140 HEALTH AND DISEASE 



remedy is the application of moisture, which possibly may mean the fre- 

 quent removal of the horse from the dry ground into a shed or other place 

 where the soil can be kept moist. It may be taken as a golden rule that 

 moisture is essential for the maintenance of a healthy condition of the hoof 

 horn, and that no other outward application is necessary. 



Vices. — Certain habits which horses acquire while standing in the 

 stable, habits which depend upon peculiarity of temper and constitution in 

 some cases, while in others they are due to imitation, require correction, as 

 far as it may be possible to correct them. Crib-biting and wind-sucking are 

 perfectly well known to horse-owners; weaving, a singular habit of moving 

 the head from side to side; drawing the halter-ropes by the attached 

 blocks up and down through the manger -rings; and the extremely un- 

 pleasant habit of kicking, particularly at night, are all of them productive 

 of a great deal of annoyance, and some of them — crib-biting and wind-suck- 

 ing for example — are distinctly injurious, the two latter deserving to be 

 classed under the head of unsoundness, as they certainly cause damage to 

 the teeth, and lead to attacks of colic, loss of condition, and even more 

 serious affections, and certainly render an animal less capable of performing 

 the work which is required of it, than it otherwise would be. 



All these stable vices are fully considered in the chapter devoted to 

 that subject. 



HYGIENICS APPLIED TO DISEASED ANIMALS 



In the case of horses suffering from any kind of sickness, the principles 

 of hygiene can only be applied for the purpose of assisting the restoration of 

 health, as it would be impossible to preserve what has already been lost. 

 Undoubtedly it is the case that sanitary laws should be more strictly 

 applied in cases of sickness than during health, and their strict application 

 should have relation to everthiner connected with stable management. 



Isolation. — First, the subject of strict isolation has to be considered. 

 At the commencement of an attack of illness it is impossible to determine, 

 in many instances, whether or not the disease is infectious; in fact, it is 

 even at present, notwithstanding our great advance in the knowledge of 

 pathology, doubtful in respect of many diseases, whether they are infectious 

 or non-infectious, and at any rate, at the outset, separation of the sick 

 animal from the healthy is a simple precaution which should never be 

 neglected, if it is possible to enforce it. 



Food is the next subject, and it is rather remarkable that in regard to 

 sick animals, as well as to sick persons, a question which is most anxiously 

 asked is, what is the patient likely to fancy to cat. It was remarked by a 



