330 OPERATIONS ON THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



endeavor to accomplisli tlie act without pain. The attempt seems, 

 however, to be vain ; again the mouth is opened and the same 

 flattened bolus is dropped in the manger, and this continues untH 

 the poor animal, suffering and hungry, is seen standing before a 

 rack full of hay for which he both longs and fears to touch. The 

 suffering horse will sometimes swallow his oats imjjerfectly mas- 

 ticated, but the partial chewing is performed slowly and with dif- 

 ficulty, his manner indicating the jDain it costs him ; dipping his 

 nose in the manger, chewing on the grain for a long time, and 

 impregnating it with saHva before he swallows it. Soft food, bran 

 and mashes, cooked roots, scalded grains, and the like, are the 

 only aliments that can, without difficulty with this imperfect de- 

 gree of mastication, enter into the phaiynx. 



Animals suffering with diseases of the dental apparatus are 

 often affected with coHcs. At first they may be slight and inter- 

 mittent, but they soon become more severe and more frequent. 

 They may last for several days, and may be marked by the pecu- 

 liarity that during their continuance defecation may still continue, 

 though irregular as to time, and the movements scanty in amount, 

 the foeces besides being in small and adherent lumps, and more 

 or less coated. In other cases they are soft, and the animal has a 

 tendency to be washy, and more or less to scour, but in either 

 case the droppings are more or less loaded with unmasticated 

 food. All these symptoms are manifestations resulting from an 

 imperfect digestion. 



It is easy to understand that if this condition continues for 

 any length of time the entire economy will suffer from it. The 

 animal looses flesh ; his coat becomes dull, dry and staring ; his 

 force and ardor diminish ; he sweats easily, and all his other func- 

 tions exhibit evidences of the weak condition of an organism de- 

 prived of the nutrition and strength which foUow the ingestion of 

 food thoroughly masticated and well digested. 



Having recognized these symptoms, which, if not seen by the 

 surgeon, should be brought to his attention through the history 

 of the patient; when intelhgently stated, the diagnosis may be 

 considered established. But it becomes positive only after an 

 examination of the mouth, by which the special symjotoms per- 

 taining to each alteration are elicited. 



The inspection of the mouth, which may be kept oj)en by the 

 use of the various sjDeculums, or by merely pulling the tongue 



