THE TONGUE. 147 



subjected to this operation should afterwards be frequently examined, and 

 especially if he lose condition ; and, indeed, every horse that gets thin or 

 out of condition, without fever, or any other apparent cause, should have 

 his teeth and mouth carefully examined, and especially if he quids (partly 

 chewing and then dropping) his food, without any indication of sore throat, 

 or if he holds his head somewhat on one side, while he eats, in order to get 

 the food between the outer edges of the teeth. A horse that has once had 

 very irregular teeth is materially lessened in value, for, although they may be 

 sawn down as carefully as possible, they will project again at no great dis- 

 tance of time. 



THE TONGUE. 



The tongue is the organ of taste, and employed in disposing the food for 

 grinding between the teeth, and afterwards collecting it together, and con- 

 veying it to the back part of the mouth, in order to be swallowed. It is 

 also the main instrument in drinking, and the canal through which 

 the water passes in the act of drinking. The root of it is firmly fixed 

 at the bottom of the mouth, by a variety of muscles; the fore part 

 is loose in the mouth. It is covered by a continuation of the mem- 

 brane which lines the mouth, and which, doubling beneath, and con- 

 fining the motions of the tongue, is called its frceiunn or bridle. On 

 the back of the tongue, this membrane is thickened and roughened, and is 

 covered with numerous conical papillce, or little eminences, on which the 

 fibres of a branch of the fifth pair of nerves expand, and on which the sense 

 of taste depends. The various motions of the tongue are accomplished by 

 means of the ninth pair of nerves. The substance of the tongue is com- 

 posed of muscular fibres, with a great deal of fatty matter interposed 

 between them, and which gives to this organ its peculiar softness. 



DISEASES OF THE TONGUE. 



The tongue is sometimes exposed to injury, from carelessness or violence 

 in the act of drenching, or administering a ball, being pressed against, 

 and cut by the edges of the grinders. A little diluted tincture of myrrh, 

 or alum, dissolved in water, or even nature unassisted, will speedily heal 

 , the wound. The horse will bite his tongue, — most frequently in his sleep. 

 If the injury be trifling, it requires little care ; but in some instances, a por- 

 tion of the tongue will be torn or nearly bitten off, and the assistance of a 

 veterinary practitioner will be needed. 



Bladders will sometimes appear along the under side of the tongue, 

 which will increase to a considerable size, and the tongue itself will be 

 much enlarged, and the animal will be unable to swallow, and a great 

 quantity of ropy saliva will drivel from the mouth. This disease often 

 exists without the nature of it being suspected. It resembles what is 

 called the blahi in the cow, which is a very serious complaint m that 

 animal, frequently connected with much fever, and terminating in suffo- 

 cation. If the mouth of the horse be opened, one large bladder, or a suc- 

 cession of bladders of a purple hue, will be seen to extend along the whole 

 of the under side of the tongue. If they be lanced freely and deeply, from 

 end to end, the swelling will very rapidly abate, and any little fever that 

 remains may be subdued by cooling medicine. The cause of this dis- 

 ease is not clearly known, it usually proceeds, perhaps, from indigestion, 

 connected with a general tendency to inflammation. 



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