28 THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 



as the incentives to disease, by their action on the 

 nervous fibre, may be looked upon as very general : 

 and not unfrequently many diseases become the pre- 

 disposing and even the exciting causes of others. At 

 all times the symptoms of lesion in the natural func- 

 tions of the system should be carefully observed ; in- 

 digestion, loss of appetite, improper state of the bowels, 

 immoderate thirst or hunger, and every circumstance 

 of this nature, ought to be accurately investigated, as 

 forerunner of a diseased state. The symptoms of di- 

 sease should occupy the particular attention of the 

 practitioner, whence he will discover generally those 

 varieties of the internal condition of the body, which 

 will guide him surely and successfully in the applica- 

 tion of remedies. 



FEVERS. 



Many are the arguments that this subject has caused 

 and scarcely one author will agree with another on the 

 fevers of horses, though volumes have been written, 

 the general wish being to deteriorate the ability of the 

 first essayists, and raise up new theories on their fall. 

 However, generally they may be treated under two 

 heads — Simple or pure, and Symptomatic or local 

 fevers. 



Simple Fever. — ^Horses are subject to this fever in 

 the spring of some particular season, when it is fre- 

 quently the forerunner of some epidemic catarrh. 

 Blaine says — 



" By whatever name it may be called, there are few 



