THE EXAMINATION OF A SICK HORSE. 21 



the feed box and eat for a Avhile without raising the head. Long 

 pauses are made while the feed is in the mouth. Sometimes the 

 horse will eat very rapidly for a little while and then slowly; the 

 jaws may be brought together so forcibly that the teetii gnash. In 

 eating hay the horse will stop at times with hay protruding from 

 the mouth and stand stupidly, as though he has forgotten what he 

 was about. 



In examining the mouth one should first look for swellings or for 

 evidence of abnormal conditions upon the exterior; that is, the front 

 and sides of the face, the jaws, and about the muzzle. By this means 

 wounds, fractures, tumors, abscesses, and disease accompanied by 

 erui)tions about the muzzle may be detected. The interior of the 

 mouth is examined by holding the head up and inserting the fingers 

 through the interdental space in such a way as to cause the mouth to 

 open. The mucous membrane should be clean and of a light-pink 

 color, excepting on the back of the tongue, where the color is a yel- 

 lowish gi-ay. As abnormalities of this region, the chief are diffuse 

 inflammation, characterized by redness and catarrhal discharge; 

 local inflammation, as from eruptions, ulcers, or wounds; necrosis 

 of the lower jawbone in front of the first back tooth ; and swellings. 

 Foreign bodies are sometimes found embedded in the mucous mem- 

 brane lining of the mouth or lodged between the teeth. 



The examination of the pharynx and of the esophagus is made 

 chiefly by pressing upon the skin covering the^e organs in the region 

 of the throat and along the left side of the neck in the jugular gutter. 

 Sometimes, when a more careful examination is necessary, an esoph- 

 ageal tube or probang is passed through the nose or mouth down the 

 esophagus to the stomach. 



Vomiting is an act consisting in the expulsion of all or part of the 

 contents of the stomach through the mouth or nose. This act is more 

 ditlicult for the horse than for most of the other domestic animals, 

 because the stomach of the horse is small and does not lie on the floor 

 of the abdominal cavity, so that the :ibdoniin:il walls in contracting 

 do not bring pressure to bear npon it so directly and forcibly, as is 

 the case in many other animals. Beside this, there is a loose fold of 

 nnu'ous membrane at the point where the esophagus enters the stoui- 

 ach, and this forms a sort of valve which docs not interfere with (he 

 passage of food into the stomach, but does interfere with the exit of 

 food through the esophageal ojiening. Still, vomitiug is a symptom 

 that is occasionally seen in the horse. It occurs when the stomach is 

 very much distended with food or with gas. Distention stretches the 

 mucous membrane and eradicates the valvular fold referred to, and 

 also makes it jK)Ssiblc for more pressure to be exerted upon the stom- 

 ach through the contraction of the abdominal muscles. Since the 



