the knee to a favorable issue. Sometimes, however, the injury is so severe that the ligaments and even the joint is injured. It then becomes a most serious case. In this event the animal must be put into slings, the joint brought together, after being thorougly cleansed as before stated, the parts must be bandaged and astringent washes used to promote the uniting of the parts, while the same general treatment is pursued with the laceration as advised before. In case the injury be so severe as to involve the joint, if a veterinary THE HOUSE, ITS DISEASES. 471 surgeon cannot be had with proper appliances for caring for the horse' he had better be killed at once. Besides injury to the knee by falling, it is sometimes injured by having some sharp sul)stance driven forcibly into the ligaments or even between the joints. These should be carefully looked for and removed, since old running sores, fistulas and other disabilities may result, eompletel}'^ des- troying the usefulness of the animal. Joints other than the knee ma}' be similarly injured. If so, the general treatment should be the same. First reduce the inflammation, and then use means for cure. In ordinary cases, as a healing agent, in wounds, either lacerated or contused, we have never found anything better for promoting healthy granulation or •\ealing of the parts than a free use of tincture of aloes and myrrh. V. Capped Elbow. Causes. — This tumor at the back point of the elbow is generally caused by a bruise inflicted by the calkings of the shoe while the horse has slept with his legs dyubled up under him. Inflanmiation of the sub-cellular tissue is established, and that condition sets in wdiich gives rise to enlarge- ments by increased deposit near the part. The tumor is circumscribed, being confined to the elbow, but it sometimes groAvs to an enormous size, and hangs loosely from the back point of the elbow, and interferes with its action. It may be produced also by long heels, as well as calkins, b}^ striking WAtli the shod hind foot, by a blow, and by lying on uneven surfaces. How to know it. — A slight swelling of the point of the elbow^ is first perceived, and unless the cause is removed this will graduall}-^ develop into a large-sized tumor. When of any considerable size, it w\\\ contain serum, or a watery matter, and has a fluctuating feeling to the fingers. This fluid is contained in tough, fibrous Avails, and may remain for a long time, or it ma}'^ at last be absorbed, and leave a hard tumor. At this stage there will of course be no fluctuation. What to do. — If discovered in its early stage, and serum is evidently present, let it out by opening the sac at the lower edge with a keen knife, or a thumb lancet. Press upon it so as thoroughly to remove the fluid. Then, with a small rubber syringe, inject a mixture of equal parts of pyroligneous acid and water. Next, moisten it externally, morning and night, with the camphorated corrosive sublimate. No. 2, which will have the better effect if dried in at once with a hot iron held near. Before the horse is allowed to lie down again, make a soft pad, covered with chamois skin, without a seam on the outer side, of such thickness as to keep the shoe from striking the elbow when the leg is doubled under him, 472 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. and tie it securely round the pastern. This should be on every night j and even after cure is effected it will be necessary for the animal to wear this pad, to prevent recurrence of the bruise, or else to have the shoe shortened. The pad must be at least two and a half inches thick. If it is in its new state (a simple swelling without matter), it can be assuaged by using frequently, at moderate intervals, some cooling lotion. If large, watery, somewhat pendant, and unsightly, have an exper- ienced surgeon remove it entirely ; and then dress as an ordinary wound. If, after it has been opened, and the fluid pressed out, it heals with hard substance left behind, rub frequently with acetate of mercury until the natural state is restored. If treatment is undertaken only when there is no watery matter, no fluctuation, remove it absolutely by making a vertical slit, of suflicient length, and dissect the lump ; after which treat the w^ound with simple cerate, or any healing ointment. Care must always be taken to guard against having the elbow injured again while treatment is going on, and to prevent rebruising the part after cure is effected. If there is constipation or otherwise feverish tendency in the animal, the cure of tumors or other local troubles will alwavs be more diflicult unless this tendency is removed by suitable purgatives and carefully reg- ulated diet. VI. Frost Bite. Injury from the effects of frost is more common in the North and West than is generally supposed, and in many cases rheumatism, founder and other "stiff complaints" may undoubtedly be attributed to this as the predisposing cause. Causes. — Long exposure to cold, either standing in the open air or confined in cold stables ; standing in half melted snow and slush ; keep- ino- young animals in exposed yards, where they cannot take exercise and with insufficient food. How to know it. — The skin of the injured parts in light cases, turns purple, inflames, cracks and exudes a bloody serum ; or if severe, the skin and tissues beneath lose color, and become dead and eventually shrivel. The skin, particularly of the heel, will crack, often from one side to the other, refusing to heal. What to do- — If the limbs are simply chilled, friction will be all that is necessary. If actually frozen, the animal should be warmly clothed and the frozen parts be rubbed with snow until circulation is partly re- stored. Then put the parts in cold water and continue rubbing until THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 473 warmth and circulation are entirely restored. Then dry thoroughly with cloths and hard rubbing. If the frosting has been neglected and raw sores make their appear- ance, prepare the following : No. 200. 2 Drachma belladonna, 1 Ounce petroleum, 1 Ounce lard. Rub the whole thoroughly together, and apply twice a day to the raw or ulcerated places. If this does not promote recovery, and decided ul- cers occur, add to the above prescription 2 ounces red oxide of mercury. Rub all well together and apply once a day to the ulcerous parts. VII. Burns and Scalds. Burns and scalds seldom occur in horses kept on the farm or employed on the road. They are, however, of frequent occurrence when horses are employed about mills or factories where steam is used ; or in iron founderies and* in cities. What to do. — One of the best and most easily obtained applications, for a fresh burn or scald, is to dredge bicarbonate of soda, common baking soda, thickly on the part, or moisten with water into a thick paste and bind it or lay it over the hijury. For slight burns, which sometimes cover a large surface, there is nothing better than several coats of thick white lead paint laid on with a brush, cover the whole with cotton and bind on close. Strong alum water is also an excellent remedy for fresh burns and scalds, the proportions being 2 ounces of powdered alum to each pint of rain-water. Keep the parts w^ell soaked with it, and wet cloths saturated with the same constantly over the surface. Sometimes indolent sores follow burns and scalds. If so, the ulcers should be well and carefully washed with tar water, and the following mixture dusted over the parts : No. 201. 1 Ounce oxide ol zinc, 2 Ounces powdered starch. Mix intimately and dredge on thickly to form a crust. Wherever the moisture appears through, keep adding the mixture until the crust be- comes permanent and fixed. VIII. Rupture. Rupture or burst (Hernia) is the displacement of an internal organ 474 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. through an opening, either natural or otherwise. The rupture most com monly seen is of the bowels and omentum. The omentum is the membranous covering of the bowels or the caul. The bowels may pass throuo'h the caul by rupture, or the bowels and involved caul may, it is possible, pass through the mesentary, the membrane retaining the intes- tines in their proper position. If the rupture is into the chest, it is called diaphramatic, and may occur from a violent shock, as in leaping, or in 'bucking, 'as jumping stiff- leo-o-ed is called. In bad cases death is sudden from suffocation. In Get the slight forms there may only be difficulty of breathing, with lifting of the flanks, as observed in heaves. The only remedial means to be used are to give anodynes and rest. Thus slight cases may at length take on the chronic form, but will never be cured. Hernia of the mesentary and omentum is difficult to know, and no remedy can avail, except rest, with anodynes if there is pain. Naval rupture, and that through the scrotum, is most common. The only means of cure in naval rupture is where pressure can be had by means of a bandage or truss and taken in the earlier stages. The intestine must first be carefully pressed back and pressure made over the parts by means of a soft pad, securely fastened, and to be worn until the orifice is closed or at least permanently contracted. Of course an animal "Avith rupture of any part is not capable of violent exertion. Rupture of the scrotum is also common in males. In cases of colic in entire animals, an examination should be made for scrotal rupture, since there may be colickey symptom's. There may be a swelling of the bag containing the testicle, the contents being movable, and disappearing up- on pressure. In the smaller animals, castration may be employed, the gut returned and the Avound sewed up. Ventral hernia is known by the contents being movable and gurgling, and easily pressed back to their place. If recent, the animal should be thrown on its back, using ether or chloral to keep quiet, returning the protrusion, padding the orifice, and covering with strong factory muslin wound round the abdomen and laced along the back, the bandage being kept in place by bands fastened in front and carried to a collar worn on the neck. Except in the case of valuable animals, treatment scarcely pays, unless a veterinarian can be employed who understands anatomy. IX. Choking. Choking occurs in two distinct forms. The high choke, when the sub- stance is lodged in the throat or neck ; and the low choke, when the sub- stance .s lodged in that part of the gullet lying low down within the THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 475 chest. In high choke, the animal may die in a few minutes ; in low choke, there is not such special need of haste. How to know it. — There