LATERAL FACES OF THE HEAD. 45 



1st. The simplest and most harmless among them consists in clip- 

 ping the hairs of the ears. In this part of the animal's toilet, the 

 dealer carefully cuts the long and abundant hairs which exist in a 

 normal state at the entrance of the concha and which act undoubtedly 

 as organs of protection to the auditory apparatus. These hairs are less 

 abundant in horses of the finer races, as stated above. It is also in- 

 tended by this procedure to give lightness to the head, fineness to the 

 ear, and distinction to the animal, characteristics which do not belong 

 to common horses. This fraud — for it is a procedure whose object is 

 to deceive the buyer as to the real qualities of the merchandise which 

 is oifered — is not easily detected except by those who are experienced 

 with horses. This is so generally resorted to that certain dealers, very 

 honest otherwise, are unwilling to expose horses for sale unless they 

 have been thus prepared. When questioned as to this practice, they 

 respond that, the parts being cleansed with difficulty, the removal of 

 the hairs renders this more easy. We often find on the internal sur- 

 face of the concha a thick layer of sebaceous matter — cerumen — which 

 becomes irritating, provokes pruritus during the summer, and, at the 

 same time, attracts insects. This material is most abundant in horses 

 whose sanitary conditions are neglected. Particles of fodder and 

 atmospheric dust will adhere to it, against the invasion of which the 

 hairs thus shortened can offer no obstruction. In the army this custom 

 has been abolished. 



2d. Another common means is the use of a hood, under the pre- 

 tence of protection from insects. It should always be removed, as it 

 may hide the marks of the twitch, for example, if it be difficult to 

 shoe or harness the animal ; or, again, a leaden ball suspended by a 

 thread and placed in the interior of the ear to quiet nervous subjects. 



3d. When the ears are long and pendulous they can be made, by 

 horsemen, to assume a good direction by means of a silk thread which 

 is covered by the hairs of the forelock. Being thus adducted towards 

 the median line, they may entirely hide this defect. 



4th. Certain operations were formerly practised upon these organs,, 

 whose effi'ct was to straighten them. They are not employed at the 

 present time, but have been abandoned, not because of a moral view, 

 but because they are recognized as being dangerous and inefficient. It 

 is jiot rare to see horsemen attempt to shorten the ears by means of the 

 ear-cutter. This instrument is a sort of mould composed of two lateral 

 halves, into which the concha is received. Whatever projects beyond 

 the edges of the instrument is carefully removed with a bistoury. 



We have not included deafness among the defects of the ear because 



