SOME DEFINITIONS. 33 



time the number and nature of the blemishes are far from being deter- 

 mined. Nothing is more absolute, nothing more relative ; all depends 

 upon the idea which is formed of them. 



The words blemish, vice, and fault are very often employed synony- 

 mously Avhen applied to the horse. They appear, however, to have a 

 particular signification. Thus, by the term blemish is designated a 

 cause of depreciation superficial and apparent. Vice and fault seem 

 rather to convey in themselves something concealed. 



Among the numerous definitions which are given of a blemish, that 

 of Littre seems to us to be the most complete : " A blemish is a defect 

 of whatever origin, pathological or otherwise, which has its seat in the 

 skin or the subjacent parts, and which diminishes more or less the value 

 of the horse." 



As the word defect has another sense in the exterior ; as, besides, it 

 is of little importance to explain the variety of the origin of blemishes, 

 since this origin may or may not be pathological, we will modify this 

 definition in the following manner : A blemish is every apparent trace 

 of depreciation having its seat in the skin or in the subjacent tissues. 

 This trace need not be persistent. A horse may indeed be blemished 

 to-day and not be so eight days hence. A very slight fall upon the 

 knees sometimes leaves an immediate trace which then blemishes the 

 subject, while oftentimes soon afterwards nothing is visible. 



However it may be, we add that most usually the name blemish 

 is given to cicatrices, tumors resulting from accidents, operations which 

 the animal has undergone, or different diseases which have left apparent 

 lesions. Let us give some examples. A horse one of whose articula- 

 tions has been cauterized is blemished. A horse which presents en- 

 largements around the hock is blemished. The same thing follows 

 when blisters are applied to the walls of the thorax, and the hairs are 

 not replaced at the place of their application. A horse which after 

 having been bled has contracted an inflammation of the jugular vein, 

 with a consecutive obliteration of the latter, is a blemished horse. 



Blemishes, as may be conceived, are of more or less gravity, and 

 diminish, on that account, the value of the animal which possesses them. 

 There are some to which no importance is attached. We will return 

 to them in the examination of the regions. 



D. Vices and Faults. 



These two expressions have not always the same meaning in the 

 language of the exterior. In certain cases the word vice is synonymous 

 with disease or defect, as is seen, for example, in the first article of the 



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