is intense distress ; the head is raised ; there is slavering, violent coughing and continual efforts to swallow. What to do. — Examine carefully the furrow on the left side of the neck for the substance. If solid, endeavor to precis it upwards with the fingers on each side. If not', endeavor to extract it by putting a balling iron into the mouth to hold it open ; pull out the tongue ; pass the hand into the throat and endeavor to dislodge it with the finger, the head being held out in a straight line with the neck. If this do not succeed, and the obstruction is in the gullet and is clear of the windpipe, procure a probang, oil it thoroughly, cast the horse, put the balling iron in the mouth, intro- duce the probang and by steady pressure for a feAV seconds at a time, endeavor to move it. If it moves continue the pressure until it is pushed into the stomach. If the substance is so firmly held that the probang will not move it, the mass must be cut down upon and taken out. Let an assistant press the off side of the neck to get as much bulge as possible. Then with a bold cut of a sharp knife, cut through skin, tissues and gullet, to the mass, with an ample cut, and remove ; bring the edges of the gullet together, stitch them with fine catgut, or strong silk, and then the wound in the skin. The difiiculty here may cause subsequent stricture of the gullet, which may thereafter prevent the animal swallowing solid food. In any event only semi-liquid food should be given for ten days after choking, or until the animal seems well. In desperate cases, where there is instant danger of death from choking, tracheotomy must be employed. This is cutting into the windpipe and inserting a breathing tube and will be treated in its appropriate place. The Low Choke. — This is where the obstruction is low in the gullet, or in the thoracic portion of the sesophagus. In this form there is great distress but the head is not held so high ;, saliva runs from the moutli, and the discharge is copious from the nose ; if the animal attempts to drink, the water is cast forth from the nose ; the breathing is laborious, the flanks tucked up, the back roached, and the animal shows sj'^mptoms of general distress. What to do. — Give a gill of linseed oil or lard oil once an hour, and between these doses every hour the following anti-spasmodic ; No. 202. 2 Ounces sulphuric ether, 2 Ounces laudanum, }i Pint water. Use the probang carefully after each anti-spasmodic. If the whole of 476 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. the dose is apparently returned, administer chloroform from a sponge, by inhalation, until entire insensibility is produced. Then extend the head, insert the probang, well oiled, and use steady but constant pressure, until the substance moves. It may take ten to fifteen minutes, or more. When the substance moves do not use much violent pressure, but move it carefully until it enters the stomach, care being taken not to force the instrument too far and thus wound that organ, remembering always that sudden violence may bring on spasmodic action, in which case efforts must cease. Violence may also rupture the gesophagus. TIIK LOW CIIUKB X. Wounds Penetrating the Abdominal Cavity. A penetrating wound of the walls of the abdomen is generally followed by protrusion of the bowels. Sometimes it is so extensive as to allow a large portion of the intestines to escape. If so, they sliould be sup- ported by a sheet fastened over the back to prevent injury by the feet and the admission of dirt until relief is given. What to do- — The horse should be cast, the bowels washed with tepid water, the horse turned partly on his back, the intestiites properly returned to their place by pressure, and the wound sewed up with catgut, well soaked in warm oil, and at intervals of an inch apart, bringing the edges nicely together. Then encircle the belly with a strong bandage properly fas- tened, by being laced along the back. Empty the rectum, if necessary, by means of injections of warm water or soap suds, and keep the bowels open by feeding scalded shorts pretty well salted. XI. Contused "Wounds. A contused wound is one occasioned by injury from some blunt instru- THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 477 merit, as a hook, wagon shaft, or other similar medium. They of tea leave a gaping wound with torn and bruised edges. What lo do. — Clip away all torn and bruised flesh that present ragged edges. If the injury is not extensive all that will be necessary will be to keep the bowels of the animal in health, and moderately loose, with bran mashes, using the following lotion daily. This is known as the compound tincture of aloes and myrrh and should be kept in every stable as a dressing for wounds, galls and other injuries of that nature. It is made as follows : No. 203. 4 Ounces myrrh, 4 Ounces benzoin, 4 Ounces of catechu, 8 Ounces i)ulverized aloes, 1 Gallon Jiimaicu rum. Mix, keep in a warm place for two weeks, frequently shaking it, and filter through linen. If the wound assumes an unhealthy character, wash with water in which a little carbolic acid is mixed. When granulations appear, if pus, matter, forms, wash daily with a syringe and warm water, and use the carl)olic acid wash for dressing, or, if the wound is in such a place that it may be done, cover with tow saturated with the wash. If the granulations are soft, flabb}^ and projecting, showing proud flesh, touch them with a stick of lunar caustic, and expose to the air until dry. Then dress as before directed. XII. Lacerated Wounds. A lacerated wound is a torn wound. The wound by treading, calking,is a lacerated wound. The tearing up of the skin and sub-cellular tissues, leaving a flap, is a lacerated wound. What to do. — In any wound, if feverish symptoms occur, give an ounce of pulverized saltpeter in the drink night and morning, and administer a moderate purge, unless the bowels are open, say 4 ounces of aloes. In the case of any lacerated M'ound, if extensive, clip aw^ay all torn shreds, bring the edges nicely together and scav them with fine catgut, or white Avaxed silk, and let the subsequent treatment be as directed for other wounds. XIII. Punctured Wound. A nail, the point of a fork, a splinter of wood, a thorn, or any similar substance, makes a punctured wound. They are the most dangerous of wounds, from danger of internal poisoning, or fistula, lockjaw, etc. 478 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. What to do. — First, examine carefully by means of a probe for any foreign subst.mce lodged inside. If so, remove it, even if a clean cut has to be made. A clean cut is not dangerous unless an artery is sev- ered. If the instrument inflicting the wound vv^as dirty or rusty, syringe the wound thoroughly with weak carbolic water. If the wound heals kindly, use the tincture of myrrh dressing, No. 203. If inflammation sets in, and matter forms in a deep, narrow wound, it may be necessary to enlarge the opening to let out the pus. Then treat as directed for contused or lacerated wounds. MANNER OF USING SETON NEEDLE. XIV. Broken Hock. This is a term applied to a severe injury — breaking the cap of the hock. The only treat- ment is absolute rest, the application of sedatives as lotions, laudanum equal parts with water, to remove pain, and astringents — white oak bark. It is sometimes necessarj^ to blister near the part to get up counter irritation, or put in a sc- ton below the hurt. The mode of using a fixed seton needle, to bring a wound together, in sewing, where a proper crooked, flat needle is not at hand, is here shown. It will also serve to show the manner of using a needle for a se- ton, to be threaded with white tape. XV. Dislocations. Dislocations in the horse are rare, and when they occur are difficult to manage, except with the aid of a veterinary surgeon. Dislocation of the lower joints, and of the hip, is most common, from catching the foot, twisting and pulling thereon to get free. In fact, dislocation of the hip is scarcely ever seen except in connection with fracture, but is sometimes met with in lean, under-fed, young cattle and horses. Dislocation of the shoulder is most seldom met with. What to do. — In any case of dislocation the first thing to do is to put the joint in place, not always an easy matter. The means we have indi- cated for dislocation of the stifle will serve to show the manner of operation. A veterinary surgeon should be employed if possible in any case of dislocation. If such cannot be had, any humane surgeon should be willing to give advice as to how to operate. The means to be employed are so different, varying with each particular case, that it would be im- possible to state them except in a general way. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 479 If inflammation and considerable swelling has set in before the hurt is discovered this must be first reduced by cold water ai:)plications, or better, hot water fomentations, if persistently applied. Then the joint must be brought to place by traction and force. If there is no inflammation this will not be difficult. When a starch bandage may be employed, this should always be used to hold the parts together. If not the dislocation must be splintered or padded, or both, to keep the parts intact and in place. The slings should always be employed to rest the horse when they may be had. This with cooling lotions to subdue inflammation, rest, proper care and feeding, will ensure recovery in the end. A bad dislocation, however, usually leaves the horse out of condition for anything but farm or slow work. XVI. Various Fractures. To fracture a limb completely, so the leg hangs loose, is of so serious a nature, in the horse, that unless in the case of a very valuable animal for breeding purposes it had better be killed at once. In very many cases, however, one of the bones of the leg is fractured or split part way, though the horse may not exhibit extreme pain, may even travel upon it. Softening, however, sets in, and sometime after, in getting up in the stable, the bone gives way entirely. So the fibula, as the smaller bone of the leg is called, may be fractured. If there is lameness after falling in harness, or from a blow, with tenderness, it is safe to treat for fracture. What to do. — Place the horse in the slings and splinter the limb, first having applied a starch bandage, when it may be made to act. All that will be necessar}^ further will be to feed and water regularly, keep the bowels naturalh' open, reduce inflammation and soreness by the use of arnica, and trust to time for a cure. A month or six weeks ought to so strengthen the bone that the animal can eat