102 



immoderate feediiis:. The intestines are distended 

 unnaturally, till the stomach presses on the dia- 

 phragm, and this makes a full respiration painful : 

 the mucous secretion of the larynx, or windpipe, 

 and lungs, is increased, and the throat is filled with 

 phlegm: a cough is requisite to discharge it, and 

 that cough becomes habitual. This little explana- 

 tion which I offer, (not as scientific, but as sub- 

 stantially correct,) will assist us to the diagnosis 

 by which the complaint may be detected. 



Where in rapid action a horse pants, and his 

 sides heave up quickly, " blowing like a bellows," 

 as the jockeys term it, we may be sure that the 

 wdnd is seriously affected ; if, besides this, he has 

 a constant hacking cough, we shall not be far out 

 in saying that he is decidedly broken-winded. 



It is not easy to put a horse to his gallop in the 

 confined ride of a stable-yard ; nor, if you are so 

 fortunate as to find a dealer that will trust you out 

 of sight, is it desirable to endanger the limbs of' 

 passengers : you may " do what you please with 

 your own." We must therefore, resort to some 

 more simple, or at least more practicable mode of 

 getting at the truth. 



The common course is to pinch the horse, by 

 pressing the wind-pipe closely with the finger and 

 thumb, in the hollow of the throat, at the top of 



