NEW ENC!LAND FARMER, 



July 23, 1830. 



athrntj of JHBcful Snotoletrge==dFatmers' Series. 



DISEASES OF HORSES. 



(Cuiitiiiucil j 



"arcv. 

 Farcv is intimately c;>iinerteil \vith gLinders ; 

 tlipy will mil '.-.iio eai:Ii otlier, or llieir .-iymptoin.s 

 will ;:iiiigle to,,'c!llu;r, iiiul liuCore either arrives ;it 

 its fatal tKiiniiiatiiiii its assnciatc will almost iiiva- 

 rialily appear. An animal inoiulateil with t!ie 

 matter ol' farcy will iifleii lie afflicted with glan- 

 der.'s, while the matter of jrlaiiders will (reipieiitly 

 produce farcy. Tliey are dittereiit types or .stages 

 of the same disease. There is, however, a very 

 material (liff.'ience in their syiiiptoiiis and progress, 

 and tills mot iiiiportJtiit of all, that while glamlers 

 are generally iiicuiahle, farcy, in its early stage 

 and mild form, may lie successfully treated. 



Veterinary wriiers tell iis that it is a disease of 

 the ahsorlietiis in the .skin. The small arteries 

 are employed in huildiiig up and nourishing the 

 various parts of the I'ody ; and another set of 

 vessels are Inisieil in taking up and carrying away 

 that vvjiicli is worn out and useless. There is no 

 part of the body on which tlionsaiids of these lit- 

 tle tubes do i:ot open. Thosj of the skin are not 

 only employed in reiuoving useless materials, but 

 ill taking up various suhsta:iees, and principally 

 fluids vvhicli may be in contact with the skin. 

 The little vessels which are thus occupied, collect 

 together and form larger branches, which run in 

 company with the sii|>erHcial v^:ins, and therefore 

 farcy was once sujiposed to Iib a disease of the 

 vein-, anil the tunmi'S by which it is characterized 

 accompany the course of the veins. The poison 

 which they take up produces inflammation in 

 them, which gradually spreads along the absorb- 

 ent, and causes it to swell. 



These vessels, small as ilicy are, coiitriin valves 

 like those in the common p:inip, which permit the 

 fluid to pass one way, but pri;veiit its return. 

 The iiillaminaiioii, which pursues the natnrd 

 course of the tluid thnnii'li these tubes, that is, 

 towards the reservoir into which it is thrown be- 

 fore it enters the heart, seems to be arrested by 

 these valves, and they inflame and swell ; and 

 therefore the first indication of this disease, even 

 before any drooping, or loss of comlition, or of 

 appetite, is gen 'rally the appearance of little lu- 

 mms—farcij buds — clos« to some of the veins, 

 following' the ronise id' the veins, and connecteil 

 togfelhcr by a kind of cord, which tiirriers call 

 coidtd veins. When they are few and small they 

 may po.ssibly exist for several weeks without be- 

 ing observed ; but at length they increase in num- 

 ber and in size, and become painful and hot, and 



little tumors or lumps of surfeit. They sire ge- | is a dropsical nflection of the skin, cither of the 

 nerally higher than these tninois ; — not so broad ; 

 — have a more kiiot;y fe.-l, and are |)rincipally 

 found on the inside of the limbs, instead of out- 

 side. 



The increase of the.'se buds marks the progress 

 of the disease, and that progress is reliinled by 

 the resistance of these valves. The ulcers spread 

 around, and are cured with considerable diffieulty. 

 Larger tumors appear in the groin and between 

 the fore-leg, and ulcerate and spread, and the 

 hollows and burrowings run deeji in every direc- 

 tion, and the horse becomes n miserable and loath- 

 some objsct. Glanders speedily api)ear, and death 



Few things are more unlike, or more perple-v- 

 ing, than the different forms which fany assumes 

 at difleieiit times. One of the leg,s, and partieu 

 larly one of the binder-legs, will suddenly swell 

 to an enormous size. At nig'-it the horse wdl ap- 

 pear to be perfectly well, and in the murniog 

 one leg will be three times the size of the other, 

 with considerable fever, and scarcely the power of 

 moving the limb. 



The treatment of farcy varies ivith the form it 

 assumes. In the button or bod farcy, a mild dose 

 of physic should be first Bdininistered. The buds 

 should be then carefully examined, and if any of 

 them have broken, the budding iron, of a dull red 

 heat, sb mid be applied to them ; or if matter 

 should be left in them, showiu',' that iliey are dis- 

 posed to break, they shuuUl be penetrated with 

 the iron. These wounds should be daily inspect- 

 d, and if, when the slough of the i-antery comes 



chest or of the limbs generally, and belongs to 

 nother part of the subject. 

 A tumor termed a Polypus sometimes occupies 

 one of the iiostril.f. It will grow to a very large size, 

 olisirncting the breathing, and sadly annoying the 

 horse. As this can only be removed by an ope- 

 ration, which a veterinary surgeon alone is com- 

 petent to perform, we do not describe it particu- 

 larly. 



THE F.IPS. 