grass, or be fed in a box stall until recovery is perfected. XVII. Various Distortions. A distortion arising from fracture or from any chronic difficulty cannot be cured. In case of severe recent strain of the ligayients of the neck, by which the head is thrown to one side, and held so, the neck should be brought straight, splintered, and held so until the ligaments recover their normal tone. * Poll evil often leaves the animal with a stiff neck, pro- ducing a distorted manner of holding the head. Distortions are often produced by injuries of various kinds. These must be attended to during the cure of the superinducing cause. Distortions often occur in young animals, as knuckling, turning the fetlocks from weakness, etc. The 4S0 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. remedy is starch bandages and splints. Distortions of the tail by whicVj it is curved awry, are remedied by wholly or partially severing the ten- dons which are constricted or drawn. This, however, should never be attempted by one who does not understand the anatomy of the parts, else mischief may be done. As a rule, however, any distortion, except it be old and chronic, may be cured by taking proper measures, splintering, bandao-ino-, and the use of fomentations where relaxation is necessary. These means the intelligence of the operator will readily suggest. XVIII. Diseases of the Ear. Causes. — Injuries to the ear are generally caused by brutal treatment. Twitching them, nipping and pulling upon them with the blacksmith's plyers, and blows upon the head with cudgels, sometimes result in troublesome bruises, ulcers and tumors that close the auditory passage. Deafness may be an organic defect, or it may be the effect of some disease which has disordered the head, and, by sympathy, the auditory nerve ; and the sense of hearing is no doubt dulled by old age, even when the horse may have been well used and reasonably free from dis- ease ; but it results in most cases from pulling the ears, cutting or clip- ping either them or the surrounding skin to remedy supposed defects, and from beating upon the head. Sometimes scabby or mangy eruptions make their appearance upon the tips of the ears and spread downward, covering them entirely; but this is most probably the accompaniment of some general skin disease. How to know it. — The cuts, breaks in the skin, or sutures, that result from pulling, pinching, and twitching are readily discernible, as are also the ulcers or suppurating sores in which they sometimes end. When the tendons which sustain the ear in its upright position are broken, there is no difficulty in perceiving it, as the ear drops down and flaps about with the motions of the head and neck. Running sores, similar to the poll-evil, sometimes result; but these may be distinguished from that disease by their being confined more closely to the ear, either inside or out. When deafness jp suspected, an examination of the internal ear will be necessary ; and if the swollen parts or ulcers are not perceptible, some artifice must be resorted to to find whether the hearing is actually de- stroyed. Deafness may be only temporary, as is sometimes the case with man, and the matter can be decided only by making a series of examinations. What to do. — A simple laceration of the skin, and even of the cartilage, if small, will require no special attention ; but if it is so great that the THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 481 edges do not come in contact, they must be brought together and sewed, after which the trouble will soon be over. But it occasionally happens that ulceration of the skin and cellular tis- sue and a rotting away of the cartilage sets in. This is past all remedy, and necessitates the cutting away of the ear. When there has been no laceration of the skin, and a tumor is forming, apply camphorated corrosive sublimate. No. 2, occasional I3', till it en- tirely subsides ; but if matter seems already forming, apply May-apple liniment, made by taking one gallon of May-apple roots and boiling them until a thick syrup is formed ; then, having removed the roots, adding as much lard as there is syrup, and stirring Avell together Avhile the syrup is still boiling. This liniment will draw out the fever and bring the matter speedily to the surface. Sometimes an abscess forms on the outside, which will need lancing in order to afford the most speedy relief. In this case, cut at the lower extremity of the rising, and let the lancet slant upward into it. Deafness, unless simj^lj^ a temporary result of some prevailing disorder of the head or neck, is beyond the art of the veterinary practitioner. CHAPTER XVI. POISONING. I. INTERNAL POISON. -II. rOISONIXQ FROM STINGS. III. POISONED SKIN. I. Internal Poisoning. The cases of internal poisoning are more frequent, especially "with horses, than is generally supposed. Among the most common are those arising from drastic or powerful doses, blindly given by the ignorant, cither in disease, or from some effect sought to be produced upon the general health — to make the coat blooming, cause champing of the bit and frothing at the mouth, or to excite the animal spirits. Of these, strong purgatives, diuretics and arsenic are the most common. A HORSE SUFFEUING FROM DRASTIC POISON. Other causes are from eating poisonous plants, either in the hay or in the pasture, the ergot of rye and other grain ; ergot sometimes attacks the 482 THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 483 grasses — thus, smutty grain, castor beans, hellebore or poke root, laurel, stramonium or Jamestown weed, and cured tobacco, among plants, may be mentioned as common. Among minerals, sulphuric, nitric and muriatic acid, and all the concentrated vegetable acids are caustic and irritant poisons. They are never taken unless forced down. The anti- dote to these is large doses of powdered chalk, whiting or lime water. In the absence of these give weak lye (white l3^e) until relief is obtained and follow Avith a full dose of linseed oil. Alkalies destroy the tissues. If quick lime, caustic potash, strong lye or washing soda has been taken give vinegar and water to neutralize it. and follow with a dose of oil. Horses that are dosed with whisky to "give them strength" sometimes show alcoholic poisoning. Never give it except as a stimulant as advised for disease. Forty grains of arsenic will kill a horse. The symptoms are, intense thirst, quick, feeble pulse, great pain in the boAvels, with purging some- times, irregular breathing, faintness, paralysis, convulsions and death. Give full doses of oil, in which is mixed two, three or four spoonfuls of carbonate of iron as the case may seem to demand. Corrosive sublimate is a fatal poison. A quarter of an ounce will kill a horse. The symptoms are violent pain, intense thirst, effusion, ani Grain strychnine, >i Grain iodine. Work this up into a ball with powdered quassia and molasses and give daily, gradually increasing the strychnine according to its effects, so that at the end of three weeks one grain will be given daily, and, if good effects are produced, a grain and a half may be given daily at the end of five or six weeks. Paralysis is, however, past cure. Something may be done for present relief, but each recurring attack is more and more severe. The most strengthening food should be given and the best of care, always being careful that the animal be not subject to cold drafts, or extraordinary labors. During the recurrence of the attacks, absolute rest and quiet must be given. In the giving of nerve stimulants, as strychnine, when increasing the doses gradually, if twitching or slight cramps of the muscles are observed, cease giving for a few days and then begin again with the smallest dose. 32 CHAPTER XIX. MEDICINES. What to Keep, How to Obtain, How to Prepare, and How to Give Them. 1. ALTERATIVES. II. ANESTHETICS. III. ANTISEPTICS. IV. ASTRINGENTS. V. CA THARTICS. VI. CARMINATIVES. VII. COUNTER IRRITANTS. VIII. CAUSTICS. IX. DIAPHORETICS. X. DIURETICS. XI. DEMULCENTS. XII. DISINFECTANTS AND DEODORIZERS. XIII. EMKTICS AND EXPECTORANTS. XIV. NARCOTICS, ANODYNES^ AND SEDATIVES. XV. RELAXANTS. XVI. STIMULANTS. XVII. TONICS. XVIII. VERMIFUGES. XIX. IMPORTANCE OF SYMPTOMS. XX. DISSECTION. XXI. SURGI- CAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS. XXII. MEDICINES TO BE KEPT. XXIII. DOSES. It is not necessarj'^ that everj'^ farmer should keep a large quantity of medicines on hand. A few simples will suiEce, except in the case of those who, having a large stock of animals, require medicines to meet cases apt to arise. The great point we have insisted on, and here reiter- ate, is good care and attention, in health, and good nursing in sickness, as being most important in the care of farm animals. The day has past for bleeding and purging for every ill that even horse flesh is heir to. Good nursing, attention to the general health, and to symptoms, with the prescriptions we have given, will enable any one to carry an animal through an ordinary sickness. Every person who has carefully studied this work will see the necessity of keeping some medicines on hand, since there is no reason why, with the aid of what we have presented, he may not be able to treat nine in ten of the diseases to which farm animals are subject, and without the aid of a professed veterinary surgeon. The very full glossary which will be found as a part of this work, should be consulted for medical terms used when the definition does not immediately follow the use of the term. In naming the medicines and their effects in this chapter we shall give definitions that may be found in the glossary, since in the division of the subject of medicines it seems proper that we should follow the rule adopted of defining the meaning of terms in the body of the work. The operations of medicine may be defined as follows : I. Alteratives. Medicines acting generally and continually on the system, especially on the blood and glandular system. Among the alteratives are, antimony, oOO THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 50.1 niter, sulphur, ginger, calomel, arsenic, iodine, iodide of potassium, sulphite, or bi-sulphite of soda. Antimony. — Black sulphuret of antimony. Dose 1 to 2 drachms. Given in connection with suljjhur, 1 to 2 ounces, and niter 4 to 6 drachms. Ginger. — Given as an alterative only in connection with other medicines. Calomel. — Give in broken doses, say 1 scruple. Another form of mercury, sulphuret, give 3 drachms once a day in connection with 4 drachms cream of tartar in a pint of water. This has been recommended in obstinate cases of surfeit^ and other affections of the skin. Ai^senic. — Dose 5 to 10 grains daily. It should only be used under the tlirection of a veterinarian. Its action is principall}^ on the nerves. Fowler's solution of arsenic contains 4 grains to the ounce. It is the best form in which to administer the mineral. Iodine, — As an alterative oive 10 to 20 grains. Iodide of potassium. — Dose 1-2 to 1 drachm. Valuable in chronic rheumatism, chronic cough, scrofulous enlargements, and to cause ab- sorption in pleurisy, and inflammation of the lungs. Bi-sulphite of soda. — This must not he confounded toith sidphate. Dose 1-2 to 1 ounce relieves tymphany. II. Anaesthetics. These remedies benumb the senses, relieve pain, and are used hirgely in destroying sensation in performing principal surgical operations. All that will be necessary to notice are t Chloroform and Ether. The best and safest preparation is the fol- lo'^ving : 'So. 218. 