ANIMAL DENTISTRY. 245 



2nd Step — Turn the tongue upward to expose the lower 

 surface, and by a similar incision complete the inferior half of 

 the dove-tail. 



3rd Step — Close the wound with interrupted sutures. 



After Care — Feed on soft diet and remove sutures in eight 

 days. Amputation of the tongue produces a temporary in- 

 convenience in the prehension of liquids but is otherwise a 

 harmless operation. The above method leaves a flat ex- 

 tremity similar to that of a normal tongue. 



BIT-LUGGING. 



Definition — A fault or habit of coach, light-harness and 

 saddle horses, consisting of a constant or periodical tendency 

 to pull heavily upon the bit. 



Etiology — Dental irregularities, while never the primary 

 cause of the habit, irritate the seat of the bit and render its 

 cure impossible, by aggravating the animal's temper. 



The whip, reinsman or equestrian recognizes three dis- 

 tinct classes of bit-luggers. The first is the young horse 

 that lugs from failure to understand the nature of the 

 complicated bitting riggings applied for the first time; the 

 second class comprises the mature horse that has developed 

 the habit from improper training; and the third class is the 

 lugger by nature that will "pull to the end of the road" in 

 spite of the punishment inflicted by severe bits. 



Complications — Bit gnathitis from severe pressure and 

 lacerations of the buccal surface opposite the first and second 

 superior molars from friction of the cheek against the sharp 

 enamel points are certain to result in the lugging horse, and 

 in turn these injuries, which are frequently of no small pro- 

 portions, are prone to augment a bad disposition. 



Treatment — The treatment of bit-lugging belongs more 

 to the domain of that part of horse training known as "bit- 

 ting" or "mouthing" a horse than that of dentistry. The 



