THE HORSE HYGIENE AND SANITARY CONDITIONS. 671 



laxative and mild one. A few days at grass will correct all, or, 

 if that be not possible, sweet bran-mashes, gentle exercise, and 

 good grooming will give relief. 



The other case of " out of condition " may arise from over- 

 work and under-feeding. Here rest and grass, or rest and richer 

 feed with a bran-mash twice a week will do more than " con- 

 dition powders." The trouble may be a form of indigestion. 

 This will not be relieved by " condition powders." Let the se- 

 cretory organs be aided by good grooming, the kidneys aroused 

 by a mash with niter or saltpeter in it in small quantity, fol- 

 lowed by regular feeding of easily digested food. 



It is a good rule when the farm-horse is sick and you do n't 

 know what to do, then do nothing unless you turn him into a 

 comfortable grass-lot to rest. There are ten horses killed to 

 one cured by heavy dosing by blunderers who can not diagnose 

 a case, yet keep physicking, hoping to find something that 

 will reach the case. Better, far, give nature a chance and stop 

 the groping in the dark. If we do not know enough to add to 

 the comfort of the horse, let us be kind enough not to add to 

 his troubles. Tonics may be of great value where properly ad- 

 ministered. They should not be often repeated. Such a course 

 will surely be followed by obstinate dyspeptic troubles, which 

 are forerunners of declining health. 



Hospital. Every farm should have some place where the 

 sick of every flock or herd can be made comfortable and treated 

 apart from the other animals. This is especially important in 

 cases of contagion. The barn is not complete without a roomy 

 box-stall, where a sick horse can find comfort. It should be 

 well-lighted, roomy, well-ventilated, cool in summer and warm 

 in winter. Such a place will find use many times in the year 

 where much stock is kept. The mares at foaling-time, cows at 

 calving-time, will find protection and comfort here for themselves 

 and helpless young. In this age of hog-cholera the swine- 

 breeder can not safely allow a sick pig to remain in his herd. 

 It is a wise and safe rule to remove at once from the herd or 

 litter any pig that is sick. The facility with which diseases 

 spread among swine makes this precaution imperative. 



