DICTIONARY OF THE VETERINARY ART. 227 



in the ventricles of the brain. The fits in horses do not 

 exactly resemble the fits of the human body. 



Epitaxis. Bleeding at the nose. This sometimes occurs 

 in glanders, and denotes a considerable ulceration within the 

 nostrils. When it happens to a horse in health, it shows an 

 unequal circulation of the blood. 



Epsom Salts. Sulphate of magnesia. A neutral salt, often 

 employed as an aperient for cattle j but it is very uncertain in 

 horses, and is apt to gripe sadly. 



Eschar. A slough formed by the application of caustic. 



Excrescence. Any preternatural formation on any part 

 of the body, as warts, wens, splents, spavins, &c. 



Exercise. (See part first.) 



Exostosis. An osseous tumor originating from a bone ; 

 such as splent, spavin, ringbone, &c. Perhaps no animal is 

 more subject to this disease than the horse ; and in no depart- 

 ment of the veterinary science is there a greater need of 

 reform than in the treatment of the disease now under con- 

 sideration. Almost every man who knows any thing about 

 a horse can detect a spavin, &c. ; but not one in a hundred 

 can tell any thing about the true nature of the malady, or the 

 indications to be fulfilled in the treatment ; and in conse- 

 quence of a lack of knowledge on this subject many a poor 

 animal has suffered immensely, who, if he was not deprived 

 of the power of speech, would make the ears of his oppres- 

 sors tingle with a tale of man's barbarity and inconsistency. 



The bony structure, being composed of vital solids, 

 although studded with crystallizations of saline carbonates and 

 phosphates, is liable, like other parts of the structure, to take on 

 preternatural or morbid action, and may result from or ac- 

 company constitutional idiosyncrasies, resulting from heredi- 

 tary taints on the side of the dam or stallion. The most 

 frequent causes of splent, spavin, &c, are undue acts of exer- 

 tion on hard pavements, and the imposition of weight dispro- 

 portioned to the strength of the animal : young horses are 

 particularly liable to exostosis when severely worked or over- 

 burdened. Any sudden or extraordinary efforts in backing 



