DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE. 89 



Treatment. — In some cases by drenching- him with raw lin- 

 seed oil the oil will work around the oats and make it slippery and 

 he will be able to cough it out or swallow it down. It is also well 

 to hand rub him along the neck, which will sometimes help to 

 start the oats down to the stomach. He generally gets entirely 

 over it in a few hours. After a few hours, if he has not got relief, 

 it is then best to put a twitch on his nose, put a gag in his mouth, 

 and pass a probang down his throat (the probang is a long tube 

 used for relieving horses and cattle in choking) ; relieve him with- 

 out using the probang if you can. It is advisable, after bringing 

 a horse from pasture, when giving him his first feed of oats, to 

 dampen it with water, as he is not so apt to choke when the oats 

 are damp. After a horse has once choked he is more liable to 

 choke again, and to prevent this, scatter his oats well, and have a 

 few large, round stones put in the feed box so he cannot get 

 a large mouthful at a time. It is very seldom a horse will choke 

 on any kind of fruit or vegetables, such as apples, potatoes and 

 carrots, but if he does, use the above treatment. 



DILITATION OR ENLARGEMENT OF THE (ESOPHAGUS. 



The Oesophagus is the name of the tube which carries the 

 food from the gullet to the stomach, 



Causes. — From choking which causes the tube to become 

 enlarged, forming a pouch or sack where the food often becomes 

 lodged and causes symptoms of choking. 



Symptoms. — -This enlargement can be seen if in the neck 

 region. 



Treatment. — it can sometimes be relieved by rubbing on the 

 enlargement with the hand, which causes the food to pass down 

 into the stomach, thus relieving him. It also can be '^"'lieved by 

 drenching with raw linseed oil. 



SWELLING AROUND THE HEAD AND THROAT. 



This swelling is noticed around the horse's head and throat 

 just after he has been turned out to pasture for a few days, and 

 looks very alarming when first noticed. 



Causes. — it is caused by an increased flow of blood to the 

 head when the animal has his head to the ground and not being 

 used to it. 



Symptoms. — It is loose swelling around the jaws and throat 

 of the horse. When you examine it, it is not at all painful, and 

 the animal seems perfectly healthy in every other way. If the 