1 Ounce alcohol, 2 Ounces chloroform, 3 Ounces ether. Cast the animal to be operated upon ; pour a table-spoonful on a sponge and hold to the nostrils so that the animal can take some air Avith it, since if not mixed with air, it is fatal to life. Keep the fingers on the pulse, and if it ceases, or intermits decidedly, discontinue, and hold harts- horn to the nose, and commence again more lightly. So soon as uncon- sciousness is produced, suspend the use of the anaesthetic, and renew again from time to time, until the operation for which it is given is completed. Sometimes the niiimal ^vill continue low for some time after the admin- istration, with failing ])ulse :ind irregular breathing. If so, pour pails of cold water on the })()dy, and if necessary, gently inflate the lungs with a ])air of bellows, at the same time pressing upon and releasing the ribs, as in natural respiration. Also press pieces of ice into the rectum, or 502 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. vagina, according to the sex, as an additional means of restoration, \T necessary. As the natural functions again act, clothe the body and rub drv. From tAvo to four minutes should be sufficient to produce complete insensibility in either the horse or ox. III. Antiseptics. These are used to arrest mortification and putrefaction. The principal agents are charcoal, creosote, pyroligneous acid, sulphate of zinc, and yeast. They should be applied directly to the parts affected. IV. Astringents. These are agents used to stop or lessen discharges, either of the bowels, nose, blood vessels, kidneys or glands, and are applied both internally and externally. Among those usually employed, are, acetate of lead, alum, catechu, ergot, kino, opium, per sulphate of iron, tannin, the min- eral acids, and gallic andtanic acids. They should not be used when there is considerable inflammation ; nor for diarrhoea, in the beginning of a difficulty, since this flux is often an effort of nature to relieve the body by natural means. Acetate of lead . — Dose, 1 to 2 scruples. As a wash, use a saturated solution. Alum. — Dose, 2 to 3 drachms ; useful in sore throat and dysentery. In powder, used for stopping the flow of blood. Catechu. — Dose, 2 to 5 drachms. Useful in diarrhoea. Ergot. — Dose, 1-2 to 1 ounce. Checks bleeding from the lungs, nose, stomach and bowels. As an astringent, for this purpose, it is better to give it by hypodermic injections, using ergotine in solution in five grain doses. Kino. — Dose, 1-2 ounce to an ounce. Given in diarrhoea. Opium — Laudanum. — Dose, powdered opium, 2 drachms. Lauda- num, 2 to 4 ounces. It is a well known agent in relieving the spasms of colic, dysentery, locbjaw and other convulsive ailments. In diseases of the lungs and breathing tubes, if the respiration is short and quick, it should not be given. So, if there is much fever it should not be given until these symptoms abate. Per sulphate of iron. — Dose, 1 to 2 drachms. Useful for arresting bleedinjr or hemorrhaore. Tannin. — Tannic acid is the best form. Dose, 10 to 20 grains. A powerful astringent in diarrhoea or mucus discharges. V. Cathartics. These are medicines actino; strons-lv and directly on the bowels as a purge, in from 3 to 12 hours. Strong purgatives should not be given except it be necessary to thoroughly evacuate the bowels, and deplete the I THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. ^ 503 animal system. The principal agents employed are aloes, croton oil, linseed oil, podophyllin and salts. Aloes, Barhadoes. — This should always be used in preference to C:ipe aloes, which is more griping. Dose 4 to 8 drachms. Croton oil. — A powerful and sharp purgative, valuable in obstinate constipations. Applied externally it is apt to irritate and produce blem- ish. Dose internall}^ 20 drops. Linseed oil. — A safe, and pretty sure, mild purge. Dose 1 pint to 1 quart. Podophyllin. — This is the active principle of the May apple. It is both purgative and sedative. Dose 1 to 2 drachms. Its effect on animals is not so marked as on man. In the commencement of fevers it is excellent. Salts. — Sulphate of soda or Glauber salts is generally used when pur- gative effects are required. The dose is 1 to 1 1-2 pounds. Epsom salts, sulphate of magnesia, dose 1 to 2 pounds, or 8 to 12 ounces, and repeated avery three or four hours until an ojieration is had. VI. Carminatives. These are used in colic, griping, etc., and are often given with griping medicines. The principal agents are black pepper, caraway seeds, cloves, o^inger, peppermint, sage, etc. Black pepper . — Dose 2 drachms. When a quick and powerful remedy is required give 2 drachms red (ca3^enne) pepper. Caraway. — Dose 1-2 to 1 ounce of the seeds, as a powder, or as an infusion. Cloves. — Dose 1-2 to 1 ounce of powdered cloves steeped in hot water and given warm, or 30 to 60 drops of the oil of cloves given iu thin mucilage of gum arable. Peppermint (oil). — Dose 15 to 30 drops in mucihige. Sage or any of the heating herbs may ])c given as a tolerably strong infusion or tea. VII. Counter Irritants. These are divided into classes : Rubefacients, which simply excite the skin to redness ; vesicants, which blister, and suppurants which produce sores on the surface. They are serviceable by setting up inflammation on the surface near the seat of disease, in congestion and inflammation of internal organs ; also of the })ones, joints and tissues. Rubefacients are good in influenza, and other attacks of a general nature, where there is low fever; as, for instance, rubbing a paste of mustard on the legs and Avashing it off in ten or fifteen minutes. Vesicants should not be used when fever or inflammation is high, and suppurants are chiefly of value in old chronic complaints. 504 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Rubefacients. — Alcohol, ammonia, mustard, turpentine. Vesicants. — Cantharides, scalding water, and a hot iron at 212 degrees, Fahrenheit. Suppurants. — Croton oil, ointment of tartar emetic. VIII. Caustics. Agents which burn and destroy the flesh. Used to kill the virus in poisoned wounds, eat out proud flesh, destroy sloughs, and stimulate old ulcers ; to produce healthy action in fistulas, and remove warts and other excrescences. Among the best agents are butter of antimony, caustic potash, chloride of zinc, lunar caustic (nitrate of silver), nitrate of mercury, nitric acid, and the hot iron at a white heat. Chloride of zinc and nitrite of silver come in pencil shaped sticks. Nitric acid must be used with care. It is powerful and intensely eating, causing extreme pain, but which soon ceases. It may be used by dipping a suitable slip of Avood in the acid and apphdng. The hot iron is the most powerful caustic, as it is the most eflicient. It however requires nerve and judgment to use it properly and efficiently. IX. Diaphoretics. These are medicines to cause sweating or to increase the insensible perspiration, and thus relieve pressure on other organs. Acetate of am- monia in solution, Dovers powder, ipecac and cantharides are mainly employed ; the animal being covered quite w\aini. Warm water is also useful, but steaming the most prompt of all. Acetate of ammonia. — Solution. Dose, 2 to 3 ounces. Dover^s powders. — Dose, 3 drachms. Ipecac. — Given in 2 to 3 drachm dose? in warm water, until the effect is produced. Not especially useful for horses. Cantharides. — Dose, 4 to 5 grains. X. Diuretics These are medicines used to act on the kidneys. Saltpeter, sweet spirits of niter, cream of tartar, turpentine and digitalis are princi- pally used. Saltpeter. — Dose, 6 to 8 drachms. • Sweet spirits of niter. — Dose, 1 to 2 ounces. Cream of tartar. — Dose, 1 ounce. Turpentine (Oil). — Dose, 1 to 2 ounces. Digitalis. — Dose, 15 to 20 grains. Both diuretics and diaphoretics are similar in their action. If sweating is intended, it must be assisted with warmth and friction. If operation THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 605 on the internal organs is required, warmth and friction should not be used. XI. Demulcents. These are gummy or glutinous substances, used to soothe and cover in- flamed surfaces, or those in an irritable condition ; as infianimation of the throat, stomach and bowels ; in diseases of the kidneys, or for irrita- ble conditions generally. Those most in use are : Linseed tea, frum arable water, slippery elm bark tea, starch water and olive oil. Marsh mallows makes one of the most valuable agents known, being especially soothing to the bowels. XII. Disinfectants and Deodorizers. The most valuable of these are, sulphate of iron, chloride of zinc, car- bolic acid, chloride of lime, used for disinfecting and deodorizing drains, etc. The cheapest is a solution of sulphate of iron, a good handful dis- solved to each bucket of water used. As an atmospheric fumigant and disinfectant, the following is cheap, and one of the best known : No. 219. % Pound flowers of sulphur, 2 Pouudsj i)ine tar. Mix with a gentle heat, saturate tow with it and burn without flame. Carbolic acid in weak solutions, or crude carbolic acid in its liquid, im- pure form, as it comes from the gas works, is valuable for brushins: over any wood, iron, brick or stone work. Also" valuable for wetting cloths, and hanging up to destroy disease germs, keep away flies, etc. The following formulas will be found valuable disinfectants : No. 220. 1 Part sulphate of zinc, 1 Part powdered oak bark, 2 Parts sulphate of iron. Mix into balls of proper size and place in drains, sink-holes and cess- pools. Collins' disinfecting powder is made by adding 1 part of burnt alum to two parts of chloride of lime. Pour on water to thoroughly wet the mass, and set in shallow pans about the stable. The following is a powerful disinfectant • No. 221. 