THE horse-keeper's GUIDE. 295 



tne roads, and the nature of his work. — This part of the 

 subject may however be left to the farrier, who will be but 

 little fit to be intrusted if he requires to be told what to 

 do ; he should be the adviser, not the advised. 



CHAPTER VII. 



OBSERVATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS RELATIVE TO THE 

 DISEASES OF HORSES. 



It is the usual practice, when treating of the diseases 

 to which horses are subject, to give a long list of disorders, 

 the bare perusal of which might induce a belief that the 

 stable would be little less than a hospital, and the groom 

 totally inadequate to the performance of his proper duties, 

 unless skilled in a knowledge of veterinary practice. We 

 shall avoid this, by showing the cause of disease, and means 

 of prevention, and treat the subject in a manner so as to 

 enable the horsekeeper readily to recognize the nature 

 rather than the name of the disease, and instruct him in 

 the use of such medicines as may in many instances be 

 sufficient to arrest the complaint, and tend to restore the 

 healthful functions of the animal. 



Diseases mainly arise from obstructed or impaired di- 

 gestion. So long as the several organs of the animal body 

 continue to perform their due and proper parts, so long 

 may health and strength be calculated upon ; but so soon 

 as the animal economy is disarranged, and the action of 

 any one or more of the organs rendered less capable of 

 its proper energy, a predisposition to disease is engendered, 

 which the slightest exciting cause may bring into active 

 operation. 



By predisposition to disease, we mean that state of the 

 animal system, which is induced by bad or improper food, 

 by want of proper attention, impurity or foulness of the 

 stable, exposure to variations in the atmosphere, or other 

 causes, which affect some organic and internal part of the 

 animal structure, or impair the purity of the blcod : in 

 such a case, actual disease may not be present, or at least 

 not perceptible by any Qi4t\yaid indication; yet the slight- 



