CHAPTEE X. 

 DISEASES OF HORSES' HEADS. 



MEGEIMS. 



This is a malady occasioned by pressure on the 

 brain caused by an unusual flow of blood to it. 

 The flow of blood through the brain is quite ten 

 times greater in quantity than through any other 

 portion of the body of equal bulk. To prevent 

 as far as possible any unusual flow of blood to 

 this part, Nature has adopted a curious but, as 

 usual, wise plan. The arteries are made to pursue 

 an extremely winding and circuitous course, and 

 enter the skull through small holes in the bony 

 process. These holes are so small that they admit 

 of but little enlargement of the blood-vessels, and 

 thus to a great extent the chances of inflamma- 

 tion are lessened. Yet, notwithstanding this 

 beautiful provision of an all- wise and far-seeing 

 Creator, the horse is liable to be afflicted with 

 disease of the brain, often from the want of brains 

 in the so-called superior animal, man, by his 

 subjecting the horse to violent and injudicious 

 exercise and hard driving or riding in warm 

 weather. It is but seldom that we find horses 

 attacked with megrims when riding, and it seems 

 principally horses in harness that are subject to 

 this disease. Hard driving in warm weather 



