DISEASES OF THE MOUTH, ETC. 199 



the extensor mnscles of the foi'e-leg, prevents then- behig thrown 

 to the extent required, and he coraes down with tlie most dan- 

 gerous violence. I have known this accident happen with 

 horses that have had upright shoulders and very well-formed 

 hind parts ; I have also known very safe horses, that have con- 

 tracted a habit of going with their noses j^oked out, become 

 very unsafe, and soon get broken knees by endeavouring to im- 

 prove their carriage by a martingale or running rein. When 

 this injury is observed in the mouth, the horse should be kept 

 on bran mashes, and if the bone is not injured, the sore may be 

 dressed with a little alum, honey, and water. Most commonly, 

 however, when the sore is carefully examined with a probe, the 

 bare bone may be distinctly felt : some openings also may some- 

 times be felt in the bone. In either case the diseased bone — 

 for when bare it is always diseased — must be exposed com- 

 pletely, and freely scraped with a rougine or drawing knife. It 

 should then be dressed daily with tincture of myrrh. When 

 there is reason to apprehend exfoliation, the best plan is to 

 hasten the separation of the bone by the application of caustic, 

 such as diluted muriatic acid on a little tow. After the separa^ 

 tion of the dead bone, the part Avill soon get well. It may 

 afterwards be dressed with tincture of myrrh. 



If the horse is used during the progi'ess of the cure, a snaffle 

 should, if possible, be substituted for the curb. 



I have known a similar ulcer form under the tongue, accom- 

 panied with considerable inflammation and swelling of the 

 mouth, so as to prevent feeding for several days. A portion of 

 the lower jaw-bone exfoliated, after which the part soon got Avell. 



Sometimes, during dentition or teething, the whole mouth 

 becomes inflamed and sore, and this state generally extends to 

 the stomach, causing loss of appetite. In such cases the excre- 

 tory ducts of the sublingual glands, being rather swollen, have 

 been mistaken for a disease, and cut off. The only thing ne- 

 cessary in such cases is to keep the horse on bran mashes a short 

 time. No medicine is necessary, and bleeding is rendered im- 

 uecessary by the loss of appetite. 



In giving balls improperly, the under part of the tongue is 

 often lacerated, which renders feeding painful, and makes the 

 horse slaver and froth at the mouth. This may be cured by a 

 solution of alum, which should be thrown in with a syringe. 

 We sometimes find the first grinder so unequally worn, as to 

 leave one part much longer than the rest. This often proves an 

 impediment to mastication, and should be struck off with a 

 blunt chisel, and afterwards filed smooth. This was formerly 

 termed the wolf's tooth; but the wolf's tooth of the present 

 time, which is still foolishly supposed to be a cause of ophthalmia 

 or inflamed eyes, is a denticule or very small tooth, which some- 



o 4 



