344 AMERICAN FARMER'S HORSE BOOK. 



to arrest the attention of the farmer and veterinariau, and 

 this was. that its favorite victims were selected from among 

 the finest brood-mares on some of the best stock farms, and 

 especially those of Middle Tennessee. It was a most painful 

 scene, yet one often to be witnessed, to discover a fine, large, 

 fleshy brood-mare, heavy with foal, lying helplessly upon her 

 side, unable to rise. 



No specific was ever found for " colt founder." Various 

 remedies were tried, some of which often gave relief, and at 

 times was undoubtedly the means of saving life. Neverthe- 

 less there was nothing which could be relied upon for a cure. 

 The difficulty was not so much to understand the disease as 

 it was to reach it by any adequate method of treatment. 

 This was owing to the nature of the attack, and the peculiar 

 condition of the mare. 



Plainly the disease was inflammation of the uterus, or 

 womb, involving the organs of production generally, and, in 

 some instances, the kidneys and bladder also. The intense 

 heat of the parts could be readily felt in the rectum ; the 

 uterus was terribly swollen and inflamed, often producing 

 prolapsus uteri (falling of the womb) ; and the hinder part€ 

 were dreadfully pufted out, making a most unsightly appear- 

 ance. The eftects of the fever upon the urinary organs were 

 clearly manifested by the highly-colored character of the 

 discharges. Except in cases of blind staggers, and possibly 

 a few others of rare occurrence, we have never known so 

 high a pulse, frequently from sixty to seventy per minute. 



From examination and treatment of a large number of 

 cases, we came to the conclusion that the trouble was prin- 

 cipally caused by overfeeding with corn, and the plethoric 

 condition of the mare. As spring came on, the time of 

 change and shedding the hair, the pressure of the heavy foal 

 upon the vessels, filled with the heated, turgid blood, so ob- 

 structed circulation as to give rise to local fever and inflam- 

 mation. We are convinced that this result was materially 

 hastened by some peculiar epidemic influences prevalent 

 during the years named. The disease was but little known 



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