ANATOMY OF THE NOSE. 117 



Chapter VIII. 

 THE ANATOMY AND DISEASES OF THE NOSE AND MOUTH. 



We now proceed to the description of the face of the horse, so called in 

 contradistinction from the upper part of the head, containing the brain. 

 The naaal bo?ies, or bones of the nose (jj, page 66, and a, p. 68), are 

 connected with the frontal bones above, and with the lacrymal, i i, and 

 the bones of the upper jaw, I I, on either side ; they are united together by 

 a plain suture, which is a continuation of the frontal, and they terminate in 

 a point at the nostril (f, p. 63). They are rounded and arched above, because 

 they are exposed to occasional violence and injury, which the arch-form will 

 enable them best to resist ; and at the base of the arch, where the main 

 strength should be, they are overlapped by the upper jawbone, as we have 

 described the temporal bone overlapping the base of the parietal. These 

 bones form a principal part of the face ; and the length, or shortness, and 

 the character of the face, depend upon them. The largeness and length of 

 these bones constitute the striking difference between the head of the cart 

 horse and of the blood horse. 



In some horses, this arch is more than usually developed, and there is, 

 beside, a prominence or increased archedness about half-way down 

 the nasal bones. These horses are said to have Roman noses, because 

 this arch of the nose distinguishes the profile of some of the most celebrated 

 of the ancient Romans. We cannot say that the breed of horses in which 

 the Roman-nose usually occurs, possesses superior sagacity or courage ; 

 they are generally easy, good-tempered horses, excellent feeders, and 

 hardy constitutioned, but possessing little blood. Many thorough-bred 

 horses have a peculiarity the reverse of the Roman-nose. There is a 

 depression or hollow about the middle of the nasal bones. Although this 

 be a characteristic of breeding, it often accompanies an uncontrollable and 

 vicious temper. 



These bones form the roof of an important cavity (see «, p. 68). 

 The sides are constituted above by the nasal bones, and, lower down, 

 by the upper jaw-bones (superior maxiUaries), while plates from these 

 latter bones project and compose the palate, which is both the floor of the 

 nose and the roof of the mouth {t, p. 68). Above (near fig. 8), not 

 visible in our cut, is a bone called the palatine, although it contributes 

 very little to the formation of the palate. It is the termination of the 

 palate, or the border of the opening where the cavities of the mouth and 

 nose meet (fig. 8). The frontal sinuses, b, and large vacuities in the upper 

 jaw-bone, and in the sethmoid, /, and sphenoid bones, A*, communicate with 

 and enlarge the cavity of the nose. 



This cavity is divided into two parts by a thick cartilage (r, p. 68). 

 W^hen we open the nostril, we see the membrane by which the cartilage, and 

 the whole of the cavity of the nose is lined, and by the colour of which, much 

 more than by that of the lining of the eyelids, we judge of the degree of 

 fever, and particularly of inflammation of the lungs, or any of the air pas- 

 sages. By the sore places or ulcerations discovered on this membrane, we 

 likewise determine on the existence of glanders. This cavity is, on either 

 side, occupied by two bones, which, from their being rolled up somewhat 

 in the form of a turban, are called the turhinated or hirban-shaped bones, s s ; 

 part of the cartilage is cut away to display them. They are as thin as gauze, 

 and perforated, like gauze, with a thousand holes. Between them are left 

 sufficient passages for the air. 



