DISEASES OF THE HOKSE. 45 



ing the mouth and is produced hj irritating- medicines, foods, or other 

 substances. The symptoms are swelling of the mouth, which is also hot 

 and painful to the touch; there is a copious discharge of saliva; the 

 mucous membrane is reddened; and in some cases there are observed 

 vesicles or ulcers in the mouth. The treatment is simple, soft feed 

 alone often being all that is necessary. A bucket of fresh cold water 

 should be kept canstantly in the manger so that the horse may drink 

 or rinse his mouth at will. In some instances it ma}' be advisable to 

 use a wash of chlorate of potash, borax, or alum, about one-half ounce 

 to a pint of water. Ha}', straw, or oats should not be fed unless 

 steamed or boiled. A form of contagious stomatitis sometimes occurs 

 that is characterized by the formation within the mouth of small 

 vesicles, or blisters. In this disease the horse should be isolated from 

 other horses, his stall, especially the feed box, and his bit, should be 

 disinfected. 



Glossitis, or inflammation of the tongue, is very similar to the above, 

 and mostly exists with it and is due to the same causes. Injuries to 

 the tongue maj^ produce this simple inflammation of its covesi^ing mem- 

 brane, or, if severe, may produce lesions much more extensive, such 

 as lacerations, abscesses, etc. These latter would require surgical 

 treatment, but for the simpler forms of inflammation of the tongue 

 the treatment recommended for stomatitis should be followed. 



Plyalism, or salivation, consists in an abnormal and excessive secre- 

 tion of saliva. This is often seen as a symptom of irregular teeth; 

 inflammation of the mouth or tongue, or of the use of such medicines 

 as lobelia, mercur}-, and man}- others. Some foods produce this, such 

 as clover, and particularly second crop; foreign bodies, such as nails, 

 wheat chaff, and corncobs becoming lodged in the mouth. If the 

 cause is removed no further attention is necessary, as a rule. Astrin- 

 gent washes may be applied to the mouth as a gargle or by means of 

 a sponge. 



Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining 

 of the phaiynx or throat. It rarely exists unless accompanied by 

 stomatitis or larj^ngitis, especially the latter. In those rare instances 

 in which the inflammation is mostly confined to the pharynx are noticed 

 febrile symptoms — difficulty of swallowing either liquids or solids; 

 there is but little cough except when trying to swallow; there is no 

 soreness on pressure over larynx (head of the windpipe). Increased 

 flow of saliva, difficulty of swaltowing liquids in particular, and cough 

 onl}' when attempting to swallow, are the symptoms best marked in 

 pharyngitis. In some cases the throat becomes gangrenous and the 

 disease ends in death. For treatment wrap a wet sheet around the 

 throat and cover this with rubber sheeting and a warm blanket. This 

 should be changed three times dail}^; or the region of the throat may 

 be rubbed with mercurial ointment twice daily until the skin becomes 