2 Pounds common salt, 1 Pint oil of vitriol. Pour the oil of vitriol gradually and slowly over the salt, and the act- ive disinfectant, muriatic gas, will be evolved. The following, known as chloralum, is not poisonous, and has no smell. To make it take, 506 ILLUSTRATED STO'CK DOCTOR. No. 222. 1 >a Pounds chloride of aluminum^ 1 Gallon water. Dissolve. A most effectual, powerful and cheap disinfectant, but poisonous, il taken, is made as follows . No. 223. 8 Ounces chloride of zinc, 16 Ounces sulphate of iron, 1 Gallon water. Dissolve. A pint mixed in a gallon of water will be quite strong enough for use. Xm. Emetics and Expectorants. What would act as an emetic on man, would be simply a nauseant with the horse. The horse does not vomit, nauseants act to loosen a cough, and to loosen the mucus in the air passages, and thus facilitate its expul- sion. Nauseants also act as a substitute for the old practice of bleeding. Tartar emetic, blood root and sulphate of zinc are among those usually employed. Tartar emetic. — Dose, 1 to 1 1-2 drachms, in connection with lobelia and saltpeter. Blood root. — Dose, from 2 to 4 drachms of the powdered root. Sulphate of zinc. — Dose, 1 to 2 drachms. Tartar emetic. — This is often employed in connection with saltpeter and lobelia. Dose, tartar emetic 1 drachm ; saltpeter 1 ounce ; lobelia 1 drachm. XIV. Narcotics, Anodynes and Sedatives. These run one into the other, and are used to soothe pain, allay the irritability of the system, and quiet excessive nervous action. Narcotics quickly quiet the system, induce sleep, and if taken largely, produce death. When given simply to allay pain, they are called anodynes. The action of a sedative is to lower nervous force, reduce the pulse and abate febrile symptoms, especially in the beginning of acute inflammation. Narcotics. — Opium, or its preparations, laudanum and morphia, bella- donna, tobacco and Indian hemp. Opium is generally given as a tincture, in the form of laudanum. Dose, 1 to 2 ounces. Morphia. — Dose, 3 to 5 grains. Belladonna. — Dose, 2 ounces. Indian hemp. — The dose of this drug 1-2 to 1 drachm. Sedatives. — Aconite, tincture. Dose, 20 to 30 drops. Veratrum viride. — The dose of this is 1 scruple. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 507 XV. Belaxants. These deprive the muscles of their power. Of this class lobelia should be given in doses of 1 to 2 drachms. XVI. Stimulants. These are, alcohol, and are given in the form of brandy, whisky, nun, gin and ale. The latter when an animal is exhausted bv hard drivin<>". The dose of brandy, whisky or gin is 3 to 6 ounces, and of alcohol 1 to 3 ounces diluted with water. Other stimulants are : ether, dose, 1 to 2 ounces ; carbonate of ammonia, dose, 2 to 4 drachms ; turpentine, dose, 1 to 2 ounces ; and ginger, dose, 1 ounce. The ginger to be given as a tea. Stimulants are used when it is necessary to quickly raise the animal from exhaustion. In nervous exhaustion its effects are marked, but it must not be given in inflammation or fever, XVII. ToDics. Tonics sharpen the appetite, increase the nervous vigor, and thus im. prove the condition of the patient. Many liorsemen are fond of giving condition powders, the main value of which lies in the alteratives and tonics contained. In this they suppose that they are beneficial to already healthy animals. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They are not beneficial unless the animal is out of condition and the system needs rallying. To get the best effect from tonics, they should be given in light doses, and continued for a considerable time. Then intermit for a few days, and if necessar}^, commence again, or substitute another tonic. The mineral tonics, sulphate of iron, sulphate of copper and arsenic are more active than the vegetable t(mics, Peruvian bark, gentian, quassia, etc., though often the two forms combined act with greater efficacy. XVIII. Vermifuges. These are medicines supposed to be useful in expelling worms. For round worms, common salt, to be licked at will, is one of the best agents to expel them. Oil of turpentine 1 ounce. Tartar emetic 2 drachms and sulphate of iron 2 drachms ; give five or six days in succes- sion, and follow by a purge. Four to 6 drachms of aloes is one of the best direct vermifuges. Tapeworm. — Oil of turpentine 1 ounce doses; or root of male shield fern, 1 ounce of the extract. Give all vermifuges fasting, and at the end of four hours give a purge of aloes. For weak animals give areka nut 1 ounce. In using a vermifuge it is always better to clear the bowels before giving it, and in case the worms are in the intestines give injections as well 508 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. as a purgative by the mouth. It should be remembered that vermifuge^ that destroy by mechanical irritation, as iron filings, pounded glass, etc., should never be given. From the foregoing the action of the different classes of medicines will be learned. Some of the more common we have given as examples. In the vast list of drugs used in medicines, and which are drawn alike from the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms, and some of them, the most valuable, being deadly poisons, must not be given in too large doses, the practitioner cannot be too careful in their use. The doses we have given in this chapter are from medium to large. If there is any doubt in using those, especially the strong poisonous extracts or crystals use the smaller. There are really but few medicines out of the large list that are of real and well known value in common practice. The druggist in prepar- ing medicines, uses delicate scales and weighs accurately. It is always better that they compound the prescriptions if possible ; yet, as it is not always convenient to seek the druggist, especially when a stock of medi- cines in ordinary use is kept, it is better to have a pair of scales and a liquid measuring glass. We therefore append a table of weights and measures as used by veterinarians : WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. Apothecaries' Weight. 20 grains make 1 scruple, 3 scruples make 1 drachm, 8 drachms make 1 ounce, 16 ounces make 1 pound. Wine Measure. 60 minims, or drops make 1 drachm, 8 drachms make 1 ounce, 16 ounces make 1 pint, 2 pints make 1 quart, 4 quarts make 1 gallon. Sufficient accuracy in fluid measure for anything not violent in its action, will be the following : 60 drops, or 1 tea-spoonful, make 1 drachm, 4 tea-spoonfuls, or 1 table-spoonful, make K ounce, 2 table-ripoonfuls make 1 ounce, 1 wine-glassful makes 2 ounces, 1 tea-cupful makes 4 ounces, • 1 tumblerful makes )4 pint, 1 tin-cupful makes 1 pint. A handful of flaxseed, or other seed, usually innocent in their nature, will weigh about 2 ounces ; a handful of leaves of dried herbs will weigh about 1 ounce. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 509 IX. Importance of Symptoms. The importance of understanding symptoms in disease, not only of the horse, but of all farm stock, is generally underrated b}^ farmers and stock men, and yet it is the key to all remedial means. Unfortunately, dumb animals cannot tell how they feel, and thus the practitioner must judge; by outward signs, which, by the way, are pretty ample to the careful ob- server. These are difficult to describe in print, yet they have been so described as fully as possible in the list and treatment of diseases. Every horse owner, and especially every stock-raiser, should educate himself to understand symptoms in such diseases as he must necessarily have to deal with. This will not be found difficult, if the reader will use the means w^e have presented in this work. The pulse is one of the most important agents in this direction ; through this, we may get a pretty accurate indication of the state of the system in relation to fever, ple- thora of blood, or the reverse. It cannot well be described, and yet it is soon learned by use and observation. In the horse, the mouth is hot and dry in fever, and moist and cool in health. In health the nose of the ox is especially cool and moist, and in fever hot and dry. The full or small pulse, depends upon an excessive quantity of blood in the yessels indi- cating a full or a weak nutrition. A thready or wirey pulse is indicative of a small quantity of blood in the vessels, combined with an increased or diminished contractibility of the heart. A sluggish or oppressed pulse will indicate unusual fulness of the vessels, the vital powers of contract- ibility and sensibility not being increased, or, it may eyen be one or both of them being diminished. Among the internal causes operating on the pulse are irritability and nervousness. Outside causes are temperature, other atmospheric causes, and manner of feeding. The stock man who will habituate himself to feeling the pulse of his animals, Avill soon come to understand how slight causes will sometimes affect this agent, and thus w;ill soon learn to detect disease, often by this indication alone. This and attention to the outward symptoms we have given in diseases enumerated, will soon enable him to dispense with the services of the practiced veter- inarian, except in critical cases. XX. Dissec'^ion. If a farmer w^ould, when an animal is sick, in addition to attending to studying the symptoms as they appear, take the trouble, in case it dies, to open it, with a view of studying the altered structure, knowing as he may, how they look in health, this would assist him greatly in under- standing disease generally ; for by this means he may find just when and how the parts affected are changed. He will thus, also, come to understand the importance of good care and nursing in the prevention and elimination of disease, more fully than by any other one means. 