Decayed Teeth in Horses. 219 



to prevent which the teeth should be filed down. 

 If from the above cause the cheek or tongue has 

 been cut, and an ulcer formed, the mouth should 

 be washed with alum and water, as much alum 

 being used as the water will dissolve. Some- 

 times the teeth grow irregularly in length, more 

 especially the grinders ; this proceeds generally 

 from their not being immediately opposite each 

 other. Instances are not wanting where the teeth 

 have grown an inch or more above the general 

 level of the grinders. Indeed, the writer lately 

 had a case of this sort at Wellbury, and it became 

 necessary to cut away above an inch of the tooth, 

 to enable the animal to grind its corn. Horses 

 often fall out of condition from these causes, 

 therefore it becomes the careful groom to look 

 well to the horse's teeth. If the horse is off its 

 feed, try and find the cause ; it is often that the 

 teeth are either decayed or have met with an 

 injury, or become rough at the edge. Some 

 years ago the writer had a horse which fell off 

 its feed, and he could find no cause for it, until 

 he examined its mouth, when, to his surprise, he 

 found a hollow tooth, and a lath nail sticking 

 fast in the tooth up to its head. The nail must 

 have been in the corn, and in eating it became 

 fast embedded in the hollow tooth. He extracted 

 the nail with great difficulty, and afterwards 

 punched out the tooth, and never had any more 

 trouble with the horse. Another subject of 

 decayed teeth came under his care in 1874; it 

 was a bay gelding, six years old, and was in 

 very bad condition when brought. Upon care- 



