3G0 THE MODERN HORSE DOCTOR. 



an expiratory murmur, and the air necessary for producing such 

 is derived from one of these sources. Some contend that the 

 animal swallows wind, and thus creates flatulency, colic, &c. ; but 

 the idea is perfectly ridiculous. It is our firm belief, based 

 upon a knowledge of the structure of the parts involved in the 

 mechanism of respiration, that neither man nor horse, by volun- 

 tary act, ever has power to swallow atmospheric air. The 

 organs of respiration and deglutition differ so materially in their 

 anatomical and physiological relations — have each special func- 

 tions to perform — that it is impossible for one to perform the 

 function of the other, w T hich would be the case if a horse actually 

 swallowed wind, — atmospheric air, — and then, as some others 

 contend, regurgitated it.* On these grounds, we question, there- 

 fore, the correctness of either theory. If horses possessed the 

 power of eructating wind or gas from the stomach, we might 

 expect, in violent cases of flatulency, to notice its escape in this 

 way, which the author has never yet been able to do. Crib 

 biting, therefore, being nothing but a habit or vice, can only be 

 corrected by means and appliances which prevent the subject 

 from indulging in it. In this view, all sorts of contrivances have 

 been resorted to, and among them was one which was invented 

 by Sir Peter Laurie. The space between the bottom of the 

 hay rack and the outer edge of the manger is boarded over, 

 forming a steep inclined plane, leaving, in this way, no edge or 

 point on which the horse can fix his jaw. Attached is a flap or 

 slide, opened only at meal time. The author uses common bar 

 soap as a preventive, which is to be rubbed on the edge and 

 outside of the crib, and renewed as often as necessary. 



* The saliva has the property of enclosing within its globules, during the 

 process of mastication, a small quantity of atmospheric air ; but we never knew 

 of its doing any harm : it may, possibly, answer some useful purpose in diges- 

 tion, and we strongly suspect that in that wonderful laboratory, the stomach, 

 it is decomposed. 



