14 TRANSITION FROM HEALTH TO DISEASE. 



insanity: the certain result is_, that the animal would sink 

 under his rider exhausted ; and at the time that a hunter in 

 condition was going the same pace without evincing distress. 

 Such is the nature of our animal functions, that not only 

 is the knack of doing anything acquired by practice, but 

 strength becomes added to the performance ; so that the act 

 by repetition is not only more effectually performed, but can 

 be persisted in, and continued. I believe an entertaining 

 and intelligent sporting writer, Nimrod, somewhere in his 

 " Letters,^^ observes, ^^ that a horse in condition is on the 

 brink of disease.^' Mr. Darvill makes the same observation 

 in regard to racers : " I believe," says he, " there is no state 

 or habit of body a horse can be in that renders his constitu- 

 tion so susceptible of a dangerous disease, as that of his 

 being very fat, and full of juices." 



More and later experience has taught me that there exist 

 circumstances, and those the most common, in which the 

 contrary is the case. I have frequently had occasion to 

 remark that whenever influenza seizes upon the stables 

 of the regiment (the 1st L. G.), the disease for a few weeks, 

 or it may be and has been months^ first affects the troop 

 horses, then the officers^ chargers become attacked with it. 

 This would seem to show, that condition operated in repelling 

 or postponing the attack, in rendering the animal less pre- 

 disposed. At the same time age might have combined with 

 condition to ward off infection. Subsequent experience has 

 taught me that aye has less to do with this, than con- 

 dition ; for at the time the officers^ horses became attacked, 

 it frequently happened that the old troop horses suffer like- 

 wise. This is the case at present with my regiment (Feb., 

 1850), although influenza in the old proves less catarrhal, and 

 milder, than in the young horses. An observation that 

 coincides with my arrangement of this state under the /o?'m5 

 of plethoy^a ; this evil consequence being successfully kept 

 off by work and proper stable-management. 



