50 TREATMENT OF DISEASES 



that, at first, the disease might have had an accidental or spontane- 

 ous origin, and finally become permaoient and transmissible ; for 

 example, glanders and farcy afford illustrations of a spontaneous 

 disease becoming contagious aiid transmissible. There must have 

 been a time when neither of the two latter diseases existed ; hence, 

 when the first subject became glandered he could not have taken it 

 by infection or by contagion, but it must have had a spontaneous 

 origin, and filially, became permanent. 



I do not pretend to urge that the active disease itself is transmis- 

 sible, yet, in certain cases, a predisposition is transferred to the 

 progeny. This may be called tJie predisposing cause ; the ordinary 

 exciting causes are those which disturb and derange the digestive 

 function. The digestive or nutritive function is deranged, both by 

 excessive and defective functional labors, or by the animal existing 

 on food that does not contain the necessary amount of nitrogenous 

 or muscle-making matter. This is the case when Indian corn is 

 used as food for a great length of time; it is hard to digest, is defi- 

 cient in nitrogen, and almost always over-distends the stomach ; for, 

 when submitted to the action of heat and the gastric fluids, it in- 

 creases in bulk to about six times its original capacity. I have no- 

 ticed that where much whole corn is fed, as in Ohio and Indiana, the 

 disease is most prevalent. 



Associated with the predisposing and exciting causes, are others : 

 for example, hard usage, sore abuse, and bad stable management. 



This disease is rarely ever heard of in England, and this may 

 be owing to the fact that the food there furnished to horses is 

 rich in phosphates and nitrogen, while corn contains more of 

 starchy matter ; which, instead of furnishing material for the prepa- 

 ration of muscular or animal matter, merely furnishes that which is 

 consumed in the process of respiration. 



TREA.TMENT OF THE DisEASE. — The Ordinary treatment, as prac- 

 ticed by some persons, is to bore into the jaw-bone and inject the 

 same with some corrosive poison; others expose the jaw-bone, and 

 saw out a section of the same ; some persons blister, or apply 

 preparations of iodine. Such treatment, I think, only tends to create 

 unnecessary irritation and pain, and cannot possibly be of any ben- 

 efit, for I contend that the disease is not local, but constitutional; 

 and the reader will, probably, after perusing this article, come to the 

 same conclusion. 



The disease has extensive ramifications in various parts of the 

 bony fabric, and therefore the local treatment must fail in curing the 

 malady. Cases may arise which require surgical operations, and if 

 so, I have no objections to offer. 



I have often been told that horses, after having all sorts of bar- 

 barities practiced on them, have recovered ; this, so far as the treat- 

 ment is concerned, is in accordance with the spirit of the old error. 

 " He got well after taking my medicine ; therefore, in consequence 

 of taking it." This is assuming a falsehood as a fact, and then giving 

 fanciful reasons for it. 



In view both of prevention and cure of this organic disease ot 

 the bones and their articulations, more is lo be accomplished by 

 regimen than by medicine. 'J'he animal should alwa\ s be ])rovidcd 

 with wholesome diet, and whenever green vegetables can be ob- 



