DICTIONARY OF THE VETERINARY ART. 20 J 



of olive oil, yellow beeswax, and common resin, (or rosin.) 

 These are to be melted over a slow fire, and stirred until the 

 mixture is quite cool. 



Bay. A bay color, in horses, is so named from its resem- 

 blance to dried bay leaves. 



Biceps. The biceps is a double-headed muscle, which 

 serves to bend a limb. 



Bile, or Gall. A bitter greenish fluid, secreted by the 

 liver for the purpose of assisting digestion. In the horse 

 there is no gall bladder, or receptacle for the bile ; it passes 

 directly into the duodenum, or first of the small intestines, a 

 few inches from the stomach. 



Bilious. Diseases are called bilious, when they deuend on 

 a morbid state of the liver. 



Bits. There are various kinds of bits in use ; among them 

 are the snaffle and curb. A snaffle may be either plain or 

 twisted, but the latter is apt to make the mouth callous ; it 

 consists of two pieces, having a sort of hinge joint in the 

 centre. When used for the purpose of breaking young colts, 

 it should be made large, so as not to hurt the mouth. The 

 form of the curb bit resembles somewhat the letter H. The 

 bridle is fastened to the side pieces, which act as levers of 

 different powers, according to the distance from the cross-bar, 

 to which the bridle is attached. The humane man will never 

 inflict unnecessary severity on the horse, and will avoid con- 

 tinual strain on the reins or bridle, which, aside from the 

 torture they inflict, tend to render the horse's mouth 

 callous. The best form of bit, and the most simple, is the 

 stiff, arched bit. The author has seen a very fine specimen 

 of this article, manufactured by .Messrs. Hannaford & lisle y, 

 of this city. The centre piece is large and curved ; the 

 checks are movable, and their upper ends curved outwards, 

 which prevents their injuring the cheek bones. It is very 

 important that a horse should be properly bitted ; many docile 

 horses are rendered stubborn and unmanageable, by having a 

 bit that is too narrow. Many young horses are injured while 

 they are teething, and the mouth is tender, by bearing too 

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