232 



A DICTIONARY. 



lished, so that the horse soon accommo- 

 dates himself to the loss. 



Catarrh, or Cold. — This is, perhaps, a 

 disorder more common in horses than any 

 other. The author attributes some colds (in 

 this city) to the bountiful use of Cochituate 

 water. When the horse has just arrived 

 from a journey, or is in a state of perspira- 

 tion, the showering process, so much in 

 fashion just now, is decidedly injmious. If 

 the legs of the animal are sluiced with water, 

 and he is afterwards suffered to stand where 

 a current of air blows on him, he is likely to 

 take cold. Horses accustomed to warm 

 clothing and warm stables are, of course, 

 most liable to cold. The symptoms are 

 cough, dulness, want of appetite, discharge 

 from the nostrils, frequently accompanied 

 by sore throat and difficvilty of swallowing. 



Catarrh, Epidemic. — The epidemic ca- 

 tarrh is so named from its spreading over a 

 country as a general disorder, often for a 

 considerable time. When the disease is so 

 prevalent, it is supposed to depend on a cer- 

 tain state of the atmosphere. 



Catheter. — A gum elastic tube, for the 

 purpose of di-awing off the urine. The one 

 used for the horse is about four feet in 

 length. 



Caustics. — Preparations that destroy 

 the part to which they are applied. 



Cellular Membrane. — The substance 

 by which various parts of the body are 

 united to each other. The cells of which 

 this structure is composed communicate 

 with each other; which is proved by mak- 

 ing a small opening in Ihe skin of an ani- 

 mal, introdvicing a blow-pipe, and blowing 

 through it, by which the adjacent skin will 

 puff up ; if sufficient power were employed, 

 the air may be thus forced all over the body. 



Cerebellum. — The small brain. It is 

 situated immediately behind the cerebrum, 

 or large brain, and upon the origin of the 

 spinal marrow. 



Chest Founder. — (See Founder.) 



Chronic. — A term used to denote a dis- 

 ease of long standing, unaccompanied by 

 fever or inflammation. 



Chyle. — A milky fluid, formed by the 



action of the gastric, pancreatic, and bilious 

 fluids. Chyle is absorbed and carried by 

 the lacteals to the thoracic duct; but, pre- 

 vious to its arrival there, it passes through 

 the mesenteric glands, where, probably, it 

 undergoes some change. 



Cicatrix. — The mark that remains after 

 a sore, wound, or ulcer has been healed. 



Circulation of the Blood. — (See 

 Heart.) 



Clipping. — Cutting the long, rough hair 

 of a horse. It is chiefly done to improve 

 the appearance of the horse. The author 

 doubts its utility. (See article Hair, part 

 first.) 



Clothing. — A pernicious custom is 

 often adopted of keeping horses clothed in 

 the stable ; making no difference in the 

 warmth of the clothes, whatever the season 

 of the year or the state of the weather may 

 be. (This custom is not so prevalent here 

 as in England.) In a good stable, it is 

 probable that even in winter it might be dis- 

 pensed with ; and a horse will then be much 

 less liable to take cold, when he happens to 

 stand in a cold wind or rain. When a horse 

 is moulting, or shedding his coat, light cloth- 

 ing might be useful ; and, at such periods, 

 showering, or standing out in the rain, 

 would be very injurious. In summer, the 

 horse should have a net throAvn over him to 

 protect him from the flies. 



Clysters, or Glysters. — A liquid 

 preparation, forced into the rectum by means 

 of a syringe. 



Coffin Bone, or Os Pedis. — The bone 

 which is inclosed by the hoof. 



Coffin Joint. — (See Hoof.) 



Colic. — A very common disease in 

 horses. It begins with an appearance of 

 uneasiness ; he paws his litter ; sometimes 

 makes ineffectual attempts to stale ; stamps 

 with his feet ; gathers up his legs, and lies 

 down heavily ; groans, and looks round to 

 his flank ; lies down heavily again, as before, 

 and rolls on his back. The body sometimes 

 swells. If relief is not promptly afforded, 

 all the above symptoms gradually increase ; 

 the pulse becomes quick, the breathing dis- 

 turbed, and the pain is so great that a vio- 



