— 340 — 



was through change or alteration of structure, action or function, 

 that existed in either of the parents, that disease fastened upon 

 them, and these same forms which existed in them are hkely to 

 be transmitted to the offspring, thus carrying the various forma- 

 tions of structure, which will ultimately, in all probability, produce 

 the same disease. A great number of the affections which are 

 usually styled hereditary do not make their appearance until years 

 after their birth, because it required time and work to develop 

 them. Few persons would expect a horse with cow hock (which 

 see), to become curbed without work, as a secondary cause. Tliere 

 is one other point which is worth}" of remark, in speaking of 

 hereditar}' diseases, which is that many animals, after being poorly 

 bred, have been badly fed and cared for ; whereas if good feeding 

 and care had been bestowed upon them, it would have gone a long 

 way in lessening the certaint}" of developing hereditary diseases in 

 them and their offspring. This is every day being illustrated in 

 the famih^ of men. There are several rules laid down to Vje ob- 

 served as measures to prevent and modify conditions which result 

 in producing diseases of hereditary predisposition. And there 

 have been receipts found in the temple of ^sculapius, and said to 

 be in the handwriting of Hippocrates himself, for the purpose of 

 mitigating the hereditary conditions, which are so often seen in 

 the human famil^^ Although these rules cannot, in all cases, be 

 applied to animals, nevertheless much can be done. The better 

 way will be to avoid breeding from diseased animals. So long as 

 like begets like, so long will we have hereditary diseases among 

 horses. 



Hide Bound. — This, properly speaking, is not a disease, but 

 the symptoms of a bad condition, ' out of sorts," debility, etc. 



Treatment Feed in large bulk, mixed feed — cut hay^ corn meal, 

 and bran in good proportion — with no more water than will keep 

 the particles together. Give the following powder in feed every 

 night, for twelve nights : — Powdered sulphate of iron, three 

 drachms ; powdered gentian root, four drachms. Mix. If the 

 animal is fat and yet hide bound, substitute the following, instead 

 of the above recommended : — Take sulphuret of antimony, three 

 drachms; sulphur in flour, three drachms ; sulphite of soda, half 

 an ounce. Mix, and give in one dose, repeating it ever}' night for 



