DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE. 157 



NEAR SIGTHEDNESS (MYOPIA). 



This trouble is g'enerally found in horses with very full eyes. 



C^USe. — There is no particular cause for this ; the animal was 

 foaled with this disease. 



Symptoms. — The horse has a very full eye, with enlarged 

 pupils, and will shy very much, as he cannot see objects along- 

 the road at any distance. 



Treatment. — There is none, but always be careful in buying a 

 horse that he is not a shyer for it is a miserable thing. 



CHAPTER XV. 



CONTAGIOUS DISEASES AND FEVERS OF 

 THE HORSE. 



I. CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. 



SMALLPOX IN THE HORSE (VARIOLA EQUINA). 



This disease is not very often met with in America, but is 

 quite common in Europe. 



Causes. — They are same as smallpox in people, it is con- 

 tagious, and spreads from one horse to the other by germs. The 

 way the disease is carried from one horse to the other is from the 

 scales, which contain the germs, getting on the groom's clothes, 

 the saddle or harness, and in this way it is communicated to 

 another horse, where it gets into the blood and sets up the 

 disease. This disease has to run a course, and it generally takes 

 from nine days to two weeks before the animal begins to recover. 

 This disease may be communicated from the horse to the man, 

 cows or other animals, so it is well to be careful when around a 

 case of this kind and not allow the scales or scabs, which fall off 

 the horse, to get onto you. 



Symptoms. — There is more or less fever, the pulse quick and 

 weak, the animal is thirsty and does not care to eat much, red 

 patches appear upon the skin, with a small hole in the center of 

 each blotch, from which oozes a watery serum. These patches 

 vary in size and are apt to be found on any part of the body, the 

 skin becomes very sore and tender, the mouth is sore and saliva 

 keeps running away from it, the throat also seems sore and it 

 appears difficult for him to swallow. In the course of nine to 



