122 THE ANATOMY AND DISEASES OF 



are then brought together, confined by sutures, and the ears are drawn further apart 

 from each other, and have dift'erent directions given to them. A very slight examina- 

 tion of either of the horses will readily detect the imposition. 



DEAFNESS. 



Of the occasional existence of this in the horse, there is no doubt. The beautiful 

 play of the ears has ceased, and the horse hears not the voice of his master, or the 

 sound of the whip. Much of the apparent stupidity of a few horses is attributable to 

 their imperfect hearing. It occasionally appears to follow the decline of various dis- 

 eases, and especially of those that affect the head and the respiratory passages. It 

 has been tlie consequence of brutal treatment closing the conduit of the ear, or rup- 

 turing the tympanum ; and it is certainly, as in other domesticated animals, the 

 accompaniment of old age. 



In the present stale of veterinary knowledge, it is an incurable complaint ; the only 

 thing that can be done is not to punish the poor slave for his apparent stupidity, pro- 

 duced perhaps by over-exertion in our service, or, at least, the natural attendant of 

 the close of a life devoted to us. 



CHAPTER IV. 

 THE ANATOMY AND DISEASES OF THE NOSE AND MOUTH. 



We now proceed to a description of the face, or lower part of the head of the Horse. 

 The nasal bones, or bones of the nose {j j, p. 70, and a, p. 72), are connected with the 

 frontal bones above, and with the lacrymal, i i, and the bones of the upper jaw, / /, 

 on either side. They are united together by a plain suture, which is a continuation 

 of the frontal, and they terminate in a point at the nostril (p, p. 70). They are 

 rounded and arched above, because they are exposed to occasional violence and injury, 

 which the arch-form will enable them best to resist; and at the base of the arch, 

 where the main strength should be, they are overlapped by the upper jaw-bone, as the 

 temporal bone overlaps the base of the parietal. These hones form a principal part 

 of the face ; and the length, or shortness, and the character of the face, depend upon 

 them. Sometimes tiiere is an appearance of two little arches, with a depression 

 between them along the sutures. This is often found in the blood-horse with his com- 

 paratively broad head and face. The single elevated arch is found in the long and 

 narrow face of the heavy draught-horse. 



The nasal bones pursue their course down the face, in some horses in a straight 

 line — in others, there is a slight prominence towards the upper part, while in a con- 

 siderable number, a depression is observed a little lower down. Some persons have 

 imagined that this deviation in the line of the face affords an indication of the temper 

 of the animal, and there inay be a little truth in this. The horse witli a straiobt pro- 

 file may be good or bad tempered, but not often either to any great excess. The one 

 with the prominent Roman nose will generally be an easy, <jood-tenipered Icind of 

 beast — hardy — ready enough to feed, not always, perhnps, so ready to wrrlc. but may 

 be made to do his duty without any cruel urging, and having no extraerdinnry preteri- 

 sion to speed or blood. On the other hand, a depression across tho centre of the rose 

 generally indicates some breeding, especially if the liead is small, but occasionally 

 accoiii]ianied by a vicious, imcontrollable disposition. 



There is another way, however, in wliich the nasal bones do more certninlv indicate 

 the breed, viz., by their com])arative length or sliortness. Tliere is no surer criterion 

 of a well-bred horse, than a broad angular forehead, prominent features, -.iiid a short 

 fiioe; nor of a horse with little breeding, than a narrow forebead. small features, and 

 lengthened nose. The cornnarative development of the head and face indicates, with 

 little error, the preponderance of the animal or intellectual principle. 



Fracture of the nasal bones of the horse v.ill sometimes occur from fallino-, or a kick 



