THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS 3°9 



from cold to heat, are very liable to have a baneful effect. Apart 

 from purely atmospheric differences, we sometimes have horses 

 subjected to what I may term artificial changes of temperature, and 

 these are even more prone to be accompanied by injurious results 

 than are the natural changes. For instance, when a young horse is 

 brought in from grass for the first time, put into the stable, and 

 there tied up along with a number of other horses ; or it may be it is 

 turned into a small, stuffy loose-box, commonly called a 'hull, 1 or, 

 more properly, ' hole,' where the doors, windows, and ventilators (if 

 there are any) are closed to keep out the cold. All this is done with 

 an utter disregard of the climatic conditions to which the animal has 

 been exposed outside, and consequently the sudden change from the 

 cold clear air to the warm air of the stable (which the breathing of 

 the other horses rapidly contaminates), or to the cooped-up 'hull' 

 (the atmosphere of which is soon rendered impure by the animal's 

 own breathing), is very apt to produce an attack of congestion of the 

 lungs. Young horses, then, when first brought in, should be placed 

 in a well-ventilated, airy box, say for the first ten days or so, thus 

 making the change more gradual. Again, young green animals, 

 when sold and taken from the country into the town, should at first 

 be put into a separate box or stable, so as to acclimatize them to 

 their new surroundings before they are stabled with other seasoned 

 horses. 



490. Nose. — Occasionally growths of a cartilaginous or fibrinous 

 nature, also long-necked tumours, or polypi, are met with in the 

 nasal chambers, firmly attached to the turbinated bones or the 

 septum of the nose. These growths produce a peculiar snoring 

 sound, and are generally accompanied by a fcetid discharge from the 

 nose, particularly when the bones are implicated. The only treat- 

 ment of any avail is to cast the horse and remove the obstruction by 

 an operation, which should be performed by a professional man. 

 Some horses are subject to small warts covering the tip of the nose, 

 which often become very troublesome, but dressing with acetic acid 

 twice a week will be found to answer well in most of these cases, or 

 smearing them over with treacle every other day. 