The lips of the horse are far more important 

 organs than many suppose. They arc, in a man- 

 ner, the bands of the Imrse; and if any one will 

 take the trouble to observe the manner in which 

 be gathers up bis corn with them, and collects 

 together his grass before he divides it with bis 

 ni))pers, he will be satisfied that the horse would 

 be no more able to convey the food to bis mouth 

 without them, than ihe Imnian being coulil with- 

 out bis hands. This has even been put to the 

 test of experiment. The nerves which supply 

 ihelips werei ivlded ina poor ass, to illustrate some 

 point of physi dogy. The s»nsibi!iiy of the lips 

 was lost, and he knew not when be touched his 

 food with them; the motion of the lips was lost, 

 and be lOtdd not get the bats between his teeth, 

 alihou;;h the manger was full of them ; at length, 

 driven by Iiimger, be contrived to lick up a lew of 

 tbi;m with his tongue, but when they were on his 

 ton'.'iie, the greater part of them were rubbed off 

 before be could get them into bis month. It is 

 on account of this use of the lips, that the faces 

 f all <|iiadriipeds are so lengthened that the lips 



off; they look pale, and fool, and spongy, and dis- j ^^.^^ ,_g |,|.,,„j,|,, i„t„ contact with his food, witli- 

 charge a thin matter, they sbonlil be frequently ^^^^^ JMconveiiieuce or injury to other parts of the 

 washed with a lotion, composed of a dr.ic' 



face, 

 •Jhe 



corrosive sublimate dissolved in an ounce of rec- 

 tified spirit ; the other buds should likewise be 

 examined, and opened v.iih the iron as soon as 

 they evidently contain matter. When the wounds 

 begin to look red, and the bottom of them is even 

 and firm, and they disclmr^e a thick white or yel- 1 ^.^^.^^^ closed, 

 low matter, the friar's balsam will speeilii, heal 

 I hem. As, however, the constitution is now taint- 

 ed, local applications will not be suflicieiit, and 

 the disease innstbe attacked by internal medicines, 

 as soon as the physic has ceased to o|)erate. The 

 corrosive sublimate will be the tiesl idlernative, 

 a id may be given in doses of ten grains, gradual- 

 ly increased to a scruple, with two drachms of 

 gentian and one of ginger, and repeated nioreing 

 and nig'.t until the ulcers disappear, unless the 

 horse is violently purged, or the moiiih becomes 

 sme, when a drarbm of blue vitriol may be siib- 

 stiiuted for the corrosive siibliiiiate. During this, 



Bcime of them begin to ulcerate. They appear the animal sliould be placed in a large box, with a 

 usually about the fice or neck, or inside of the free circulation of air ; and greeit urass, or carrots, 

 thigh, and in the lattc-r case there is some general the latti'r more particularly, should In; given I 



enlargement of the limb, and lameness. 



In some cases, however, the horse will droop 

 for many a day before the appearance! of the btit- 

 iotis or fare}) buds ; — his appetite will be impaired ; 

 — bis coat will stare ; — he will lose flesh. The 

 poison is evidently at work, hut has not gained 

 Bufficie.nt power to cause the .-ib-orbents to swell. 

 Ina few iiisiancea these buds do not ulcerate, but 

 become bard and difficult to disperse. The pro- 

 gress of the disease is then suspended, and possi- 

 bly fir II any m^mths the horse will nppar to be 

 restored to liealth ; but be bears the .seeds of the 

 malady about him, and, all at once, the f ircv as- 

 BUiiies a virulent form, and hurries him off'. These 



with a fair allowance of corn. If he could be 

 turned out during the day, it would be advanta- 

 geous ; but a', all events he sliould be daily exer 



In the species of farcy attended with enormous 

 swellin.', it will be prudent t'> bleed moderately 



lips of the horse should be thin, if the 

 beauty of the bead be regarded, for if tlicy are 

 loaded with fat they connot be so sensible lis they 

 ought to be: yet, although thin, ihey should cvi- 

 ileiiily possess power, and be strongly and rcgu- 

 A firm, compressed mouth gives a 

 favorable and no deceptive itiea <if the muscular 

 power of the animal. Lips apart from each oth- 

 er, and banging down, indicate weakness or old 

 age, or dullness and sluggisiiness. 



The depth of the mou'li, or the di.stance from 

 the fore part to the angle of the lips, should he 

 considerable, fir8t,f rr the sake of beamy. A short 

 protuberant mouth would be a bad finish to the 

 lapering face of the blood horse ; — more room is 

 likewise given fir the opening of the nostril, 

 which we have .seen to be an imporiant considera- 

 tion. The bridle will not be cariied well, and the 

 horse will hang heavy on hand, if there be not 

 considerable depth of mouth. 



IMDICATIONS OP OLD AGE IN A HOnSE. 



The general indications of old iige, indeppn- 

 deiit of the teeth, are deepening of the hollows 

 over the eyes, — gray hairs, and particularly over 

 the eyes, and about the muzzle; thickness and 

 banging down if the lips ; sharpness of the with- 

 ers; sinking of the back; leiigtliening of the 



as well as to physic 

 sary, but the samir alterative medicine will be 

 useful, and the leg should be frequently fimicnt- 

 ed Willi wiirni waii'r. In both cases, abhough 

 l!iK air should bs fresh and cool, the liorse should 

 be warmly cloibed. 



The VVater Farct, conf.iunded by name with 

 the com.iion farcy, and by which much confusion 



riiK iron will not be neces- quarters; and the disaiipeariinccof windgalls, s|ia- 



vms, and tumors of every kind. 



Of the natural age of the lior.se we should form 

 a verv erroneous esiimale, from the early perioil 

 at which be is now worn out and destroyed. Mr 

 Ulaiiie tells us of a gentleman, who had thno 

 horses, which died at the ages of thirtyfive, tliirty- 

 and thirtvnine. Mr CiiHy mentions 



buds have isomutimcs been confuundeil ivitli the has been caused and a great deal of mischief doue, that received a ball in his neck, at the hattle of 