510 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. XXI. Surgical and Other Instruments. With all our care it is necessary to meet disease and accidents when they come, and to this end we must be provided at least with a few sim- ples, and the means of arriving at quantities. To this end we have advised the purchase of a pair of scales to weigh grains, drachms, ounces and pounds ; certain surgical instruments, also, and a small store of the medicines such as are in common use. In the horse stable a balling iron should be kept. This is an iron ring through which the closed hand may be passed ; on the top and bottom are two bars, which placed between the front of the jaws enable the mouth to be kept open while the hand passes the ball of physic to the root of the tongue. Sponges of several sizes should also be kept. A roomy nose-bag and an atomizer will be useful. The little India rubber bottle with which the wife sprays her plants, will answer very well in place of a better, for spraying the external surfaces. Means for giving injections should be procured. This may be the regular horse or cattle syringe, though the pail and India rubber pipe, described in another part of the volume, will be found simple and effectual. A drenching horn or bottle is another implement that should not be neglected. A probang should always be kept. A trocar will be found useful in case where the stomach is to be punctured to permit the escape of gas. A knife will, however, answer in its place very well, if the blade be sufficiently long and pointed. An outfit larger or smaller accord- ing to the necessities of the stock owner, may be bought in any store where surgical instruments are kept, and in fact in any of the larger drug stores of cities. A convenient one which we have used contains : 1 . A blunt-pointed V)istour3% an instrument for making incisions. When only one is to be used we recommend the slightly curved form, with the sharp edge on the inside. 2. Thumb lancet. We are opposed to the old time fleam. It seems to have been invented for ignorant persons ; certainly none such should ever operate, even on an animal. A little judgment Avill soon enable the operator to use the lancet properly and with effect, gauging the depth properly to which the puncture is to be made. It is better than the spring lancet. 3. A spring forceps, most valuable in dressing wounds, catching arteries for tying, for removing foreign substances in wounds, and for a variety of other purposes. 4. An aneurismal needle — a long blunt needle. It can be used as a probe and for introducing small setons. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 511 5. A silver probe, for exploring wounds. It is blunt at one end and sharp at the other, and is indispensable. G. A frog knife, a narrow straight blade, sharply curved into a strong edged hook at the end, and used for paring and cleaning the frogs of the hoofs, etc. 7. A pair of curved scissors, for trimming the edges of wounds, ex- cising ragged flesh, clipping the hair, and for other purposes. 8. A straight, broad scalpel (knife), used in dissecting, opening ab- scesses, castiating, and various other surgical operations. Any straight, broad-bladed, keen-edged knife will do. In castrating, however, we have always preferred a round-pointed blade, similar to that used by nurserymen in budding. 9. A seton needle for threading and introducing tapes or other setons. 10. A few surgical needles, white thread and silk, or better, thin cat- ffut. These mav all be carried in a neat morocco case made for the purpose, and can be afforded, wholesale, at ten dollars. (In fact we will send them at that price, delivered with this book.) XXII. Medicines to be Kept, and Doses. The following drugs will be found handy. Keep everything in white V)ottles, well corked. Corrosive substances must have ground glass stoppers. The druggist, if so instructed, will arrange things. Quanti- ties of these to be kept should be about ten doses each. 1 dose is: 1. Acetic acid — Antidote to acids, cooling astringent. Horse, 1 drachm ; ox, 2 drachms ; sheep, 1 scruple. ?. Tincture of aconite. — Sedative, diaphoretic. Horse, 20 to 30 drops ; ox, 30 to 40 drops ; sheep, 3 to 5 drops. 3. Alcohol. — Stimulant, diuretic, narcotic. Horse, 1 to 3 ounces ; ox, 3 to n ounces ; sheep, 1-2 ounce. Locally, cooling astringent. 4. Barhadoes aloes. — Purgative. Horse, 4 drachms. .5. Alum. — Astringent. Horse, 2 to 3 drachms ; ox, 3 to 4 drachms ; sheep, 1-2 to 1 drachm. n. Ammonia, liquid. — Diffusible stimulant, anti-spasmodic, anti-acid, diuretic. Horse, 1-2 ounce : ox, 1-2 to 1 ounce ; sheep, 1-2 to 1 drachm. 7. Carbonate of ammonia. — Diifusible stimulant, anti-spasmodic, anti-acid, diuretic. Horse, 2 to 4 drachms; ox, 4 to 6 drachms ; sheep, 12 to 1 drachm. 8. Anifie seed, caraiDay, cardamon, fennel seed. — Stomachic, carmina- tive. Horse, 1 ounce; ox, 1 to 2 ounces; sheep, 2 to 4 drachms. 9. Arnica tincture. — Stimulant, diuretic. Horse, 1 drachm ; ox, 1 drnchm ; sheep, 1 scruple. 10. AsafrjpJida . — Diffusible stimulant, carminative, vermifuge. Horse, 2 drachms ; ox, 4 drachms ; sheep, 1-2 to 1 drachm. 512 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 11. Balsam of Peru. — Stimulant, antispasmodic, expectorant. Horse, 1 ounce ; ox, 1 to 1 1-2 ounces ; sheep, 2 drachms. 12. Borax. — Nerve sedative, uterine stimulant. Horse, 2 to 6 drachms ; ox, 1-2 to 1 ounce ; sheep, 1-2 to 1 drachm. 13. Blackberry root. — Astringent. Horse, 2 to 4 drachms; ox, 12 ounce ; sheep, 2 scruples. 14. Camphor, — Antispasmodic. Horse, 1 to 2 drachms ; ox, 2 to 4 drachms ; sheep, 1 scruple. 15. Carbolic acid. — Sedative, anodyne, astringent, antiseptic, disin- fectant. Horse, 1-2 to 1 drachm ; ox, 1 drachm ; sheep, 10 drops. 16. Cherry bark, wild. — Expectorant. Horse, 1-2 ounce ; sheep, 2 to scruples. 17. Copaiva. — Stimulant, diuretic, expectorant. Horse, 2 to 4 drachms ; ox, 3 to 4 drachms ; .sheep, 1-2 to 1 drachm. 18. Cream of tartar. — Diuretic. Horse, 1 ounce ; sheep, 4 to 6 drachms. Laxative : horse, 5 ounces ; ox, 5 to 8 ounces, sheep, 1 to 2 iHUices. 19. Ergot. — Checks bleeding, parturient. Horse, 1-2 to 1 ounce ; ox, 1 ounce ; sheep, 1 to 2 drachms. 20. Iron, peroxide. — Tonic. Horse, 2 to 4 drachms ; ox, 4 drachms ; sheep, 1 drachm. An antidote to arsenic. 21. Lime, chloride. — Checks tympany, disinfectant. Horse 2 to 4 drachms ; sheep, 1 to 2 drachms. 22. Linseed oil. — Laxative. Horse, 1 to 2 pints ; ox, 1 to 2 quarts ; sheep, 1-2 pint. 23. Lobelia. — Sedative, antispasmodic, expectorant. Horse, 1 to 2 drachms ; ox, 1 to 3 drachms : sheep, 15 grains ; swine, 5 to 15 grains. 24. Mallow. — Demulcent. Give freely of cold infusion. 25. Mentha piperita (^peppermints , — 30 to 60 drops. 26. Oak bark. — Astringent. Horse, 1 ouiK^e ; ox, 2 to 4 ounces ; sheep, 4 drachms. 27. Olive oil. — Laxative. Horse, 1 to 2 pints; ox, 2 to 3 pints; sheep, 3 to 6 ounces. 28. Opimn. — Narcotic, sedative, anodyne, antispasmodic. Horse, 1-2 to 2 drachms ; ox, 2 to 4 drachms ; sheep, 10 to 20 grains. 29. Opium, tincture laudanum. — Narcotic, sedative, anodyne, anti- spasmodic. Horse, 1 to 2 ounces : ox, 2 ounces ; sheep, 2 to 3 drachms, Of the powdered drug, give : horse, 1-2 to 2 drachms ; ox, 2 to 4 drachms ; sheep, 10 to 20 grains. 30. Pepper, black. — Stomachic, stimulant. Horse, 2 drachms ; ox, 3 drachms ; sheep, 1 to 2 scruples. 31. Pumpkin seeds. — Vermifuge, tseniafuge. Horse, 1 pint. THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 513 32. Mhuharb. — Laxative, tonic. Horse, 1 ounce ; ox, 2 ounces ; sheep, 1 drachm. 33. Resin. — Diuretic. Horse, 4 to G drachius ; ox, 1-2 to 1* ounce ; sheep, 2 to 4 drachms. 34. Soap. — Diuretic, antacid, laxative. Horse, 1 to 2 ounces ; sheep, 2 to 6 drachms. 35. Silver nitrate {lunai\ caustic). — Nerve tonic. Horse, 5 grains; ox, 5 to 8 grains ; sheep, 1 to 2 grains. 36. Sweet spirits of niter, Spirits of 7iitr.ous ether. — Stimulant, anti- spasmodic, diuretic, diaphoretic. Horse, 1 to 2 ounces ; ox, 3 to 4 ounces ; sheep, 3 to 6 drachms. 37. Tobacco. — Sedative, antispasmodic, vermifuge. Horse, 4 drachms ; ox, 4 to 6 drachms ; sheep, 1 drachm. 38. Tar. — Expectorant, antiseptic. Horse, 1-2 to 1 ounce ; ox, 1-2 to 2 ounces : sheep, 1-2 ounce. 39. Turpentine oil. — Stimulant, antispasmodic, diuretic. Horse, 1 to 2 ounces ; ox, 1 to 1 1-2 ounces ; sheep, 1 to 2 drachms. Vermifuge : Horse, 2 ounces ; ox, 2 to 3 ounces ; sheep, 4 drachms. 40. Valerian. — Diffusible stimulant, antispasmodic, vermifuge. Horse, 2 ounces ; ox, 2 to 4 ounces ; sheep, 1-2 ounce. 41. Wild cherry harJc. — Expectorant. Horse, 1 ounce; ox, 1 1-2 ounces; sheep, 3 drachms. 42. Zinc, sulphate. — Astringent, tonic. Horse, 1 to 2 drachms ; ox, 2 to 3 drachms ; sheep, 15 to 30 grains. XXIII. Graduating Doses. In the administration of medicines the following statement of ages and doses will be found valuable in determining quantities. The doses men- tioned in the preceding list being full ones : A horse of 3 years, ox 2 years, sheep 11-2 years and swine 15 months old, should have a full dose. A horse 15 months to 2 years ; cattle 1 to 2 years, sliecp D to 18 months, and swine 8 to 15 months, 1-2 of a full dose. A horse 9 to 18 months, cattle 6 to 12 months, sheep 5 lo 9 months and swine 6 to 8 months, require 1-4 of a full dose. A colt 5 to 9 months old, calves 3 to 6 months, lambs 3 to 5, and pigs 3 to 6 months old, may have 1-8 of a full adult dose. Colts 1 to 5 months old, calves 1 to 3 months, lambs 1 to 3 months, and pigs 1 to 3 months old, may have 1-16 of the dose. JServous, excitable animals require less than others. The continued >ise of medicines renders their action slow and decreases their power. The influence of disease also checks or modifies action. In diseases of the ])rain, and spinal cord, and in impaction of the stomach, double 514 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. quantities must sometimes be given, while in low fevers one-half the usual quantity may produce evil, and sometimes prove fatal. As a rule, anodynes, narcotics, sedatives, stimulants and anti-spasmodics may be repeated once in four hours until the required effect is produced. Twice daily may be given as the rule for alteratives, refrigerants, tonics, diaphoretics and febrifuges. Emetics should be repeated every five or ten minutes and their action induced by opening the mouth and irritating the throat with a feather. If the animal will drink, give large draughts of slightly warm water. Emetics are not given to horses. Purgatives should not be given the second time until the first has had full time to operate. In the horse not before 36 hours ; cattle and sheep 12 to 15 hours ; swine in 7 to 10 hours. Draughts of tepid water, or warm gruel assist the operation of purgatives. A ball is not to be made round, but longer than it is wide and not larger than a walnut for horse or ox. It must be small enough so an animal may swallow it easily. Balls are made of drugs in powders mixed into a semi-solid state with honey or molasses and linseed meal, and cov- ered with oiled tissue paper. Drenches (liquid medicines) are made as infusions, with warm or cold water, or as decoctions with boiling water. Powdered substances not solvent in water are mixed with thick gruel or mucilage. A ball is best given with the aid of a balling iron. This has been pre- viously described. Put the iron between the front of the jaws, and place the ball well back on the tongue with the hand. Hold the head well up until swallowed. This may be aided by stroking the throat next the jaws. Liquids are given from a