In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 141 



of equal bulk. To prevent as far as possible any 

 unusual flow of blood to this part, Nature has adopted 

 a curious but, as usual, wise plan. The arteries are 

 made to pursue an extremely winding and circuitous 

 course, and enter the skull through small holes in the 

 bony process. These holes are so small that they admit 

 of but little enlargement of the blood-vessels, and 

 thus to a great extent the chances of inflammation are 

 lessened. Yet, notwithstanding this beautiful provision 

 of an all-wise and far-seeing Creator, the horse is 

 liable to be afflicted with disease of the brain, often 

 from the want of brains in the so-called superior 

 animal, man, by his subjecting the horse to violent 

 and injudicious exercise and hard driving or riding in 

 warm weather. It is but seldom that we find horses 

 attacked with megrims when riding, and it seems 

 principally horses in harness that are subject to 

 this disease. Hard driving in warm weather forces 

 the blood to the head, and distends the arteries of the 

 head more than the veins, the consequence being that 

 the small vessels covering the brain get gorged with 

 blood, and then its bulk is increased to such an extent 

 that it produces undue pressure upon the organs of 

 the nerves, which is followed by loss of power and 

 even consciousness. Frequently the horse will stagger 

 backwards and fall, the result being disastrous to the 

 horse and all who may have the misfortune to be 

 sitting behind it. A tight curb or collar with over- 

 driving is too often the cause. It is a disease that is 

 rarely met with except in the months of June, July, 

 and August. Megrims is the name of the simplest 



