214 BROKEN -WIND. 



of the human being, gives us an explication of broken-wind, more satisfactory than 

 is to ne found in any of our veterinary writers. He attributes what he calls dry ca- 

 tarrh " to the partial obstruction of the smaller bronchial tubes, by the swelling of 

 their inner membrane. The muscles of inspiration are numerous and powerful, while 

 expiration is chiefly left to the elasticity of the parts: then it may happen that the 

 air which, during inspiration, had overcome the resistance opposed to its entrance by 

 the tumid state of the membrane, is unable to force its way througli the same obsta- 

 cle during expiration, and remains imprisoned in the cells, as it were, by a valve. 

 The succeeding inspirations introduce a fresh supply of air, and gradually dilate the 

 cells to a greater cr less extent; and if the obstruction is of some continuance, the 

 dilated condition of the colls becomes permanent." 



Some circumstances attending this disease may now, probably, be accounted for. 

 A troublesome cough, and sometimes of long continuance, is the foundation of the 

 disease, or indicates that irritable state of the bronchial membrane with which broken- 

 wind is almost necessarily associated. Horses that are greedy feeders, or devour 

 large quantities of slightly nutritious food, or are worked with a stomach distended 

 by this food, are very subject to broken-wind. More depends upon the management 

 of the food and exercise than is generally supposed. The post-horse, the coach-horse, 

 and the racer, are comparatively seldom broken-winded. They are fed, at stated pe- 

 riods, on nutritious food that lies in little compass, and their hours of feeding and of 

 exertion are so arranged that they seldom work on a full stomach. The agricultural 

 horse is too often led on the very refuse of the farm, and his hours of feeding, and 

 his hours of work, are frecjuently irregular; and the carriage-horse, although fed on 

 more nutritious food, is often summoned to work, by his capricious master, the mo- 

 ment his meal is devoured. 



A rapid galloj) on a full stomach has often produced broken-wind. When the exer- 

 tion has been considerable and long-continued, we can easily conceive a rupture of 

 the air-cells of tlie soundest lungs ; but we are inclined to believe, that, were the his- 

 tory of these cases known, there would be found to have been a gradual preparation 

 for this result. There would have been chronic cough, or more than usually disturbed 

 respiration after exercise, and then it required little more to perfect the mischief. 

 Galloping after drinking has been censured as a cause of broken-w ind, yet we cannot 

 think that it is half so dangerous as galloping with a stomach distended by solid food. 

 It is said that broken-winded horses are foul feeders, because they devour almost 

 everything that comes in their w-ay, and thus impede the play of the lungs; but there 

 is so much sympathy between the respiratory and digestive systems, that one cannot 

 be much deranged without the other evidently suflering. Flatulence, and a depraved 

 appetite, may be the consequence as well as the cause of broken-wind; and there is 

 no pathological fact of more frequent occurrence than the co-existence of indigestion 

 and flatulence with broken-wind. Flatulence seems so invariable a concomitant of 

 broken-wind, that the old farriers used to think the air found its way from the lungs 

 to the abdomen in some inexplicable manner; and hence their "holes to let out bro- 

 ken-wind." They used literally to make a hole near to or above the fundament in 

 order to give vent to the imprisoned wind. The sphincter muscle was srenerally divi- 

 ded ; and although the trumping ceased, there was a constant, although silent, emis- 

 sion of fuitid gas, that made the remedy worse than the disease. 



The narrow-chested horse is more subject to broken-wind than the broader and 

 deeper chested one, for there is not so much room for the lungs to expand when rapid 

 progression requires the full discharge of their function. 



Is broken-wind hereditary ] \Vc believe so. It may be referred to hereditary' con- 

 formation — to a narrower ciiest, and more fragile membrane — and predisposition to 

 take on those inflammatory diseases which end in broken-wind ; and the circular chest, 

 Avhich cannot enlarge its ciipacity when exertion requires it, must render both thick 

 and broken-wind of more probable f>ccurrence. 



Is there any cure for broken-wind ! None ! No medical skill can repair the bro- 

 ken-down structure of the lun<;s. 



If, however, we cannot cure, we may in some degree palliate broken-wind ; and, first 

 of all, we must attejul carefully to the feeding. The food should lie in little com- 

 pass — plenty of oats and little hay, but no chafl". ChatTis particularly objectionable, 

 from the rapidity with whicii it is devoured, and the stomach distended. Water 

 fihould be given in moderate quantities, but the horse should not be sutTereu 1,0 drink 



