70 



HORSE—DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 



swelling, if there is any, subsides, and, in 

 process of time, the thorn will either 

 show its base, or it will gradually free it- 

 self from its attachments and lie beneath 

 the skin, from which position it may 

 be safely extracted with the knife. 



HORSE, Thoracic Organs and their 

 Appendages, Diseases of the. — The im- 

 portance of soundness in the respiratory 

 apparatus is so fully recognized, that in 

 common parlance it is put before the or- 

 gans of locomotion, a popular expression 

 being "sound wind and limb." It is 

 true that good wind is useless without 

 legs; but the diseases of the latter are 

 known to be more under control than 

 those of the chest, and hence it is, per- 

 haps, that the wind is so carefully scrutin- 

 ized by all purchasers of horses. There 

 is, also, much greater difficulty in ascer- 

 taining the condition of the lungs and 

 their appendages, and the ordinary ob- 

 server can only judge of them by an ab- 

 solute trial; while the state of the legs 

 may be seen and felt, and that of the feet 

 can be tolerably well ascertained by a 

 very short run upon hard ground. So, 

 also, with the acute diseases of these 

 parts; while the legs and feet manifest 

 the slightest inflammation going on in 

 them by swelling and heat, the air-passa- 

 ges may be undergoing slow but sure de- 

 struction, without giving out any sign 

 that can be detected by any one but the 

 practiced veterinarian. In most of the 

 diseases of the chest there is disturbance 

 of the breathing, even during a state of 

 rest ; but in some of them, as in roaring, 

 for instance, no such evidence is afford- 

 ed, and the disease can only be detected 

 by an examination during, or immedi- 

 ately after, a severe gallop. 



HORSE, Catarrh, or Cold.— Catarrh 

 may be considered under two points of 

 view — either as an inflammation of the 

 mucous membrane of the nasal cavities, 

 accompanied by slight general fever; or 

 as an ephemeral fever of three or four 

 days' duration, complicated with this con- 

 dition of the nose. The latter is, perhaps, 

 the more scientific definition, but for com- 

 mon purposes it is more convenient to 

 consider it as mainly consisting in the 

 most prominent symptom. There is in- 

 variably some degree of feverishness, 

 sometimes very considerable rt others so 

 slight as to be easily passed ovci. Usually 



the pulse is accelerated to about forty or 

 fifty, the appetite is impaired, and there is 

 often sore throat, with more or less cough. 

 On examining the interior of the nostrils, 

 they are more red than natural ; at first 

 dry and swollen, then bedewed with a 

 watery discharge, which soon becomes, 

 yellow, thick, and, in bad cases, purulent, 

 The eyes are generally involved, their 

 conjunctival coat being injected with 

 blood, and often some slight weeping 

 takes place, but there is always an expres- 

 sion of sleepiness or dullness, partly owing 

 to the local condition of the organ, and 

 partly to the general impairment of the 

 health. The disease is caused in most 

 instances by a chill, either in the stable or 

 out, but sometimes, even in the mildest 

 form, it appears to be epidemic. The 

 treatment will greatly depend upon the 

 severity of the seizure; usually, a bran- 

 mash containing from six drachms to one 

 ounce of powdered nitre in it, at night, 

 for two or three consecutive periods, will 

 suffice, together with the abstraction of 

 corn, and, if the bowels are confined, a 

 mild dose of physic should be given. In 

 more severe cases, when there is cough 

 and considerable feverishness, a ball com- 

 posed of the following ingredients may be 

 given every night : 



Take of Nitrate of Potass - - 2 drachms. 



Tartarised Antimony - I drachm. 



Powdered Digitalis - }4 drachm. 



Camphor ----- 1^ drachm. 

 Linseed meal and boiling water enough to make 

 into a ball. 



If the throat is sore, an embrocation or 

 equal parts of oil, turpentine, tincture 

 of cantharides, and hartshorn, may be 

 rubbed in night and morning. 



Should the disease extend to the bron- 

 chial tubes, or substance of the lungs, the 

 treatment for bronchitis or pneumonia 

 must be adopted. 



The stable should be kept cool, taking 

 care to make up for the difference in tem- 

 perature by putting on an extra rug; 

 water should be allowed ad libitum, and 

 no corn should be given. 



Sometimes the discharge becomes 

 chronic, and it is then known by the 

 name ozena. 



HORSE, Influenza, or Distemper. — 

 This may be considered to be an epidemic 

 catarrh, but the symptoms are generally 

 more severe and leave greater prostration 

 of strength behind them. They also re- 



