i6 TREATMENT OF DISEASES 



cell arrangement springs innumerable venous radicles. The spleen 

 being very spongy, and porous, is capable of undergoing great dis- 

 tension, without danger of rupture ; in fact, it sometimes acquires 

 an enormous size, without loss of continuity. The spleen is deli- 

 cately organized with nerves, and presents an intricate net-work of 

 absorbents ; the nerves of the spleen are given off from the cffiliac 

 plexus. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the spleen does not perform the 

 functions just alluded to, it is a very important organ, and serves as 

 a diverticulum to the liver; when thus employed it tends to prevent 

 congestion of the liver. 



BIG-HEAD AND BIG-JAW. 



Preliminary. — The terms big-head and big-jaw are used by 

 husbandmen and others in Ohio, and indeed throughout the great 

 West and South, to designate a disease of the bony structure of 

 the horse, a disease about which very little, of a reliable character, 

 has ever been said or written. Yet the subject is one of great im- 

 portance to the people of this country, for the simple reason that the 

 evil is one of alarming proportions, and should the disease multiply 

 In a ratio equal to that of the few past years, it will be a terrible 

 blow to the laudable and hitherto profitable enterprise of raising 

 colts, in sections v\"here this disease prevails. 



I do not wish to create any unnecessary alarm, but I urge the hus- 

 bandmen of the South and South -West, to give this subject their 

 earnest consideration; for the disease probably has an heredi- 

 tary origin — "is inbred," and that, as the saying is, "constitutes 

 the root of the evil," and the disease having been pronounced incura- 

 ble, our only hopes of success in putting a stop to its propagation 

 and development, is to adopt preventive measures by rejecting, as 

 breeders, all animals — sire and dam — that show the least predisposi- 

 tion to or for this affection. Let the reader understand that the 

 disease itself is incurable, in so far as the enlargement, dilatation, 

 and softening of the jaw bones is concerned; yet like spavin, ring- 

 bone and various other diseases, it is accompanied, in certain stages, 

 by lameness, and our services as physicians, are only secured in view 

 of removing this lameness, so that the animal may be enabled to 

 perform the ordinary equine duties; this is what some pei'sons please 

 to term a cure, whereas, it almost always happens that some altera- 

 tion in the structure of the parts remains, which actually renders the 

 horse unsound, because he has that about him, which may from over- 

 work, or other exciting causes, impair his usefulness. 



As regards the "alarming" features of big-head or big-jaw, I 

 would inform the reader, that almost every lame horse, examined by 

 me during a period of six months, had either one or the other of the 

 jaws enlarged; in some cases- one angle of the lower jaw was the 

 seat of thickening and enlargement, but among the majority both 

 angles were affected.* 



* These remarks do not apply to other obvious or accidental lamenesses which are also constantly 

 occurrinj;. 



