A DICTIONARY. 



283 



Salivation. — A profuse and continued 

 flow of saliva. 



Sand Crack. — A perpendicular crack on 

 the side or quarter of the hoof. 



Sanies. — A bloody or greenish matter, 

 which is sometimes discharged from foul 

 ulcers. 



Sarsaparilla. — An infusion of equal 

 parts of sarsaparilla and sassafras is useful 

 for animals when the blood is loaded with 

 morbific agents. 



Scapula. — The shoulder blade. 



Scarf Skin. — (See Cuticle.) 



Scarification. — An incision of the skin 

 with a lancet. 



Scirrhus. — An indolent, hard tumor. 



Sclerotic Coat. — (See Eye.) 



Scouring. — A scouring, or purging, is 

 common among all our domestic animals. 

 It is not a disease, but only a symptom of 

 a loss of equilibrium, which may proceed 

 from improper food, exposure to the cold and 

 rain, which, of course, includes a loss of 

 caloric, or heat. There is no general rem- 

 edy, or one more speedy and effectual in 

 the onset than mucilaginous drinks com- 

 posed of slippery elm, combined with injec- 

 tions of the same. Warmth and moisture 

 to the surface, and antispasmodics (which 

 see), combined with astringents (bayberry 

 bark is the best, in doses of half a table- 

 spoonful every six hours), will seldom fail 

 to effect a cure. 



Scratches. — Troublesome sores about 

 the heels, depending on morbific agents in 

 the system ; for the cure of which, see 

 " Modern Horse Doctor." 



Scrotum. — The bag or covering of the 

 testicles. 



Secretion. — The word secretion is used 

 to express that function. 



Serum. — The watery part of the blood. 



Sessamoid Bones. — Two small bones on 

 the back part of the fetlock joint. 



Sinew-Sprung. — A term sometimes ap- 

 plied to strains in the back sinews. 



Sitfast. — A horny kind of scab, which 

 forms on the skin in consequence of a 

 saddle-gall. 



Skin. — (See Cutis.) 



Slipping. — (See Abortion.) 



Sole. — (See Foot, part first.) 



Spasm. — An involuntary and continued 

 contraction of muscles ; thus, lockjaw de- 

 pends on a spasmodic contraction of mus- 

 cles. 



Spavin. — A disease of the horse's hock, 

 which generally causes lameness. Spavins 

 are of two kinds : the bone, and the bog or 

 blood, spavin. The former consists of a 

 bony enlargement of the inside of the hock 

 joint, towards the lower part ; the latter, of 

 a soft but elastic tumor, towards the bend 

 of the joint. Mr. Percivall remarks: " Not- 

 withstanding our confessed inability to cure 

 this disease, we are often called on to treat 

 it, as to the removal of it by means of a 

 chisel, file, or saw. Although the practice 

 is exceedingly commendable in cases of 

 common exostosis, it is not so well adapted 

 to spavin ; those who employ such means 

 seldom fail to leave the parts ultimately in 

 a worse state than they found them. Our 

 most successful remedies are such as come 

 under the denomination of counter-irri- 

 tants." 



Spermatic Cord. — The vessels, etc., by 

 which the testicles are suspended, consist- 

 ing of the spermatic artery and vein, the 

 vas deferens, or seed duct, cremaster mus- 

 cle, and cellular membrane. 



Sphincter. — A name given to muscles 

 whose fibres are arranged in a circular di- 

 rection, and whose office is to shut up the 

 parts to which they are attached ; such are 

 the sphincter of the neck of the bladder, 

 and the muscles which close the funda- 

 ment. 



Spine. — The spine of the neck and back 

 is composed of many small bones named 

 vertebrae. Seven belong to the neck, eight- 

 een to the back, six to the loins, five to the 

 sacrum, and in the tail there are about thir- 

 teen. 



Spleen, or Milt. — A soft substance, of 

 a long, oval form, and purple color. It 

 seems to be a reservoir for the blood that 

 may be designed for the secretion of bile in 

 the liver. 



Splents. — These are bony excrescences, 



