54 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY 



C AUSE> 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 afterwards, 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 con- 

 sequence is, the brain is unduly 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 converting 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. 



REMEDIES. Before remedies are attempted it 

 must first be ascertained what has caused the 

 staggers ; as the mad staggers present exactly the 

 same symptoms in their early stage. In this dis- 

 order, as may well be supposed, medicine will have 

 but little effect, from the gorged condition of the 

 stomach. Some veterinary surgeons recommend 

 bleeding ; but we have never found this attended 

 with any beneficial effects, as what must naturally 

 debilitate the system can hardly be expected to aid 

 the action of the stomach. Probably the safest plan 

 is to allow nature to work its own cure, by abstaining 

 from giving food. But as we know of no certain 

 remedy for this disease, we should carefully guard 

 against promoting it. 



It is no uncommon occurrence for farmers and 

 others keeping a number of horses to lose several of 



