VETERINARY DEPARTMENT. 149 



to dust is to bum it into caustic lime, and when this slakes in water, or, better 

 etill, air-slakes, by taking up water and carbonic acid from tlio air, the pulver- 

 ization is most complete, and the material is in the best condition to be applied 

 to the soil 



The dose of marl to the acre is from 30 to 100 bushels. For arable soils and 

 light lands 30 bushels will do. On lauds having a large excess of vegetable 

 matter, as in muck beds, tlie larger dose is desirable. There is little danger of 

 injuring the soil by a heavy dose of marl, whereas an excessive dose of caustio 

 lime may produce lasting injury. The marl is "mild," and entirely wanting in 

 the burning qualities of caustic lime. 



R. C. KEDZTE, 

 Agricultural College, ) Professor of Chemistry. 



December 1, 1885. f 



No. 10.— VETEKmARY DEPARTMENT. 

 A DISEASE AMONG HORSES THE RESULT OF INJUDICIOUS FEEDING. 



In the spring of the year it is generally a matter of much consideration 

 amongst farmers to have their horses in the best condition possible to do the 

 work necessary at this season, and after a severe winter, w^hich we often have 

 in northern latitudes, many matters in the shape of extra farm work 

 accumulate, which would have, weather permitting, been done before; and 

 there is the spring plowing to be done, which, with a good pair of horses 

 up to their work and in high spirits, becomes a much lighter task for the 

 lover of horse flesh who tills the soil. We can scarcely wonder then that 

 such a man will feed his horses well, and upon the most nutritious food 

 while they are resting, recruiting as it were, in order that they may be the 

 better able to perform their various duties when the time comes, and thus, 

 through the error of liberality, quite a number of animals are sacrificed, 

 ^'killed by kindness" every year. Again we find at this season of the year 

 that horses kept for pleasure, or very light work, are often compelled to 

 remain in the stable for several days, owing perhaps to inclement weather, 

 and as such horses are generally pretty liberally fed and in high condition, 

 they are frequently affected with the comjjlaint which I am about to 

 describe; but before doing so perhaps it may be better to settle upon a name 

 for the disorder, and although this may appear to some an easy matter, or 

 may be one of little importance, yet this very point has given rise to con- 

 siderable controversy as to the cause, seat and other matters in connection 

 with the disease — for instance, it has been called '"'Congestion of the loins," 

 but I have seen cases where the muscles of the shoulders were alone affected. 

 In the State of Michigan I have from time to time seen the disease referred to 

 in agricultural papers as "Red w^ater," but this is misleading from the fact 

 that in some of the worst cases the water (urine) is not red ; besides it differs 

 from a disease of that name in the bovine tribe in several respects, among 

 others the cause. Without however commenting at any length upon the 

 name, let me say that the one by which it is generally recognized in this 

 country by veterinarians is Azoturia, a name given to it from the fact that 

 the urine has been found to contain an undue proportion of nitrogen during 



