DISEASES PECULIAR TO BREEDING STOCK. 303 



citement is past, will prove more wholesome. In the same 

 manner we ought to correct, as far as possible, any alteration 

 of health on the part of the dam. 



We know that the relative amount of water and solids in 

 the milk is greatly affected by the nature of the food. A 

 suckling animal in good health has a richer and more con- 

 centrated milk when fed on dry hay, and especially with a 

 liberal supply of grain. Now the very richness of this milk 

 may unduly stimulate the digestive organs of the young ani- 

 mal, and any such undue stimulation borders on disease. A 

 slight congestion of the stomach or a temporary suspension of 

 its secretions may lead to the formation of larger masses of 

 curd, which are difficult to dissolve and lie but as permanent 

 irritants in the abused organ. Although the best course is 

 to prevent the formation of these, it is often needful to treat 

 them, and perhaps nothing will serve our purpose better than 

 a dose of castor oil, as above advised, to be repeated in three 

 days; and in the interval two table-spoonfuls of a solution of 

 rennet in wine, repeated morning, noon and night of each 

 day. To prevent recurrence of the indigestion the rennet 

 may be continued for some time, and the mare should be al- 

 lowed an abundance of water, not too cold, and one or two 

 soft mashes daily. The rennet solution may be prepared 

 by taking one-eighth of the fourth stomach of a calf and 

 steeping in a pint of wine. Water may be substituted for 

 wine if a sufficient amount of- salt or a few drops of carbolic 

 acid are added to prevent putrefactive change. 



For the suckling mare grass is unquestionably the natural 

 food. Left to nature she brings forth her young at the period 

 when pastures are luxuriant, and on this diet her milk is 

 abundant and good, but not too rich nor concentrated; and 

 yet even green food is not always most conducive to the 

 health of mare and foal. Occasionally in early spring the 

 fresh grass is so rank and its growth so rapid that it contains 

 an excess of water; and even its constituent organic elements 

 appear to differ from those of a less rapid growth, and the 

 result is acute indigestion and violent diarrhoea. This, 

 which shows itself primarily in the mare, may be propagated 

 in the foal as well by the morbid products secreted in the 



