188 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



voii fioquently see cart-horses, when turned 

 out to grass for a few hours, spread their 

 f re-legs so extraordinarily wide, in conse- 

 quence of not being able to reach the ground 

 from the contraction and absorption of a por- 

 tion of these muscles. 



Another cause of roaring, and I may say 

 with propriety the principal cause, and that 

 is the partial absorption, or lapping over 

 the cartilego ligamentous union existing be- 

 tween each ring of the wind-pipe, (see the 

 wind-pipe of the sheep, or any other animal), 

 and this from the Horse's head being so bri- 

 dled in by the bearing rein, naturally by such 

 means contracting the air passage, (see plate), 

 for reasons before stated. Now it has beert 

 remarked by a very eminent practitioner, ami' 

 one particularly so at the Royal Veterinary 

 College, that the throat strap being buckled 

 too tight may be the cause, but how this can 

 be, I am not able to explain ; for if this was 

 the case, not one out of every cart or waggon- 

 horse would escape, especially taking into 

 consideration the heavy harness they are 

 appointed with ; this is not the case with 

 carriage or saddle-horses, whose harness is 

 of the lightest description, and especially at 

 the present day. However, having stated the 

 principle causes of roaring, it is nothing but 

 right that we should present our readers with 

 the cure. 



I must here premise that the cure of roaring 

 is difficult, or / may say, not at all practicalile ; 

 still it may be prevented, and as it is well 

 known "a preventive is better than a cure," 

 I will endeavour to describe to my readers the 

 only mode of obtaining that end ; which is 

 by altering the racks that the Horse eats his 

 hav out of; let the rack be on the ground, so 

 that the Horse's neck is on the full stretch, or 



in a state of nature, in the act of gathering hi.s 

 food ; consequently, those ligamentous attach- 

 ments of the rings of the wind-pipe become 

 elongated and placed inthtir natural situation, 

 by which means removing at once that coruga- 

 tion of the membrane, that might under other 

 circumstances become thickened, and thus by 

 reducing the air passage, the unpleasant noise 

 of roaring is set up ; for Nature never intended 

 a Horse to have his hay just opposite his nose. 

 All Horses'in India feed off the ground, and 

 it is a rare thing to meet with a roarer there. 



CHRONIC COUGH. 



Chronic cough consists in a violent action of 

 the diaphragm, and the abdominal muscles 

 producing a forcible expiration of the air from 

 the chest, with such violeiice, as is intended 

 to remove any extraneous body that may in- 

 tercept the passage of the air. Whenever it 

 accompanies a general affection of the con- 

 stitution, it most frequently takes on the 

 chronic form. Catarrh, and intlammation of 

 the lungs, are frequenlly attended witii cough ; 

 and even if those diseases are removed, chronic 

 cough supervenes. Chronic cough is a very 

 usual attendant of thick wind, and on broken 

 wind, also on glanders, and pulmonary con- 

 sumption. Worms also will produce coughs. 

 It also exists at times, without asny at- 

 tendant difficultv of breathing:, the Horse eat- 

 ing well, and appearing in good condition — a 

 chronic or permanent cough appears to affect 

 the Horse when going to stable in the morn- 

 ing, or at the different feeding times ; this is 

 in consequence of admitting the cold air into the 

 stable, which becomes a source of irritation to 

 the air passages; thus, you will see in all 

 racing stables, not the least air is allowed to 

 enter ; and what Horses in the whole worU£ 



