DISEASES OF THE TEETH. 15* 



und crielly exacting from them, services far beyond their powers, iizir age doet no* 

 Average a sixth part of that of the last-mentioned hcrse. The scientific author of the 

 14 Animal Kingdom" declares, that " it may be safely asserted, that m( re horses are 

 consumed in England, in every ten years, than in any other country in the world in 

 ten times that period, except those which perish in war." 



This affair has, with the English, been too long considered as one of mere j<rofi 

 md loss ; and it has been thought to be cheaper to bring the young horse early into 

 work, and prematurely to exhaust his strength, than to maintain him for a long period, 

 and at a considerable expense, almost useless. The matter requires much considera- 

 tion, and much reformation, too. 



DISEASES OF THE TEETH. 



Of the diseases of the teeth in the horse, we know little. Carious or hollow teeth 

 are occasionally, but not often, seen ; but the edges of the grinders, from the wearing 

 off of the enamel, or the irregular growth of the teeth, become rough, and wound the 

 inside of the cheek; it is then necessary to adopt a summary, but effectual method of 

 cure ; namely, to rasp them smooth. Many bad ulcers have been produced in the 

 mouth by the neglect of this. 



The teeth sometimes grow irregularly in length, and this is particularly the case 

 with the grinders, from not being in exact opposition to each other when the mouth 

 is shut. The growth of the teeth still going on, and there being no mechanical 

 opposition to it, one of the back teeth, or a portion of one of them, shoots up con- 

 siderably above the others. Sometimes it penetrates the bars above, and causes 

 soreness and ulceration ; at other times it interferes partially, or altogether, with the 

 grinding motion of the jaws, and the animal pines away without the cause being 

 suspected. Here the saw should be used, and the projecting portion reduced to a 

 level with the other teeth. The horse that has once been subjected to this operation 

 should afterwards be frequently examined, and especially if he loses condition : and, 

 indeed, every horse that gets thin or out of condition, without fever, or other apparent 

 cause, should have his teeth and mouth carefully examined, and especially if, without 

 any indication of sore throat, he quids partly chewing and then dropping his food, 

 or if he holds his head somewhat on one side, while he eats, in order to get the food 

 between the outer edges of the teeth. A horse that has once had very irregular teeth 

 is materially lessened in value, for, although they may be sawn down as carefully as 

 possible, they will project again at no great distance of time. Such a horse is to all 

 intents and purposes unsound. In order to be fit for service, he should be in posses- 

 sion of his full natural powers, and these powers cannot be sustained without perfect 

 nutrition, and nutrition would be rendered sadly imperfect by any defect in the 

 operation of mastication. Not only do some diseases of the teeth render the act of 

 mastication difficult and troublesome, but, from the food acquiring a foetid odour 

 during its detention in the mouth, the horse acquires a distaste for aliment altogether. 



The continuance of a carious tooth often produces disease of the neighbouring ones, 

 and of the jaw itself. It should therefore be removed, as soon as its real state is 

 evident. Dreadful cases of fungus haematodes have arisen from the irritation caused 

 by a carious tooth. 



The mode of extracting the teeth requires much reformation. The hammer and the 

 punch should never be had recourse to. The keyed instrument of the human subject, 

 but on a larger scale, is the only one that should be permitted. 



This is the proper place to speak more at length of the effect of dentition on the 

 system generally. Horsemen in general think too lightly of it, and they scarcely 

 dream of the animal suffering to any considerable degree, or absolute illness being 

 produced ; yet he who has to do with young horses will occasionally discover a con- 

 siderable degree of febrile affection, which he can refer to this cause alone. Fever, 

 cough, catarrhal affections generally, disease of the eyes, cutaneous affections, diar- 

 rhoea, dysentery, loss of appetite, and general derangement, will frequently be traced 

 by the careful observer to irritation from teething. 



Ifc is a rule scarcely admitting of the slightest deviation, that, when young horse* 

 are labouring under any febrile affection, the mouth should be examined, and if the 

 tuahos are prominent and pushing against the gums, a crucial incision "hould b? 



