CHAPTER XVIII 



COMMON DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT 



This is a wide field to discuss. If the subject 

 is to be taken up professionally, a reference to the 

 article on "The Veterinary Profession" should 

 be read afresh and the " Matric " passed without 

 delay, and the would-be vet a student in real 

 earnest as soon as possible. 



But if common diseases are to be viewed purely 

 from an amateur's hobby, in order to save a vet's 

 bill — which it may not accomplish ; indeed, quite 

 the reverse — then a clear knowledge of anatomy 

 and veterinary books should be gleaned; they are 

 absolutely necessary in order to grasp the subject 

 and appreciate what valuable work has been given 

 to amateurs in connection with equine literature. 



Let us recommend to the reader just a few 

 first-rate books to read, and then turn our atten- 

 tion to those diseases which are very common to 

 every buyer or breeder in a fairly big way. I 

 hope that any hints gleaned may enable owners 

 to know when to send for a vet, and, in some 

 instances, to do a little amateur diagnosing and 

 even to treat a patient for the disease which it is 

 suffering from. 



It cannot be sufficiently insisted on that deter- 

 mining the nature of a disease is no easy matter. 



