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ATODERN VETElllNARY PRACTICE. 



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diseases of horses mav almost nil be referred 

 to ignoraiiiM.^ ami iu'-,'leot ; ajul, in the same 

 manner, tliia will, to a very largo extent, apply 

 to all animal creation. 



As it is neeessary to have horses stabled, 

 for our many frequent uses, pure air has as 

 much to do with the prevention of catarrh, as 

 anything else ; for a poisoned atmosphere pro- 

 duces more or less efiect upon nil animals, in 

 accordance with their habits. AVe, ourselves, 

 are born in a comparatively impure atmo- 

 sphere, and brought up in it ; but use witli us 

 is second nature. A horse, on the contrary, 

 comes into the world in a pure atmosphere, 

 never breathing the same air twice. Therefore 

 the opposite must take greater effect on horses 

 than on us ; and hence we seldom see them ill 

 until they are brought into stables. Then the 

 horse becomes sick, and the owner is surprised ; 

 but it ought to be a greater surprise that the 

 animal should live at all. Although no advo- 

 cate for cold stables, yet we are no friend to 

 such as are heated by dung and urine. 



Horses generally become diseased during 

 the night, the impure air then collecting ; for 

 during the day there is a partial ventilation. 

 Most persons on visiting a stable the first 

 thing in the morning, are well aware of the 

 effect of the air on their eyes. 



Common catarrh often takes a great hold of 

 the constitution ; the irritation causing cough, 

 and not unfrequeutly ending in chronic cough, 

 from the irritability of the nerves, occasioned 

 by the previous attack. If the inflammation 

 attacks the membrane which lines the nose, a 

 discharge will be the consequence, sometimes 

 from one or both nostrils ; nature endeavour- 

 ing, by this means, to relieve herself. This 

 inflammation frequently, or almost always, 

 affects horses coming into large towns. Horse- 

 dealers are well aware of this, and often try to 

 prevent it, by turning them into a loose place, 

 for the attack seldom or ever comes on whilst 

 they are on the road in exercise, and breath- 

 ing pure air. Mistaken kindness will often 

 permit them to rest when the journey is over ; 

 but, however much the horse may have tra- 

 velled, he should have walking exercise the 

 next day. The first few days are of the 

 greatest consequence. 



The cause of catarrh, according to the doc- 

 trine laid down at the Koyal Veterinary Col- 



lego, is common cold ; but other causes will 

 [M'oduee the same effects, and deserve great 

 attention Jrorn every possessor of hor.><e8. 

 What is called cold, may arise not only from 

 breathing impure air in stables, but from tho 

 real applicalion of cold, when the animal is in 

 an excited state, or in a state of perspiration, 

 and allowed to stand in a draught of air. 



In this, as in many other diseases to which 

 the horse is subject, cold acts differently upon 

 different constitutions; the injury sustained 

 being in some respects regulated by the degree* 

 of heat, or perspiration, in which the animal 

 was at the time of his being exposed to the 

 original cause, from which some idea may bo 

 formed of its probable duration and severity. 

 The effects of cold are not only soon dis- 

 covered where there is constant attention and 

 care, but an observation may be very early 

 made on what part it more immediately directs 

 its attack. In all cases, either of the eyes, 

 throat, or the head, it will discover itself, more 

 or less, in a cough, or in an obstruction in 

 breathing, according to the severity of the 

 attack. So soon as a horse is in this state, a 

 symptomatic fever attends, which is to bo 

 understood as a degree of febrile heat, or irri- 

 tability, dependent on the original cause, and 

 which gradually ceases as the primary disease 

 is found to d-acline. 



In treating for this, bleed moderately, say 

 two or three quarts — not enough to debilitate 

 the animal ; that is, according to his size, state, 

 and condition. In about three hours give him 

 a bran mash, having first removed all his hay 

 out of the rack. Mix an ounce of nitre with 

 his water morning and night. Continue thi# 

 treatment for two or three days, giving occa- 

 sionally a handful of sweet hay, wetted. This, 

 in many cases, when taken in the early stage, 

 will prove successful. Should this treatment not 

 produce the desired effect in the early stages, 

 and should the attack have been neglected, 

 and the disorder have made rapid progress; 

 should the cough be ^nolent and constant, tho 

 horse very dull and heavy, declining all kind 

 of food, and the symptomatic fever running 

 high ; perhaps the disease will not imme- 

 diately submit to the above treatment so soon 

 as may be wished or expected ; therefore repeat 

 the bleeding in two or three days at farthest, 

 according to the state aud necessity, altering 



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