38 



HORSE— DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 



which are names given to the enlarge- 

 ments of the salivary ducts — and carious 

 teeth, or inflammation of their fangs. Be- 

 sides this, the horse is also subject to 

 sore throat, and strangles, which are ac- 

 companied by constitutional disturbance, 

 and not only occasion "quidding," if there 

 is any slight appetite, but they are also 

 generally accompanied by a loss of that 

 function. 



HORSE, Sore Throat.— When the throat 

 inflames, as is evidenced by fullness and 

 hardness of this part, and there is diffi- 

 culty of swallowing, the skin covering it 

 should immediately be severely sweated, 

 or the larynx will be involved and irre- 

 parable injury done. The tincture of 

 .cantharides diluted with an equal part of 

 spirit of turpentine and a little oil, may 

 .be rubbed in with a piece of sponge, un- 

 .til it produces irritation of the skin, 

 which in a few hours will be followed by 

 . a discharge from the part. Six or eight 

 .drachms of nitre may also be dissolved 

 , in the water which the horse drinks, with 

 . some difficulty, but still as he is thirsty he 

 will take it. Sometimes eating gives less 

 pain than drinking, and then the nitre 

 may be given with a bran mash instead 

 of the water. 



HORSE, Strangles.— Between the third 

 and fifth year of the colt's life he is gen- 

 erally seized with an acute swelling of 

 the soft parts between the branches of the 

 lower jaw, accompanied by more or less 

 sore throat, cough and feverishness. These 

 go on increasing for some days, and soon 

 an abscess shows itself, and finally bursts. 

 The salivary glands are often involved, 

 ibut the matter forms in the cellular mem- 

 brane external to them. The treatment 

 should be addressed to the control of 

 constitutional symptoms by the mildest 

 measures, such as bran mashes with nitre 

 in them, abstraction of corn, hay tea, 

 etc. At the same time the swelling 

 should be poulticed for one night, or thor- 

 oughly fomented two or three times, and 

 then blistered with the tincture of can- 

 tharides. As soon as the matter can 

 plainly be felt it may be let out with the 

 lancet; but it is very doubtful whether 

 it is not the best plan to permit the ab- 

 iscess to break. The bowels should be 

 gently moved by giving a pint, or some- 

 what less, according to age, of castor oil, 

 .and afterwards two or three drachms of 



nitre, with half a drachm of tartar emetic, 

 may be mixed with the mash twice a day, 

 on which food alone the colt should be 

 fed, in addition to gruel, and a little grass 

 or clover if these are to be had, or if not, 

 a few steamed carrots. The disease has 

 a tendency to get well naturally, but if it 

 is not kept within moderate bounds it is 

 very apt to lay the foundation of roaring 

 or whistling. Any chronic swelling which 

 is left behind may be removed by rubbing 

 in a weak ointment of biniodide of mer- 

 cury (half drachm to the ounce.) 



HORSE, Colt, Distemper. (See Horse, 

 Strangles.) 



HORSE, Lampas. — Lampas is an active 

 inflammation of the ridges, or " bars," in 

 the roof of the mouth, generally oc- 

 curring in the young horse while he is 

 shedding his teeth, or putting up the 

 tushes. Sometimes, however, it comes on, 

 independently of this cause, from over- 

 feeding with corn after a run at grass. 

 The mucous membrane of the roof of 

 the mouth swells so much that it projects 

 below the level of the nippers, and is so 

 tender that all hard and dry food is re- 

 fused. The treatment is extre/nely sim- 

 ple, consisting in the scarification of the 

 part with a sharp knife or lancet, after 

 which the swelling generally subsides, and 

 is gone in a day or two ; but should it 

 obstinately continue, as will sometimes 

 happen, a stick of lunar caustic must be 

 gently rubbed over the part every day 

 until a cure is completed. This is far 

 better than the red hot iron, whic\ was 

 formerly so constantly used, with good ef- 

 fect, it is true, and not accompanied by 

 any cruelty, as the mucous membrane is 

 nearly insensible, but the caustic is more 

 rapid and effectual in stimulating the ves- 

 sels to a healthy action, and on that score 

 should be preferred. If the lampas is 

 owing to the cutting of a grinder, relief 

 will be afforded by a crucial incision across 

 the protruding gum. 



HORSE, Barbs, Paps, Etc. — The swel- 

 ling at the mouth of the ducts may gen- 

 erally be relieved by a dose of physic 

 and green food, but should it continue, a 

 piece of lunar caustic may be held for a 

 moment against the opening of the duct 

 every second day, and after two are three 

 applications the thickening will certainly 

 disappear. 



HORSE, Vives. — Where vives, or chron- 