horn or thick quart bottle with a pretty long neck, such as a champagne bottle. No liquid or irritating medicine should be given until sufficiently diluted with water so that it will not injure the mouth if held therein some minutes. Oil of turpentine, croton oil, and other strong irritating substances that will not mix with water, should be mixed with palm or olive oil, milk beaten with eggs, or it may be given in mucilage as the case may require. Powerful agents, that do not irritate, act promptly injected under the skin with a hypodermic syringe. A surgeon's advice should be used in administering them. Injections are given with a horse syringe. There are patent injectors that pump in the liquid continuously. We have described an implement that works well, by gravity, and is easily made. Small syringes are used for injecting abscesses. Also the hypodermic syringe for injecting under the skin. CHAPTER XX. IMPLEMENTS AND APPARATUS. "Wliat to Keep, and How to Use Them. Catheter. — This is a round gutta percha tube, with one end open, the other rounded and near the end with two openings. Used to draw away the water when the horse is unable to pass it naturally. They are also, introduced into deep ulcers, and liquid injected through them by means of a syringe. In using the catheter, it should be well oiled and carefully and slowly pushed along the orifice or canal. Drawing Tcnife. — Frog knife. The knife in common use by black- smiths ; a thin blade with a sharply-curved end fixed in a handle, and used in cutting into and paring the hoof. Firing iron. — A heavy, blunt-edged blade fixed in a handle, and some- times used for blistering when the actual cautery is considered necessary. Valuable in skillful hands. Forceps. — These are pincers with long jaws, and used for extracting splinters, pieces of bone, or for seizing arteries in order to tie them up. Knives. — These should be always keen and should be both sharp and round-pointed. A heavy bistoury is a long, narrow-bladed knife for opening deep wounds and abscesses. Lancet. — These are of three kinds : the thumb lancet, the spring lan- cet and the fleam. The thumb lancet is gauged by the thumb, the spring lancet by a spring, and the fleam is struck by a hard wood stick. Always make the incision lengthwise of the vein. Ligatures. — Cords for tying arteries, and in tying, a surgeon's knot should be used. Instead of passing the end of the cord once round the other, pass it twice around before drawing tight. It will hold securely. Probes. — These are made of silver wire, with the ends slightly knobbed. They are useful in exploring wounds. Rowel. — This is a ring of leather, an inch or so in diameter, the rim ^^ 615 516 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. being about a quarter of an inch wide. It is wrapped with flax or thread moistened with turpentine, and pushed down into a pocket made in the skin, to induce a running sore. They are little used now; setons accomplishing the object fully. Setons. — A cord or ligature of leather thrust in, under and out of the skin, and tied. It is soaked with turpentine or smeared with irritating compounds, and turned every day, the object being to promote and keep up a discharge of pus, and reduce inflammation. Seton needles. — These are broad, curved blades, with a round shaft eighteen inches long, and with an eye at the blunt end. Used for thread- ing setons of tape, cord or leather into wounds made. Needles for sew- ing up wounds are of several sizes, curved, square needles. Tents. — These are pledgets of tow, lint or other substances introduced nito wounds to cause them to form matter. They should be moistened with Venice turpentine. Twitch. — A loop of leather or strong cord, fastened securely upon a stout handle two feet long. Used for holding refractory horses, or dur- ing surgical or other operations. Pass the upper lip through the loop, and twist until sufficient force can be used to keep the animal still. Hopples. — Ropes for casting a horse. They should be each twenty- five feet long. Have two strong straps of leather double, Avith a two inch seam ])etween, and so they ma}'' be buckled tight to the fetlock. Fasten both ropes securely to the bottom of a collar jDlaced on the horse's neck. Or if the rope is long enough, loop the middle to the collar ; buckle a strap securely to each hind pastern, pass the ends of the rope through the rings, and back through the collar. One man manages the head to bring the horse down properly and easily, while assistants pull forcibly on the ropes ahead. A horse should never be cast except uj^on a thick, soft bed of straAV or tan bark. If it is simply wished to hopple the horse, fasten the ends of the rope to the collar, and of such a length that the horse cannot kick. Slings. — These are an apparatus to suspend a horse's weight in case of fracture, rheumatism, or other diseases when the animal cannot bear full weight on the limbs. First a broad strip of leather or strong canvas two feet wide and six or seven feet long, stiffened at the ends by being sewn around smooth billets of wood. To this a breeching is attached to pass around the buttocks, and others to and about the breast, to hold it se- curely. Loops must be fastened to the billets at the ends of the girdle of sufficient streno-th to bear the weio^ht of the animal. Double blocks and pulleys are attached to these, suspended at proper points, and thus the animal is lifted and suspended so as to bear much or little weight on his limbs. PART III. CATTLE; HISTORY, BREEDS, CHARACTERISTICS AND MANAGEMENT. CATTLE CHAPTER I, NATURAL HISTORY OP CATTLE. ^EIR ORIGIN EARLY DOMESTICATION THE DIFFERENT KINDS AND THEIR PECULIAR- ITIES IMPROVED BREEDS DEVONS SUSSEX SHORT HORNS ALDERNEYS AYRSHIRES HOL8TEINS POLLED CATTLE KERRY COWS THE CHEROKEE OR TEXAS CATTLE, ETC., ETC. ' The native country of the genus Bos is not known, and the wild type iias long since passed away. The Urus is regarded as the f)arent of domesticated cattle, and is described in its wild state, as an animal of enormous size, of great fierce- ness, and fable has thrown around it an air of mystery, as is common in all legends that have come down to us from the far past. Domestication of Cattle. The domestication of cattle is also a matter of conjecture. Our earliest record comes from scripture. Jubal, the son of Lamech, who lived in the lifetime of Adam, is recorded as being "the father of such as have cattle." Noah certainly had cattle, and wherever the sons of Noah migrated, they carried cattle with them. Cattle were worshipped by the earliest Egyptians, and among the ancient nations of Judea, they were, and still are, held in great ven- eration. In the days of Abraham, cattle certainly were regularly bred, and in the days of Jacob we have an account of systematic breeding to color, and probably to type. 519 520 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Ill every civilized nation, the keeping of cattle forms among the earliest productive industries recorded, and every Celtic nation has at one time or another represented them as divinely given, or else, like the Hindoos, held them in the greatest veneration. Scientific Nomenclature. According to naturalists cattle belong to the ci. ass 3Iammc(Ha ; that is, having mammce or teats ; their natural order is called ruminantia, from their habit of ruminating, or chewing the cud. Their tribe is termed bovidae^ meaning the ox kind. The genus is bos, the ox ; the horns growing, from the crest, projecting at first side- ways, and porous or cellular inside, with a film of true horn encasing the cellular bony structure inside ; the sub-gexus, which will form the subject of what we have to say, is termed bos tcnwus, or the domes- ticated ox. Of these there are many families, or sub-families ; each distinctive bl'eed being a family. Mixed breeds, grades, and crosses, may be termed *ub-families. The Teeth. Cattle are distinguished as to their teeth by having eight lower incisors, and none upper ; these are the cutting teeth. They have no canine teeth or tusks, but have twenty-four molars" or grinding teeth ; six on each side of the lower jaw, and six on each side of the upper jaw. The upper jaw' has no incisors ; but the skin upon Avhich the lower inci- sors meet in the upper jaw is thickened, hard, and in aged animals ahiiost horny. The teeth may be represented as follows; tiie figures above the line representing the upper, and the figures below the line rep- resenting the lower jaw : 6 6 Cattle, incisors, — , canines, — , molar.'- . 8 V) 6 Total, 32 teeth. We annex a cut of a section of tlie lower jaw showing the eight incisors, of a mature ox, or at the age of five years. Before and after this age the teeth vary very materially, as other portions of this section '^^'^^ ""^ ^"^ ^"^^""^ ofFivk Years. show. :^ BNK-' i WW' ? t i f. .r ,^M .8 .si'»J .saarfi ni 1B9W bns jiijsq \ » r .^rr^f .sd^q joihoq 098 oIiix9 lo ssji dii inimooiros siaxl 'jsiiiiil lol inmr «=irir ■ OHAJFIT F*0:EI^ A-OOXJ3FtA.TES3Li"5r TEXjXjI3VC3r THES j^OrESiS QF" OA-TTX^E. Mg. 1. Teeth of Calf at Birth, showing the first two incisors, milk teeth. Fig. 2. Teeth at two weeks old, showing four temporary incisors. rig. 8. Teeth at fifteen months old, showing lorption and weiiv in all the temporary pcrs. ah- nip- sjiJi%/i/«! wmrdiiuj h Avt. of Camjir Fig. 3. Teeth at three weeks old, showing six Fig. 9. Tcctli at eighteen months old, showing two first permanent incisors (i-O' ""<' next two pairs (2-3 and 3-^), growing and push- ing upwards toward the surface ; also (4-4, 5-5 and 6-6) showing absorption. At (8-S) is shown the alveali, or cells for the teeth. Fig. 10. Teeth at two years old past, showing four permanent incisors, and four temporary ones, absorption nearly complete ; also marks of wear on two first pairs. Fig. 4:. Teeth at one month old, showing eight incisors, or the full set. Fig. 11. Teeth at three years past, showing six per- manent nippers, and two outside temporary ones nearly gone ; also wear on two central pairs. Fig. 5. Teeth at six to eight months old, showing wear on first two, or central teeth. Fig. 13. Teeth at four years past, showing eight permanent incisors — the full mouth — and complete complement ; also wear on all but outside teeth. Fig. 6. Teeth at ten months old, showing absorp- tion in first two pairs of teeth, and wear of two outside pairs. Fig. 7. Teeth at twelve montho old, showing ab- sorption in all the nippers, except outside pair, and wear in these. Fig. 13. Teeth at five years past, showing wear and dark marks. Fig. 11. Teeth at ten years old, showing permanent spaces between them; and also shafd from natural wear by use. For furthei' facts concerning tlie A^es of Cattlo m preoe^inf paps. ■Na ; .