150 DISEASKS OF THE HORSE. 



entered the pond. The water was always of a dark or dung 

 colour, like an infusion of horse dung, and would have been found, 

 I should think, excellent manure. Mr. Garrod, the proprietor, 

 assured me that his waggoner had repeatedly tried to make them 

 drink at a running stream about a mile from Wells, when they 

 ■were returning from a journey and thirsty, but they always re- 

 fused ; yet as soon as they got home, and were permitted to go 

 to this filthy pond, they drank with the greatest avidity. 



CHAP. XXXII. 



STOMACH STAGGERS. PALSY OF THE STOMACH. 



This disease appears to consist in a palsy of the stomach, 

 generally arising from over-distention, by taking too large a 

 quantity of food of an indigestible nature. It is seldom observed 

 tmtil the symptoms are fully established, for the animal is induced 

 to continue feeding as long as the stomach is capable of holding 

 its food, and fermentation is thereby prevented. What that 

 jieculiar condition is, nobody can tell; it does exist, and pro- 

 duces the effect I have described, and that is all that appears to 

 be known of it. It happens at grass as well as in the stable, but 

 generally occurs in low wet situations, where the grass is coarse 

 find abundant, and most frequently in the fall of the year, or 

 October. Tliere is rarely any symptom of acute pain as in 

 flatulent colic, or of violent delii'ium as in inflammation of the 

 brain ; and, what is remarkable, the pulse is seldom altered in any 

 degree Avhatever, nor is respiration or breathing much affected. 

 But Avhen the disorder has proceeded to some length, both the 

 pulse and the breathing become affected, and I hnve known it 

 lerminate, in one case, in inflammation of the lungs. Sometimes 

 it inflames the stomach and bowels ; but most commonly the 

 fatal termination depends upon the torpor of the stomach itself, 

 or upon apoplex}'. 



The symptoms of this disorder are, great heaviness and drow- 

 siness, resting the nose in the manger, or inclining the head, 

 and resting the cheek, or bearing against the wall. The head is 

 forced against the manger, or rack, or the nose between the 

 rack staves. In this way, the eyes and face are often much 

 bruised and swollen. The horse stands with his fore legs much 

 under him, appearing to give way every now and then, as if he 

 would fill. There is an appearance of convulsive twitching of 

 the nmscles of the neck and chest. There is, too, a great degree 

 of yellowness, approaching to orange- coloui", of the membranes 

 of the eyes, and often a yellowness of the mouth also. Urine 



