122 



HORSE— DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 



on sprinkling the chloroform over the 

 cap of flannel, it may be applied or re- 

 moved in an instant, and the amount of 

 anaesthesia regulated accordingly. With- 

 out some guard such as the wire affords, 

 the chloroform runs over the nostrils and 

 lips, and blisters them to a serious ex- 

 tent; but when it is used, such an ac- 

 cident can only occur from over-satur- 

 ating the flannel. The necessary quantity 

 of this powerful agent must be employed; 

 but when once it is found that a prick of 

 a pin or other pointed instrument is borne 

 without shrinking, the flannel may be 

 withdrawn, and the operation quickly 

 commenced, taking care to have an 

 assistant ready to put it on again if the 

 horse shows signs of returning sensibility 

 to pain. Six or eight ounces of chloro- 

 form must be provided, as the quantity 

 required is rather uncertain, the average 

 dose being about three or four ounces. 



If casting is objected to, either from 

 the absence of hobbles, or from fear of 

 injury to the horse, a soft bed of straw 

 should be provided, and a strong halter 

 must be put over the muzzle with two 

 cords, one of which should be held by a 

 man on each side. These will serve to 

 guide the horse in falling; but it is ex- 

 tremely difficult to make sure of his going 

 down where he is wanted to lie; and 

 there is also considerable time lost in se- 

 curing him after he is down, which the 

 safety of the operator imperatively re- 

 quires. The effect of the chloroform 

 must therefore be kept up for a much 

 longer time than if it is given after the 

 horse is cast and secured. 



HORSE, Confining the Horse, Methods 

 of. — There are various plans adopted by 

 veterinary surgeons to bind the horse's 

 limbs, so that he cannot injure himself or 

 them when undergoing an operation. 

 Even when chloroform is employed, some 

 coercion of this kind must generally be 

 adopted, as directed in the last section ; 

 for if it is given in the standing position, 

 the horse is very apt to injure himself in 

 falling, which is often accompanied by 

 powerful convulsive motions, and more- 

 over he cannot with certainty be placed 

 in a suitable position. The plan adopted 

 by Mr. Rarey is seldom suitable, because 

 it can only be employed on subjects 

 taught to go down without resistance, for 

 the severe struggle which the untaught 



horse makes before he submits is calcu- 

 lated to produce injurious constitutional 

 disturbance, and, moreover, it would 

 sadly increase any of the various diseases 

 of the limbs for which operations are so 

 often performed. Sometimes, however, it 

 might advantageously be introduced into 

 veterinary surgery, as for instance in cas- 

 tration, when the colt will not suffer his 

 hind legs to be touched, but even then it 

 will be necessary to throw him two or 

 three times, or he will be in such a state 

 of arterial excitement that inflammation 

 will be likely to follow. The usual meth- 

 ods of confinement are: ist. The hob- 

 bles. 2d. The side line. 3d. The trevis,. 

 or break. 4th. The twitch and barna- 

 cles. 



Hobbles consist of four broad padded 

 leather straps, provided with strong buck- 

 les, and long enough to encircle the 

 pasterns. To each of these an iron ring 

 is stitched, and to one of them a strong,. 

 soft rope, six yards in length, is securely 

 attached. Provided with four, or, if pos- 

 sible, five assistants, the operator buckles 

 the hobble with the rope attached to the 

 near fore leg, and the remaining three to 

 the other legs. Then passing the rope 

 through their rings, and through the first 

 also, it is held by three assistants, the 

 nearest of whom stands about a yard 

 from the horse, so as to pull upwards as. 

 well as away from him; a fourth assistant 

 holds him by the head to keep him quiet, 

 and to be ready to fall on it as soon as he 

 is down, and the fifth stands at his quar- 

 ters, ready to push him over on his off 

 side. This place is sometimes occupied 

 by the operator himself when he is short 

 of hands. Casting should never be at- 

 tempted on any hard surface, a thick bed 

 of straw being necessary to prevent injury 

 from the heavy fall which takes place. 

 The hind legs should be brought as far 

 forward as possible before beginning to. 

 pull the rope, and when the men do this 

 they should do it " with a will," but with- 

 out jerking, so as to take the horse off his 

 guard, when he will resist much less 

 stoutly than if he is allowed more time. 

 As soon as the legs are drawn up to- 

 gether, the man at the quarters is quite 

 safe from injury, and he may lean forcibly 

 against that part, and force the horse over 

 to the off side, upon which he falls ; the- 

 assistant at the head keeping that part 



