BODY OF THE HORSE, ITS EXTERNAL ACCIDENTS AND DISEASES. 37.") 



States, and occurs in all classes, breeds and ages of horses; sometimes in 

 single scattered cases and sometimes affects a major portion of a herd. 



Causes. — The cause is unknown, but it is thought to be due to germs of 

 some sort in the her])age that causes the inHamnuition of the bones that leads 

 on to the degeneration of them. It can not be attributed to any i)articular 

 kind of food, for it occurs in horses on hay and grain, in colts at grass, in 

 horses with good care as well as in the starved and abused ones. 



How to know It. — Slow, painful mastication with an inclination to chew 

 on one side of the mouth by turning the sore side up, and twisting the head, 

 will be the first symptoms noticed. After a few days the side of the face 

 v/ill begin to swell in the region of the fangs of the molar teeth; great ten- 

 derness will be evinced upon pressure; the gums will swell and extend down 

 between the teeth; specula? of bone pierce through and make the surface 

 rough {md cause bloody saliva to flow profusely from the mouth. After the 

 disease attains to considerable size the nose will turn over towards the sound 

 side; the lining of the nose swells so as to almost obstruct the breathing, 

 giving rise to considerable roaring. If the skin is pierced the bone will be 

 found to be easily punctured. When the back and legs are affected he will 

 be stiff" and lame with or without local swelling or soreness, resembling 

 rheumatism, when suddenly, with some exertion, he will break down in some 

 joint, usually the fetlock. This sometimes occurs when rising from a recum- 

 bent to a standing position, or when being driven. 



What to do. — In the early stage it oftentimes can l)e helped by giving 



a change of food or pasture, and giving the following powder, night and 



morning, for a month, in soft food: 



Half an ounce of hyposulphite of soda, 



Two drachms pi-ecipitated phosphate of lime. Mix, and give as one dose. 



See that the drinking water is good, and give plenty of common salt. 

 V. Exostosis of the Jaw. 



This consists in the growth of bony tumors on the lower jaw, where 

 they are quite often seen. 



Causes. — It is usually caused by some ex- 

 ternal injury, often by the curb-chain. 



How to know it. — They are sometimes 

 spread over a large portion of the jawbone, with 

 a very broad base; sometimes they are in the 

 form of little nodules the size of the end of a bony tumor. 

 man's thumb, with a very small base. They caused by curb-chain. 

 become perfectly hard and do nt) harm, usually, further than to be an eyesore. 



What to do. — Treatment is useless, owing to the late stage of the 

 inflammation. If the true nature of the disease is known while the tumor 

 is forming, repeated blistering with No. 10 will do much good. 



