68 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



STOMACH-STAGGERS. 



Symptoms. — This disease is indicated by the dull, stupid, 

 sleepy appearance of the horse, and he staggers about ir 

 his stall. He seems unconscious of what he is doing, and 

 if roused from his lethargy will probably take a mouthful 

 of hay, in a few seconds desist from chewing, and the hay 

 will fall from his mouth. Many instances have occurred, 

 when the disease has been allowed to acquire an ascen- 

 dancy, that the horse would drop down and die while in the 

 act of eating. In other cases the drowsiness goes ofip, and 

 is succeeded by delirium ; and after falling, rising, and 

 staggering about, will die in convulsions. The stomach- 

 staggers are indicated by a twitching in the breast, and 

 a yellowness in the eyes. 



Cause. — Over-feeding is too often the cause of this sad 

 disease, and especially if the food is of a bad quality. 

 Careless servants will too often neglect a horse ; and after- 

 wards, by food being placed before him while ravenously 

 hungry, he will swallow it rapidly and in too large quantity, 

 without being properly masticated, consequently it swells 

 in the stomach, and thus stretches it far beyond its natural 

 capacity : its action is thereby impaired ; the consequence 

 is, the brain is undaly acted upon, and giddiness and 

 drowsiness induced, which occasion staggering. Besides 

 the horse being allowed to eat in this manner, the groom 

 may neglect to give the animal water to assist it in con- 

 verting it into a pulp and facilitating the operation of 

 digestion, the natural juices of the stomach, from its gorged 

 state, being inadequate to the performance of their office, 



Eemedies. — Before .remedies are attempted it must first 

 be ascertamed what has caused the staggers ; as the mad 

 staggers present exactly the same symptoms in their early 



