HORSE. 



" The outer coat of the stomach 

 and intestines is composed of a 

 serous membrane, the peritoneum, 

 which adds strength and lirmness to 

 their textures ; attaches, and sup- 

 ports, and confmcs them in their re- 

 spective places, and secretes a fluid 

 that prevents all injurious friction be- 

 tween them. This coat is exceed- 

 ingly subject to inflammation, some- 

 what gradual in its approach ; the 

 pulse quickened, but small ; the legs 

 cold ; the belly tender ; there being 

 constant pain, and every motion in- 

 creasing it ; there also being rapid 

 and great prostration of strength. 

 These symptoms will sufficiently 

 characterize -peritoneal infiammalion. 

 Bleeding, aperient injections, and ex- 

 tensive counter-irritation will afford 

 the only hope of cure. 



" The time for castration varies ac- 

 cording to the breed and destiny of 

 the horse. On the farmer's colt it 

 may be effected when the animal is 

 not' more than four or five months 

 old, and it is comparatively seldom 

 that a fatal case then occurs. For 

 other horses much depends on their 

 growth, and particularly on the de- 

 velopment of their fore quarters. Lit- 

 tle improvement has been effected in 

 the old mode of castrating, except 

 the opening of the scrotum, and the 

 division of the cord by the knife in- 

 stead of the heated iron. 



" Synovial, or joint membranes, are 

 interposed between the divisions of 

 the bones, and frequently between the 

 tendons, in order to secrete a certain 

 fluid that shall facilitate motion and 

 obviate friction. Occasionally the 

 membrane is lacerated, and the sy- 

 novia escapes. This is termed open- 

 ed joint, and violent inflammation rap- 

 idly ensues. The duty of the prac- 

 titioner is to close this opening, and 

 as quickly as possible. Nothing is so 

 effectual here as the old application 

 of the cautery. A great deal of in- 

 flammation and engorgement is pro- 

 duced around the opening, partially, 

 if not altogether, closing it, or, at 

 least, enablmg the coagulated syno- 

 via to occupy and obliterate it. Per- 

 haps, in order to ensure the desired 



result, the whole of the joint should 

 be blistered ; a bandage should then 

 be firmly applied, and kept on as long 

 as possible. If, after this, there is 

 any escape of the synovia, tiie cau- 

 tery must again be had recourse to. 

 " The Nai-icular Disease is a bruise, 

 or inflammation, or perhaps destruc- 

 tion, of the cartilage of the navicular 

 bone, where the flex or tendon of the 

 foot passes over it in order to reach 

 the coffin bone. The veterinary sur- 

 geon can alone ascertain the exist- 

 ence and proper treatment of this dis- 

 ease. Spavin is an enlargement of 

 the inner side of the hock. The 

 splent bones, which support the infe- 

 rior layer of those of the hock, sus- 

 taining a very unequal degree of con- 

 cussion and weight, the cartilaginous 

 substance which unites them to the 

 shank bone takes on inflammation, 

 it becomes bony instead of cartilagi- 

 nous, and the disposition to this change 

 being set up in the part, bony matter 

 continues to be deposited, until a 

 very considerable enlargement takes 

 place, known by the name of spavin, 

 and there is considerable lameness 

 in the hock joint. The bony tumour 

 is blistered, and probably fired, but 

 there is no diminution of the lame- 

 ness until the parts have adapted 

 themselves, after a considerable pro- 

 cess of time, to the altered duty re- 

 quired of them, and then the lame- 

 ness materially diminishea* and the 

 horse becomes, to a very considerable 

 extent, useful. Curb is an enlarge- 

 ment of the back of the hock, three 

 or four inches below its point. It is 

 a strain of the ligament which there 

 binds the tendons down in their place. 

 The patient should be subjected to 

 almost absolute rest ; a blister should 

 be applied over the back of the tu- 

 mour, and, occasionally, firing will be 

 requisite to complete the cure. Near 

 the fetlock, and where the tendons 

 are exposed to injury from pressure 

 or friction, little bags or sacs are 

 placed, from which a lubricating mu- 

 cous fluid constantly escapes. In the 

 violent tasks which the horse occa- 

 sionally has to perform, these become 

 bruised and inflamed, and enlarged 



399 



