CHAPTER XIV 



FACTS OF GENERAL INTEREST 



The Pulse 



The most convenient place to ascertain the condition of a 

 horse's pulse is on the artery which winds round the 

 lower jaw, on either the near or off side. It is customary to 

 use the second and third fingers of the right hand, selecting 

 the near side of the head. The fingers are applied lightly, 

 just sufficient to gently press upon the wall of the artery. 

 The number of pulsations in an adult horse ranges from 

 36 to 45 beats per minute, each beat being clear and dis- 

 tinct. In certain diseases the pulse conveys a sensation 

 of being hard and a wanting in its normal fullness. Some- 

 times it is ver}^ rapid, 80 or 100 per minute and correspond- 

 ingly sm.all. These changes and the sensation imparted 

 to the fingers are the result of inflammatory action in 

 some organ or tissue. In certain diseases the pulse 

 becomes very slow. It is liable to great variation under 

 abnormal conditions, and nothing but long tuition will 

 enable anyone to appreciate the many significant states 

 of it. 



The Temperature 



For taking the temperature of a horse a clinical 

 theraiometer is employed. These small instruments can 

 be obtained at all chemists for a few shillings, and anyone 

 having anything to do with sick animals should not be 

 without one of these, as it is an invaluable aid for marking 

 the onset, progress, and decline of disease. A clinical 

 thermometer consists of a bulb and stem. The bulb 



