DICTIONARY OF THE VETERINARY ART. 243 



Hand. The division in the standard for measuring horses 

 is thus named. A hand is four inches. 



Haw. (See Eye, part first.) 



Hay. (See Feeding, part first.) 



Heart. (See part first.) 



Heel. A term applied to the back part ot the termination 

 of the hoof. 



Hemlock. A narcotic vegetable poison, deriving its dele- 

 terious properties from an alkaline principle, called conia. 

 It has been known to kill many horses, who have partaken 

 of it. 



Hemorrhage. A flow of blood from any part of the body, 

 in consequence of the rupture of an artery or vein. Hemor- 

 rhage from external injury is most readily stopped by taking 

 up the bleeding vessel, and tying it with saddler's silk ; but 

 when this cannot be done, the bleeding may generally be 

 stopped by pressure, or styptics. (See Styptics.) 



Hepatitis. Inflammation of the liver. 



Hide-bound. When horses are out of condition, and have 

 harsh dry coats, the skin will be contracted and found tight 

 about the ribs. It is a symptom of disease, and shows that 

 the general health is impaired. 



Hip-shot. This is known by one of the hip bones being 

 lower than the other. It generally depends on a fracture of 

 the os innominatum, or small part of the hip bone ; the part 

 having formed an irregular kind of union, so that the bone on 

 that side is shorter than the other. 



Hock, or Hough. The horse's hock is composed of six 

 bones. These bones are all connected together by very strong 

 ligaments, which prevent dislocation, but allow a slight degree 

 of motion among them. The surfaces that are opposed to 

 each other are thickly covered by elastic cartilage, and by a 

 membrane secreting the synovia, or oily fluid, which guards 

 against friction. These bones are so strongly bound together 

 as almost to defy dislocation. 



Hoof. (See plate 4, part first.) 



Hoof-bound. A dry, brittle, and morbid state of the foot. 



