348 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



teeth, and more i:»articularly in connection with the canine 

 teeth, which also are much longer than in a young animal, 

 or, if short, present on their free extremity each a flat 

 surface, looking much as though the tooth had been sawn 

 off. After the animal has reached the age of eight years 

 it becomes somewhat difficult to ascertain his age correctly 

 by means of the teeth, but by practice and close observation 

 one may become j)retty proficient. There are also general 

 indications of the advance of old age aside from those 

 afforded by the teeth, as deepening of the hollows over the 

 eyes, the appearance of grey hairs on various parts of the 

 body, and more particularly about the eyes and muzzle, pen- 

 dulous lips, the withers become high and sharp, the animal 

 becomes more or less sway -backed, the space between the 

 thighs gradually increases in size as the animal advances in 

 age, and there is a general appearance of feebleness and 

 decay. A crib-biter may be known by the peculiar appear- 

 ance of his teeth, which are worn off on their anterior aspect. 

 Such a horse may often deceive the best judge by a year or 

 two. Some difficulty may also be experienced in arriving 

 at the exact age of a horse, from the fact that some colts 

 are foaled late, and some are foaled early in the season. 



Cattle. — The teeth of the ox are thirty-two in number, 

 consisting of eight incisors and twenty-four molars. The 

 incisors present a well-marked neck, and are shovel-shaped. 

 They are loosely placed, and are situated in the lower jaw, 

 there being none in the upper jaw, which, instead, is fur- 

 nished with a cartilaginous pad, against which the incisors 

 of the lower jaw play. The age of the ox is usually ascer- 

 tained by an examination of the horns, but when it becomes 

 important that the age of the animal should be definitely 

 stated the teeth should be referred to. The incisors, if not 

 up at birth, are usually up within one month after birth. 

 The temporary, molars appear about the same time. The 

 various changes take place sooner in the mouth of a well- 



