DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 1-49 



they woukl soon discover an inorcllnate or depraved appetite, and 

 be enabled to correct it. This, however, is scarcely ever done. 

 The general opinion among persons Concerned Avith horses is, 

 that they cannot eat too much. Bad feeders, or horses with 

 weak appetites, are sure to be found out, because they soon be- 

 come unable to perform the work that is expected of them ; but 

 the effects of over-feeding are almost always attributed to other 

 causes ; and physic, cordials, bleeding, diuretics, in short, every 

 thing, except the most simple, economical, and effectual remedy, 

 is employed for their removal. When a horse, therefore, is 

 observed to eat a great deal of hay, and to devour his litter if 

 there be no hay before him, and especially when he is found to 

 be dull and sluggish, or thick-winded, he should be prevented 

 from eating so much hay. This can be done at first by weighing 

 out a certain quantity daily, and dividing it into three portions. 

 If, after eating his allowance, he is found to eat his litter, he should 

 be still further restrained by a muzzle. A horse belonging to 

 the Oak-hill Brewery, having been discovered languid and weak 

 in his work, was left in the stables for two or three days' rest. 

 On the second day he was attacked with violent colic, which 

 terminated fatally in a few hours. On opening the body, the 

 stomach was found loaded with undigested food, and the bowels 

 distended with excrement and air, and highly inflamed. It was 

 evident, then, that what was intended for the horse's benefit was 

 the cause of his death; that is, leaving him in the stable to eat 

 and drink as much as he liked. This horse laboured under 

 another disadvantage besides that of an immoderate appetite ; 

 there were sharp edges on his grinding teeth, which rendered 

 mastication rather painful, and caused him to swallow some of 

 his corn and beans unchewed. 



I once examined a horse that died of the fret or colic, and 

 found his bowels so enormously loaded (and his stomach also 

 pretty full) that I was induced to inquire how the horse had 

 been fed. The man who had the care of him informed me that 

 the night before the horse was taken ill he put, as near as he 

 could judge, three quarters of a hundred of hay in the rack for 

 two cart-horses, and that he had given this horse, in addition to 

 a shai-e of this allowance, about half a peck of baidey : this ap- 

 peared to be the usual allowance for the two horses. Horses 

 that eai so much acquire a permanent enlargement of stomach 

 and bowels, and a constant craving for water as well as food, 

 generally preferring dirty or muddy water, and seldom refusing 

 the most filthy. I knew a team of cart-horses, at Wells, that 

 were allowed to eat as much hay and drink as much water as they 

 liked. The pond at which they drank was formed by the rain which 

 came from the roof of the stable, and from the court, Avhere 

 there was a large dung-heap constantly kept, the drain of which 



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