DISEASES OF THE MOUTH, ETC. 157 



on that account he falls off in feeding, and consequently in flesh 

 or condition. The usual remedy is to scoop out the part next 

 tiie teeth, with a red hot iron formed for the purpose, or sear it 

 with a flat piece of iron made hot. These remedies are still 

 generally practised, even in the army : nor is it possible, I be- 

 lieve, for veterinary surgeons to prevent its being done. The 

 lampas, however, is not the cause of the colt's ceasing to feed 

 well, and falling ofl" in flesh, it depends upon his cutting the 

 grinding teeth at this time ; and if, instead of burning out the 

 lampas, as they term it, they would keep him entirely on bran 

 mashes for about a week, he would be able to eat his hay and 

 corn with avidity : for the stomach, which always sympathises 

 with the mouth in the painful periods of dentition, is quickly 

 restored when the power of mastication returns. We often find 

 when the lampas is present that the membrane of the mouth, 

 just within the corners of the lips, is so swollen, as to get 

 between the grinders, thus preventing the animal from feeding. 

 When this is the case, it is commonly called the hags or ivashes, 

 and may be removed by cutting ofl" a portion with scissors. 

 This disease is often occasioned by the bearing rein being too 

 tight, and also by gagging. 



The teeth may be imperfect, and often are so ; the grinders 

 wear in a different manner from that in which they would, were 

 the animals in a state of nature ; consequently, sharp edges are 

 sometimes formed on the outside of the higher grinders, and on 

 the inside of the lower grinders ; and the inside of the cheeks 

 and the tongue, with the skin or membi'ane connected with it, 

 are thereby wounded, which prevents the horse from masticating, 

 without considerable pain, and induces him to swallow his food 

 imperfectly chewed : this is more especially the case with hay ; 

 and when hay is swallowed in this state, it does harm, being 

 difficult of digestion, as then its nutritive matter is not easily 

 exti'acted by the gastric power ; hence arise indigestion, flatu- 

 lency, and numerous disorders. I have seen at the kennel the 

 jaw of a horse, Avhich died literally from starvation, in conse- 

 quence of a diseai^e of the grinding teeth, which appeared to 

 have been brought on by feeding on coai'se Avoody hay, con- 

 taining the stalks of thistles, docks, &c. This animal was what 

 dealers term a quidder, for the muscles of deglutition were at last 

 so affected, that he was incapable of swallowing ; and after 

 fruitless attempts to chew his food, it was thrown out into the 

 manger in a ball or quid, and a great deal of imperfectly chewed 

 hay had been forced into the cavities, formed at the roots of 

 some of the gi'inding teeth. The remedy in these cases is to 

 file off the sharp edges of the teeth by means of an instrument 

 called the tooth-rasp, and which is made for the purpose. The 

 same plan should be adopted in cases where one of the molar 



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