^iu 'J " Vii .0 .8 .TiM >'\\NUv-^) '\'> \lL u^ OUilj'VOOOV) Jv)\lV PHUaMWMtHttaNWHHHHnMWHMBKMiiaaBHK CATTLE, THEIR ORIGIX, ETC. 521 The annexed cut of section of the head of an ox will show the molars, or grind- ing teeth, and also the terminal bone of the upper jaw, corresponding to the lower face jaw, and destitute of teeth. Explanation. — a — Molars or grind- ers. 6 — Superior maxillary bone — its palatine process, c — Cells of the pala- tine bone, d — Anterior maxillary bone, destitute of incisor teeth. SECTION OF Head of Ox. Breeds of Cattle. The breeds of cattle which have acquired favor in the United States are confined to but few. The Devons are the typical race of England, as among those that have retained their purity, through long generations, breeding with entire uniform- ity as to color, symmetry, horns, and other general characteristics, fully as much so as the Ciiillingham white cattle, which are regarded as descendants of the original or aboriginal cattle of the British Islands. First Prize Devon Bull, " Wilmot." Two Years Old, The Property of Mr. George Rudd, Guelph, Out. 522 ILLUSTKATED STOCK DOCTOR. 7-'he foregoing cut is a good illustration of a Devon bull as he appeared when but two years old. Such an animal may be regarded as a most admirable specimen. Classification of Haces. In England cattle are divided into beef and dairy cattle. Beef cattle again are divided into long-horns, middle-horns, short-horns, and polled or hornless cattle. Long-Horns. Of the long-horns ; the old Irish long-horns showed a striking pecu- liarity, which was, that their horns turned directly downward. In Craven, England, has long existed a breed of cattle peculiar in themselves, broad in the chine, quick and easy to fatten, and noted for making excellent beef. Under the scientitic breeding of Bakewell, a hundred years ago, and his immediate successor, Leicester, long-horns acquired a wide celebrity. This was undoubtedly attained b}^ breeding in-and-in. He was known to have done so to a remarkable degree. With the death of Bakewell and his immediate successors, excessive delicacy of constitution began to tell, and they began to lose caste years ago, as a race. They have left their impress, hoAvever, and, most decidedly, upon the whole family of long-horns. They became better feeders, better hand- lers, and made better beef than before the infusion of this blood. They have long been superseded by the short-horn and the Herefords, and are only noticed here, as forming a part of the mixed blood of cattle, of the United States and Canada. We occasionally see by reversion, animals among our so called native cattle, showing strong characteristics of Leicester, Hereford, Devon, the old Teeswater, the Dutch and polled cattle. Middle-Horns. Of the Middle-Horns the only cattle valuable in the United States, are the Devons and the Herefords, both wonderful families, in their make up, and valuable whether for beef or working oxen. In fact the Devon is the best working ox in the world, and as beef makers their fiesh is superior to that of any other breed, except the Scotch, or West Highland cattle. Besides the Devons the other families of the Middle-Horns, are the CATTLE, THEIR ORIGIN, ETC. 52i Sussex, Pembroke, Glamorgan, Angelsea, and, in Scotland, the West Highland cattle, noted for the superiority of their flesh, and which have, for many generations, remained unchanged, or improved except by selec- tion. Their principal value, after all, is their extreme hardiness, and aptitude to fatten where other animals would starve. Above, as showing the characteristics of this breed, we give an illustra- tion of a West Hio-hland ox, in good feedins: flesh. The Davons. The celebrity that the.Devons long ago attained for their superior beef and working qualities, is wholly due to the fact that they have long been bred, in North Devon, pure. Hence, they are often called North Devon, to distinguish them from the South Devons and the Sussex, both infe- rior cattle, either from a feeding or working standpoint. The Devons are undoubtedly an original and pure race, and have been noted for their high excellence for many generations. It is only within the last two hundred years that systematic efforts have been made to increase the excellence of English cattle, and it is not more than one hundred and fifty years ago that Davon farmers were waked up to the improvement, that might be made in these high strung, generous feeders. The}^ have within the last seventy-five years been ])rought to such high perfection, that they do not suffer in comparison with other high caste cattle, and they would certainly suffer by intermixture with any other breed. The Standard Devon Bull. 524 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. Where Devons Thrive. They cannot compete with the Short-Horns und Hcrefords, on flush western pastures. They hick size, and early maturity, but on hill, or broken pastures, and in climates too cold for these breeds, and especially in climates unsuitable to Short-Horns, they are the best cattle ever known. On the previous page, as shoAving the extraordinary symmetry and style of this remarkable breed, we present a likeness of a Devon bull, remarkable for eminent characteristics of the breed. Devon Cows. The bulls of this breed are inclined to be vicious as they get old. The cows are gentle, and if gently used, kind in the extreme. Both males and females, however, are so high strung that they will not bear abuse. A brutal master they will fight, but if managed with a firm, yet gentle hand, they are the most familiar, as they are the most intelli- jrent, of horned cattle. The cows give exceedingly rich milk, and many of them fair quantities. The males are said to cross kindly with the Guernseys, and these make valuable dairy cattle. There are however now so many excellent pure breeds of milkers that it would be futile to experiment with the cross, since it will surely reduce the value of the animal either for work or beef. •As workers, milkers and beef makers combined, for the amount of food taken, they have no superior, if they have their equal. As beef makers alone, in the West, the Short Horns and Hereford are superior. As milkers the Jersey, the Holstein and Ayrshire take the palm. As working cattle the Devons are superior to all known breeds. The cut on the following page is a good illustration of a high caste* Devon cow. Characteristics of the Devon Cow. This we give as follows : There arc few things more remarkable about the Devon cattle than the comparative smallness of the cow. The bull is a great deal less than the ox, and the cow smaller than the bull. This is some disadvantage, and the breeders arc aware of it ; for, although it may not be necessary to have a large bull, and especially as those of an extraordinary size are seldom handsome in all their points, but somewhere or other present coarseness or deformity, it is almost i CATTLE, DEVONS. 525 impossible to procure large and serviceable oxen except from a somewhat roomy cow. These cows, however, although small, possess that roundness and projection of the two or three last ribs, which make them actually naore roomy than a careless examination of them would indicate. Tht cow is particularly distinguished for her full, round, clear eye, the gold-colored circle around the eye, and the same color on the inside skin of the ear. The countenance is cheerful, and the muzzle orange or yellow. 526 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. The jaws are free from thickness, and the throat from dewlap. The back, the barrel, and the hind quarters differ from those of other breeds, having more of roundness and beauty, and being free from angles. Points of the Devons. Youatt, than whom none have written more intelligently on domestic animals, describes the characteristics of the breed as follows : The more perfect sj)ecimens of the Devon breed are thus distinguished : The horn of the hull ought to be neither too low nor too high, tapering at the points, not too thick at the tip. The eye should be clear, bright, and prominent, showing much of the white, and have around it a circle of dark orange color. The forehead should be flat, indented, and small, for, by the smallness of the forehead, the purity of the breed is very much estimated. The cheek should be small, and the muzzle fine ; the nose must be of q. clear yellow. The nostril should be high and open ; the hair curled about the head. The neck should be thick, and that sometimes almost to a fault. Devon Working Ox. Excepting in the head and neck, the form of the bull does not mate= rially differ from that of the ox, but he is considerably smaller. There are exceptions, however, to this rule. The head of the ox is small, very singularly so, relatively to his bulk ; yet it has a striking breadth of forehead ; it is clean and free from flesh about the jaws. The eye is very prominent, and the animal has a pleasing vivacity of CATTLE, DEVONS. 527 countenance, distinguishing it from the heavy aspect of many other breeds. Its neck is long and thin, admirably adapting it for the collar, or the more common and ruder yoke. It is accounted one of the characteristics of good cattle, that the line of the neck from tlie horns, to the withers, should scarcely deviate from that of the back. In the Devon ox, however, there is a peculiar rising at the shoulder, reminding us of the blood-horse, and essentially connected with the free and quick action b}^ which this breed has ever been distinguished. It has little or no dewlap depending from the throat. The horns are longer than those of the bull, smaller, and fine even to the ])ase, and of a lighter color, and tipped with yellow. The animal is light in the \\dthers ; the shoulders a little oblique ; the breast deep, and the bosom open and wide., particularly as contrasted with .the fineness of the withers. The fore legs are wide apart, looking like pillars that have to support a great weight. The point of the shoulder is rarely or never seen. There is no projec- tion of bone, but there is a kind of level line running on to the neck. Characteristics and Iipiportant Points. Angular bony projections are never found in a beast that carries much flesh and fat. The fineness of the withers, the slanting direction of the shoulder, and •.he broad and open breast, imply strength, speed, and aptitude to fatten. A narrow-chested animal can never be useful either for workino- or grazing. With all the lightness of the Devon ox, there is a point about him, dis- liked in the blood or riding horse, and not approved in the horse of li