DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE 109 



passes into the nostrils than can pass into the lungs, this 

 being due to the wasting of the muscles of the larnyx, or 

 Adam's apple. This condition causes the passage through 

 the larnyx to be smaller than natural. The air rushing 

 through this small passage into the lungs acts on the vocal 

 cords, thus causing this peculiar sound. 



Causes. — This disease sometimes follows laryngitis, dis- 

 temper or influenza, especially if the horse be put to work 

 too soon after recbvering from them. It may also be heredi- 

 tary, that is when the sire or dam of the horse has been 

 affected with roars. It may be caused by tight reining. 

 Horses with very long necks and narrow jaws are liable to 

 become roarers. 



Symptoms. — So long as the animal is not excited he is 

 almost free from it, but if he is worked or driven hard he 

 will show it quickly. 



Treatment. — If this disease is once well established it is 

 incurable, but in cases where the disease is just developing, 

 give 



Iodide of Potash % pound. 



Nitrate of Potash or Saltpetre Y\ pound. 



Mix thoroughly and give a teaspoonful twice a day, night 

 and morning, in his feed. Blister the throat with 



Ground Spanish Flies or Cantharides 1 dram. 



Biniodid of Mercury Yz dram. 



Vaseline, or Lard 1 ounce. 



Mix thoroughly together and apply around the throat. 

 Rub in well and grease in three days afterwards. If he is 

 not better in a month, blister again. In very bad cases it is 

 sometimes well to perform tracheotomy, leaving the tube in 

 the throat all the time except when taken out to clean, which 

 should be done about every second day. We have known 

 horses to work very well for a long time with the tube left in 

 the throat that would be entirely useless without it This 

 operation is described elsewhere under the head of "Tracheo- 

 tomy." 



8. Spasms of the Muscles of the Larynx or Adam's Apple. 

 This disease is not very often met with, but we find it 



sometimes affecting old horses.* 



Cause. — The cause of this disease is not known. 

 Symptoms. — The animal may appear in perfect health 



when he will be seized suddenly with a violent fit of cough- 



